Royal Philips who is a partner of the World Heart Federation (WHF), is calling all Malaysians to make a heart promise to keep your heart and all hearts healthy this World Heart Day, 29 September 2018 – an annual initiative that raises awareness on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its associated risks.
The theme for this year is Make your promise: Keep your promise, where any Malaysian can make and stick to a promise to help achieve our over-arching goal: heart health for everyone. A heart promise is a small lifestyle change that can add up to a powerful difference for our heart health, such as eating a healthy, balanced diet, doing 30 minutes of activity a day or giving up smoking, and can help to reduce the risk of developing CVD. The WHF’s ambition is to urge everyone to improve their own cardiovascular health, and to help to improve the cardiovascular health of others.
For many people, busy lifestyles can mean we consume food on the go. Quick mass-produced meals can be high in calories, fats, sugar and salt. Internationally, this has resulted in 39% of adults being categorised as overweight and 13% as obese. This can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the world’s number one killer that claims over 17.7 million lives each year.
Poor air quality (outdoor and household air pollution) is another contributory factor for CVD that is making headlines around the world. In fact, one in five premature deaths from CVD is attributable to air pollution, a total of 3 million deaths globally every year. Air pollution is now ranked above tobacco as the fourth cause of DALY (disability-adjusted life year) according to the Global Burden of Disease study. In places with serious air pollution, the exposure to pollutants is comparable to being a multi-pack smoker.
One of the keys to a healthy heart is a healthy and nutritious diet. When we make homemade meals, we have control over the ingredients we use and the quality of the meal. We can even enjoy healthier versions of the foods that we love. Cooking and eating meals at home also brings families together, enhancing relationships and building healthy routines for life.
To make your promise to support heart health this World Heart Day, visit worldheart.org and share your promise on social media with the hashtag #WorldHeartDay.
Read also: World Health Day 2017: Fighting Depression With Beauty Rituals
