Every year at the end of September, governments and Non-Governmental Organizations celebrate and promote World Heart Day with multifaceted campaigns and information and awareness actions in more than 100 countries.

In Greece, the Hellenic Cardiological Society (HSE), the country’s largest medical scientific society, is the main transmitter of education for the Cardiology community, as well as a reliable body for informing and raising awareness among citizens for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

According to EKE, knowledge about cardiovascular health in the population is limited or even incorrect, while there are not a few who do not recognize the symptoms of heart attack and heart failure, what are the correct measurements, for example, of Arterial Hypertension , of Diabetes Mellitus and more broadly, what are the main risk factors for Cardiovascular Diseases and how they can be protected from them.

This year, the Hellenic Cardiology Society is taking another big step to inform and raise awareness among citizens, holding a big heart festival open to citizens, in order to highlight everything we need to know about the health of our heart.

The Athens Heart Festival 2024 is the great social event of the Hellenic Cardiology Society, which will take place on Monday, September 23, (09.00-16.00) in the Multipurpose Hall of the “METRO SYNTAGMA” station, on the occasion of World Heart Day 2024.

At the Athens Heart Festival 2024, citizens will have the opportunity to visit Thematic Stands and learn about the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, receive specific advice from doctors on how to take care of their heart and – for those who need it – an evaluation will be carried out cardiovascular risk as well as preventive examinations (ultrasound of the heart, cardiogram, etc.). Major Sponsor of Athens Heart Festival 2014 is Novo Nordisk. The festival is also sponsored by AstraZeneca, ELPEN, GE HealthCare, Menarini Hellas, OMRON and WinMedica. Sponsors of the festival are G.G. of Sports, STASY and the Department of Preventive Medicine, Health Promotion and Public Health of the Municipality of Athens.

At the same time, Round Tables will be held on the topic: “Cardiovascular Health through the experience of patients” and “Safe sports and the importance of CPR”.

In the first, patients – who have faced cardiovascular disease – will describe their experience of the disease and interact with their doctors, so as to be a transmitter of valuable knowledge for the prevention, treatment and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

In the second panel, well-known athletes will highlight the value of sports and a healthy lifestyle from an early age to the attending citizens as well as school students.

At the same time, in the METRO premises, EKE instructors will demonstrate cardiopulmonary resuscitation to school students who will visit the festival, as well as to those citizens who want to learn basic CPR techniques.

“Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death worldwide and will unfortunately remain so. Risk factors that can lead to heart disease and stroke include: elevated blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, smoking, insufficient fruit and vegetable intake and obesity. According to the WHO, a large part of premature deaths from heart disease and stroke could be avoided if the main risk factors were controlled”, said the president of EKE, Professor of Cardiology Giorgos Kochiadakis, commenting on the goals of the large social action being organized.

“For our part, as a scientific company, with the Athens Heart Festival we come to highlight the value of prevention from cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in Greece, and to contribute to the wider knowledge of ordinary citizens about heart diseases from which affect millions of people around the world“, he concluded.