From cardiac arrest to cardio
Survivors find healthy-living changes difficult
OTTAWA —More Canadians than ever are surviving heart attack and stroke, but many are not making the lifestyle changes necessary to prevent another major health scare, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
In its annual report on the health of Canadians released on Monday, the foundation found death rates have declined by nearly 40 per cent in the last decade, meaning 90 per cent of heart-attack sufferers and 80 per cent of stroke patients who make it to hospital will survive.
But a poll of 2,000 survivors commissioned by the foundation showed that once the initial health scare is over, more than half were unable to maintain lifestyle changes such as reaching a healthy weight, reducing stress and exercising regularly.
Additionally, the report found only one-third of cardiac survivors are referred to rehabilitation programs and of those who were, only six in 10 completed them.
Foundation spokeswoman Dr. Beth Abramson, director of the cardiac prevention and rehabilitation centre at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital, said the poll results are disappointing, if not surprising.
“Often people will talk the talk but not walk the walk,” she said. “I was saddened to see these results because patients living with heart disease are at the highest risk for future events.”
Lifestyle changes, she added, in addition to medication, are vitally important to preventing recurring cardiac illness.
The poll found seven in 10 respondents categorized their post-illness lifestyle as “at least a little bit healthier” than before, and many were able to make changes such as quitting smoking, improving diet and reducing alcohol consumption.
But adding exercise to a routine or cutting down on stress proved more difficult.
“When you’ve come in with a serious health issue a lot of studies suggest that people get scared into making some changes initially,” Abramson said.
Quitting smoking is often an obvious choice as most smokers are aware of the health risks, she explained, but making changes that require daily effort, such as cooking healthy food and exercising can be harder to make. Reducing stress can be particularly challenging in a fast-paced, career-driven society, but it can make all the difference.
Jo-Anne Swanson knows first-hand the toxic effects stress can have on the body. The Gatineau, Que., resident suffered a heart attack at 44 while working an average of 80 hours a week at a highstress, corporate job.
Swanson was at a healthy weight and considered her diet good at the time, but she’d given up exercise and was a smoker.
Her heart attack prompted a complete lifestyle overhaul, which she admits was daunting.
“It was everything, all at once.”
While in recovery, Swanson grappled with the physical limitations that forced her to more than halve her hours at work. She also quit smoking, improved her diet, started exercising and, eventually, switched careers.
The foundation’s report revealed the scale of change required after a heart attack or stroke is often what prevents people from making the change in the first place, but support is available.
Swanson sought out support and advice through the foundation’s online resources, such as make healthlast.ca.
Now 53, she owns two Curves fitness franchises, does yoga for stress management, and focuses on cardiac prevention education, which both she and Abramson say is vitally important.
Studies show up to 80 per cent of cardiac illness is preventable.
Most women are shocked to learn that Swanson, a healthy 5 feet 4 inches and 128 pounds, is a heart-attack survivor.
“They think if I can have a heart attack, anybody can,” she said.