Calgarians have quick access to heart attack treatment

The study published in Open Medicine, an online journal, says that Calgary happens to be the best city in Canada to have a heart attack since it provides round the clock angioplasty treatment at its Foothills Medical Centre. And getting angioplasty within the requisite time of an hour leads to significantly lower death rates of patients. 

40 percent Albertans have access to timely angioplasty--

The research carried out by researchers at the University of Calgary, faculty of medicine revealed that nearly 64 percent of people aged 40 and above and living in Alberta (two of every three Albertans) find access to timely medical treatment. 

While in New Brunswick, the percentage of patients reaching hospital within an hour is merely 16 percent. Throughout Canada, nearly 60 percent have access to the treatment needed after the heart attack. 

Hence, talking of quick treatment for heart attack, where you live certainly makes a lot of difference because it can mean a vital difference between life and death of the patient. So, it is becoming increasingly important that such treatment centers must be located near the largest population, stressed Alka Patel, Faculty of Medicine PhD candidate at University of Calgary. 

Three angioplasty treatment center at Alberta----

Alberta has three angioplasty treatment centers- while two are in Edmonton, the third is in Calgary, for treatment of heart attack sufferers with PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention). 

Researcher and lead author on this study, Patel said that Quebec and Ontario have the highest access to treatment for heart attack sufferers while Alberta happens to be quite close the national average. 

The study acknowledges the fact reported in previous studies that Calgary does have the lowest heart attack mortality rate in Canada since the treatment is available round the clock at the Foothills Medical Centre. 

Need for increased medical access---

However, there is an immediate need to provide access of medical treatment to increased number of Albertans, said chief executive of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, Diana Krescy. This can be done by putting in more investments in research so as to bring the best cardiologists into Alberta and extend the care by finding latest technologies in the field of medicine.