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World Heart Day takes place on 29 September every year. It was initiated by World Heart Federation in 2000. This is the world’s common platform for raising awareness about cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke. 

WHD is an opportunity to bring together the scientific cardiology societies, heart foundations, health professionals, patients and the general public, policy makers, governments and industry to advance our cause of heart health for everyone.

 

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.

 

Cardiovascular disease is the world’s number one killer today. 17,900,000 people die every year from CVD, including heart disease and stroke.

This year WHD campaign is focused on accomplishing six key goals:

• TO BE ALL ENCOMPASSING
• TO BE EDUCATIONAL
• TO BE ACTIONABLE
• TO BE INSPIRATIONAL
• TO BE RELEVANT
• TO BE SHARABLE

Theme

This year’s theme is all about making a simple promise for your heart.

• A promise to our families to cook and eat more healthily
• A promise to our children to do more exercise and help
• them to be more active, to say no to smoking and help
• our loved ones to stop
• A promise as a healthcare professional to help patients
• give up smoking and lower their cholesterol
• A promise as a policymaker to support policies that promote healthy hearts
• A promise as an employee to invest in heart-healthy workplaces
• A simple promise… for MY HEART, for YOUR HEART, for ALL OUR HEARTS.

What can we do for a Healthy Heart

• Change your lifestyle
• Stop using tobacco
• Get more active
• Eat a heart-healthy diet
• Maintain a heart-healthy weight
• Get enough quality sleep
• Manage your stress

Facts about physical activity and CVD

• Some studies have found that 15 MINUTES of brisk walking every day can halve the risk of CVD mortality among seniors
• Reports suggest that using pedometers or walking apps and setting daily targets can increase physical activity by around a third

Facts about weight and CVD

• Every 5-unit increase in BMI (body mass index) is associated with an increase in CVD mortality
• Obesity makes you twice as likely to have high blood pressure
• Losing weight can result in a drop of blood pressure

Some facts about sleep and hypertension

• Short sleep duration has been linked to increased likelihood of hypertension
• Some studies have shown that each hour of reduced sleep equals an increase in the likelihood of hypertension of around a third.

MORE INFO: WORLD HEART FEDERATION 

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