KARACHI, Sept 28: The Global Embrace on Active Aging and the World Heart Day will be celebrated jointly on Sunday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Heart Federation are encouraging people around the world to take action, i.e. to exercise, stop smoking, and eat a healthy diet, and thus protect themselves from the cardiovascular disease (CVDs) and promote healthy aging.

Physical inactivity has been firmly established as a major risk factor in both men and women at any age. Indeed, physical inactivity doubles the risk of dying of the cardiovascular diseases and strokes, warns a latest WHO report.

Worldwide physical inactivity is a major public health problem. It is estimated that around two thirds of the global population are not sufficiently active. Cardiovascular diseases and strokes are the main causes of death globally, with 17 million deaths worldwide annually.

By 2020, unless effective public health action is taken, the total number of annual deaths due to these causes will have increased to 24.8 million, says the report. However, heart diseases and strokes are largely preventable.

A modest increase in physical activity (such as walk for 30 to 60 minutes every day) can significantly reduce the risk of heart diseases. Adequate physical activity and healthy diets are together the keys to healthy hearts and long healthy life.

Physical activity also has an impact on other risk factors for CVDs. It helps control weight, reduces stress, anxiety and depression and helps to control diabetes, another major public health challenge worldwide today.

The Global Embrace is an annual advocacy event of the Global Movement for Active Aging. It consists of a chain of locally organized walks and celebrations encircling the globe during a 24-hour period. It is organized each year on or around International Day of Older Persons (1 October).—PPI