Guntur: Lalitha Super Specialities Hospital is celebrating World Heart Day on Wednesday with this year’s theme ‘Use heart to connect’, according to a press release.

The heart disease and stroke are the world’s leading cause of death claiming 18.6 million lives each year. The world leaders are committed to reducing global mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by 25 per cent by 2025. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is accountable for nearly half of all NCD deaths making it the world’s number one killer.

The World Heart Day aims to drive action to educate people by controlling risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, at least 80 per cent of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided, said Dr PV Raghava Sarma, president, APCSI. The World Heart Day is, therefore, the perfect platform for the CVD community to unite in the fight against CVD and reduce the global disease burden.

It is about enabling and empowering everyone, everywhere – young and old, men, women and children, patients, community health workers, doctors to use digital tools for better prevention, diagnosis and care of heart-related conditions.

Look after your heart by eating a healthy diet, saying no to tobacco and getting plenty of exercise. Due to increased vulnerability to more severe forms of Covid-19, this population has been told they are vulnerable, at-risk and should shelter in place.