The Luxembourg Department of Health is organising an awareness day to better inform the general public about risk factors for cardiovascular diseases on Saturday 30 September 2017 from 10:00-15:00 at the Place d’Armes in Luxembourg-ville.
Each year on 29 September, the Luxembourg Department of Health joins the World Heart Federation and the Luxembourg Society for Cardiology to celebrate World Heart Day. The objective is to inform the population about cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors and this year’s slogan is "Small changes can make a difference: Take care of your heart!".
Cardiovascular diseases are currently the leading cause of death worldwide with 17.5 million lives lost as a result every year. In Luxembourg, by 2015, nearly 30.2% of deaths were caused by such diseases, making it the leading cause of death in the Grand Duchy, with women being more affected than men.
Between 1975 and 2015, the number of hypertensive patients doubled in Luxembourg. Hypertension is the first cardiovascular risk factor, before diabetes, smoking and obesity.
Indeed, Health Minister Lydia Mutsch commented that: "In Luxembourg, about 31% of the adult population aged 25 to 65 suffers from high blood pressure. This proportion is among the highest in Europe. And beyond 60 years, almost 2/3 of the residents are concerned. In addition, one person in two is unaware that they are suffering from this silent disease!"
However, lifestyle changes can have positive effects on high blood pressure. In some people, stopping smoking, reducing salt intake, limiting alcohol consumption, regular physical activity and a balanced diet can significantly reduce blood pressure.
Some of the recommendations put forward to prevent cardiovascular disease are to eat a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in animal fat, salt and sugar, as well as stopping smoking, exercising regularly, avoiding alcohol abuse and regularly checking cardiovascular parameters such as blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels. This allows sufferers to start treatment as soon as possible and avoid cardiovascular complications later. Finally, it is recommended to maintain a stable and healthy weight with a BMI-body mass index of 18.5-24.9.
In the framework of this year’s awareness day, Place d’Armes will be filled with educational workshops and information stands on measuring risk factors and how to combat cardiovascular diseases.
