A local health clinic is taking wellness recognition straight to the heart.
The Heart Health Centre is leading the Cayman Islands in observance of the 11th annual World Heart Day on Thursday, 29 September, by calling for individuals and families to reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke through improved diet, exercise and lifestyle changes.
This year’s theme, “One World, One Home, One Heart,” will include demonstrations of heart healthy recipes at Foster’s Food Fair locations throughout Grand Cayman, presented by the supermarket chain’s Healthy Lifestyles Programme. Recipe samples prepared by Chef Tanya Foster will be available at all Foster’s locations. Health Services Authority dietician Bethany Smith will be on hand at the Foster’s airport location between 11am and 2pm with information about better nutrition.
Local schools will be provided with tips and information about heart healthy living to be presented to students and their families.
The public may celebrate World Heart Day by any combination of wearing red; exercising; eating healthier; updating social media status to the reflect the day’s significance; assessing personal risks; or making lifestyle changes to ensure better living, such as quitting smoking.
“We hope you’ll join us, in a way that’s meaningful to you, in taking action to reduce your and your family’s heart disease risks,” said Jacqueline Ebanks, director of the Heart Health Centre in Grand Cayman.
The Cayman Islands’ cardiovascular health mirrors global trends, which sees heart disease as the world’s leading killer by causing 29 per cent of all deaths, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Public health officials in the Cayman Islands estimate 6 per cent of the local population has diabetes, while 12 per cent live with high blood pressure – both major risk factors for heart disease, Ms Ebanks said.
“Individual action will make a huge impact not only on the individual, but our entire community,” she said. “We could use your help in spreading this urgent message.”
In 2000, the World Heart Federation, a nongovernmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, created the annual World Heart Day campaign to increase public awareness about the threat of heart disease and stroke.
In partnership with the World Health Organisation, the World Heart Federation organises awareness events for World Heart Day in more than 100 countries – including health checks, organized walks, runs and fitness sessions, public talks, stage shows, scientific forums, exhibitions, concerts, carnivals and sports tournaments.
“Each of us has a role to play in solving this problem,” said Mark Scotland, Cayman Islands Minister of Health. “Government can implement laws and policies; health care providers can assess our risks and provide guidance and treatment as necessary; non-profit organizations provide community education and offer support; employers provide health insurance benefits and can initiate employee wellness initiatives. These are all crucial actions that can help to address the problems that cardiovascular diseases create.”
Other groups partnering with the Heart Health Centre to observe World Heart Day in the Cayman Islands include the Health Services Authority, the Church of God Chapel Health and Wellness Task Force and Foster’s Food Fair Healthy Life Style Programme.
Last week, the Church of God Chapel on Walker’s Road conducted blood pressure and body mass index screenings for the public.
The Heart Health Centre on West Bay Road is a health care education, prevention and management specialist offering physician consultations and services such as EKGs, stress tests, echocardiograms and nuclear medicine.
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