The pandemic’s impact on heart and stroke care

Over the past two years, hospitals and healthcare providers everywhere have been forced to make shifts in order to treat people critically ill with COVID-19. These shifts have saved lives, but they have also had dire consequences for people living with heart disease and stroke. In this episode, we’ll hear from Dr. Clare Atzema, an ER physician, and Dr. Andrew Krahn, a cardiologist and the past president of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society. They share the impacts the pandemic has had on cardiovascular care in Canada, and how long it may take the healthcare system to catch up on backlogs in treatment and diagnosis. Listeners will also hear from Paul King, whose life-saving bypass surgery was delayed last year due to the pandemic. The episode includes preventive steps you and your loved ones can take to avoid more serious complications of heart disease and stroke in the future.