Today is World Heart Day

World Heart Day is an annual event which takes place on 29 September every year. Each year’s celebrations have a different theme, reflecting key issues and topics relating to heart health. This year’s theme is creating heart-healthy environments. “The places in which we live, work and play should not increase our risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). But individuals frequently cannot make heart-healthy choices due to environmental factors, such as the availability of healthy food or smoke-free zones,” the World Heart Federation says.

World Heart Day spreads the news that at least 80% of premature deaths from cardiovascular disease could be avoided if four main risk factors – tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol – are controlled, and this is something that pharmacists around the world are in a prime position to influence.