Did you know that approximately 60,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in Canada each year - that's one every nine minutes. Only one in 10 people who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital survive. You can check out more statistics through the Heart and Stroke Foundation website.

Why Heart Month Matters

What makes this awareness month particularly important is that heart disease is largely preventable. About 80% of cardiovascular disease can be prevented through lifestyle changes like eating better, moving more, reducing stress, not smoking, managing blood pressure and cholesterol. Yet many people don't realize they're at risk until something serious happens.

The month also highlights that heart disease doesn't look the same for everyone - women often experience different symptoms than men, and certain communities face higher risks due to factors like access to healthcare and stress from discrimination.

The AED Solution: When someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest - when the heart suddenly stops beating effectively - every second counts. Survival rates drop by about 10% for every minute without defibrillation (Heart and Stroke) statistics. Having an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) accessible can be the difference between life and death. These devices are designed to be used by anyone, even without training, and they walk you through exactly what to do with voice prompts. In places like schools, gyms, offices, and public spaces, an AED can restore a normal heart rhythm before emergency responders arrive. The combination of immediate CPR and quick defibrillation can more than double or even triple someone's chance of survival.

Making February Count

This month can give you the perfect opportunity to start conversations, make changes and save lives. It could start with you improving your own heart health or ensuring the places around you have an AED onsite. You can make a difference by:

• Learning the signs of heart disease and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)
• Knowing where AEDs are located
• Advocating for AED accessibility
• Educate yourself on CPR and AED training

But here's the crucial thing to remember: heart health is a year-round commitment. February isn't the finish line - it's a reminder, a reset button as we settle into the year. The daily choices we make in March, July, and November matter just as much. The checkup you schedule, the walking habit you start, the AED you put in your home or cottage or the one you bring to your workplace - these aren't February projects, they're lifelong investments. Heart Month simply gives us that collective nudge we need to refocus and remember what's at stake.

AED Accessibility Matters

Here's the sobering reality: in urban Canadian centers, emergency response times average 8-10 minutes - which means that without immediate bystander intervention with an AED, most victims won't receive defibrillation in time to benefit from the highest survival rates.

To put this in perspective: if we could increase AED availability and use to even match CPR rates (which range from 42-72% across the country), we could potentially save thousands of additional Canadian lives each year. The gap between the 13% AED use rate and the potential need represents tens of thousands of cases where an AED could have made the difference between life and death.