World Heart Day

What the day is

World Heart Day is observed on September 29. It is an international awareness day led by the World Heart Federation, a global network of heart health organizations, and its purpose is to remind people that cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and strokes, is the leading cause of death in the world and that much of it can be prevented.

The day is sometimes called International Heart Day. Health groups, hospitals and governments in many countries use it for screenings, public talks, walks and campaigns.

Origin and background

The idea came from Antoni Bayés de Luna, a Spanish cardiologist, during his time as president of the World Heart Federation. The federation launched the day in 1999 with the support of the World Health Organization and UNESCO, and the first World Heart Day was held in 2000. At first it fell on the last Sunday of September. From 2011 it moved to a fixed date, September 29, so that it would be easier to recognize from one year to the next.

The scale of the problem explains why the day exists. The World Health Organization estimates that cardiovascular disease kills around 18 million people a year, about a third of all deaths. In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women alike. The main risk factors are well understood: high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, excess weight and heavy drinking.

Knowing the warning signs matters too. Chest pain or pressure, discomfort spreading to the arm, back, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, a cold sweat or nausea can all signal a heart attack, and women are somewhat more likely to have the less obvious symptoms. Anyone with those signs should call emergency services rather than wait.

How to take part

• Check your blood pressure at a pharmacy kiosk or your doctor's office, and ask about cholesterol and blood sugar if you have not had them tested recently.
• Take a brisk thirty-minute walk, and aim to make it a habit on most days.
• Learn hands-only CPR, which takes a short class or a few minutes of online video and can double a person's chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.
• Cut back on salt and processed food for a week and notice how much is in everyday meals.
• If you smoke, use the day to set a quit date and ask for help, since support makes quitting far more likely to stick.