World Heart Day

World Heart Day

World Heart Day iw held annually on September 29. This day increases public awareness of cardiovascular diseases, including their prevention and their global impact. In 1999 the World Heart Federation (WHF), in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), announced the establishment of World Heart Day. The idea for this annual event was conceived by Antoni Bayés de Luna, president of WHF from 1997–99. World Heart Day was originally (until 2011) observed on the last Sunday in September. The first celebration took place on September 24, 2000.

World Heart Day is a reminder to everyone around the world to take care of their hearts. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world’s number one killer. Combined, conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels, such as heart attack, stroke and heart failure, kill more than 20.5 million every year. The majority of these deaths happen in low- and middle-income countries.

We want to bring this number down – way down. And there’s hope. For example, 80% of premature deaths from CVD are preventable. This can be done by making small lifestyle changes. This includes what we eat and drink, how much we exercise, and how we manage stress. By paying attention to these factors, we can better manage our heart health and beat CVD.

Wear a red enamel awareness pin, fabric ribbon or red wristband to raise awareness about World Heart Day.

Wear Red to Raise Awareness About World Heart Day

Main causes to the burden of CVD include modifiable lifestyle factors. This includes factors such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and unhealthy diets. In addition, of note is high salt intake. And lastly, a lack of physical activity.

Raised blood pressure and raised blood glucose levels are key drivers. For example, they can be detected, diagnosed, and managed adequately in primary care. One in four adults in the region has raised blood pressure, while one in ten has diabetes, and less than 15% are on effective treatment coverage. Additionally, high levels of lipids in the blood and suboptimal management of acute cardiovascular events further worsen CVD mortality.

Cardiovascular Diseases

World Heart Day provides an opportunity for WHO and its Member States to join the global call to raise awareness about heart health and accelerate actions to prevent, detect and manage cardiovascular diseases.

The WHO South-East Asia Region is home to a quarter of the world’s population. The region is experiencing a very high burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are responsible for 3.9 million annual deaths. This makes up 30% of all deaths. Alarmingly, almost half (48%) of these CVD-related deaths occurred prematurely, affecting individuals aged 30 to 70 years and imposing significant socioeconomic burdens on families, communities, and countries.

Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death globally. In the early 2000’s, roughly 17 million people worldwide died from cardiovascular diseases annually. The majority of these deaths were the result of coronary heart disease or stroke.

Developing Countries and Cardiovascular Disease – World Heart Day

Although cardiovascular diseases are often considered to be afflictions of people living in developed countries, where sedentary lifestyle is common, more than 80 percent of deaths from these diseases occur in low- and middle-income developing countries. The primary causes of cardiovascular diseases include poor diet, lack of exercise, and smoking. These are considered modifiable factors. Thus, even in developing countries, which often lack efficient health care programs, the majority of these diseases can be prevented. Cardiovascular diseases also have a major impact on economic systems within countries. This is because of the high health care costs associated with treatment and lost productivity as a result of disability and absenteeism from work.