Heart Disease in Canada

Also known as ischemic heart disease or coronary heart disease, heart disease refers to the buildup of plaque in the heart's arteries that could lead to a heart attack, heart failure, or death.

Heart disease is the 2^nd leading cause of death in Canada. Know the facts, and reduce your risk through a healthy lifestyle, and early detection and management of medical conditions.

Data

According to 2017–2018 data^{Footnote 1} from the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS):

• about 1 in 12 (or 2.6 million) Canadian adults age 20 and over live with diagnosed heart disease
• every hour, about 14 Canadian adults age 20 and over with diagnosed heart disease die

The death rate is:

• 2.9 times higher among adults age 20 and over with diagnosed heart disease versus those without
• 4.6 times higher among adults age 20 and over who have had a heart attack versus those who have not
• 6.3 times higher among adults age 40 and over with diagnosed heart failure versus those without

Heart disease affects men and women differently.

• Men are 2 times more likely to suffer a heart attack than women
• Men are newly diagnosed with heart disease about 10 years younger than women (55–64 vs 65–74 years of age)

The good news is that from 2000–2001 to 2017–2018:

• the number of Canadian adults newly diagnosed with heart disease declined from 217,600 to 162,730
• the death rate, or the number of deaths per 1,000 individuals with a known heart disease, has decreased by 21%

Reduce your risk

Reduce your risk of heart disease by:

• being smoke-free
• staying physically active
• eating a healthy diet
• maintaining a healthy weight
• limiting alcohol use

Did you know?

The early detection and management of medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol can help you reduce your risk of heart disease.

Learn more about heart disease

• Visit: Heart Disease in Canada
• Get data: Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS)
• Consult: Heart and Stroke Foundation