According to the 2024 data of the Turkish Statistical Institute, 36 percent of the losses in Turkey are caused by cardiovascular diseases. According to the results of the Turkey Household Health Survey 2023, conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, 12.7 percent of the population in the 40-69 age group has a 10-year cardiovascular disease risk of over 30 percent or already has cardiovascular disease.
Data on cholesterol measurement also point to the importance of knowing risk factors. According to an analysis based on 2019 Turkey Health Survey data, 24.4 percent of those in the 35-44 age group, 18.2 percent of those in the 45-54 age group, 12.5 percent of those in the 55-64 age group and 6.6 percent of those aged 65 and over have never had a cholesterol measurement in their lives.
'KNOW YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE AND CHOLESTEROL VALUES, DO NOT POSTPONE YOUR CHECKS'
Turkish Cardiology Association President Prof. Dr. Ertuğrul Okuyan drew attention to the steps individuals can take for heart health and said:
"It is very important to eat healthy, exercise and stay away from smoking to protect our heart health; however, these alone may not always be sufficient. Knowing our blood pressure, measuring and monitoring our cholesterol values and especially our LDL-C value, also known as bad cholesterol, are among the important steps we can take. Because high cholesterol and uncontrolled cardiovascular diseases unfortunately bring with them vital risks such as heart attack and stroke, which are the last conditions that most often lead to death. We should not postpone our check-ups and see a doctor, if our doctor recommends a treatment." "We should continue our treatment as recommended. It is of great importance to recognize and control the risks of chronic cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, heart failure and dyslipidemia. Instead of remembering heart health only when a problem arises or a serious situation occurs, we should make heart health a part of our daily life by knowing our own risks and having regular check-ups."
'EVERY DAY IS HEART DAY FOR US'
Serkan Barış, Türkiye Country President of Novartis, which has been working in the cardiovascular field for many years, pointed out the importance of acting together for long-term progress in heart health and said:
"We find it important for awareness that heart health and risk factors have been talked about more in our society and in Turkey's agenda lately. However, we do not see heart health as a topic that is talked about only when it is on the agenda or on World Heart Day. As Novartis, we have been working towards unmet needs in the cardiovascular field for more than 40 years and strive to bring scientific innovations and innovative treatments to patients. We believe that a permanent change is possible not with treatments alone, but by acting together. For this reason, we listen to the experiences of patients and caregivers; Turkish We work together with specialty societies such as the Society of Cardiology and healthcare system stakeholders to strengthen scientific awareness and improve the patient journey. In order to prevent preventable outcomes such as heart attacks and stroke, we will continue to work together for a future where we remember heart health every day, not only when a problem occurs, and where the needed care and treatment can be accessed on time. Because for us, every day is a heart day.”
