Prince Edward Island is one of the worst places in Canada to have a heart attack, research out of the University of Calgary shows.

Charlotte Comrie of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of P.E.I. says the Island is too small for an angioplasty centre. (CBC)

The study found most Canadians are within an hour's travel of a facility where an angioplasty can be performed. The nearest centres for people on P.E.I. are in Saint John, N.B., and Halifax — more than three hours away.

"New Brunswick … was talking about the possibility of a facility in Moncton, but there were some very good reasons that went into the current setup," said study author Dr. William Ghali. "They wanted to concentrate the expertise and the resources in one centre so that they could have a well-oiled machine in Saint John."

An angioplasty is a complex procedure in which surgeons thread a wire through a blocked artery, a balloon is inflated within the blood vessel and a stent — a small tube — is installed to keep it open. This requires not only skilled doctors but specialized equipment. Ideally, patients should get to a facility where the procedure can be performed within an hour of the first symptoms.

Charlotte Comrie of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of P.E.I. said the Island just doesn't have enough people to warrant the costly equipment and doctors.

"You need a certain population base, for physicians and for any health professional to stay current and skilled at any particular procedure," said Comrie. "What I'm suggesting is, we perhaps don't have enough patients who need this particular procedure that quickly to warrant such a facility on the Island."

Comrie says the situation is not ideal, but Islanders with heart trouble do get treatment to hold them over until they can get an angioplasty.