Today, September 29th, in recent years has become recognised as being World Heart Day. This awareness day aims to inform the world population of the high death rates caused by heart disease and stroke. It is estimated that a staggering 17.3 million people lose their lives to heart disease each year. By 2030, this number is expected to rise to 23 million.

The World Heart Federation and World Heart Day work together annually in order to raise awareness of the risk of pre-mature death caused by cardiovascular disease (CVD) and to educate people on the factors that lead to heart disease and stroke.

The theme of this year’s World Heart Day is ‘Power your life’. The day aims to inform individuals on what they can do to fuel their hearts and power their lives. By eating right, exercising regularly, cutting down on alcohol intake and giving up smoking can have a huge impact on the health of your heart and improve your overall well being hugely.

Your heart is at the heart of your health. That’s why it is so important to look after it. There are many activities being organised as part of World Heart Day on September 29th such as walks, runs, sporting events, concerts and much more. You can follow the day’s events on Twitter by using the hashtag #worldheartday. So, why not show your support and celebrate World Heart Day!

For more information and material on heart disease, the Irish Heart Foundation have a wealth of resources that can help you.