World Heart Day 2018: It is estimated that over 17 million people die due to heart disease yearly.
World Heart Day is held on September 29th every year and is used to draw attention to the problems caused by heart diseases. World Heart Day is observed to encourage people to adopt health living and cut their risk of heart-related illnesses. It is the World Heart Federation's and the world's biggest platform for raising awareness about cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke.
According to estimates, over 17 million people die due to heart disease yearly - more than by malaria, cancer, and HIV; the figure is expected to rise to 23 million by 2030.
The World Health Organisation or WHO organises awareness events in over 100 countries worldwide on this day. In recent years more and more of the world's iconic landmarks, monuments and buildings have illuminated red in support of World Heart Day.
The first World Heart Day was celebrated in 2000 as a joint initiative between World Heart Foundation (WHF) and WHO.
#WorldHealthDay is one of the top trends on Twitter with celebrities and politicians tweeting on the subject on the social media platform.
Here's one of the top tweets on #WorldHealthDay: