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GENEVA, Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/

On World Heart Day, the World Heart Federation (WHF) is calling for urgent

action on climate change and health inequity, saying millions more lives are

now at risk from cardiovascular disease, which is still the world's biggest

killer.

Climate change and air pollution are responsible for 25% of deaths from

cardiovascular disease, killing 7 million people annually.[1] These deaths and

the wider impacts of climate change disproportionately affect vulnerable

populations.

Professor Fausto Pinto, President of WHF: "Millions of already vulnerable

people are doubly exposed to extreme weather events and limited access to

healthcare. World leaders must step up efforts on the two biggest threats of

our time: climate change and global health inequity."

Alongside the World Health Organisation (WHO), WHF is calling on governments,

civil society, and global industry to meet net-zero targets, to tackle global

warming and curb air pollution, and to deliver healthcare access for all.

"Climate change is not about polar bears or icebergs anymore. It's about

people's health, especially poor people's health. We need to reduce emissions

in the name of health otherwise we will see more and more disasters and more

suffering everywhere," says Dr Maria Neira, Director of Department of

Environment, Climate Change and Health at WHO.

A recent global survey by WHF[2] revealed that people perceive social

inequality and access to healthcare as the second most serious issue for

cardiovascular, with health and climate change and air pollution ranked third.

80% of respondents highlighted government action as essential to reducing the

burden of CVD.

WHF is also urging healthcare providers to issue regular reminders to at-risk

groups about the dangers of extreme weather events, including tips on managing

excessive heat events.

"We know what works in prevention and in treatment of the world's biggest

killer. It is time for scaled up implementation and shared responsibility."

Prof. Pinto adds.

About World Heart Day 2022

Everyone is encouraged to get involved in World Heart Day and to learn more

about better heart health. For more information about World Heart Day, visit

world-heart-federation.org/world-heart-day.

Join the conversation using the #UseHeart hashtag and post builder

(world-heart-federation.org/world-heart-day/get-involved/create-and-share).

Notes to Editors

1.  Media Contact: Borjana Pervan, Strategy and Communication Director, World

Heart Federation

Borjana.pervan@worldheart.org, +41 22 807 03 23

2.  About Professor Fausto Pinto, President of WHF

Professor Fausto Pinto is the current President of the World Heart Federation

and Past-President of European Society of Cardiology. He is currently the Dean

of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (Lisbon, Portugal), and

Full Professor of Cardiology. He is also the Head of the Cardiology Department

and of the Heart and Vascular Department of Santa Maria University Hospital,

CHULN E.P.E. Follow Professor Pinto on Twitter https://twitter.com/fjpinto1960

3.  About World Heart Day

World Heart Day is celebrated each year on 29 September to raise awareness and

mobilize international action against cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading

cause of death on the planet. It is the global initiative under which

individuals, governments and the entire heart community come together to engage

in fun activities, increase public education, and advocate for universal access

to CVD prevention, detection and treatment. For more information, visit

http://worldheartday.org.

4.  About the World Heart Federation

The World Heart Federation (WHF) is an umbrella organisation representing the

global cardiovascular community, uniting patient, medical, scientific, and

civil society groups.  Together with its Members, WHF influences policies,

shares knowledge and inspires behaviour change to achieve heart health for

everyone. For more information, visit https://www.world-heart-federation.org.

5.  About Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Alliance

The Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Alliance are driven to transform care for

people with cardio-renal-metabolic conditions, a group of interconnected

disorders that affect more than one billion people worldwide and are a leading

cause of death.

The cardiovascular, renal and metabolic systems are interconnected, and share

many of the same risk factors and pathological pathways along the disease

continuum. Dysfunction in one system may accelerate the onset of others,

resulting in progression of interconnected diseases such as type 2 diabetes,

cardiovascular disease, heart failure, and kidney disease, which in turn leads

to an increased risk of cardiovascular death. Conversely, improving the health

of one system can lead to positive effects throughout the others.

This World Heart Day, they are proud to continue to support the World Heart

Federation. Through their research and treatments, their goal is to support

people's health, restoring the balance between the interconnected

cardio-renal-metabolic systems and reducing their risk of serious

complications. As part of their commitment to those whose health is jeopardized

by cardio-renal-metabolic conditions, they will continue embracing a

multidisciplinary approach towards care and focusing our resources on filling

treatment gaps.

https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/

6. About Servier

Servier is a global pharmaceutical group governed by a Foundation. Servier is

an independent group that invests over 20% of its brand-name revenue in

Research and Development every year. To accelerate therapeutic innovation for

the benefit of patients, the Group is committed to open and collaborative

innovation with academic partners, pharmaceutical groups, and biotech

companies. It also integrates the patient's voice at the heart of its

activities.

A leader in cardiology, the ambition of the Servier Group is to become a

renowned and innovative player in oncology. Its growth is based on a sustained

commitment to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, oncology, neuroscience and

immuno-inflammatory diseases. To promote access to healthcare for all, the

Servier Group also offers a range of quality generic drugs covering most

pathologies.

As an official global partner for World Heart Day 2022, Servier's support helps

raise awareness and encourages individuals, families, communities and

governments to drive the CVD agenda and help people live longer, better, more

heart-healthy lives.

https://servier.com/en/

[1]

https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/indicator-groups/indicator-group-details/GHO/ambient-air-pollution

[2] In 2022, the World Heart Federation conducted a global pulse survey of 2500

people across 25 countries.

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Source: World Heart Federation