Doctors warn against ignoring heart problems as hospital cardiology visits plummet

The number of visits to emergency rooms for heart conditions has plummeted across Canada, according to the Canadian Cardiovascular Society, and Alberta is no different.

Nationwide, the number of heart emergencies in hospitals has fallen about 50 per cent since the start of the pandemic.

"I've never seen our CCUs[cardiaccare units], apparently across the country, so empty," said Dr. Blair O'Neil, a cardiologist at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute in Edmonton.

"Anecdotally we've seen a few cases that seem to have waited for two to threedays at home and by the time they get to hospital they're much much sicker than they would have been had they presented within the first few hours after the heart attack started."

Waiting can cause a bigger heart attack, chronic heart failure or even death.

"It's obviously a big concern.if they're staying home because they're afraid," said Dr. Andrew Krahn with the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.

"Either they're afraid because they're worried they're going to contract COVIDif they go to the hospital or the emergency room, or they may also be thinking they're trying not to distract the health-care system that's supposed to be taking care of COVID patients."

O'Neilsays there is still plenty of capacity to treat heart patients in Alberta hospitals.