I-HEART has been developed to support improved cardiovascular health by concentrating on the role of social and economic influences that shape health risks and disease progression, and by promoting the achievement of optimal health through early intervention and through all developmental stages of life.
Improving access to health care will mean cultivating culturally safe cardiovascular services and programs while tackling the geographic challenge of providing rural and remote access to some of our most vulnerable communities. The Centre aims to focus on education by promoting Indigenous health information dissemination and application to inform new policy and programs aimed at alleviating chronic cardiovascular health conditions. This includes the sharing of promising community innovations and practices for rehabilitation and aftercare.
Dr. Jeff Reading – A leader in cardiovascular research
Dr. Reading is the inaugural First Nations Health Authority Chair at St. Paul’s Hospital. He is a leading international expert in Indigenous health and is the inaugural First Nations Health Authority Chair in Heart Health and Wellness there. Indigenous people in Canada are up to two times more likely to develop heart disease than the general population. Although 80% of premature heart disease and stroke is preventable, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people face many barriers to the elements of prevention, such as access to healthy food.
The Chair is a global first, with a holistic focus on First Nations heart health to drive research and the goal of improving First Nations health outcomes. Dr. Reading’s responsibilities include leading research to develop health promotion strategies that incorporate First Nations history, culture, and spirit and producing health knowledge for policies and programs. The position is also unique in that it incorporates academic, clinical, and political mandates, which could facilitate systemic change.
Read more about Dr. Reading’s work.
Promoting Indigenous Women’s Heart Health – Lessons from Gatherings with Elders and Knowledge-Holders
Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Canadians, but the burden is much higher among Indigenous peoples compared to other Canadians. Indigenous peoples are around twice as likely to develop cardiovascular diseases (CVD), are over ten times more likely to die from Cardriovascular Disease and experience heart attacks earlier in life.
Women’s heart health is generally understudied, and marginalized women are especially absent from Canada’s efforts to prevent cardiovascular diseases. According to a 2018 Heart and Stroke Foundation report, “Women’s hearts are victims of a system that is ill-equipped to diagnose, treat and support them”.
To learn more about what we did, and what we learned:
