Creating awareness about Heart Failure for Heart Failure Awareness Week

On Thursday, April 29, I spoke in response to a Minister's statement about Heart Failure - to recognize that May 3rd to May 9th is heart failure awareness week. My comments are below:

Hon. Jon Gerrard (River Heights):

Mr. Deputy Speaker, your heart pumps blood around your body so that your tissues can get oxygen and so that you can live.

Based on national numbers, it's estimated that about 20,000 Manitobans live with heart failure. It's an important condition to be aware of. I join others today to raise awareness of heart failure. Its major causes include coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, faulty heart valves, cardiomyopathy and arrhythmia, among others.

Important risk factors for the development of heart failure include, as examples, having a heart attack, having sleep apnea, having obesity. Prevention of heart failure is primarily about reducing risk factors, including reducing smoking, controlling high blood pressure, preventing diabetes and keeping diabetes in individuals who have this condition under good control, keeping physically active, eating healthy foods and reducing and managing stress and treating arrhythmia.

Let us work closely with the Canadian Heart Failure Society to create better awareness of heart failure and its causes and its prevention. And let us take a more vigorous approach to preventing heart failure, as well as providing excellent treatment for those who have it.

Thank you. Merci. Miigwech.

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The Gerrard Report

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