"February is Heart Month and Volunteers have been out in the community canvassing for dona-.- _.. tons to the B.C. Heart and Stroke Foundation... -. [nan effort to answer questions residents might” ° ' have about the Foundation and the work it does, ‘regional co-ordinator Betty Campbell olfers the 2 followin ing information. L Do. ‘you know .what's. killing 80,000 Canadians every year? If you are..like most Canadians, you: probably guessed cancer. And like most Canadians, you~ would be-dead wrong. . In fact, something is. killing more Canadians each year than cancer, accidents and respiratory disease combined. It is cardiovascular disease and the Statistics are staggering. Forty three per cent ‘of all the deaths reported this year in Canada are caused by heart disease and stroke while cancer and ac- cidents will account for only 26 per cent and 7 per cent respec- tively. If that isn’t frightening * enough, consider this. While you are at work tomorrow, 68 Canadians will die of heart disease or stroke. Eight hours later, 68 more Canadians , will die. Within 24 hours; over "200 people will have succumbed to the disease. And another 200 tomorrow. And the day after that... Why should I help? Yes, it is expensive to fund the research and education necessary to beat this disease, but it is a lot more expensive not to fund it. More than $26 billion are wasted each year in lost wages and productivity, hospital and physician services, treatments and medication due | to heart disease and stroke. It won’t happen to me A common misconception is that heart disease and stroke af- fect.only the elderly. The reality of heart disease can affect anyone — young or old, rich or poor. Your heart beats 100,000 times every day, pumping almost 20,000 litres of blood ‘through blood vessels that can be as fine asa. human hair. With a system that.complex working that hard day in and day out, it is no surprise that it is prone to disease. What is the HEART AND STROKE foundation doing “about it? We are funding research pro- jects aimed at finding a cure for heart disease and stroke and education programs which en- courage Canadians to adopt a healthier lifestyle, The seeds for the first Heart Foundation were sown in 1952 with a $250,000 Ontario govern- ment grant. With the emergence of British Columbia's indepen- dent Foundation three years later, a network began to form across the country with the aim _ of fighting this modern epidemic ¢ cardiovascular _ disease — through research and education. ty in " mica While there | is stil much to be’ ‘done, reseatch:to date has paid huge ™ ‘dividends, Canadian researchers and- scientists have helped: pioneer pacemakers to control heart rhythm, establish- ed coronary care units which © have reduced hospital mortality rates by 30 per cent and perfected surgery. to correct “blue baby’* defects. As well, they have helped develop human heart valve replacements, coronary bypass operations and a blood cooling technique called hypothermia which is used during major car- diac surgery, Canadian researchers and scientists continue to make ma- jor advances in the battle against heart disease and stroke. Canada leads the world in the use of the artificial heart as a bridge to transplant. The use of cold tip laser technology is also being pioneered right here in Canada. The Heart and Stroke Foun- dations in Canada have also spent ‘millions of dollars each year on professional and public education. Current programs include Jump Rope For Heart, Dance For Heart (Square Dance For Heart for those so inclined), Heart Smart, Know Your Blood Pressure By Heart and Smoke- Free Spaces For Kids. The good news is that the death rate due to heart disease and stroke in Canadians under the age of 645 has dropped by an aggregate of 36 per cent since 1955, Where do we go from here? While we have come a long way, it is painfully obvious that. we still have a long way to go. The Heart and Stroke Founda-: tions across the country are: spending millions each year, on. research, but there is» never’ enough money to finance all of” the worthy projects that still. have to be undertaken. Some of’ the important problems still fac-: ing us are: — finding the causes, curesi- and means of preventing! arterioslecrosis and hyperten-- sion, the major factors con-: tributing to heart attack and! stroke, — developing the means of forecasting the onset of heart attack and stroke, — definitively analyzing the role cholesterol plays in heart disease, — establishing why otherwise perfectly healthy individuals do not necessarily have healthy hearts, — _ What can I do to help? The fight is not ours alone. There are several things you can: “ABORTION: ’ One - Killed -One Wounded Betty Campbell do to take yourself out of some of the risk factor categories: 1. Don’t smoke: 2. Control your blood pressure; _3, Adopt healthy eating habits and maintain a healthy : weight; _ 4. Exercise: regularly (check. .. with your doctor); 5, Limit your alcohol intake; 6. Avoid emotional stress. With a minor modification in your lifestyle, you can take ad- vantage of the knowledge we now have about heart disease and stroke. If we all took this _ advice, the number of people who die each year due to these illnesses would be drastically reduced. As well, we would en- joy an improved quality of life - along with this longevity. If you would like more free information about heart disease or stroke, please contact your provincial Heart and Stroke . Foundation. IF YOU ARE AN. EMPLOYER | * wanting to hire help now; © ¢ able to train on the job; and * interested in wage assistance during - the training period, . ASK US ABOUT EMPLOYMENT PLUS! IT'S GOOD FOR THE EMPLOYER: the job. _ The Employment Plus group of programs Is part of a $28 million continuing commitment from your provincial government to help income assistance reciplents get back into the work force by assiating British Columbia employers to hire and train, Employment Plus gives people receiving Income assistance tha = Pus EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM | FOR PRIVATE SECTOR BUSINESSES, NONPROFIT. ORGANIZATIONS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Recelve Half of an Employee’s Wage You can help ease your workload, and receive 50% of an employee's wage, up to $3.50 per hour assistance, when you hire and train someone now receiving income assistance from the Ministry of Social Services and Housing. We'll help you, _ while you help someone develop or update skills on Vancouver Wind Trio — AT errace Concert Society production Sat, February 24 at 8: 00 pm _; . Pentecostal Assembly, Terrace = ee 3511 Eby Street ee _ EMPLOYMENT we ‘Attitude, excellent. We could selact-from them im very easily so obviously they ware’ screaned, Within 48 hours i had a new employee started withaut very much red tape," Helena Ulrich [gga Victoria Lampshade Shop fiz To uatity _ Asan employer, ye you must beable ee ® create an-additional job for 30 to 40. hours per 7 _ ~ week fora minimum. of 2 months; and en * pay at least the provincial minimum wage: and o . e provide a trainee with work experience and job on skills. . ao . vg IT’S GOOD. FOR PEOPLE! "This work experience canbe their first step to permanent employ. on . ment and an Independent.and secure future, * ves Employment Pius is a mejor commitment under a fedetay provincial agreement to provide omployment 0 opportunities fo ‘income assistance recipients, opportunity to develop or update skills while training on the job, “FOR PROGRAM DETAILS AND ‘APPLICATION FORMS, CONTACT Y YOUR NEAREST District oFrice. w ~ TOGETHER. A SRST: — = Soke _ CHECK THE BLUE PAGES OF YOUR, PHONE BOOK, Ministry of Soclat Services ‘and. Housing | Honourabie Peter r A. Dueck, Minister : ( , . ’ 3 ee See oe Peel Tt Mt phe EE AP tN - tgs db 2 ret Ch pt yet Way aye ae