It’s the first of its kind for B.C., and it’s going to help fill a cardiovascular research gap in Canada: a new cardiopulmonary exercise test laboratory has opened at UBC Hospital. “The CPET machine is a core diagnostic tool that can simultaneously look at both the pulmonary and cardiac variables from a health and fitness perspective in individuals while they are exercising, such as heart rate and rhythm, and oxygen consumption,” said Dr. Saul Isserow, Medical Director of SportsCardiologyBC. In other words, it helps determine how much exercise is safe for people of all ages and fitness abiliti ..read more

The SCBC team is excited to announce that Dr. Saul Isserow has been awarded a UBC Killam Teaching Prize! This prize is awarded annually to faculty nominated by students, colleagues and alumni in recognition of excellence in teaching. We feel very honoured to be able to work with and learn from Dr. Isserow. Read more about this outstanding award here ..read more

“Pains in the chest, increased breathing problems, a marked decrease in performance, unexplained fast heart rates, fainting or near fainting,” said James McKinney a sports cardiologist with SportsCardiologyBC. “If you have those type of symptoms, you need to say ‘something’s wrong here’ and let your coach know, or if you’re a weekend warrior, see your general practitioner and get a referral.” McKinney closely followed updates on whether COVID-19 could cause myocarditis from the earliest days of the pandemic. Reports from China showed it did. So he and a team of cardiologists across the country ..read more

By Jannie Ko It is widely known that high cholesterol levels can lead to increased risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is used to help build cells and make vitamins and other hormones in the body. (1) There are two types of cholesterol: one is carried by low density lipoprotein particles (LDL) and the other is carried by high density lipoprotein particles (HDL). HDL cholesterol is often referred to as “good” cholesterol because HDL transports excess cholesterol from the bloodstream to the liver to be eliminated. (2) In contrast, L ..read more

Saanich firefighters chose to show heart health some love and took part in a sports cardio study this month. During the week of June 8, a research team from SportsCardiologyBC spent five days working with and screening members of the Saanich Fire Department, said Assistant Deputy Chief Rob Heppell. The researchers are working their way across the province recruiting participants for the heart health program for first responders, Heppell explained. He called it a win-win because the SportsCardiologyBC team got to collect data and Saanich firefighters got to have their heart health assessed. Rea ..read more

Dr. Saul Isserow, Head, SportsCardiology BC SportsCardiologyBC A Year in Review Athletes and physically active individuals are not immune to the risks of cardiac disease. Although, regular habitual exercise has numerous health benefits, vigorous exercise can result in an increased risk of heart attack and sudden cardiac death. In some individuals, exercise may accelerate underlying cardiovascular disease, triggering irregular heartbeats and potentially resulting in cardiac arrest. Despite the risks, most athletes are not surrounded by the vital equipment and essential knowledge that cou ..read more

By Jonathan RZ Lim Cannabis is the most widely produced and consumed illicit substance in the world, with the number of users approaching 182.5 million globally.1 The upward trend shows no signs of stopping, with Canada legalizing cannabis on October 17th, 2018. Cannabis is known for both its therapeutic and recreational use – many users consume cannabis for relief from symptoms such as chronic pain, anxiety, and nausea, while others use it for its psychoactive effects.2 Recent research also indicates a cardiovascular impact to consuming cannabis. A 2017 study found that cannabis consumption&n ..read more

By Lily Yang, Many long-distance runners are driven by their pursuit of the “runner’s high,” which is described to be a feeling of euphoria and invincibility reached after covering lengthy distances. Exercise in general is known to stimulate the release of a cocktail of mood-boosting neurotransmitters, such as endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin (1). The most widespread and popular theory regarding the chemical basis of the runner’s high originates from a study in the 1980s that investigated endorphins and subsequent mood changes during long-distance running (2). The study prop ..read more

By Alex Borisov, For high-level athletes engaging in intensive training regimens, quick recovery is of the utmost importance, and one important factor to recovery is nutrition. The most well studied recovery foods are drinks high in carbohydrates, due to their ability replenish lost glycogen stores quickly and assist in rehydration. For well over 20 years high-carb recovery drinks have retained the title of being the gold standard for recovery. These drinks contain a 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein. Such a ratio has been shown to restore glycogen energy levels quickly without slowing dow ..read more

By Lily Yang, From celebrity-endorsed juice detoxes to the cabbage soup diet, fad diets have a long history of luring people into thinking that they hold the secret key to effortless and painless weight-loss. In recent years, another diet trend, called intermittent fasting, has quickly surged in popularity amongst those vying for fast and effective weight-loss.   Intermittent fasting (IF), or intermittent energy restriction, involves freely consuming all of one’s necessary caloric intake within short “feeding windows” of time in between regular periods of fasting (1). In contrast to the t ..read more