GLOSSARY

 

ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION (ICD-9 410)
A manifestation of ischemic heart disease, describing a severe sudden onset of myocardial necrosis due to the formation of a thrombus in the coronary arterial system obstructing arterial blood flow to the area of cardiac muscle supplied by that artery.

AGE-STANDARDIZED RATES   
The standardized rate represents what the crude rate would be if the population under study had the age distribution of the standard population.  It is the weighted average of age-specific rates applied to a standard distribution of age.

ANGINA PECTORIS (ICD-9 413)
A symptomatic manifestation of ischemic heart disease, describing a severe squeezing or pressure-like thoracic pain, brought on by exertion or stress.

ANGIOPLASTY
The dilatation of a blood vessel by means of a balloon catheter where the balloon is inflated to flatten plaque against the artery wall.  Canadian Classification of Procedure Code 48.00 to 48.09 and 51.59 (Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty).

BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)
Weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in metres.  Among middle-aged adults, BMI is strongly correlated with fat mass.  The risk of diabetes, high blood pressure or coronary heart disease increases with increasing BMI.  Because there is no specific BMI associated with an increased risk of disease, various levels of BMI are used as guidelines for healthy targets.  This report uses a level of BMI of 25.0-29.9 as excess weight, and a level of BMI
³ 30 as obesity.

 

Classification of Overweight and Obesity in Adults According to BMI.
Obesity is classified as BMI > 30 kg/m2.

Classification

BMI (kg/m2 )

Risk of Health Problems

Underweight

< 18.5

Low (but risk of other clinical problems increased)

Normal range

18.5-24.9

Average

Overweight

25.0-29.9

Mildly increased

Obese

³ 30.0

 

Class I

30.0-34.9

Moderate

Class II

35.0-39.9

Severe

Class III

³ 40.0

Very severe

Note that these values are age-independent and correspond to the same degree of fatness across different populations.

Source:          International Obesity Task Force 
Web site: http://www.obesite.chaire.ulaval.ca/class_e.html

CANADIAN COMMUNITY HEALTH SURVEY CYCLE 1.1 (CCHS 1.1)
The CCHS was conducted by Statistics Canada. This survey provides cross-sectional estimates of health determinants, health status and health system utilization at a sub-provincial level (health region or combination of health regions). The target population of the CCHS includes household residents in all provinces and territories; with the principal exclusion of populations on Indian Reserves, Canadian Forces Bases, and some remote areas. There was one randomly selected respondent per household, although planned oversampling of youths resulted in a second member of certain households being interviewed.  For the first collection cycle only those 12 years of age and over were eligible for selection. The CCHS Cycle 1.1 began data collection in September 2000 and the total sample size was 136,937 household respondents representing a response rate of 84.7%.

CANADIAN TOBACCO USE MONITORY SURVEY (CTUMS)
CTUMS was initiated in 1999 to provide Health Canada and its partners with reliable data on tobacco use and related issues.  The primary objective is to track changes in smoking status and amount smoked, especially for populations most at risk for taking up smoking, such as 15-24 year olds. 
The target population for CTUMS is all persons 15 years of age and older living in
Canada, excluding residents of the Yukon, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories, and full-time residents of institutions.  In order to allow provincial comparisons of approximately equal reliability, the overall sample size for the survey is divided equally across all 10 Canadian provinces.  In 1999, the sample was 22,013 individuals.  The response rate was 82%.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
All diseases of the circulatory system classified according to ICD-9 390-459.  They include acute myocardial infarction, ischemic heart disease, valvular heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, arrhythmias, high blood pressure and stroke.

CAROTID ENDARTERECTOMY 
The excision of thickened atheromatous areas of the innermost layer of the carotid artery.  Canadian Classification of Procedure Code 50.12

CASE FATALITY RATE
The proportion of persons contracting a disease, who die of that disease.

CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE (ICD-9 430-438)           
Disease of one or more blood vessels of the brain that can result in the sudden development of a focal neurologic deficit.

COMPUSCRIPT (IMS Health, Canada)
Compuscript provides estimates of the number of prescriptions dispensed in Canadian retail pharmacies on a monthly basis.  Information about prescriptions dispensed is collected electronically from a sample panel of almost 2,000 pharmacies. The sample of pharmacies is designed to be representative of pharmacies in Canada and is stratified by province, store type (chain or independent) and store size (large or small). After electronic processing of the raw data to check for completeness, projection factors are applied to estimate the values for all of Canada.

CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE (ICD-9 428)
The inability of the heart to maintain adequate pumping function.

CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING       
Canadian Classification of Procedure Code 48.1 to 48.19

DIABETES       
Diabetes mellitus is a condition associated with an elevation of blood glucose levels.  (Translation note: Second sentence deleted.)

ELEVATED SERUM CHOLESTEROL     
Elevated serum cholesterol is here defined as a total serum cholesterol level greater than or equal to 5.2 mmol/litre.

FIRST NATIONS          
Those persons who are registered as Indians under the terms of the Indian Act and whose names appears in the Indian Register maintained by the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
High blood pressure is defined as diastolic blood pressure equal to or greater than 90 mmHg or systolic blood pressure equal to or greater than 140 mmHg and/or on treatment, either pharmacologic or non-pharmacologic (weight control and/or salt restriction), for the purpose of lowering blood pressure.

ICD      
International Classification of Diseases - 9th Revision, 1977.

INCOME ADEQUACY
This variable is derived for 2 to 5 categories based on total annual household income and the size of the household.

5-Category Definition

Code

Description

Income

Household Size

1

Lowest income

Less than $10,000

1 to 4 persons

 

 

Less than $15,000

5 or more persons

2

Lower middle income

$10,000 to $14,999

1 or 2 persons

 

 

$10,000 to $19,999

3 or 4 persons

 

 

$15,000 to $29,999

5 or more persons

3

Middle

$15,000 to $29,999

1 or 2 persons

 

 

$20,000 to $39,999

3 or 4 persons

 

 

$30,000 to $59,999

5 or more persons

4

Upper middle income

$30,000 to $59,999

1 or 2 persons

 

 

$40,000 to $79,999

3 or 4 persons

 

 

$60,000 to $79,999

5 or more persons

5

Highest Income

$60,000 or more

1 or 2 persons

 

 

$80,000 or more

3 or more persons

 

4-Category Definition

Code

Description

Income

Household Size

1

Lowest income

Less than $15,000

1 or 2 persons

 

 

Less than $20,000

3 or 4 persons

 

 

Less than $30,000

5 or more persons

2

Lower middle income

$15,000 to $29,999

1 or 2 persons

 

 

$20,000 to $39,999

3 or 4 persons

 

 

$30,000 to $59,999

5 or more persons

3

Upper middle income

$30,000 to $59,999

1 or 2 persons

 

 

$40,000 to $79,999

3 or 4 persons

 

 

$60,000 to $79,999

5 or more persons

4

Highest Income

$60,000 or more

1 or 2 persons

 

 

$80,000 or more

3 or more persons

 

INCIDENCE
The number of instances of illness commencing, or of persons falling ill, during a given period in a specified population.

ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE (ICD-9 410-414)
Any condition in which heart muscle is damaged or works inefficiently because of an absence or relative deficiency of its blood supply; most often caused by atherosclerosis, it includes angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, chronic ischemic heart disease, and sudden death.

OBESITY
Obesity is defined in several ways.  This report uses the WHO definition: individuals are considered obese if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) ³ 30.

PACEMAKER IMPLANTATION 
The implantation of an electronic device that monitors the electronic function of the heart and generates an electrical impulse when required.  Canadian Classification of Procedure Codes 49.71 to 49.74.  These codes include the following ICD-9 CM procedure codes: 37.70 to 37.74, 37.78, 37.80 to 37.83, and 37.94 to 37.96.

PERSON-ORIENTED HOSPITAL DATA 
Information derived by Statistics Canada by linking all the hospital discharge records for the same person together in order to determine health outcomes.

PHYSICAL INACTIVITY
In the National Population Health Surveys of 1994/95 and 1996/97, individuals were considered physically inactive or 'sedentary' if they reported a usual daily leisure-time energy expenditure of less than 1.5 kcal/kg/day.

POTENTIAL YEARS OF LIFE LOST
The sum of the number of years of life that individual Canadians 'lost' due to premature death.  It is calculated with death prior to age 75 being considered premature.  Since the average life expectancy for men is 75 years, and 81 years for women, death prior to age 75 can be considered an average for both men and women.

PREVALENCE
The number of instances of a given disease or other condition in a given population at a designated time.  The term usually refers to the situation at a specified point in time.

RELATIVE RISK
The ratio of the risk of disease or death among the exposed (to a risk condition) to the risk among the unexposed.

SMOKING
Individuals are considered to be daily smokers if they regularly smoke at least one cigarette per day.  Current smokers include both daily and occasional smokers. 

STANDARD MORTALITY RATIO (SMR)
The ratio of the number of events observed in the population to the number that would be expected if the population had the same specific rates as the standard population, multiplied by 100.

THROMBOLYSIS
The action of pharmacologic lysis (breakup) of a coronary artery occlusion.  Occlusions are thrombi composed of platelets, fibrin, erythrocytes, and leukocytes and are usually superimposed on or adjacent to atherosclerotic plaques.  The pharmacologic agent (one of 7 currently available in Canada) may be used in combination with other therapy, such as heparin, a betablocker and antiplatelet agent.

TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK          
Reversible neurological or retinal deficits secondary to a temporary deficit in blood flow.  Symptoms last for less than 24 hours, usually less than half an hour.  There is complete recovery of function within 24 hours.

VALVE SURGERY
Repair or replacement of a diseased heart valve.  Canadian Classification of Procedure Codes 47.01 to 47.29