Each February, Heart and Stroke Canada raises awareness surrounding the risk factors for heart disease and stroke … the number one cause of mortality among Canadians.
Residents can now check if their heart is aging faster than their actual physical age, by using the free Cardiovascular-Age Calculator at myhealthcheckup.com/free.
Canadians can calculate their cardiovascular age using a simple, free on-line calculator. Those who want to lower their risk of heart disease and stroke can also enroll in the MyHealthCheckUp Community Pharmacy Program.
Designed by researchers at McGill University and the University of Alberta, it is free to all Canadians age 30 plus and is ideal for those who want to eat healthier, lose a few pounds and/or be more active. Research partners include the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Pharmacists Association, with the participation of pharmacists from select Shoppers Drug Mart, and Sobeys/Lawtons pharmacies.
The MyHealthCheckUp Community Pharmacy Program is funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR)
The program provides participants with access to myhealthcheckup.com/free, a scientifically proven web-based health and wellness program.
It also pairs participants with select community pharmacists to help them improve their adherence with prescribed medications and healthy lifestyle habits to reduce their risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.
The study will demonstrate how effectively participants can live healthier by reducing their heart-disease risk factors including: high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, smoking, excess weight, and inactivity.
Results to date have been excellent as experienced first-hand by 54 year-old Teresa M, who has being using the program for the past 12 months.
“The myhealthcheckup program allowed me to take charge and improve my overall health by losing 30 pounds. The website is simple and easy to use. I especially enjoyed the competitive walking challenge which kept me motivated to keep on moving towards the finish line.”
Making modest lifestyle changes can help most Canadians take years off their Cardiovascular Age and increase their life-expectancy.
The MyHealthCheckUp Community Pharmacy Program was developed by the faculty and staff of the McGill Comprehensive Health Improvement Program (CHIP) in Montreal and the EPICORE Center, Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
The Program’s on-line health improvement tools have been evaluated by over 5,000 Canadian adults in numerous research studies published in major medical journals.
More than 60 years ago, a visionary group of Canadians, including physicians and researchers, established the National Heart Foundation of Canada with big hopes for the future. They had a dream: to put heart health on the public agenda, to empower researchers to turn the tide on heart disease, and to educate Canadians about their hearts. With the emergence of Ontario’s Foundation in 1952 and British Columbia’s three years later, a network soon began to develop across the country. In 1956, the Quebec and Saskatchewan Foundations were established. In 1961, the Foundation was renamed the Canadian Heart Foundation.
After decades of growth in influence and impact on the health of Canadians, the Heart and Stroke Foundation reached its latest milestone in 2011, when the national office and nine independent provincial bodies united to become one strong, national organization
