WORLD HEALTH DAY
7 April 2013
World Health Day
 On 7 April 1948, the World Health Organization (WHO) was created.
 Since then, WHO named April 7 as World Health Day, celebrated each
year to mark the anniversary of its founding.
 Each year has a new theme and this year’s theme was “Prevention and
control of heart attacks and strokes through a focus on hypertension.‟
 Throughout the world, posters and messages were sent to call attention
to this major health problem.
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WORLD HYPERTENSION DAY
17 May 2013
World Hypertension Day
 Designed by the World Hypertension League: a division of the
International Society of Hypertension (ISH) who is in official relations
with the World Health Organization (WHO).
 Since May 2005, an event has been organized annually.
 Purpose:
 Promote public awareness of hypertension.
 Communicate information to the public on prevention, detection, and
treatment.
 Goal: Reduce heart attacks and strokes.
 2012 theme: “Healthy Lifestyle, Healthy Blood Pressure”
 2013 theme: “Healthy Blood Pressure, Healthy Heart Beat”
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Epidemiology
 Cardiovascular disease:1
 17 million deaths a year
 Complications of hypertension:2
 9.4 million deaths worldwide every year
 Hypertension responsible for:
 45% of deaths due to heart disease
 51% of deaths due to stroke
 In 2008: 40% of adults had been diagnosed with hypertension.
 The number of people with hypertension:3
 1980: 600 million
 2008: 1 billion
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1. Causes of Death 2008 [online database]. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization. http//www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/cod_2008_sources_methods.pdf
2. Lim SS, Vos T, Flaxman AD, Danaei G, et al. A comparative risk assessment of burden of disease and injury attributable to 67 risk factors and risk factor clusters in 21 regions, 1990-2010: a systematic analysis for the Global
Burden of Disease Study 2010. Lancet. 2012;380(9859):2224-2260.
3. World Health Organization. Global status report on noncommunicable diseases 2010. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2011.
A few reminders
 The patient needs to:
 Measure blood pressure at home regularly, at the same time daily.
 Don’t: Cross feet.
 Do: Stay calm, quiet for at least 4-5 minutes.
Measure 30 minutes after exercise.
Sit with the back straight.
Keep a blood pressure diary.
 Keep blood pressure below 135 mm Hg.
•
Atrial fibrillation:
 Is an abnormal heart beat
 Increases with age
 Hypertension and atrial fibrillation significantly increase the risk of stroke.
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Prevention
 Three keys to a healthy lifestyle:
 Eat healthier:
 Increase fruit and vegetable intake.
 Reduce sodium or salt intake.
 Avoid harmful use of alcohol.
 Exercise at least 30 minutes every day.
 Watch one’s weight.
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Talk to YOUR patients about hypertension and healthy
lifestyle.
Prevention is the key to stopping the global hypertension
epidemic.
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