Icardio.ca

Cardiac Health Is Our Main Concern

Icardio.ca is intended to be a support tool for the patient, an extension of the medical consultation.
It is also an essential reference for doctors with ensuring their patients have a good understanding of the heart problem they are facing.

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Docteur Gilles Goulet

About Icardio.ca

Icardio.ca is intended to be a support tool for patients, an extension of medical consultation. Written in simple and accessible language, it helps to better understand the structure and functioning of the heart. This is where the basis for understanding cardiovascular diseases, diagnostic approaches, and therapy challenges lies.

It is also an educational reference for students in the health field and for anyone wanting to learn more about cardiology. 

Similarly, Icardio.ca proves to be a very useful reference tool for doctors concerned with their patients’ understanding.

 

Icardio.ca

Select an article category

This is a cardiology information and popularization website. It does not replace the doctor, but it does allow for a better understanding of how the heart works, possible heart diseases, the tests required for diagnosis, and the treatments used to treat them.

General

Anatomy

How it works

How it works

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Prevention

Valvular & cardiovascular diseases

Valvular & cardiovascular diseases

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Patient-Partner

Patient-Partner

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Congenital diseases

Congenital diseases

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Exams

Environmental cardiology

Environmental cardiology

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History of cardiology

History of cardiology

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Clinical research

Clinical research

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Alimentation

Pharmacy

Pharmacy

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Our collaborators

Our contributors are highly qualified experts passionate about their profession. They are constantly keeping abreast of cutting-edge medical advances and dedicating their careers to providing personalized care of the highest quality. 

These healthcare professionals come from various sectors of cardiology, whether they are specialist doctors practicing general or highly specialized cardiology such as environmental, interventional, structural, pediatric cardiology, or cardiac surgery, and the list goes on. 

Their expertise covers a full range of heart conditions, from prevention to advanced treatments, including diagnostic imaging and clinical research. Our contributors all share the importance of patients understanding the heart disease they are suffering from, first for themselves and then for their loved ones, the challenges involved, the diligence required for their treatment, and a better outcome, eventually. 

They are all driven by the desire to share their knowledge in the simplest way possible for the benefit of people affected directly or indirectly by cardiovascular health problems.

Icardio.ca

Explore our cardiology resources

At Icardio.ca, we have realized that searching the web for information can be complex and time-consuming, often leading to more confusion than answers. 

To simplify this laborious experience, we strive to select and seek the opinions of seasoned experts working in related or highly specialized fields.

Our commitment to patients

Icardio.ca acknowledges that patients may sometimes feel overwhelmed after consulting a healthcare professional for a cardiovascular problem. Time is often limited, questions are numerous, and understanding one’s heart condition can seem complex. It is because of these factors and many others, which would be too numerous to list, that patients may not retain the details of the explanations provided to them in a medical office. 

The essence of our commitment is directed towards these vulnerable individuals. We aim to accompany them with empathy by filling their gaps with general information, sufficiently deepened so that they do not have to endlessly navigate the web and thereby limit their anxieties. 

Our popularized information is an extension of medical consultation, available in an environment that is theirs and that of their loved ones. 

We also aim to be a valuable and appreciated resource for doctors, assisting them in explaining to their patients, helping them to have a clear and precise understanding of their heart problem and its treatment. 

Icardio.ca was designed by and for patients. The addition of patient experience aims to add information based on the daily lives of people with one or more cardiovascular problems.

Understand. Live better

Featured articles

History of cardiology


Episode 3 – Dr. Dwight E. Harken

After the war, Dr. Dwight Harken turned his attention to a new medical challenge: treating mitral valve stenosis, a severe condition that restricts blood flow between the left atrium and the left ventricle of the heart.

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Pharmacy

Antiplatelets

Antiplatelet medications act on one of the three main blood cell lines: platelets. These tiny cells play a crucial role in blood clot formation. These medications are particularly beneficial for individuals at risk or those who have already experienced a heart attack or a stroke.

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Pharmacy

Aspirin (ASA)

For several decades, aspirin has played a key role in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. While its effectiveness in secondary prevention—meaning after a heart attack, stroke, or other vascular complication—is well-established, its use in primary prevention for individuals without prior history remains controversial.
This duality raises significant questions about the benefits and risks of aspirin, particularly regarding the delicate balance between the cardiovascular protection it offers and potential complications, such as bleeding.

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How it works

Development of the Cardiovascular System

The cardiovascular system is the first to become functional in the embryo. As early as the third week of development, blood circulation begins, marking a crucial step for the embryo’s growth and development. This primitive system ensures the delivery of nutrients and oxygen essential for its rapid development.

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General

Fertilization – Embryology

The circulatory system begins to form very early during embryonic development, just a few days after the fertilization of the egg by the sperm. It is the first functional system to develop, as it is crucial for delivering the nutrients and oxygen required for the embryo’s rapid growth. This early formation is a complex and fascinating process that marks the initial stages of life.

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General

The Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

An automated external defibrillator, commonly referred to as an “AED,” is a device used to assist someone who has collapsed, is unresponsive, and may require emergency intervention to save their life.
This small, portable device is battery-powered and incredibly user-friendly. Anyone can operate it, regardless of whether they have received prior training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

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General

2025… I’m Quitting Smoking!

As the New Year begins, everyone rushes to exchange warm wishes. Among the most common, you often hear: “Good health!”
But beyond this kind sentiment, take a moment to reflect: are you truly giving your well-being the attention it deserves?
Wishing alone isn’t enough. Preserving your health requires concrete actions and the determination to turn words into deeds.

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General

Whew! The Holiday Season

Every year, it’s the same marathon: work demands, frantic last-minute gift shopping, the whims of Mother Nature, and of course, countless celebrations.
Just thinking about it can take your breath away! But how is your heart holding up through it all?

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Arrhythmia

Pacemaker Implantation

The pacemaker implantation procedure is relatively straightforward and generally well-tolerated. A small incision is made in the chest, usually on the left side, to create a pocket under the skin to house the pacemaker’s casing.

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Heart failure

Stress-induced Cardiomyopathy- Takotsubo

Takotsubo syndrome is a heart condition classified under the family of cardiomyopathies. Also known as broken heart syndrome, apical ballooning, or stress-induced cardiomyopathy, this disorder is characterized by a temporary weakening of the heart muscle, often triggered by intense emotional or physical stress.

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General

The Pacemaker

The pacemaker, also known as a cardiac stimulator or “battery,” can be compared to a sophisticated miniature computer implanted under the skin. Its primary mission is to ensure a regular and efficient heartbeat.
It continuously captures the heart’s electrical signals and, much like a GPS, tracks the trajectory of impulses through the various components of the heart’s electrical system. By analyzing this data in real-time, it determines whether the natural system is functioning properly. In case of failure, it steps in by delivering the necessary impulse to maintain an optimal heart rhythm.

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Warning

This site is intended to provide information and make cardiology comprehensible for all patients; it is not a substitute for a doctor. It does, however, enable a better understanding of how the heart works, the many heart diseases that exist, the tests required to reach a diagnosis, and the drugs and other methods used to treat them.

In case of emergency, please call 911