September 29th is World Heart Day!
Created by the World Heart Federation, World Heart Day informs people around the globe that cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, is the world’s leading cause of death claiming 17.9 million lives each year, and highlights the actions that individuals can take to prevent and control CVD. It aims to drive action to educate people that by controlling risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided.
The term ‘cardiovascular disease’ (CVD) refers to any disease of the heart, vascular disease of the brain, or disease of the blood vessel.
There are many risk factors associated with coronary heart disease and stroke. Some risk factors, such as family history, cannot be modified, while other risk factors, like high blood pressure, can be modified with treatment.
You will not necessarily develop cardiovascular disease if you have a risk factor. But the more risk factors you have, the greater the likelihood that you will, unless you take action to modify your risk factors and work to prevent them compromising your heart health.
Risk factors that you can change include:
- Physical inactivity
- Unhealthy diet
- Raised blood pressure
- Tobacco use
- Cholesterol
- Obesity and being overweight
Risk factors you can't change include:
- Family history
- Diabetes
Other common risk factors include:
- Age: simply getting old is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; risk of stroke doubles every decade after age 55.
- Gender: a man is at greater risk of heart disease than a pre-menopausal woman. Once past menopause, a woman’s risk is similar to a man’s. Risk of stroke is similar for men and women.
- Ethnicity: people with African or Asian ancestry are at higher risks of developing cardiovascular disease than other racial groups.
- Socioeconomic status: being poor, no matter where in the globe, increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. A chronically stressful life, social isolation, anxiety and depression also increase the risk.
