World Heart Day 2021: All About Cardiovascular Disease.
New Delhi: World Heart Day is observed annually on September 29, and is an initiative by the World Heart Federation (WHF) to spread awareness about cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke.
The World Heart Federation, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), announced the establishment of World Heart Day in 1999. Antoni Bayés de Luna, president of WHF from 1997-1999, came up with the idea of this global observance event.
September 24, 2000 marked the first observance of World Heart day. Until 2011, World Heart Day was observed on the last Sunday of September.
Why is World Heart Day observed?
Cardiovascular disease, including Heart disease and Stroke is the world's leading causes of death, with 18.6 million people dying each year due to these diseases.
In May 2012, world leaders came together and made a commitment towards reducing global mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25 per cent by 2025. Cardiovascular disease is the world's number one killer as it accounts for nearly 50 per cent of all NCD deaths.
World Heart Day is the world's biggest awareness raising platform for CVD, and for the CVD community to come together in the fight against this disease, and reduce its global burden.
According to experts, CVD, including heart disease and stroke, accounts for most deaths in a year, but there are actions that can be taken to prevent and control CVD.
Eighty per cent of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided by controlling risk factors such as physical inactivity, tobacco use, and unhealthy diet. World Heart Day aims to drive action to educate people about focusing on changing their day-to-day activities and adopting healthy-heart habits.
This global campaign witnesses the participation of individuals, families, communities and governments worldwide, in different activities to become more responsible towards their own heart health and that of others.
The World Health Federation believes that heart health should be a fundamental right for the entire world.
What is Cardiovascular Disease?
CVD is a class of diseases that affect the heart or blood vessels (veins and arteries). Eighty five per cent of the deaths occurring worldwide annually due to CVD are attributed to coronary heart diseases and cerebrovascular diseases. The heart's functions become compromised when one suffers from CVD.
Risk factors of CVD
Smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, poor diet, air pollution, and less common conditions such as cardiac amyloidosis and Chagas disease are some of the risk factors responsible for causing CVD.
Hypertension and high blood cholesterol can weaken the heart.
CVD Facts & Figures
More than 80 per cent of deaths from CVD occur in low- and middle-income developing countries.
Around 520 million people in the world suffer from CVD, and are at a greater risk of contracting the severe forms of the SARS-CoV-2.
People with underlying health conditions, such as heart disease, are more vulnerable to Covid-19.