The strategic project that seeks to prevent cardiovascular diseases was announced at the last Latin American Cholesterol Summit

Called the Cholesterol Route, the campaign seeks to raise awareness among the population and governments of Latin America about the diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels. In this way, different associations in the region have agreed to join efforts to counteract such conditions using the campaign guide.

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During the Latin American Colesterol Summit held in Mexico City, the objective of orienting Latin American governments and institutions to formulate strategies against these diseases was proposed.

Objectives of the campaign

Created by a group of experts from the World Heart Federation, the guide seeks to be a guideline that motivates Latin American governments and institutions to formulate specific strategies and campaigns updated in the preventive fight against cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, heart disease rheumatic, atrial fibrillation and elevated cholesterol.

The president of the federation, Dr. Jean-Luc Eiséle, said "that the Cholesterol Route provides guidance for countries to develop or update their national plans and programs."

Therefore, another of its objectives is to analyze the statistical incidence of diseases of this type in the population of all ages in Latin America and find immediate solutions to avoid deaths from these diseases.

Another of the stated goals lies in the pedagogical scope. "Education is extremely important. People should be aware that everything that affects the heart, also affects the brain but also that this type of disease can be prevented, and that is the most important," said Raúl Santos, president of the International Association of Atherosclerosis.

Thus, the Cholesterol Route, announced at the Summit on September 21, requires that the population be informed about healthy activities and habits; in addition to being aware of the symptoms and characteristics of these conditions for their timely treatment.

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Some data from the summit

According to the World Health Organization, it is expected that about 24 million people die from strokes and heart diseases of different types by 2030. It is estimated that in 2017, 18 million people died, which represents 31% of all the deaths that have occurred for a cause of health throughout the world.

In turn, the World Heart Federation estimates that 40% of the adult population in Latin America has high cholesterol. It also explains that one in three people will die from these causes, although knowing that 80% of deaths due to related problems can be avoided.

Dr. Pedro Mata of the Spanish Foundation for Hypercholesterolemia in the Family assured Efe that at least 30 million people in the world have high levels of cholesterol in the blood due to inheritance.

"This is why the importance of timely diagnosis. Although hypercholesterolemia is an incurable condition, it can be controlled to be diagnosed in a timely manner, and even more so if it is hereditary, because half of the family of a person with this disease suffers from the same condition," he pointed.

Mata added that high cholesterol is difficult to diagnose. For this reason, most people still do not know that they have the disease, despite the fact that detection is simple and treatment is easy and inexpensive.

LatinAmerican Post | Jorge Becerra

Translated from "Latinoamérica: Inicia campaña para prevenir enfermedades cardiovasculares"