World Heart Day is a campaign established to spread awareness about the health of heart among common people all through the world. This initiative was founded in the year 2000 to inform people to take care of their heart. A huge percentage of common public in the society is suffering from the heart diseases like stroke, heart attack, heart failure, etc. Heart problems are the leading causes of death in the world.
It is celebrated annually all over the world on 29th of September. A particular theme is decided for the each year celebration in order to focus on the main subject and make it effective. Theme is prepared by keeping in mind the key issues of heart health.
According to the World Heart Federation, at least 80% of the premature deaths (because of cardiovascular diseases) can be protected by controlling four main risk factors such as unhealthy diet, tobacco use, lack of physical activity and use of alcohol.
The heart related problems and deaths can be solved by the active involvement of the common public through the campaign of world heath day. Various governmental and private organizations including NGOs all around world are working to spread the awareness of CVD (cardio vascular disease-the world’s number one killer).
World Heart Day 2019
World Heart Day is observed every year on 29th September, this year too it was observed on Sunday, September 29.
The events are organized by the World Health Federation, to inform people about the Cardio Vascular Diseases and other heart ailments, which has been a leading cause for 17.9 million deaths across the globe.
People, governments and communities across the globe participated in the World Heart Day by spreading the awareness about the good health of heart and the habits leading to it.
Several heart screenings were voluntarily organized by hospitals across the globe. People were told about how to keep their heart healthy by routine exercises and eating healthy foods.
Doctors from across the globe told people on social media about how to keep their heart healthy and pumping. Marches and marathons were also organized at several places.
World Heart Day History
World Heart Day was celebrated every year on the last Sunday of September month from the year it was established till 2010. It is an effective event established in 2000 and organized every year by the World Heart Federation since 2000. From the year 2011, it was started celebrating annually on 29th of September (means no longer on last Sunday of the month).
World Heart Federation and its members actively involves in the celebration in order to spread the news about premature deaths from heart diseases and its risk factors (tobacco intake, lack of physical exercise, unhealthy diet and alcohol intake) to the common public. There are many collaborators of the World Heart Federation in this campaign including several major international non-profits (Indian Heart Association). Through this campaign, several effective preventative measures are promoted in order to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
About World Heart Federation
World Heart Federation (WHF), a nongovernmental organization, is based in the Geneva, Switzerland. An International Society of Cardiology was founded in 1946 and International Cardiology Federation in 1970. Both organizations were merged to form the International Society and Federation of Cardiology (ISFC) in 1978. Later the name of International Society and Federation of Cardiology was changed to the World Heart Federation in 1998.
It has established the world heart day campaign in 2000 to be celebrated every year on 29th of September. This organization and its members are dedicated to lead a major global fight against heart diseases and stroke. The strategy of this federation is especially focusing on the vulnerable areas of the world such as low and middle income countries.
It is a united community, of around 200 member organizations, only global body in the world dedicated to lead this fight against heart diseases. This federation brings together strength of various medical societies and heart foundations all over the world (more than 100 countries from Asia-Pacific, East Mediterranean, Europe, the Americas and Africa).
According to the statistics, approximately 17.3 million people were died of cardiovascular diseases in 2005. In such serious situation, World Heart Federation is a hope to prevent and control heart ailments through proper awareness campaigns and actions. Heart health and disease related information and ideas are shared among people for disease prevention and control through the promotion of healthy diets, physical activities, tobacco and alcohol free living including healthy life style.
The World Heart Federation motivates the health care professionals, medical societies, policy makers, patients, organizations and other healthy individuals to come forth and participate actively in the campaign to reduce the fear of heart disease and stroke as well as ensure people for longer and better lives.
Why to Celebrate World Heart Day
World heart day is celebrated all across the world to reduce the number of deaths because of cardiovascular diseases worldwide. It is an international campaign to spread awareness among common public to save them and motivate to live with healthy heart. According to the WHO, cardiovascular diseases are the reason of around 30% deaths of all global deaths. Some of the most dangerous risk factors leading to the heart disease and stroke are high blood pressure, high level of bad cholesterol, increased glucose level, smoking habit, inadequate intake of diet, fruit and vegetables, increased weight, and obesity.
World Heart Day is an effective way established by the world heart federation to aware people around the globe that heart ailments are the leading cause of death. World Heart Federation, in collaboration with the WHO, spreads important news about heart diseases and main risk factors to the public worldwide.
It motivates people to get participated and take some knowledge, go through the proper heart check-ups, and follow other control measures all through the life. It is a perfect day when many people do promises to themselves to quit smoking, get involved in daily physical activities, start eating healthy diet, etc in order to keep their heart in good working order.
It is a day when people realize about overeating, unhealthy diets, lack of exercises, bad life style, etc causing heart ailments. It brings some hope to people that heart problems can be prevented and controlled for whole life by following healthy life style.
The main aim of world heart day is to improve global heart health by encouraging people for lifestyle changes and gain knowledge about ways to be good to the heart. There is a target by WHO to reduce non-communicable disease mortality rate by 2025 by reducing the premature deaths because of cardiovascular disease.
World Heart Day Celebration
World Heart Day is celebrated throughout the world every year by organizing variety of events and activities related to the heart health for more awareness in the common public. The aim of this campaign is to motivate people for active participation in huge number to make this campaign successful and world free of heart diseases. There are many ways people can be involved in the celebration such as planning their own ways, sharing healthy heart selfies on Twitter, Facebook pages and other social media sites to boost the campaign, keep an eye on the website of world heart federation regularly for current updates and information.
Various governments, non-government organizations, charities, NGOs and other organizations celebrate this event to promote the campaign through many activities like fun runs, concerts, public talks, heart check-up camps, overall health check-up, sporting events, walks, science forums, fitness sessions, stage shows, screenings, exhibitions and many more. Variety of awareness events are organized by the world heart federation in collaboration with the other organizations in more than 100 countries worldwide. It provides a huge opportunity to the people across the globe to take part in the biggest event against cardiovascular disease.
Themes of World Heart Day
There are particular theme (related to the topic) for every year’s celebration of the world heart day to bring more awareness. All the themes are below year wise:
- The theme of 2019 is “My Heart, Your Heart”.
- The theme of 2018 is yet to come.
- The theme of 2017 was “share the power”
- The theme of 2016 was “Light Your Heart, Empower Your Life”.
- Theme of 2015 was “creating heart-healthy environments”.
- Theme of 2014 was “Heart Choices NOT Hard Choices”.
- Theme of 2013 was “Take the road to a healthy heart”.
- Theme of 2012 was “One World, One Heart, One Home”.
- Theme of 2011 was “One World, One Heart, One Home”.
- Theme of 2009 and 2010 was “I Work with Heart”.
- Theme of 2008 was “Know your Risk”.
- Theme of 2007 was “Team Up for Healthy Hearts!”.
- Theme of 2006 was “How Young is Your Heart?”
- Theme of 2005 was “Healthy Weight, Healthy Shape”.
- Theme of 2004 was “Children, Adolescents and Heart Disease”
- Theme of 2003 was “Women, Heart Disease and Stroke”.
- Theme of 2002 was “What Shape are you in?”.
- Theme of 2001 was “A Heart for Life”.
- Theme of 2000 was “I Love my Heart: Let it beat!”.
World Heart Day Quotes
Following are the quotes on related topic of heart, heart health and heart diseases said by the American professionals:
“We’re in a situation now where weight and extreme weight and heart disease is the biggest killer in this country today.” – Jamie Oliver
“I saw many people who had advanced heart disease and I was so frustrated because I knew if they just knew how to do the right thing, simple lifestyle and diet steps, that the entire trajectory of their life and health would have been different.” – Mehmet Oz
“With all of the holiday cheer in the air, it’s easy to overlook the ingredients in the foods. Ingredients such as salt, sugar, and fat – all of which leads to diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, strokes, heart disease, and cancer.” – Lee Haney
“The most important thing in illness is never to lose heart.” – Nikolai Lenin
“It takes more than just a good looking body. You’ve got to have the heart and soul to go with it.” – Epictetus
“I’m giving life lessons and tips on how to take care of your emotional heart, because heart disease is the number-one killer in America.” – Leeza Gibbons
“Seeds and nuts are indispensable for cardiovascular health. The protective properties of nuts against coronary heart disease were first recognized in the early 1990s, and a strong body of literature has followed, confirming these original findings.” – Joel Fuhrman
“Dementia is our most-feared illness, more than heart disease or cancer.” – David Perlmutter
“A controlled carbohydrate lifestyle really prevents risk factors for heart disease.” – Robert Atkins
“Think about it: Heart disease and diabetes, which account for more deaths in the U.S. and worldwide than everything else combined, are completely preventable by making comprehensive lifestyle changes. Without drugs or surgery.” – Dean Ornish
“The medical literature tells us that the most effective ways to reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and many more problems are through healthy diet and exercise. Our bodies have evolved to move, yet we now use the energy in oil instead of muscles to do our work.” – David Suzuki
“Unlike curing cancer or heart disease, we already know how to beat hunger: food.” – Mario Batali
“I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate that I’ve been able to go live a very active, stressful life. And I don’t believe that my heart disease changed me for the worst.” – Dick Cheney
“When we breathe it in, soot can interfere with our lungs and increase the risk of asthma attacks, lung cancer and even premature death. The smallest particles can pass into the blood stream and cause heart disease, stroke and reproductive complications.” – Sheldon Whitehouse
“Heart disease continues to be the number one killer; cancer, the number 2 killer, not far behind. The tragic aspect of these deadly diseases is that they could all be cured, I do believe, if we had sufficient funding.” – Arlen Specter
“When you have heart disease, you start to be tired of everything. It’s like getting older. You become more white, and after that, grey. You have no feeling for anything.” – Gerard Depardieu
“I got into being vegan because I was simply looking to benefit from being more compassionate. I have since come to learn that it is an animal-based diet that is responsible for the overwhelming majority of cases of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, multiple sclerosis, and all kinds of other problems.” – Steve-O
“For people who have heart disease, statins are great. But if all you’ve had is high cholesterol, what you’re doing is taking this 1/100 chance of getting a benefit and offsetting it with 1/200 chance of getting diabetes.” – Eric Topol
“Millions of Americans today are taking dietary supplements, practicing yoga and integrating other natural therapies into their lives. These are all preventive measures that will keep them out of the doctor’s office and drive down the costs of treating serious problems like heart disease and diabetes.” – Andrew Weil
“I knew that my father was going to die of heart disease, and I was trying to make a heart for him.” –
Robert Jarvik
“I knew that my father was going to die of heart disease, and I was trying to make a heart for him.” – Robert Jarvik
“Medicine has been successful by treating diseases in a very specific way once the damage is done. But telomere length integrates a lot of factors together and gives you an overall picture of risk for what is now emerging as a lot of diseases that tend to occur together, such as diabetes and heart disease.” – Elizabeth Blackburn
“A controlled carbohydrate lifestyle really prevents risk factors for heart disease.” – Robert Atkins
“Awareness about heart disease has got to be raised.” – Vinnie Jones
“The Go Red for Women campaign raises awareness of the risk of heart disease. I think a lot of people don’t realize that heart disease is the number one killer of women. So what we’re doing is encouraging women to tell five other women to learn more about heart disease and how they can prevent it.” – heryl Hines
“I was convinced that eventually I would die of heart disease, that we’d run out of time and out of treatment, the technology wouldn’t keep ahead of my disease. And now all of the sudden, when you get the new heart, your life opens up before you again.” – Dick Cheney
“Most women do not realize that heart disease is the #1 killer of American women.” – Monica Potter
“Any kind of blockage is heart disease; when you have a blood clot anywhere, that’s heart disease. When Wilt Chamberlain died, strongest man I ever met in my life, I started paying attention.” – John Salley
“Well you know, it’s true that as a fat person I run a greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, and a number of other things. But guess what? The amount of that risk is almost infinitessimal!” – Daniel Pinkwater
“I’ve had people in the family, male and female, impacted by heart disease. But people can prevent it.” – Laila Ali
“When the doctors came they said she had died of heart disease – of joy that kills.” – Kate Chopin
“Heart disease is no laughing matter. After my father suffered a massive heart attack, I realized just how serious heart disease can be.” – Cheryl Hines
“Going meat-free can make a huge difference. Studies show that vegetarians are, on average, 10 to 20 pounds lighter than meat-eaters and that a vegetarian diet reduces our risk of heart disease by 40 percent and adds seven or more years to our lifespan.” – Ingrid Newkirk
