National Heart Foundation and Research Institute (NHFRI) observed ‘World Heart Day 2014’ on Monday to create awareness among the people about the heart diseases.
World Heart Day is an annual event that takes place on 29 September every year. This year the theme is creating heart-healthy environment.
NHFRI organized a discussion at its auditorium at Mirpur and arranged a rally from in front of Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium which ended at National Heart Foundation Hospital on Monday morning.
Speaker of the Parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was the chief guest at the discussion. NHFRI Secretary General Dr Sirajul Islam, Prof. R K Khandaker spoke among others. Founder and Chairman of NHFRI Brigadier (retd) Dr Abdul Malik chaired the event.
Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said the heart diseases can be avoided through balance diet, regular exercise and regular medical checkup.
“Overeating, lack of exercise, unhealthy diets and high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels are all factors which can trigger heart disease and threaten our own lives, and those of loved ones,” she said.
According to World Heart Federation, at least 80 per cent deaths from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) could be avoided if four main risk factors – tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol – are controlled.
Dr Malik stressed the need for public-private partnership (PPP) in this regard as the overall treatment cost for the disease is often beyond the reach of the poor.
The speakers explained that healthy working environment has four advantages-saves life, keeps the employees healthy, strengthens social bond and brings economic advantages by reducing treatment cost and absenteeism.
At the same time, it is important to take adequate fruits and vegetables, exercise, control weight as well as to avoid smoking, they added.
According to the experts, tobacco use, physical inactivity and unhealthy diet lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and obesity which are the main risk factors of heart diseases and stroke.
