Kids learn to monitor heart's health

From the moment it begins beating until the moment it stops, the human heart works tirelessly. In an average lifetime, the heart beats more than two and a half billion times.

Like a pumping machine, the heart provides the power needed for life. Researches have removed much of the mystery surrounding the heart, but there is still an air of fascination and curiosity about it.

To provide the people a better understanding of the subject, the World Heart Federation, in partnership with World Health Organisation (WHO), has been celebrating the World Heart Day on September 27 for the last 10 years. The theme of this year's celebration was 'Work with Heart'.

Cardiovascular diseases are the world's largest killers, claiming 17.5 million lives a year. Risk factors for heart disease and stroke include raised blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, smoking, inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables, overweight, obesity and physical inactivity.

India is considered as the World Capital for Heart Disease, with an estimate of 60 percent heart patients in the world by 2010. Currently, Gujarat tops the list of endemic states with a high number of cardiac patients, while Rajasthan and Punjab are second and third respectively.

Science City here organised a two-day function with live phone-in programme and interaction with experts on radio, illustrative poster exhibition, students' activities, presentation and puzzles.

"Students got a chance to explore the heart, discover the complexities of its development and structure; follow the blood through the blood vessels, wander through the web like body systems. In short, they learnt how to have a healthy heart and how to monitor their heart's health as their fascination and curiosity led to understanding and respect," said Narottam Sahoo, senior scientist at Science City.