Mrs.P.NEELA,M.Sc(N),M.A(S.W.

Admin) Principal Swami Vivekananda College of Nursing Dharmapuri

 World Heart Day was created in 2000 to inform

people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the worlds leading cause of death, claiming 17.3 million lives each year and the numbers are rising. By 2030, it is expected that 23 million people will die from CVDs annually that is more than the population of Australia!

 World Heart Day takes place on 29 September

each year: Together with its members, the World Heart Federation spreads the news that at least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if the main risk factors, tobacco, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, are controlled.

 Go Red for Women Each year over 8.6 million women globally die of heart

disease and stroke.

This is more than the total number of women who die from all cancers, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. And yet, most heart disease and stroke is preventable. Together with its members across the world, the World Heart Federation is running the Go Red for Women campaign to improve womens knowledge of heart disease and stroke so that they can take action and achieve longer, better heart-healthy lives.

 The campaign

Go Red for Women is an international awareness campaign dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and control of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women. The American Heart Association created the Go Red for Women campaign in 2004 to empower women with the knowledge and tools to take charge of their heart health. The World Heart Federation, together with its members, has taken the campaign global to build attention on the fact that heart disease and stroke is their number one killer. The symbol of the campaign is a red dress: the dress as a universal womens image and red as the colour of health, life and vibrancy but also of warning. In short, it is not a red dress its a red alert!

 Heart disease and stroke do not just affect men. In fact it is the leading cause of death in women globally with 8.6 million lives taken every year: this represents more than cancer, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined.

Women can experience coronary heart disease differently from men: the symptoms, progress and outcome of cardiovascular disease may not be the same. Because the specificities of heart disease and stroke in women are not well-known yet, women are more likely to be under diagnosed and undertreated than man. The good news is, most of heart disease and stroke is preventable. You, your family and your friends can protect your heart and control the major risk factors. Thanks to the campaign conducted together with our members, the level of awareness on women and heart disease considerately increased in several countries, leading more and more women to take better care of their heart. In USA for example, only 30% of women recognized heart disease as their leading cause of death in 1997; today, more than 50% know their risk. Your action matters: join Go Red for Women fight to raise awareness among women, governments and medical professionals!

 Women face six major risks factors for heart

disease and stroke: Tobacco use and exposure Obesity or overweight Physical inactivity High blood pressure High blood cholesterol Diabetes

Protect your heart Most of the major cardiovascular disease risks factors, such as physical inactivity or high blood pressure can be controlled. You, your mother and grandmother, your daughter, your sister and your friends can protect your heart: Get active Even 30 minutes of activity a day can help to prevent heart attacks and strokes. Try to make exercise a regular part of your life: use the stairs instead of the lift, get off the bus a few stops earlier and walk the rest of the way. Stop smoking and protect yourself from tobacco Your risk of coronary heart disease will be halved within a year and will return to a normal level over time. Avoid smoke-filled environments: exposure to second-hand smoke significantly increases risk of heart attack. Maintain a healthy weight Keeping a healthy weight and limiting your salt intake will help to control your blood pressure and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Know your numbers Have your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels checked regularly. High blood pressure is the number one risk factor for stroke and a major factor for approximately half of all heart disease and stroke. High blood cholesterol and glucose levels can also place you at greater risk. Eat healthily Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, a variety of whole grain products, lean meat, fish, peas, beans, lentils, and foods low in saturated fats. Be wary of processed foods, which often contain high levels of salt. Drink lots of water! Know the warning signs Heart attacks often manifest themselves differently in women than in men. Learn the warning signs: the sooner assistance is sought, the greater the chances of a full recovery. Carefully take your medication Take the medication that your doctor has prescribed

 Warning signs of heart attack in women can include

Chest discomfort, including squeezing, discomfort or pain in the center of the chest, between the breasts or behind the breastbone. Discomfort and/or pain spreading to other areas of the upper body such as one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. Shortness of breath, unexplained weakness or fatigue, anxiety or unusual nervousness, indigestion or gas-like pain, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, lightheadedness and collapse are signs which one out of four women having a heart attack experience, but do not recognize. These symptoms may occur with or without chest discomfort These signs could come and go.Warning signs of stroke in women include

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. Sudden confusion, difficulty speaking or understanding speech. Sudden trouble seeing with one or both eyes. Sudden difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination. Sudden severe headache with no known cause Sudden fainting or unconsciousness

Together with your local member, you can help us to: Raise awareness on cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in women Encourage a healthy lifestyle and empower women to take better care of their heart Urge healthcare professionals to focus an increased attention on women and cardiovascular disease Encourage more research into gender-specific heart health issues Appeal to policy makers and governments to include cardiovascular disease in women in their health agenda

Contact your local heart foundation and sign on to their programme! You can discover more about the campaign run in your country here. If your national foundation is not running a Go Red for Women campaign yet, you can be the person encouraging them to start one. Many tools and tips are available for our members on the member-only section. In the meantime, you can take action yourself: Share the fact that cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in women with 5 friends, and ask them to share it with 5 other people Send our viral email "Do you want to protect the women in your life from their number 1 killer?" to your friends. Learn your risks and the warning signs Take care of your heart Organize healthy activities with your family or at work: go for a walk, cook healthy meals, join or create a swimming or running team, participate to an intercompany sport challenge Did you or your friends and family survive a heart disease? Share your story and help raise awareness on these conditions Donate to support the campaign

THE GOOD NEWS

The World Heart Day, held annually on 29

September, provides us with the opportunity to raise awareness and encourage individuals, families, communities and governments to take action to reduce the burden of heart disease and stroke.

FACTS
MYTH
cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart disease and

stroke, are lifestyle diseases primarily affect older, affluent, male populations.

TRUTH
All ages and population groups are affected by CVD, including

women and children. CVD takes lives prematurely and causes severe illness and disability at high and devastating costs to families and societies.

FOCUS ON WOMEN AND CHILDREN This year our efforts will focus on protecting the hearts of women and children through hearthealthy actions.. SIGNIFICANCE 65th World Health Assembly in May 2012, governments from 194 countries agreed to the firstever global mortality target on non-communicable diseases (NCDs)to reduce premature NCD deaths by 25 per cent by 2025. CVD accounts for nearly half of the 36 million deaths due to NCDs we have a major role to play in achieving this target.

WORLD HEART DAY AS A PLATFORM FOR ACTION

World Heart Day offers the CVD

community the opportunity to take action and help reduce the global disease burden. By working together with our members, we can unite in our efforts to prevent the 17.3 million CVD deaths that occur each year towards the goal of reducing premature CVD deaths by 25 per cent by 2025.

 2012 the year of

cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention among women and children because:

Women/children and

CVD are not synonymous

CVD is commonly

considered an older persons and a mans disease

UNDER ESTIMATION OF RISK

 Women underestimate their CVD risk; even though

almost half of the 17.3 million annual deaths occur in women Children are particularly at risk, since they have little control over their environment and can be limited in choices to live heart-healthily
Unless action is taken to enable heart-healthy activity,

the children of today are at increased CVD risk later in life

Women/mothers are often the gate keeper to their familys health hence a key influencer in keeping their hearts healthy

Children are vulnerable too

The risk begin during.
Foetal development

Childhood with exposure to unhealthy diets Lack of exercise Smoking Emotional consequences

Modern society
Expose children to risk factors such as
Diets with too few calories, diets high in bad fats and sugar

Activities such as computer games that discourage physical activity

Tobacco advertising that encourages tobacco use

or environments filled with secondhand tobacco smoke

FOETAL DEVELOPMENT

CHILDHOOD WITH EXPOSURE TO UNHEALTHY DIETS

LACK OF EXERCISE

SMOKING

EMOTIONAL CONSEQUENCES

This year we have developed a leaflet specifically targeting children aged approximately 710 years old, to educate them about heart-healthy behaviour.