World Heart Day: Nearly One in Five Deaths From Cardiovascular Disease are Caused by Air Pollution, a Total of 3 Million Deaths Globally Every Year

GENEVA, Sept. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

• On World Heart Day (WHD), 29 September 2018, World Heart Federation (WHF) is raising awareness of the link between poor air quality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) 

• Outdoor and household air pollution are an increasingly important risk factor for CVD: air pollution is the cause of 19% of all CVD deaths, accounting for more than 3 million deaths each year

• 7 million people die prematurely every year from air pollution: 1.4 million from stroke and over 2 million from heart disease

• CVD is the world's biggest killer, causing over 17.5 million deaths each year. WHD is the biggest awareness-raising campaign for CVD to improve heart health through educational and awareness activities

This year, on 29 September, the World Heart Federation (WHF) is raising awareness of an increasingly important CVD risk factor: air pollution.

The latest scientific evidence by Nature warns that exposure to nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter air pollution is clearly linked to CVD mortality. Poor air quality is also ranked as the 4^th cause of Disability-Adjusted Life Year (DALY) - one lost year of 'healthy life' - according to latest Global Burden of Disease study .

Professor David Wood, WHF President: "On World Heart Day, we are raising awareness of poor outdoor and household air quality as an increasingly important risk factor, and bringing together all those involved in cardiovascular health from every country in the world in the fight to reduce CVD."

My Heart, Your Heart 

Created and led by WHF, World Heart Day aims to combat the rising number of people with cardiovascular disease (CVD), by promoting the importance of living a heart-healthy lifestyle.

On 29 September, people all around the world will unite to fight CVD by holding awareness activities, sharing the campaign video, organizing fundraising activities for their local heart foundation and illuminating iconic landmarks and buildings.

Our campaign, in partnership with Manulife and Philips, includes a simple call to action: Make your heart promise . A promise to eat more healthily, to do more exercise and to say no to smoking. A promise as a healthcare professional to continue working to reduce the impact of CVD. A promise as a politician to implement a noncommunicable diseases action plan. A simple promise... for MY HEART, for YOUR HEART, for ALL OUR HEARTS.