World Heart Day is celebrated every year on September 29 to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease, heart disease and stroke. Our heart is one of the most important organs as it delivers oxygen and nutrients to our cells and also removes waste products. If one notices any sign of heart trouble, it should be taken seriously without getting delayed.
One should have right diet, exercise, or should stay away from smoking and alcohol and avoid junk food to avoid getting heart diseases. Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and other conditions.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), more than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age.
More than 17 Lakh people die every year due to heart diseases, and by 2030, the figure is expected to increase with 2.3 crore deaths in India, as per report. Around 26 percent of total deaths in India occur due to non-communicable diseases (NCD), largely referred to the heart diseases and diabetes.
According to Lancet and ICMR, 20% of the total heart patients are between the age of 40 years. The report of ICMR said that the heart disease is more prevalent among youths due to unhealthy diet, stress, air pollution, obesity and consumption of tobacco.
Heart disease is the number one cause of mortality and a silent epidemic among Indians. The fear of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is three-four times more in India than in America while it is six times more than China and 20 times more than Japan. In India, the average age in which one could suffer from heart disease is 53 while that in advanced countries is 63 years.
WORLD HEART DAY: HISTORY
The day was first observed by the World Heart Federation in collaboration with the World Health Organization on September 24, 2000. The observance of this day was ideated by Antoni Baye de Luna, the former president of the World Health Federation. The day used to be observed on the last Sunday in September till 2011.
However, from 2012 onwards, it has been observed on September 29 after world leaders pledged to reduce global mortality rates from these non-communicable illnesses by 25% by 2025.
Every year, the day is observed with a specific theme. This year, the theme of World Health Day is 'harnessing the power of digital health to improve awareness, prevention and management of CVD globally'.
Established by WHF and WHO, the World Heart Day is observed to inform people about the various cardiovascular diseases (CVD) that can cause serious health damage. Various CVDs including heart attacks and strokes is the leading cause of death. Nearly, 18.6 million people are estimated to get affected by CVD every year across the world.
World Heart Day also aims to highlight the reason and prevention of CVD, so that people can prevent themselves from being prone to cardiovascular diseases. It is marked to educate people about the associated risk factors such as unhealthy diet, tobacco consumption, and physical inactivity, which are likely to increase the risk of CVD.
