Created by the World Heart Federation, World Heart Day informs people around the globe that CVD, including heart disease and stroke, is the world’s leading cause of death claiming 18.6 million lives each year, and highlights the actions that individuals can take to prevent and control CVD. It aims to drive action to educate people that by controlling risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity, at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided.
World Heart Day is a global campaign during which individuals, families, communities, and governments around the world participate in activities to take charge of their heart health and that of others. Through this campaign, the World Heart Federation unites people from all countries and backgrounds in the fight against the CVD burden and inspires and drives international action to encourage heart-healthy living across the world. We and our members believe in a world where heart health for everyone is a fundamental human right and a crucial element of global health justice.
The international holiday was established by the World Heart Federation in collaboration with the World Health Organization. The president of the World Heart Federation from 1997 to 1999, Antoni Bayés de Luna, had conceived this idea. The first celebration of the annual event took place on September 24, 2000, and, until 2011, World Heart Day was observed on the last Sunday in September.
More than 90 countries take part in this international observance every year. As a result, World Heart Day has proven to be an effective means for disseminating information about CVD. The high level of involvement from governments and organizations is most important for developing countries, which are heavily affected by these diseases.
Each year, the U.S. spends approximately $200 billion in health care services, medication, and lost productivity due to heart disease.
Smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol (specifically LDL), are the key risk factors for heart disease. Half of all Americans suffer from at least one of these.
Approximately 10 percent of children in the U.S. have high blood pressure due to the consumption of too much sodium.
Approximately 47 percent of cardiac-related deaths take place outside of a hospital — demonstrating that people don't take early warning signs seriously enough.
It has many causes: from smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, to air pollution, and less common conditions such as Chagas disease and cardiac amyloidosis.
For the 520 million people living with CVD, COVID-19 has been heartbreaking. They have been more at risk of developing severe forms of the virus. And many have been afraid to attend routine and emergency appointments, and have become isolated from friends and family.
As the world still struggles to fight COVID-19, we’ve never been more aware of the importance of our own and our loved ones’ health.
And so this year, World Heart Day is more crucial than ever.
A chance for us all: to connect with our own hearts and make sure we’re fuelling and nurturing them as best we can; and to use the power of digital to connect every heart, everywhere.
You may even be able to find a World Heart Day event near you that’s offering health check services. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
Maintaining a healthy weight and low Body Mass Index (BMI) can help decrease your chances of developing heart disease. Whether you decide to attend a gym or fitness class — or prefer to get involved at a World Heart Day event — try to make being active a priority.
Most cardiac emergencies occur near someone who could potentially help — so setting up a CPR class and learning how to resuscitate a person could save lives. Cooking demonstrations, health lectures, and fitness lessons are also great events to plan for World Heart Day.
Sources:
https://world-heart-federation.org/world-heart-day/about-whd/#:~:text=Created%20by%20the%20World%20Heart,to%20prevent%20and%20control%20CVD
https://world-heart-federation.org/world-heart-day/resource/leaflet/
https://nationaltoday.com/world-heart-day/