The World Heart Federation’s annual World Heart Day takes place today, to highlight the actions that individuals can take to prevent and control cardiovascular disease (CVD).
CVD, including heart disease and stroke, is the world’s leading cause of death, resulting in 18.6 million global deaths each year, the World Heart Federation reported.
Unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol are cited by the World Health Organization as ‘the most important behavioural risk factors of heart disease and stroke’. Today’s campaign aims to inform people that, by controlling these risk factors, 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided.
However, the campaign also aims to bring attention to the lesser known CVD risk factors such as air pollution – which is responsible for 25% of all CVD deaths – and psychological stress, which can double the risk of having a heart attack.
Also addressed is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CVD, with CVD patients more at risk of developing severe forms of the virus, as well as many people being ‘afraid to attend routine and emergency appointments’.
The pandemic has also resulted in a major disruption in cardiac services, with the European Society of Cardiology reporting a ‘doubling’ of waiting list deaths in the UK alone.
Commenting on the campaign, Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said in a statement: “We have all gone through tough times during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many diagnoses, screenings and treatments have been postponed or delayed. Disease prevention and promotion activities have been put on hold, and people’s mental health has suffered.
“In other words, an already serious situation has become even more challenging. If we want to prevent cardiovascular diseases, it is time we take care of ourselves better and bridge the health gap created by COVID-19.”
With the theme, ‘use heart for every heart’, this year’s campaign encourages people to walk, run or bike a heart-shaped route and record it on exercise tracker app Strava.
Monuments around the world are also asked to light up in red to raise awareness of CVD, with several landmarks across the globe, including the Niagara Falls in Canada and the pyramids in Egypt, having participated in previous campaigns.