Preserving heart health is always important, but in this period, when Covid-19 is particularly “bad” with those suffering from cardiovascular disorders, it is even more so. «According to a recent report from the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, on 59,394 coronavirus positive patients in Italy and died from this pathology, well the 70% presented hypertension, the 25% ischemic heart disease and as many there atrial fibrillation, the 20% heart failure», Says Michele Gulizia, president of the Foundation for Your Heart of Italian Hospital Cardiologists and director of the Cardiology of the“ Garibaldi-Nesima ”Hospital in Catania.
Covid-19 and heart health
The coronavirus also had an indirect effect on cardiovascular health. Due to the pandemic, the expert continues, “one has been registered reduction of hospitalizations for heart attack equal to 48,4% and the mortality went from 4.1 to 13.7%. Alarming data confirmed by several studies that have found a high mortality (about 35%) for cardiovascular events occurring at home. It is therefore in my opinion extremely important to make a reorganization effort. We must once again guarantee the provision of cardiological services to all cardiopathic patients and more extensively to all high-risk subjects ».
Think about your heart
About this, from 8 to 16 February the national campaign will take place For your heart 2021, promoted by the Foundation for Your Heart of Italian Hospital Cardiologists (ANMCO), actively engaged for over twenty years in cardiovascular research and prevention. For all nine days the cardiologies throughout Italy they will be willing to provide free information about heart problems: questions about symptoms, pathologies, prevention, controls, treatments. This is the traditional “Open Cardiology” appointment, which has been going on for fifteen years, but which on this occasion, due to Covid, will take place via telephone calls.
The initiative and the toll-free number
From Monday 8 to Sunday 16 the green number 800 05 22 33, dedicated to citizens who can call, every day from 10 to 12 and from 14 to 16, and ask their questions. 500 cardiologists from the structures participating in the initiative will answer, with over 1400 hours of free cardiological consultation.
Cardiovascular diseases in the world and in Italy
The number of people dying from cardiovascular disease is steadily increasing. And, Gulizia continues, “in particular ischemic heart disease and stroke, are the leading cause of death worldwide and a huge contribution to disability with a consequent increase in health costs”. Recent studies have shown how the prevalent cases of total heart disease have almost doubled, from 271 million in 1990 to 523 million in 2019. “In Italy – continues the expert – cardiovascular diseases determine a healthcare cost of over 18 billion euros a year. Which represents 1.3% of our GDP overall. But prevention can really do a lot ».
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