Heart failure affects 600,000 Canadians, Heart and Stroke Foundation says

At 19, heart troubles were the last thing Dave Jensen expected to have.

"I was playing in concert inCranbrook, British Columbia and Iall of a sudden had chest pain," Jensen recalled.

"I thought it was because Iwas really enjoying my tuba and blowing very, very hard. And Ihad injured myself."

Jensen was eventually diagnosed with heart failure, and ended up having a heart transplant. Twenty years later, he stillneeds regular medical care.

He is one of the growing number of Canadianscontending with the chronic condition, whichleaves the heart unable to pump blood as well as it should.

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According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, 600 thousand people nationwideare living with heart failure.

In Alberta, about 80,000 people are dealing with the disease, and the cost to the healthcare system is staggering.

"It's a huge concern," said Calgary cardiologist Dr. Todd Anderson. Once released from hospital many heart patients end up being readmitted.

"'I've had a few adventures with infections here and there, because your immune system is compromised with the medications," said Jensen. Hehadcontracted a virusthat caused his heart to swell to three times its regular size, which then sent him into heart failure.

Anderson said the cost of looking after heart failure in Alberta is in the order of $300-400 million per year.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation report suggests better training for family doctors, more communication between physicians and beefed up homecare supports would improve care in the community and help reduce costs.

By the numbers

• 600,000: Canadians withheart failure.

• 50,000: New cases diagnosed per year

• $2.8 billion:Direct cost of the disease in Canada

• 13%: Relative increase in hospital visits for over the past six years
  Hospital visits due to heart failure have gone up every year for the past six years, with 60,000 reported in 20132014.

• 1 in 5: Heart failure patients who end up back in hospital within 30 days

• 30%:Heart failure patientswhoexperience depression.