Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada

Heart & Stroke’s critical priority is to invest in world-class, life-saving heart and brain research that leads to medical breakthroughs.
We have seen great progress in awareness, prevention, treatment, and recovery. However, as the population ages and more younger people are being diagnosed, the urgency to beat heart disease and stroke grows. Heart disease, stroke or vascular cognitive impairment take one life every five minutes in Canada. 

As one of Canada’s largest and most effective health charities, we measure our overall effectiveness by our ability to drive change in priority areas related to new knowledge and innovation, health policies, health systems and support programs for people at risk of or living with heart disease and stroke.

Since 1952, Heart & Stroke has invested almost $1.7 billion in heart disease and stroke research, making us one of the largest contributors in Canada after the federal government. Over that time, the death rate from heart disease and stroke has declined by more than 75%.

Together, heart disease and stroke are the second leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in Canada. Along with vascular cognitive impairment, these conditions cost the Canadian economy more than $24.8 billion every year. We are working hard to change these statistics and we need your help.