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Heart Care Foundation
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| The Heart Care Foundation (HCF), Comilla, Bangladesh was formed on 1st September, 2004 with the objectives of Cardiac care, prevention, research and rehabilitation and is the 'National Associate Member' of the World Heart Federation (WHF). |
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Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of diseases of heart and blood vessels. According to WHO statistics
CVDs are the number one cause of death globally, causing 30% of all global deaths.
But it is not the disease of the 'Rich' or developed countries. Researches reveal that over 80% of CVD deaths take place in low and middle income countries.
In Bangladesh an estimated 2,53,400 people died due to CVD in 2002, which represents almost 23% of all deaths.
The most important causes of heart diseases and stroke are unhealthy diet,physical inactivity and tobacco use.
These are called 'modifiable risk factors'.
The effects of unhealthy diet and physical inactivity may show up in individuals as raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose, raised blood lipids, and overweight & obesity; these are called 'intermediate risk factors'.
The major modifiable risk factors are responsible for about 80% of coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease.
At least 80% of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided through healthy diet, regular physical activity and avoiding tobacco use.
Moreover,CVDs affect many people in middle age, very often severely limiting the income and savings of affected individuals and their families. Lost earnings and out of pocket health care payments undermine the socioeconomic development of communities and nations.
For an individual to change lyfestyle is not as easy as it is said , particularly in a country like Bangladesh. Severe lack of information and awareness as well as socio-economic curcumstances do not allow people to be concerned about heart's health until it becomes an emergency.
HCF's goal is to educate people about the risk of heart diseases, help them to adopt a heart healthy lifestyle, provide medical care and rehabilatation support to reduce the risk of heart diseases among them.
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