World Heart Day 2024: History, Significance, Quotes, Warning Signs and Prevention Tips

World Heart Day is observed on September 29 every year to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and to promote ways to prevent them. The observance is led by the World Heart Federation (WHF) and its partners to raise awareness about heart health across the world.

World Heart Day History

Antoni Bayés de Luna, the president of the WHF from 1997-1999, proposed the concept of World Heart Day. He sought to create a worldwide campaign on heart disease prevention with the assistance of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The first World Heart Day was marked on September 24, 2000. The event was initially held on the last Sunday of September every year until 2011.

The date was changed in 2012 to September 29. The change was meant to improve the level of participation and awareness of the activities regarding heart health.

The date of the actual event was designated to be September 29, the anniversary of the formation of the WHF in 1978.

World Heart Day Significance

1. Raising AwarenessWorld Heart Day is a call for people around the globe to increase their awareness of CVD, which causes about 18 million deaths every year. The day helps people recognise the signs and symptoms of heart disease and behaviours such as poor diet, lack of physical exercise and smoking as contributing factors to heart disease.
2. Educational InitiativesThe event helps educate people about the programmes that explain how to avoid and control heart diseases.
3. Policy PromotionWorld Heart Day encourages the advocates to positively link policies towards heart health. Some of the member-led efforts are in the area of tobacco control, others through healthy food policies and better health systems.
4. Collective ActionIt encourages governments, healthcare professionals, organisations and enthusiasts a chance to come together and fight heart diseases.

World Heart Day Quotes

• “The problem with heart disease is that the first symptom is often fatal.” – Michael Phelps
• “When you have heart disease, you start to be tired of everything. It’s like getting older.” – Gerard Depardieu
• “We’re in a situation now where weight and extreme weight and heart disease is the biggest killer in this country today.” – Jamie Oliver
• “Heart disease is a food-borne illness.” – Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn
• “The greatest wealth is health.” – Virgil

Warning Signs of a Heart Attack

The most common warning signs of a heart attack include:

• Pain, pressure, squeezing, or a sense of heaviness in the centre of the chest for longer than a few minutes which comes and goes.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs: Cold sweating, nausea, feelings of fainting or dizziness.

The symptoms women may feel different including shortness of breath, discomfort or pain in one or both arms, chest pain that can be worse than a burning sensation, and upper abdominal pain.

How to Avoid a Heart Attack

You can reduce your risk of having a heart attack by adopting a healthy lifestyle:

• Quit smoking.
• Lose weight if you’re overweight or obese.
• Adults need to perform moderate-intensity aerobic activities for at least 150 minutes in a week, or as prescribed by a physician.
• Choose foods with a low fat and high fibre content and ensure you take at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables daily.
• Moderate alcohol consumption.
• Learn stress-reducing activities for example meditation or deep breathing.
• Take regular check-ups of your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.