Current guidelines recommend quadruple therapy, consisting of four drugs: angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNis), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2is), mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and beta blockers (BBs), for the management of patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a condition in which the heart is unable to pump out blood effectively. However, even before […]
Category: News
Frailty and Health Status in Patients with HFpEF
Frailty is a state of reduced physiological capacity across multiple body systems that increases vulnerability and adverse health outcomes in older adults. While frailty is a known key contributing factor to morbidity and death in patients with heart failure (HF), the link between frailty and health status is not well understood in patients with HF […]
The 2022 CVC Annual Report: Patient Centered. Data Driven.
We are pleased to share the 2022 CVC Annual Report! The theme of this year’s report – Patient Centered. Data Driven. – illustrates the many ways that the CVC’s extensive body of research utilizes data to inform patient care and improve outcomes for those with cardiovascular disease. In a world where the volume, velocity, and variety of […]
STREAM-2 Study Presented at ACC.23/WCC
A pharmaco-invasive strategy that halved the dose of tenecteplase in older ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients resulted in better reperfusion than primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Reperfusion was measured by electrocardiographic data in the ECG core laboratory at the Canadian VIGOUR Centre (CVC), University of Alberta (U of A), and is a key component of […]
Pandemic of Misinformation Threatens Hard-earned Lessons of Alberta’s Health-care Community: Op-ed by Drs. Paul Armstrong and Jon Meddings
CVC founding director Dr. Paul Armstrong and Dr. Jon Meddings (former dean of the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary) have published an op-ed in the Calgary Herald and Edmonton Journal about how a pandemic of misinformation threatens hard-earned lessons of Alberta’s health-care community. Read the full article here
New Associate Faculty Members: Drs. David Collister and Jason Weatherald
The CVC is pleased to announce the addition of two new associate faculty members. Dr. David Collister is a nephrologist at the University of Alberta Hospital and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Alberta. His research focuses on randomized controlled trials and prospective observational studies in chronic kidney disease and dialysis, precision medicine approaches to uremic […]
New Study Finds Sub-Optimal Screening for Diabetes Among Young People, Especially Men
New research published in The Lancet Regional Health Americas found that adherence to diabetes screening guidelines is sub-optimal, especially among young males. Despite lower rates of adherence to screening, males have higher rates of prediabetes and diabetes compared to females. This paper is the first publications from them Real-world Evidence on the Association Between Diabetes […]
Global Vision ⟷ Local Action: The 2021 CVC Annual Report
We are pleased to share the 2021 CVC annual report! This year’s theme, Global Vision ⟷ Local Action, highlights a variety of the CVC’s activities that have started at a global or national scale and have subsequently translated into local initiatives. The theme also reflects our organization’s aim to bring people from different places together in the […]
SODIUM-HF Presented at ACC Late-Breaking Clinical Trials Session and Simultaneously Published in The Lancet
The SODIUM-HF trial was presented during the Late-Breaking Clinical Trial session at the American College of Cardiology in Washington, DC on April 02, 2022, and a simultaneously published in The Lancet Journal. The SODIUM-HF study examined the effects of a low-salt diet compared to usual dietary recommendations for people with heart failure. The trial took place […]
New Trends in Fibrinolysis Symposium at ESC Congress 2021
The New Trends in Fibrinolysis symposium, sponsored by Boehinger Ingelheim, took place virtually on August 28th as part of the 2021 ESC Congress. Chaired by CVC Founding Director Dr. Paul Armstrong, the session sought to: Recognize the challenges in STEMI care, particularly in reducing ischaemic time and establishing STEMI networks. Apply given strategies to overcome […]
Bridging the Gap: The 2020 CVC Annual Report
“We build too many walls and not enough bridges.” -Isaac Newton While the pandemic walled us in physically, the CVC continued to build virtual bridges to improve our understanding of cardiovascular disease. Accordingly, the theme of our 2020 CVC annual report is ‘Bridging the Gap‘ and it collates some of the key advances engineered in part […]
Dr. Padma Kaul Appointed as the Heart & Stroke Chair in Cardiovascular Research
The CVC is proud to congratulate co-director Dr. Padma Kaul on her recent appointment as the Heart & Stroke Chair in Cardiovascular Research. As per the University of Alberta announcement, In her role as Heart & Stroke Chair in Cardiovascular Research, Dr. Kaul will be responsible for being a leader in the development of cardiovascular […]
FDA Approves Vericiguat for Treatment of Heart Failure
Vericiguat is the first soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator approved to treat heart failure.
Women at Higher Risk of Developing Heart Failure or Dying Following First Heart Attack
New Research published in Circulation suggests that women are at greater risk than men of dying or developing heart failure in the five years following their first severe heart attack. The study also found that at the time of their heart attacks women were typically older and more likely to have complicated medical histories. For […]
Be The Cure Research Story: Deborah McLeod’s Experience as a Participant in the VICTORIA trial
A new research story on BeTheCure.ca highlights Deborah McLeod’s experience as a participant in the VICTORIA trial, and the important discoveries that have been made about vericiguat and its impact on patients with heart failure. To learn more about Deborah’s story and the vital role patient participation has in clinical research, view the blog post here: bethecure.ca/stories/deborah/
CVC Co-Director Dr. Justin Ezekowitz Elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
The CVC is proud to recognize that Dr. Justin Ezekowitz has been elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS). Election to the CAHS Fellowship is considered one of the highest honours for individuals in the Canadian health sciences community. Fellows have demonstrated, through their careers and lives, that they are […]
Canadian Cardiac Chronicle – Fall 2020 Issue
We are pleased to share with you the Fall 2020 edition of the Canadian Cardiac Chronicle. Along with our current trial updates and feature publications, the following items are highlighted in this issue: A letter from CVC co-director Dr. Shaun Goodman examining what the pandemic has taught us about clinical research The 2019 CVC annual report […]
Dr. Padma Kaul Discusses her Role as the Newly Appointed CIHR Sex and Gender Science Chair in Diabetes.
CVC co-director, Dr. Padma Kaul, was recently appointed the CIHR Sex and Gender Science Chair in Diabetes. Her research project, the REDISCOVER study, will provide new insights into the relationship of sex and diabetes on cardiovascular outcomes. In an interview with the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, Dr. Kaul discusses this research […]
2019 CVC Annual Report
We are pleased to share the 2019 CVC annual report. This year’s theme, A Decade of Discovery, celebrates the pathway forged by the CVC over the past ten years. Our staff and faculty have all made important contributions to this compendium. We hope you enjoy reading more about who we are and what we do […]
Canadian Cardiac Chronicle – Spring 2020 Issue
We are pleased to share with you the spring 2020 edition of the Canadian Cardiac Chronicle. Along with our current trial updates and feature publications, the following items are highlighted in this issue: A letter from CVC Co-Director Dr. Justin Ezekowitz reflecting upon adapting to the current challenging events, celebrating accomplishments, and continuing to remain creative […]

