International Day of Heart is observed every twenty-ninth of September each year, to commemorate and promote different preventative steps and changes in lifestyle to avoid any cardiovascular diseases like heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other related heart conditions.


Blessing Uchendu who sampled peoples opinion on the day reports that statistics has estimated that more than seventeen million people die from heart related illnesses every year killing more than the number of people who die from HIV, malaria and cancer.

Speaking on heart related disease, Dr Chimezie Aghadinuno , described heart disease as one of the chronic health conditions that are prevalent and  confirmed  that it is a leading cause of death worldwide.
He enumerated congenital, acquired, cardiovascular, coronary and hypertension as some of the diseases associated with heart and its appendages.


Dr Aghadinuno mentioned chest x-ray, blood, urine, blood pressure monitoring as some of the tests one can undergo in detecting heart problem, and encouraged patients to always eat enough vegetables, complex carbohydrates and exercise the body regularly.


He  warned  against  intake of alcohol, smoking and stress and encouraged people to  engage in physical activities to have a healthy heart and protect it from diseases.


Also speaking on the day,  a Pharmacist, Mr. George Ezenwa, described heart as an important organ of the body that distributes blood all over the body, noting that when heart has problem and stops functioning, the whole body is affected and the person’s life is also in danger.


Pharmacist Ezenwa advised people with heart problem to regularly visit specialists, for early detection and avoid self medication, abstain from food that contains cholesterol and check body weight.
The Theme for this year’s 2019 World Heart Day is “Be Heart Heroes by making a heart promise to someone you love or care about.”