World Heart Day – September 29

World Heart Day is a global awareness day celebrated on 29 September every year to inform people about cardiovascular disease, the world’s number one killer. The theme of World Heart Day 2024 is “Use Heart for Action“. According to the World Health Organization, 2.5 million people die each year from heart disease and by 2030 these figures are expected to increase to 23 million. About 26% of the total deaths in India are due to non-infectious diseases (NCDs) i.e. heart diseases.

History of World Heart Day

In order to make the people of the world aware of heart disease, the United Nations decided to celebrate September 29 as World Heart Day every year in the year 2000. The initiative of this event was initiated by the Director of the World Heart Association in 1999 by Antoine Bas de Luna in association with the WHO. Until now, World Heart Day was celebrated on the last Sunday of September, but from 2014 it was celebrated on 29 September. Volunteer organization ‘World Heart Federation‘ celebrates World Heart Day every year in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO).

It 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. World Heart Federation unites people from all countries and backgrounds to stand against and fight the CVD burden and encourage heart-healthy living across the world.

The purpose of World Heart Day is to make people aware of heart-related diseases, their consequences, and their prevention. The heart disease death rate is the highest in the world. Heart disease can be prevented by creating a healthy heart environment and adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Types of heart disease

Many types of diseases can occur in the heart. Some of these are as follows:

Heart attack
Rheumatic heart disease
Congenital defects
cardiac failure
Pericardial effusion

Major causes of heart disease:

Hypertension (hypertension).
High blood sugar (diabetes).
High blood cholesterol.
Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
History of heart disease in the family or being overweight or obese.
An unhealthy diet high in fat.
Tension.
lack of exercise.

Signs of a heart attack:

Chest pain.
Shortness of breath
Jaw, neck, or back pain.
Pain in hands or shoulders.
Sweating, nausea, or vomiting.
Weakness and anxiety.

First aid during a heart attack.

Sit the patient and try to calm him.
Loosen the patient’s tight clothes.
If the afflicted person is already a heart patient, then give him medicine.
If the pain does not subside within three minutes, call emergency medical immediately.
If the patient is unconscious, continue cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until emergency assistance arrives.

Tips for keeping the heart healthy: –

- - Eat low-fat and high-fiber diets such as whole grains and fruits and vegetables.
  - Avoid consuming packaged or processed foods such as canned, frozen foods, and/or prepared foods.
  - Avoid the consumption of tobacco and smoking.
  - Consumption of alcohol should be avoided because by doing so the risk of heart disease can be reduced by thirty percent.
  - If you are overweight, reduce your body fat.
  - Do at least thirty minutes of exercise daily.
  - Reduce salt intake.
  - Reduce stress by yoga, meditation, and other recreational activities.
  - Control your weight, blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol levels.
  - Make sure to visit your health regularly.