Today, September 29, marks World Heart Day. Established by the World Heart Federation, this day is dedicated to raising public awareness about cardiovascular diseases, their prevention, and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.
The global campaign for World Heart Day 2025 carries the slogan “Don’t Miss a Beat.” It symbolically highlights the value of every heartbeat and the importance of being proactive in protecting heart health. The message encourages people to recognize early warning signs, from high blood pressure to irregular rhythm, while also adopting preventive habits that support long-term well-being.
The Clinic for Internal Diseases at the University Clinical Center Tuzla joined the global observance by organizing an event focused on direct interaction with patients. On this occasion, citizens had the opportunity to measure their blood pressure, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels free of charge.
According to Dr. Davor Tokić, cardiovascular diseases remain one of the leading causes of death worldwide, claiming more than 20 million lives each year.
“Every fifth patient dies from cardiovascular disease, and in our daily work we see common risk factors that contribute to its development, excess body weight and obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, and severe mental stress. The primary goal of today’s activities is to highlight the importance of prevention and to encourage the reduction of these risks through smoking cessation, regulation of glucose and lipid levels, and increased physical activity while avoiding stress,” explained Dr. Tokić.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elnur Smajić, Head of the Clinic for Internal Medicine, added that the celebration of World Heart Day is an important opportunity to promote cardiovascular health and remind people that prevention is the key to protecting the heart.
“Each year, World Heart Day highlights a specific theme, with the focus consistently placed on lifestyle,” explained Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elnur Smajić. “The American Heart Association defines eight essential points for promoting cardiovascular health: maintaining a healthy lifestyle, engaging in regular physical activity, quitting smoking, managing body weight, monitoring glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, and measuring blood pressure.
This year’s theme, ‘Don’t Miss a Beat,’ reminds us to care for every heartbeat, our own and those of our loved ones. Individuals with a family history of cardiovascular disease should be especially vigilant, but prevention is something we all need to prioritize. Thanks to advances in cardiology, treatment outcomes are far better today than in the past, yet prevention remains the foundation of heart health.”
The activities organized at the Clinic for Internal Medicine attracted a large number of citizens. In addition to measuring blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol levels, participants had the opportunity to consult with cardiologists and learn more about arrhythmias and the symptoms of irregular heart function.
