Prevalence of heart failure nearly six times higher in James and Hudson Bay region residents than the rest of Ontario

Toronto, ON, June 10, 2026 — A new study led by the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority’s Minomathasowin Department, ICES, and University Health Network (UHN) has identified a high prevalence of possible heart failure among community members living in the James and Hudson Bay (JHB) region of Northern Ontario.  

The region of JHB is home to approximately 12,000 people, the majority of whom are Omushkego Cree people. Many residents face limited access to emergency services and timely care, due to many factors, including remote geography and limited access to tertiary level emergency services, creating barriers to diagnosis and treatment. These barriers contribute to health inequities, poorer health outcomes, and challenges in cardiovascular care, particularly impacting Indigenous peoples living in remote First Nations communities in Northern Ontario. 

Among the 9,495 eligible JHB residents identified in the study, 144 individuals had confirmed heart failure (HF) and about 993 others met the criteria for possible HF as of March 31, 2023. Furthermore, the median age at diagnosis for both those with confirmed HF (60 years) and possible HF (47-53 years) was younger among JHB residents than the rest of Northern Ontario (78 years). 

“This study underscores the importance of culturally grounded approaches to cardiovascular health,” says Dr. Anne Simard, a staff scientist at UHN, and Director of Strategy and Translation at TRANSFORM HF, an initiative between the University of Toronto and Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research. “By understanding the potential heart failure cases, we can further focus our collaborative efforts on increasing screening, improving early detection.”  

Key findings 

• The potential prevalence of possible HF in JHB residents was 7.2 to 10.5 per cent. In comparison, the prevalence was substantially lower in Northeast LHIN (2.53 per cent) and across Ontario overall (1.8 per cent). 

• Diagnostic testing for BNP or NT-proBNP, a heart failure biomarker that increases in response to cardiac stress, occurred in only 17.4 per cent of confirmed cases and 5.6 per cent of possible cases. The rates across all JHB cohorts were low, highlighting missed opportunities for earlier detection and intervention in the progression of HF. 

• The median age at diagnosis for both confirmed and possible HF was at least 18 years younger among JHB residents, and possible HF was more common in men than women. 

The findings suggest there is a critical need to strengthen early detection and referral pathways for HF in the JHB region. Enhanced access to diagnostic testing and culturally safe interventions could support better outcomes for all community members and help address longstanding gaps in HF care. 

The study “A profile of heart failure in the James and Hudson Bay region of Ontario: a retrospective cohort study” is in the April issue of the Canadian Journal of Public Health.  

ICES is an independent, not-for-profit research and analytics institute that uses population-based health information to produce knowledge on a broad range of healthcare issues. ICES leads cutting-edge studies and analyses evaluating healthcare policy, delivery, and population outcomes. Our knowledge is highly regarded in Canada and abroad and is widely used by government, hospitals, planners, and practitioners to make decisions about healthcare delivery and to develop policy. For the latest ICES news, follow us on BlueSky and LinkedIn: @ICESOntario     

About University Health Network 
UHN is Canada’s Hospital — ranked #2 in the world, #1 in Canada. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 Team UHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada’s top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education, and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine, and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto. www.uhn.ca   

About TRANSFORM HF 
TRANSFORM Heart Failure is a strategic initiative of the Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research and the University of Toronto dedicated to digital health innovation and equitable access to high-quality heart failure care. The initiative brings together more than 300 members and over 80 national and international partners to co-design and implement technologies that improve heart failure diagnosis, monitoring, and management in real-world settings. www.transformhf.ca  

About Weeneebayko Area Health Authority
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) provides acute, and ambulatory, primary and allied healthcare services to communities along Ontario’s western James Bay-Hudson Bay coasts. Comprised of three hospital sites in the First Nations communities of Moose Factory, Fort Albany, and Attawapiskat, and a health centre in the Town of Moosonee. WAHA also runs regional outpatient programs, as well as physician, mental health, and paramedicine services throughout the region, including the communities of Kashechewan and Peawanuck. WAHA is affiliated with Queen’s University.
 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:    
Charlotte Lam    
Communications Associate   
ICES     
[email protected]   
437-317-8804