The 2019 World Heart Day has been launched in Accra with a call on the public to make healthy heart choices and cultivate healthy lifestyles to help reduce Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs).
The Director of the National Cardiothoracic Centre, Dr Lawrence Agyeman Sereboe, who made the call, said heart-related diseases resulting from unhealthy lifestyles are killing many people in the country.
He stressed that healthy living is a crucial step to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
According to reports, 17.7 million people died from Cardiovascular Diseases in 2015, representing 31 per cent of all global deaths. This could be reduced by avoiding tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol, which are some causes of heart diseases.
The Director of the National Cardiothoracic Centre, Dr Lawrence Agyeman Sereboe indicated that 80 per cent of premature deaths can be prevented if the risk factors are controlled.
He said excessive intake of alcohol and smoking of cigarettes as well as shisha must be avoided in order to prevent cardiovascular diseases.
Outlining the activities to mark the day, the Head of the Cardiology Division of the NCTC, Dr Samed Tanko, said a free screening exercise which is slated on the 28th of this month will be organised to check for sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and weight.
World Heart Day (WHD), was founded in the year 2000 to inform people around the globe that heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading causes of death, claiming 17.3 million lives each year.
