World Heart Day 🌎💗

World Heart Day is observed and celebrated annually on September 29, with the aim of increasing awareness of cardiovascular diseases and how to control them to negate their global impact. The international holiday was established by the World Heart Federation in collaboration with the World Health Organization. The president of the World Heart Federation from 1997 to 1999, Antoni Bayés de Luna, had conceived this idea. 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. Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the most common cause of death globally. An estimated 17 million people die from CVD every year. Coronary heart disease or strokes 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. Fortunately, the main causes of cardiovascular disease are modifiable factors, which include lack of exercise, smoking, and a poor diet. Economic systems of countries are also majorly impacted by cardiovascular diseases — the cost of treatment is high and failure to treat the diseases timeously results in loss of productivity and long absences from work. 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.