Cardiovascular disease (Heart disease) is the leading cause of death globally, taking about 17.9 million lives each year, making up an estimated 32 percent of all deaths worldwide.
In fact, 85 percent of all cardiovascular disease deaths are due to heart attacks and/or strokes.
With statistics so alarming, now more than ever, it is essential that everyone knows how to properly take care of their hearts in order to live a long and healthy life.
World Heart Day is another important reminder not to take our hardest-working organ that is constantly pumping blood and life into our bodies for granted.
What is World Heart Day?
Established by the World Heart Federation (WHF) to raise awareness about heart disease and promote heart-healthy lifestyles, the primary goal of World Heart Day is to encourage individuals, communities, and governments to take actions that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and improve heart health worldwide.
Cardiovascular diseases, which include conditions like heart disease and stroke, are among the leading causes of death and disability globally.
However, many risk factors for these diseases, such as unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and stress, can be prevented through lifestyle changes.
On World Heart Day, various activities and initiatives take place around the world, including:
- Health Campaigns: Organisations, healthcare professionals, and communities organise health campaigns to educate people about the risk factors for CVDs and how to prevent them.
- Screening and Check-Up Programs: Many healthcare facilities offer free or discounted heart health check-ups and screenings on this day.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Public events, seminars, workshops, and social media campaigns are organised to raise awareness about the importance of heart health and the need for healthy lifestyle choices.
- Policy Advocacy: Advocacy efforts are made to influence policies related to heart health, including advocating for measures that promote healthy diets, physical activity, and tobacco control.
- Fundraising: Some organisations use World Heart Day to raise funds for research, treatment, and prevention programs related to cardiovascular diseases.
- Community Engagement: Communities may organise local events like walks, runs, and fitness classes to promote physical activity and heart-healthy living.
The theme for World Heart Day may vary from year to year, but the overarching message remains consistent—Encouraging individuals to make heart-healthy choices and take steps to reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke.
By spreading awareness and promoting heart-healthy behaviors, World Heart Day aims to reduce the global burden of cardiovascular diseases and improve the overall well-being of individuals worldwide.
When is World Heart Day?
World Heart Day is on 29 September every year.
This year in 2023, World Heart Day takes place on a Friday.
What is Heart Disease?
Heart disease is a general, umbrella term used to describe a variety of heart conditions and complications including:
- Disease of the heart muscle
- Blood vessel disease, such as one of the most common: coronary artery disease
- Irregular heartbeats, formally known as “arrhythmias”
- Congenital heart defects, or heart conditions that you’re born with
- Many forms of heart disease can be treated, or better yet, prevented, by making healthy lifestyle choices.
- However, heart disease can eventually lead to heart attacks, heart failure, and/or cardiac arrest.
Everything You Need to Know About Heart Attacks
What is a Heart Attack?
A heart attack, or a myocardial infarction, is a life-threatening emergency that occurs when the blood flow to the heart is severely reduced or blocked.
This lack of blood flow causes the heart muscle to begin to die.
What Causes a Heart Attack?
The vast majority of heart attacks are caused by a blockage in one of the blood vessels leading to the heart.
This most often happens due to a buildup of plaque, or fatty, cholesterol-containing deposits, in the arteries. This buildup is called atherosclerosis and is what often leads to the blockage that causes a heart attack.
In some cases, these plaque deposits can rupture inside one of the coronary arteries, leaving behind a blood clot where the rupture occurred. If this blood clot blocks an artery, depriving the heart of a sufficient blood supply, this can also lead to a heart attack.
While it is possible to have a heart attack without a blockage, this is rare and only accounts for 5 percent of all heart attacks. This type of heart attack can be caused by the following:
- Obstruction that came from somewhere else in your body
- Trauma to the heart muscle or arteries
- Coronary artery spasms
- Rare medical conditions
- Drug misuse
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Eating disorders
- Takotsubo or stress cardiomyopathy
- Anomalous coronary arteries
What are Heart Attack Symptoms and Signs and What Do They Feel Like?
Heart attack symptoms and signs vary from person to person. For example, some people might experience severe symptoms, while others might experience mild symptoms or even no symptoms at all.
However, common heart attack symptoms include the following:
- Chest pain that can feel like tightness, pain, pressure, contracting, or aching
- Cold sweat
- Shortness of breath
- Pain or discomfort that can migrate to the arm, shoulder, back, neck, jaw, teeth, or, in some cases, the upper belly
- Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness
- Fatigue
- Heartburn or indigestion
- Nausea or vomiting
It is also important to note that women may have unusual symptoms such as brief and/or sharp pain in the arm, neck, or neck.
How to Prevent Heart Disease and Boost Heart Health
1. Schedule Regular Doctor’s Appointments to Check in on Your Heart Health
Regardless of whether you are healthy or struggle with any health conditions, scheduling regular check-up appointments with your doctor is a good idea for monitoring your overall health, as well as your heart health.
From interpreting blood test results to listening to your heart with a stethoscope, your doctor will be able to determine the health of your heart and possibly catch any heart conditions you may have in the early stages before it’s too late.
2. Maintain a Healthy Weight Through a Healthy, Balanced Diet and Exercise
Maintaining a healthy weight through a healthy diet and exercise not only has countless benefits to the overall health of your body in general, but it also helps boost your heart health.
Choosing to fuel your body with whole, healthy foods and exercising your body regularly can help protect the heart by helping you maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, and improving blood pressure and cholesterol.
Remember that a heart is happiest when it’s strong and healthy.
3. Stop Smoking or Using Tobacco Products
Among several other subsequent health issues, smoking, using tobacco products, and even second-hand smoke are extremely harmful to your heart health.
Chemicals found in tobacco products can damage the heart and blood vessels. For example, the smoke from cigarettes lowers the oxygen found in your blood, which naturally increases heart rate and blood pressure. This is because the heart has to work much harder in order to supply enough oxygen to the body and brain.
Do yourself a favour, and spare yourself from all of the risks and side effects that come with smoking.
4. Make Sure You’re Well Rested by Getting Sufficient Sleep Every Night
The importance of sufficient and sound sleep is often undervalued or not taken seriously in our society. However, sleeping is a necessity in the day-to-day functioning of our bodies and is directly linked to our overall health.
In fact, people who don’t get enough sleep have a higher risk of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, depression, and you guessed it, heart attack.
For tips on getting more high-quality sleep, click here.
5. Reduce the Stress in Your Life
Beyond the damage that chronic stress is known to cause to the body, stress is also tied to heart disease in many ways.
For example, stress can raise your blood pressure and heart rate, as well as cause insomnia. Extreme stress can even be a trigger for a heart attack.
Furthermore, stress can cause you to develop unhealthy coping strategies that increase your risk for heart disease such as over or undereating, smoking, and drinking heavily.
If you feel like there is an abundance of stress in your life, try to find ways that you can cut some out or use healthy coping mechanisms such as exercising, listening to music, or going to therapy.
No Stairs, No Stress: Stop Straining Your Heart with a Stairlift for Seniors
Many people are affected by the gradual onset of chronic heart failure from congenital heart disease, disorders in the valves inside the heart, or abnormal heart rhythms such as atrial fibrillation. Chest pain, especially on exertion; shortness of breath; and swollen feet and ankles are common symptoms that can seriously affect a person's mobility, independence, and quality of life.
Stairs are one of the most challenging hurdles for people with limited exercise tolerance due to heart disease and may be a potential health risk in themselves. Using the stairs under these conditions can cause falls that could potentially lead to injury or exacerbate health conditions. This is where Acorn can help protect you and your heart health— A stairlift can make the presence of stairs irrelevant.
How Acorn Stairlifts Make Your Heart Happy
Whether you are recovering from a heart attack and do not want to strain your heart on the stairs or scaling a staircase has become too strenuous and is causing unnecessary stress, an Acorn stairlift is there to support you every step of the way through all of the ups and downs of life. Allowing you to access all parts of the home you love, both indoors and outdoors, an Acorn stair lift lifts your life while lifting the stress from your heart.
Going up and down the stairs has never been easier and more stress-free, as an Acorn stairlift for your home will smoothly and safely deliver you to your destination. Acorn stairlifts fit 99 percent of all staircases because they come in a variety of models customised to fit your particular stairs and needs. A stairlift for the elderly, disabled, or anyone suffering from impaired mobility/ any health issue is a simple solution that gets you moving around your home again.
Contact Acorn Stairlifts Today to Claim Your Free, No-Obligation Stairlift Quote
Start taking proactive measures now to protect your heart health and live your life to the fullest. Contact Acorn today for a free, no-obligation stairlift quote and home survey. Your heart will thank you for it later.