World Heart Day 2021 - “Creating Heart-Healthy Environments”

Highlights :

World Heart Day is a global campaign that informs people about cardiovascular diseases (CVD) every year
CVD is the leading cause of death worldwide that affects heart or blood vessels
This year theme #UseHeart connects people in the fight against heart diseases

World Heart Day is a global campaign to spread awareness about cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The World Heart Federation (WHF) organizes world heart day on September 29th every year.

Through this campaign, people living across various countries and backgrounds are united in the fight against the CVD health burden.

Test Your Knowledge on Heart
The heart is a fist-sized organ that pumps blood throughout the body. It is the primary organ of the human circulatory system that helps in circulation of blood throughout the body...

‘World Heart Day celebrated every year on 29 September is the biggest awareness-raising platform for cardiovascular disease (CVD) that unites people in the fight against CVD.’
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World Heart Day – History

The World Heart Federation (WHF), in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), announced the establishment of World Heart Day in 1999. The idea for this event was proposed by Antoni Bayés de Luna, president of WHF from 1997-99.

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.

Southern Diet Bad for Your Heart
Cardiac death is a potentially serious condition that could lead to death if not treated immediately. People who follow the Mediterranean diet have reduced risks for cardiac death than those who follow the southern-style diet.

Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the most common cause of death globally. An estimated 18.6 million people die from CVD every year. Heart attack and stroke were the major causes of these deaths.

A common misconception about CVD is that it impacts more people in developed countries who are more reliant on technology and lead sedentary lifestyles. But more than 80% of the deaths occur in middle-income and low-income countries.

The main causes of cardiovascular disease are lack of exercise, smoking, poor diet, and living under stress.

World Heart Day – Importance

The World Heart Day celebration plays a very crucial role in the global platform to raise awareness and encourage individuals, families, communities, and governments to take action against cardiovascular diseases.

Heart health for everyone is a fundamental human right and a crucial element of global health justice. Everybody has the power to reduce premature deaths from cardiovascular diseases, and helping people everywhere to live longer, better and heart-healthy lives.

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.

Through worldwide events, the day offers health and fitness tips so people can lead a life free of cardiovascular ailments.

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Millets help in reducing the risk of cardiovascular or heart diseases and this mandates their return to the daily diets.

World Heart Day Celebrations

World Heart Day celebrations take place across the globe highlighting the actions that individuals can take to prevent and control cardiovascular diseases.

Each year’s celebrations have a different theme, reflecting key issues and topics related to heart health. Monuments around the world light up red on 29 September to raise awareness.

The government and non-government organizations celebrate and promote World Heart Day with activities such as fun runs, public talks, concerts, and sporting events. Every year more and more people participate in these events showing their support for World Heart Day.

Moreover, the World Heart Federation also organizes awareness events such ashealth checks, sports events, including walks, runs and fitness sessions, public talks and science forums, stage shows, concerts, and exhibitions.

Use Heart to Connect

This year on World Heart Day, we’re asking the world to USE HEART TO CONNECT

Living through the COVID-19 crisis has highlighted an urgent need to find different and innovative ways to connect people to heart health, particularly in lower resource areas and communities.

Harnessing the power of digital health to improve awareness, prevention, and management of CVD globally is the goal for Word Heart Day 2021.

USE HEART TO CONNECT is about connecting our hearts, nurturing them as best we can, and using the power of digital to connect every heart, everywhere.

Three Key Pillars

Equity - It is about enabling and empowering everyone, everywhere – young and old, men, women and children, patients, community health workers, doctors to use digital tools for better prevention, diagnosis, and care of heart-related conditions.
Prevention - Look after the heart by eating a healthy diet, saying no to tobacco, and getting plenty of exercise. Digital tools, like phone apps and wearables, can help you to get motivated and stay on track.
Community - People living with CVD have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19 due to increased vulnerability.

Digital networks have the power to connect these patients with families, friends, other patients, doctors, and caregivers. No one should have to feel alone, pandemic or not, let’s use technology to overcome isolation and gaps in care.

Furthermore, The World Heart Federation says that “Whether the environment is urban or rural, this is our chance to transform our neighborhoods into heart-healthy environments so that we can achieve a 25% reduction in premature death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) by 2025”.

Fascinating Facts about Heart

The heart of a healthy person beats about 1,15,200 times every day.
The heart pumps blood to 75 trillion cells of the body.
On average, woman’s heart beats about 10% faster than a man’s. The heart rate drops while asleep.

World Heart Day is an ideal opportunity to bring people together to tackle the world's biggest killer and encourage them to improve their heart health.

On 29th September 2021, let us all promise to connect with every heart to make it healthier using digital tools.

References :

World Heart Federation - (https://world-heart-federation.org/world-heart-day/about-whd/world-heart-day-2021/)
World Heart Day 2021 - (https://www.paho.org/en/campaigns/world-heart-day-2021)
National Heart Week/World Heart Day 2021 Virtual - (https://www.myheart.org.sg/world-heart-day/)
World Heart Day - (https://www.nationalforum.org/collaborations/world-heart-day/)

Source-Medindia