‘Alarming’ Trends in Canadian Heart & Stroke Risk Highlight Need for Action
Heart disease and stroke continue to affect millions of Canadians, with six million living with these conditions and nine in ten having at least one modifiable risk factor, according to the latest report from Heart & Stroke.
Kathryn Rand, RD, Heart & Stroke’s Director of Health Policy and Systems for Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island, described the findings as “very alarming.” She emphasized that many Canadians, especially children and youth, are far from meeting minimum recommendations for nutrition and physical activity.
“Canada now has some of the highest youth vaping rates in the world,” she noted. “More than one in four grade 12 students vape, and teens who vape are four times more likely to start smoking.”
The report, By the Numbers: The State of Risk Factors for Heart Disease and Stroke in Canada, highlights lifestyle, medical, and non-modifiable risk factors based on national data and a recent Ipsos online survey of over 2,800 adults aged 30–74.
Key Findings
- Smoking, while declining among adults (11% in 2024), still kills 46,000 Canadians annually.
- Only about half of adults and children, and only 20% of youth, meet physical activity recommendations.
- Children and youth consume over half of their daily energy from ultra-processed foods.
- Fruit and vegetable consumption has been decreasing since 2015.
- High blood pressure and high cholesterol are on the rise among adults.
- Over 3.9 million Canadians of all ages have diabetes.
- Indigenous and certain racialized populations, including Black and South Asian Canadians, face disproportionately high risks due to systemic inequities.
Action Steps for Clinicians and Governments
Health professionals are encouraged to:
- Discuss risk factors with patients and recommend credible resources.
- Refer patients to community programs for healthy living.
- Screen for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
- Offer counseling on quitting smoking and vaping.
Government actions suggested in the report include:
- Regulating marketing of unhealthy foods to children.
- Expanding physical activity requirements in schools.
- Restricting sale of flavored vape products.
- Increasing taxes on tobacco, vaping products, and sugary drinks.
- Expanding prescription coverage for heart and stroke-related medications under national pharmacare.
Kathryn Rand highlighted the importance of a health-in-all-policies approach, integrating health considerations into every government policy. She explained that while costly, this approach could yield a healthier, happier society for generations to come.
Real-World Challenges
Dr. Jeffrey Habert, MD, family physician and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, noted that lifestyle changes are often constrained by socioeconomic status, geography, work, mental health, and food access.
“Effective counseling requires achievable goals and reinforcing that even modest, sustained changes can have meaningful long-term impact. Prevention should be a core health system priority because nearly 80% of premature heart disease and stroke is preventable.”
Supporting healthy behaviours requires more than education—it requires policies addressing food environments, physical activity infrastructure, air quality, and socioeconomic inequities.
Heart & Stroke has developed an online risk tool to help patients understand and manage their cardiovascular risk.
At OFHC, we are committed to helping patients reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke through education, screenings, and support for sustainable lifestyle changes. Your heart health matters—and small steps today can lead to a healthier tomorrow.
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