On World Heart Day today, more than a thousand people have signed a global petition calling for heart-healthy environments to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Keep your heart health protected
CVD, which includes heart disease and stroke, is the world's number one killer. At least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be prevented by addressing risk factors such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, salt intake, physical inactivity and raised blood pressure.
For World Heart Day people are urging national and international leaders to recognise the importance of these healthy environment changes that need to be made to reduce the world's number one killer.
Too often, the onus for lifestyle changes is put on the individual; stop smoking, eating an unhealthy diet and not exercising. However, what is often forgotten is that many people don't always have opportunity to make the right choice due to the confines of their home, work, school or community environments. For example:
- People who live in urban areas are often exposed to increased fast food outlets and advertising
- In developing countries, billions of people face unsafe cooking environments, e.g. nearly 3 billion people cook food and heat their homes with traditional cookstoves or open fires, facing high exposure to smoke and fuels. This results in 4 million premature deaths every year
- Unsafe outdoor spaces can lead to a more sedentary lifestyle; in urban areas, too few neighbourhoods have good street lighting, continuous and connected sidewalks, and a variety of shops, services, parks, schools and workplaces within walking distance of homes
- Health systems in many poorer countries have not kept pace with the explosion in rates of CVD and as such, people in more rural areas do not always have access to health services to advise them on heart health and access to the right medicines
Johanna Ralston, CEO, World Heart Federation said: " Ensuring that individuals have access to heart-healthy environments requires immediate action at a national and international level. There are real opportunities to deliver initiatives that can reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease i.e. smoking bans in public parks, elimination of tobacco and fast food advertising and better health systems. On World Heart Day, we call on national and international leaders to make the 'heart choice' not the hard choice".
In some countries, advancements are being made and many governments and organizations across the world have made 'heart choices' by implementing approaches to heart-healthy environments. Such as Paris, the mayor announced the launch of a pilot programme to ban tobacco use in one of the City of Light's parks. This is a significant step in creating smoke-free public spaces.
In Bogotá, every Sunday and on public holidays, the main streets are closed off to encourage people to be physically active. 10% of the population take part and are two times more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than those who don't get involved. And in New York city, the Department of Transport created pedestrian zones in Times Square along with other areas in New York. As a result, pedestrian volume increased by 11% and there was a 49% drop in vacant storefronts in Union Square.
World Heart Day was created by the World Heart Federation in the year 2000 to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world's leading cause of death and to encourage people to take action to protect their heart health. It is imperative that people understand the need to take care of their heart health and that they have the right environments in which to do so, as supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) '25by25' goal of reducing premature mortality caused by CVD by at least 25% by the year 2025.
Did you know that your heart age could be older than your real age as well? This World Heart Day you could find out your heart age by taking the free, simple, online HeartAge test.
The HeartAge test asks you a few simple questions about your body, health and family history and then, taking into account the key risk factors for heart disease and how they interact, provides you with one number - your individual heart age.
Research from HeartAge shows that 70% of people in the UK who have taken the test have a heart age higher than their real age, and this rises to 78% for men and for those over the age of 65. Having a heart age older than your real age could be an indication that you need to make some changes to your diet and lifestyle.
Heart disease remains the world's biggest killer, more people die annually from heart disease than any other cause. The good news is as many as 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be prevented through small lifestyle changes. Research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Barcelona last month found that people with high blood pressure who stick to a healthy diet could lower their heart age by an average of 2 to 6 years. Meanwhile, overweight or obese people who lose 5 kgs could reduce their heart age by 2 to 4 years and giving up smoking could reduce heart age by an average of 13 years.
Holly Whelan, CEO of HeartAge says: The first step to improving your heart health is understanding how healthy your own heart is. HeartAge also acts as an emotional trigger - none of us wants to be older than we really are, and independent clinical research has shown that people who know their heart age are more likely to live a healthier lifestyle and have improved health one year on."
Visit www.heartage.me for more information and to take the HeartAge test.
Tagged in Health Healthy Heart Heart Health