Physical activity levels in Atlantic Canadian CVD Patients Melanie Keats, Cindy Forbes, Scott Grandy, & Yunsong Cui Click here to see the full brief Sixty years ago as many as 35% of Canadians who suffered a heart attack did not survive. Today, through early diagnosis and improved treatment options, as many as 95% of those who reach a hospital will survive. As a result, an estimated 1.3 million Canadians are living with heart disease and an additional 317,500 are living with the effects of stroke. Despite improved survival rates, many of those with a history of a heart attack or stroke struggle to recover and are often unable to maintain potentially lifesaving behavioral modifications. For example, despite the well documented health and cardio-protective benefits associated with physical activity, many individuals struggle to maintain optimal levels of physical activity following cardiac rehabilitation. Using a population based sample from Atlantic Canada, this report describes and compares the physical activity levels of individuals with a self-reported history of a major cardiovascular event (i.e., myocardial infarction and/or stroke) with those who have never experienced either event.

Associations between physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep duration and quality Cindy Forbes and Vanessa DeClercq Click here to see the full brief Lack of sleep and poor sleep quality has been linked to many poor physical and mental health outcomes including cardiovascular disease (CVD), depression, anxiety, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and all-cause mortality. Of note, sleep quality has not only been associated with poorer health outcomes, but has been shown to exacerbate associations between other unhealthy lifestyle behaviours and health outcomes. Additionally, existing treatments for sleep disorders, while effective, may have side-effects. Physical activity (PA) has been suggested as a possible alternative treatment among general and chronic disease populations. Engaging in regular PA has been linked to changes in sleep circadian rhythms, thermogenic regulation, body weight, physical fitness, anxiety, depression, and pain; any of which could be a possible mechanism by which PA impacts sleep. While emerging evidence suggests that sedentary behaviour (SB) may also be associated with poor self-reported sleep outcomes, very little research on SB and sleep associations was found. The goal of this report is to examine any associations between PA or SB and sleep duration or quality among a cohort of Atlantic Canadians.

The relationship between sleep and obesity Vanessa DeClercq and Cindy Forbes Click here to see the full brief Strategies for preventing and treating obesity are complex and far greater than simply eating less and moving more. While multiple factors contribute to the growing obesity epidemic, studies have shown an important association between habitual sleep duration and obesity. Possible mechanisms linking sleep and obesity include changes at the physiological level (hormonal metabolic changes) that may alter hunger and appetite as well as factors that reduce energy expenditure such as reduced thermogenesis, fatigue and decreased physical activity. Reports suggest that the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and sleep is U-shaped rather than linear. Although BMI is the most reported measure of obesity, there are other indicators of adiposity such as fat mass, waist circumference or waist-to-hip ratio. Recent studies have examined sleep patterns and other adiposity measures such as body composition. For example, Poggiogalle et al. reported a negative association between fat mass and sleep duration and Ford et al. have documented an inverse association with waist circumference. However, the results for BMI are inconsistent, some showing no association and some reporting negative or U-shaped associations. These mixed findings highlight the need for additional study of body composition as it relates to sleep duration. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to examine the association between sleep duration and obesity using multiple measures/indicators of obesity in the Atlantic PATH cohort.

Population Profile: Multiple Sclerosis Ellen Sweeney Click here to see the full brief Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a progressive chronic disease of the autoimmune system which affects the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. There are a number of different types of MS with varying symptoms and degrees of severity, including clinically isolated syndrome, relapsing remitting MS, primary progressive MS, secondary progressive MS, and progressive-relapsing MS. Symptoms of MS vary between individuals and can include extreme fatigue, as well as difficulties with vision, hearing, balance, and mobility. Prevalence Rates Worldwide, more than 2.3 million people have been diagnosed and are currently living with MS. The global prevalence rate indicates that there are 33 people living with MS per 100,000 people. The highest rates of MS are found in North America (140 per 100,000 people) and Europe (108 per 100,000 people).5,6 Canada has the highest rates in the world with approximately 100,000 Canadians currently living with the disease.

Physical activity levels in Atlantic Canadian cancer survivors Melanie Keats, Cindy Forbes, Scott Grandy, & Yunsong Cui Click here to see the full brief The incidence of cancer within the Canadian population has been slowly increasing since 2009. Currently, it is expected that 2 in 5 Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime, which equates to a national incidence rate of 515.5 new cancer diagnoses per 100,000 people. In Atlantic Canada, the average incidence rate for Nova Scotia (627.3/100,000), New Brunswick (606.7/100,000), Newfoundland (631.6/100,000) and Prince Edward Island (556.9/100,000) combined is 605.6 new diagnoses per 100,000 people, which is markedly higher than the national incidence rate. Of those diagnosed with cancer, 63% will survive at least 5 years after the initial cancer diagnosis. This means, as the overall number of cancer diagnoses increases, a corresponding increase in cancer survivors can be expected. Although this is good news, it is also concerning as the long–term side effects of treatment and the development of comorbidities, such as heart disease, has become a much larger issue for cancer survivors. One factor that contributes to an increased risk of chronic disease is low levels of physical activity. In fact, the World Health Organization states that physical activity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. Importantly, physical activity can lead to many improvements in physical functioning and quality of life following a cancer diagnosis. These improvements include enhanced aerobic endurance, muscular strength, fatigue, depression, anxiety, self-esteem, functional ability, and overall quality of life. Emerging research has also suggested a potential all-cause and disease-specific survival advantage. Despite these benefits, many cancer survivors do not accumulate the recommended amount of physical activity per week. Numerous international bodies have developed physical activity guidelines to try and reduce the incidence of morbidity and mortality associated with low levels of physical activity. Current guidelines recommend that an individual should complete 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in order to accumulate health benefits and decrease the risk of morbidity and mortality. Previous research among Canadian cancer survivors has found up to 78% can be inactive. Therefore the purpose of this report is to use a population based sample from Atlantic Canada to describe and compare the physical activity levels of individuals with a self-reported history of cancer with those who have never had a cancer diagnosis.

Statin Use in Atlantic Canada Report by Vanessa DeClercq and Scott A. Grandy Click here to see the full brief High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol represent a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1]. Thus, decreasing LDL cholesterol levels is a key factor in reducing CVD mortality [2]. The drug class statins has proven to be a very effective therapy for reducing LDL-cholesterol levels. Statins also have been shown to reduce inflammation, which plays a prominent role in the development of CVD [2-4]. Based on these therapeutic effects Canadian guidelines now recommend that 1 in 4 Canadians take statins to reduce high LDL cholesterol to reduce the risk of adverse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes [2, 5]. However, a recent report suggests that only 1 in10 Canadians are taking statin drugs [6]. Therefore, the aim of this brief report was to identify the number of Atlantic Canadians with CVD risk factors taking statins and compare this to the Canadian guidelines and the national average for statin usage.