Healthy living promise

“My Heart, Your Heart” was the theme for this year’s celebration of World Heart Day with persons encouraged to commit themselves to a promise of healthy living.

Chief Executive Officer of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Barbados, Fiona Anthony stated, “World Heart Day focuses this year on what individuals can do to improve their own heart health, and what persons can do to change their lifestyle to improve their heart health.

“So we are asking people to make a promise, whether that promise be eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising everyday for at least 30 minutes – preferably an hour – and monitoring your health so you know what your blood pressure, blood glucose or cholesterol is. So by encouraging persons to maintain their own health, they will also encourage their loved ones to do the same,” she said.

Outlining hypertension was a large contributing factor to cardiovascular disease, Anthony said that research showed that that nearly half of those persons in the 65 and over age group may be hypertensive and could be at risk.

However, she noted that many persons are hypertensive without being aware, and therefore stressed the importance of persons being aware of their numbers and what they can do to improve their heart health.

These include inexpensive ways as regarding exercise, persons could walk, run, take the stairs frequently, gardening or do housework. She also encouraged the consumption of locally grown foods.

“It is these lifestyle changes that will significantly reduce the onset of cardiovascular disease,” she added.

She was speaking to the media at the Savannah hotel on Friday, as her organisation hosted a luncheon to mark World Heart Day. The event had been postponed by a week due to the passage of Tropical Storm Kirk. (JMB)