World Heart Day on 29th September 2016 is the World Heart Federation’s (and the world’s!) biggest platform for raising awareness about Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs).
CVDs are diseases of the heart or blood vessels, commonly referred to as heart disease or stroke.
A lot of the lifestyle choices for better heart health may seem obvious, but many of us are still not doing enough to keep our tickers tip top! World Heart Day aims to help people understand the improvements they can make in lifestyle choices, to make sure their heart gets the care it thoroughly deserves!
Heart health is something we all have to think about, and we can all do our bit for ourselves and others.
All this becomes even more apparent when you consider the facts and figures for Cardiovascular Disease, which are frankly astonishing!
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common type of Cardiovascular Disease and is the UK’s (and the world’s) leading cause of death.
Heart disease stats
In a single day in the UK†…
- 435 people will die from Cardiovascular Disease
- 7 million people will face the daily challenges of CVD
- 515 people will have a heart attack
- 190 people will die from a heart attack
- 12 babies will be diagnosed with a heart defect
Many factors are likely to contribute to a CVD epidemic – ageing populations, inadequate prevention & increasing urbanisation. Taking action on CVDs is more critical now, than ever before.
While taking steps to prevent heart conditions, it’s important that people already living with a heart condition are well looked after, and that their condition is fully understood and managed. As a specialist travel insurance provider, we know how beneficial a holiday can be to those living with CVDs and a number of other heart related conditions.
Common heart conditions
- Angina
- Heart attack/Myocardial Infarction
- Arrhythmia/Irregular Heartbeat
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Cardiomyopathy
- Blocked or Narrowed Arteries
- Stroke
- Valve disease
- Aneurysm (aortic)
- Heart Failure
- Cardiac
- Heart disease
- Aortic Stenosis
- Vascular Disease
Hearty Facts
- 1 in 7 people in the world smoke, which is a totally avoidable risk factor for CVDs
- Nearly a quarter of all adults worldwide are insufficiently active
- There will be over 23 million predicted deaths from CVDs by 2030
- Most cases of CVDs are preventable by addressing lifestyle choices
- Countries with low and middle incomes account for 80% of CVD deaths
- The economic burden of CVDs, including indirect costs from premature death and disability, is estimated to be over £15 billion each year in the UK, with healthcare costs alone estimated being up to £11 billion per year. The global cost of CVDs is a staggering $863 billion (USD)†.
Show your support for @WorldHeartDay on Instagram, where you can upload a healthy heart selfie to the health heart wall (remember to hashtag #FreeSpirit as well!)
There are some amazing resources out there to be more heart aware, be sure to visit:
World Heart Federation – Foundation organising World Heart Day
World Heart Day website – The site dedicated to World Heart Day
British Heart Foundation – UK based charity dedicated to heart disease research
Heart Research UK (Helping Hearts) – Another UK based charity researching heart disease
If you or a loved one has a heart condition and needs specialist travel insurance, Free Spirit may be able to help. You can get a quote online or by calling our friendly UK-based customer service team on 02392 419 080.
† Source: World Heart Federation website.
Please note that Free Spirit is not linked to, or responsible for any external websites mentioned in this article.