Speaking from the Heart: Study Identifies Key Concerns of Parenting with an Early-Onset Cardiovascular Condition

While heart disease in younger populations is rising globally, there have been virtually no studies examining parenting while navigating an early-onset cardiovascular condition. To address this gap, new focus group research has pinpointed the main concerns of parents with an early-onset cardiovascular condition facing the complex task of managing their own recovery while raising younger children. The study in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, published by Elsevier, highlights the need for developmentally appropriate communication and family-sensitive support within secondary prevention programming.

“Managing a chronic illness is difficult enough, but it can be even more stressful if you are a parent to younger children,” says lead investigator Karen Bouchard, PhD, OCT, University of Ottawa Heart Institute. “The 32 participants in our study spoke about the uncertainty of how to talk with their children about their condition, the physical and emotional strain affecting daily parenting, and concerns about their children’s emotional, social, and physical adjustment. These concerns often persisted well beyond the medical event, procedure, or their diagnosis.”

Global cases of early-onset ischemic heart disease (before age 55 in men and 65 in women) increased from 1.5 million in 1990 to 2.6 million in 2019, with similar trends observed in premature heart failure and cardiac rhythm disorders. As a result, a growing proportion of individuals with cardiovascular conditions face overlapping, and potentially onerous, occupational and caregiving responsibilities. These compounding stressors may be particularly significant for parents managing their own recovery while considering the complex emotional and practical implications of their illness on their families.

Key findings

The study identified three main concerns:

1. Communicating the event/diagnosis to children: Immediately after the cardiovascular event/diagnosis, parents reported feeling uncertain about what specific information to share, particularly when the diagnosis or severity of their condition were unclear.

“There were a lot of unknowns…When they confirmed the diagnosis, I’ll be honest, I downplayed the worst-case scenario at that point because I was dealing with it myself.” (Study participant, father)

2. Fulfilling a parenting role: Parents with early-onset cardiovascular diseases struggled with the physical and emotional demands of daily life, as low energy and heightened irritability affected their ability to maintain routine caregiving and household responsibilities.

“For my daughter, I think in some ways that’s been the harder adjustment. Because I look normal and I give her grief like I’m normal. But I’m not what I was.…” (Study participant, mother)

3. Children’s physical, emotional, and social adjustment: Parents described a heightened awareness of the potential for their children’s inherited cardiovascular diseases risk and reported increased hypervigilance over their children’s heart-healthy behaviors.

“There are times I would unfairly say that you can’t have that food. You have the genes of Mama now.” (Study participant, mother)

Co-lead investigator Heather E. Tulloch, PhD, CPsych, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, notes, “In the focus groups, many parents were still quite emotional when speaking about how their condition affected their children. Based on my clinical experience, it is not surprising that parents want more support from healthcare providers in navigating their illness as a parent, particularly how to communicate with their children about what happened or what to expect.”

While a regionally-specific population sample was used for this study, which limits the generalizability of the findings, the authors believe the concerns identified may have theoretical transferability to other contexts.

This study is among the first to explore the additional challenges that parents may experience when they are diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or experience a cardiac-related event. Although the study is novel because it focuses on parents with a cardiovascular condition, it reiterates what has long been recognized in the public spheres—that health is a family affair.

“Our findings reinforce the importance of timely, developmentally appropriate communication with children about parental illness. More research in this area is critical because we know that cardiovascular disease is increasingly affecting younger adults, many of whom are also parents juggling work and family responsibilities,” concludes first author Laura Quintero Silva, PhD, MSc, University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

Notes for editors

The article is “Parenting Under Pressure: The Hidden Burdens of Early-Onset Cardiovascular Disease,” by Laura Quintero Silva, PhD, MSc, Heather Tulloch, PhD, CPsych, Camille X. Rousseau, PhD, Nishwara Tarannum, BSc, Victoria S. Bennett, BSc, Jasmine Yang, BSc(c), Michael Dans, MScN, RN, Bonnie Quinlan, MScN, RN, Kathleen Lalande, PhD, CPsych, and Karen Bouchard, PhD, OCT (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2026.01.047). The article appears online in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, published by Elsevier.

The article is openly available for 30 days at https://onlinecjc.ca/article/S0828-282X(26)00075-9/fulltext.

Full text of the article is also available to credentialed journalists upon request. Contact Eileen Leahy at +1 732 406 1313 or [email protected] to request a PDF of the article or more information. Journalists wishing to interview the authors should contact Leigh B. Morris, Communications/Media Relations Officer, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, at +1 613 316 6409 or [email protected].

This study was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (Grant #430-2022-00825).

Note from the authors: This study precipitated the development of the new patient guide “Discussing your heart condition with children and youth,” which is now available on the University of Ottawa Heart Institute website. It was also the inspiration behind developing an illustrated children’s story that parents could read to their children to help make sense of the parent’s cardiovascular condition. The story was based on the findings from these focus groups and was developed in partnership with parents living with cardiovascular disease. It will be released in May 2026.

About the Canadian Journal of Cardiology

The Canadian Journal of Cardiology (CJC) is an international, peer-reviewed journal that disseminates new knowledge in cardiology and cardiovascular science. It is the preferred Canadian cardiovascular medicine peer-reviewed publication and is an official journal of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society(CCS). The CJC publishes original reports of clinical and basic research relevant to cardiovascular medicine, as well as practice guidelines, editorials, review articles, and case reports. www.onlinecjc.ca

About the Editor-in-Chief

Editor-in-Chief Stanley Nattel, MD, is Paul-David Chair in Cardiovascular Electrophysiology and Professor of Medicine at the University of Montreal and Director of the Electrophysiology Research Program at the Montreal Heart Institute Research Center.

About the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS)

The CCS is the national voice for cardiovascular clinicians and scientists, representing more than 2,300 cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and other heart health specialists across Canada. We advance heart health for all by setting standards for excellence in heart health and care, building the knowledge and expertise of the heart team, and influencing policy and advocating for the heart health of all Canadians. For further information on the CCS visit www.ccs.ca/en.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a global leader in advanced information and decision support. For over a century, we have been helping advance science and healthcare to advance human progress. We support academic and corporate research communities, doctors, nurses, future healthcare professionals and educators across 170 countries in their vital work. We do this by delivering mission-critical insights and innovative solutions that combine trusted, evidence-based scientific and medical content with cutting-edge AI technologies to help impact makers achieve better outcomes. We champion inclusion and sustainability by embedding these values into our products and culture, working with the communities that we serve. The Elsevier Foundation supports research and health partnerships around the world.

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