I was diagnosed with heart failure days before my 29th birthday. Warning signs and symptoms every Canadian should know

Yahoo

05-05-2025

Aaron Ablona spent his 29th birthday unconscious. It was June 2015, and Ablona's birthday weekend was unfolding in a typical fashion — except he wasn't really feeling well. His memory of that time is hazy, stitched together by family members who were there. All he knows is just days before he turned 29, his family took him to the emergency room in Scarborough, Ont., where he went into cardiac arrest and then suffered multiple heart attacks.
After being transferred to Toronto General Hospital, doctors discovered blockages of blood flow to the heart, also known as coronary artery disease. He was diagnosed with heart failure.
Ablona spent the next several months recovering, including time at a rehabilitation centre and hospital stays. He also faced additional challenges including hypoxic brain injury, undergoing emergency quadruple bypass surgery, having an Automatic Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator installed, and ischemia — reduced blood flow to part of the body — which resulted in his leg being amputated in 2018.
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'A lot of people relate heart attack, stroke or cardiac diseases in general to an older population,' Ablona told Yahoo Canada. 'But heart failure can affect anybody of any age."
It's been almost a decade since his heart event. Now 38, Ablona is raising awareness about heart failure.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ablona joined online support groups for people living with heart failure. 'One of the things that helped me was finding a community of like-minded folk and other heart failure patients from around Canada who are going through similar things,' he said. 'Friends and family may not understand what you're going through. We share strategies and struggles and just talk in a judgment-free zone.'
Friends and family may not understand what you're going through. We share strategies and struggles and just talk in a judgment-free zone.Aaron Ablona on the support he's found online
He's also joined local Toronto heart failure groups, including the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research and Transform HF, where he connects with researchers and patient partners to discuss heart failure research projects.
Heart Failure Awareness Week runs from May 4 to 10, and the Canadian Heart Failure Society (CHFS) is aiming to educate Canadians about the signs of heart failure and when to seek emergency medical care.
Over the past 30 years, deaths and disability from cardiovascular disease have been steadily rising worldwide, according to a 2020 study, and heart failure is one of the fastest growing cardiovascular conditions in the world. According to new data from the Public Health Agency of Canada, an estimated 120,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with heart failure this year, joining the 800,000 others who live with heart failure.
Heart failure happens when the heart muscle cannot effectively pump blood. Blood then builds up in the lungs and legs, and can cause a shortness of breath and swelling of the legs and feet.
Yahoo Canada spoke to Dr. Justin Ezekowitz, president of The Canadian Heart Failure Society and cardiologist at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, to find out what Canadians should know about heart diseases, as well as warning signs and symptoms.
'We want the broader public to be aware of the message for this year's Heart Failure Awareness Week: It's not normal to be breathless,' Ezekowitz said. 'The cardinal symptoms for patients with heart failure is shortness of breath, or breathlessness that is out of proportion to the activity that they're doing.'
For example, people experiencing heart failure may be more out of breath during everyday activities, like going up a flight of stairs or walking down the block. 'That's one of the main symptoms that comes along early with most of our patients,' he added.
Shortness of breath
Breathlessness out of proportion to activity
Edema (lower leg swelling)
Fatigue
Tiredness
Patients often describe shortness of breath as if they were holding their breath underwater, Ezekowitz explained. 'You just can't get enough air when you're trying to do activities, and that's really a challenging symptom for many of our patients.'
Routine tasks, like moving a box or picking up a can or a bag of groceries, now result in breathlessness. 'They're really huffing and puffing a lot more than they should be for the activity.'
Symptoms vary based on age and other experience, but other common signs of heart failure include lower leg swelling (or edema), and fatigue or tiredness — especially if it's a recent change.
'We all get fatigued and tired,' Ezekowitz said. 'But this is out of keeping with the normal activities of daily life.'
'This is a disease that touches most people in Canada in one way or another,' Ezekowitz said. 'It's also increasing in its prevalence. We are seeing more and more of it across the country. It doesn't matter what province or city or rural area you're in, it is pretty ubiquitous.'
Heart failure is a very serious condition, and while there is no cure, Ezekowitz noted it is treatable. 'We now have terrific medications and devices and other ways people can self-manage. We would love to put ourselves out of a job by preventing heart failure and cardiac disease in the first place.'
This is a disease that touches most people in Canada in one way or another.Dr. Justin Ezekowitz
The doctor encouraged all adults to be screened for high cholesterol and high blood pressure. If you're a smoker, stop smoking. Eating a healthy diet and getting a good amount of exercise each day is a great way to avoid developing a heart problem in the first place.
'Prevention is always going to be our number one go-to to help prevent the problem before it starts,' he said. 'Those are the very simplest of things we can do to make sure people don't end up having to see me and my colleagues.'
Get screened for high cholesterol and high blood pressure
Don't smoke
Eat a healthy diet
Exercise daily
Ablona is continuing to adjust to life with heart failure, and he is also educating himself about the disease and spreading awareness. 'My friends and family were a great support system to lean on,' he said. 'They were the ones who prepared low-sodium meals and gave me space to rest when I was too tired to join social activities.'
It's been a long journey, for himself and loved ones. 'While heart failure can be a burden on the patient, it can also take a toll on the caregivers,' Ablona said. 'There are also support groups for caregivers, a lot of them online.'