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Science & Research

The World Heart Federation works to deliver reliable knowledge on the global burden of cardiovascular disease, and information on how it can be managed and prevented in communities around the world.

a medical professional wearing a hair net and face mask observing a young child's heart health with a stethoscope

World Heart Observatory

The first global data hub for cardiovascular disease

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Global Heart Journal

Our open-access journal, Global Heart, provides a forum for dialogue and education on the prevention, treatment and control of cardiovascular disease worldwide, with a special focus on low resource settings. It publishes research results, points of view and educational material on CVD-related issues.

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Global Study on COVID-19 and CVD

In order to better understand the intersection between cardiovascular disease and COVID-19, the World Heart Federation embarked on a global study which aims to better describe cardiovascular outcomes and identify cardiovascular risk factors associated with poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19.

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Emerging Leaders Programme

The WHF Salim Yusuf Emerging Leaders Programme was created to form and develop a long-term cadre of experts who collaborate, research and act to reduce premature mortality from cardiovascular disease globally. The Programme, developed by Dr Salim Yusuf in 2014, provides training and networking opportunities in cardiovascular health policy and implementation science for healthcare practitioners, researchers, and global health advocates.

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World Congress of Cardiology

From 1950 to today, the World Heart Federation’s World Congress of Cardiology (WCC) has been a key event on the cardiovascular calendar, offering a global perspective on cardiovascular health and bringing together thousands of cardiology professionals from all over the world, with the common goal of reducing the global burden of cardiovascular disease.

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CVD Roadmaps

Our Roadmaps are designed and developed by international teams of experts who together identify challenges and offer solutions on specific topics impacting cardiovascular mortality. They can serve as models for regions and countries to develop their own Roadmaps and create or update their national non-communicable disease action plans. They offer a framework to bring together stakeholders with the objective of determining, prioritizing and implementing solutions to reduce premature CVD deaths in any context.

Atrial Fibrillation
Chagas Disease
Cholesterol
CVD in People Living with Diabetes
Digital Health in Cardiology
Heart Failure
Hypertension
Rheumatic Heart Disease
Secondary Prevention
Tobacco Control
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CVD Scorecards

Our CVD Scorecards are designed to track and measure the national response of governments to CVD and monitor progress on implementing CVD prevention and management programmes. They provide a core set of indicators which allow us to understand the epidemiological situation in a country, evaluate the status of CVD programmes, identify policy gaps, and help prioritise advocacy for particular policies or programmes.

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Latest News

Improving hypertension management in The Gambia

The World Heart Federation (WHF) is proud to announce a new national initiative in The Gambia to strengthen hypertension prevention and control, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Cardiac Society of The Gambia and supported by Sanofi’s Global Health Unit. One in four adults is affected by hypertension in The Gambia, yet only […]

Hypertension

Global societies unite to address environmental threats to heart health 

Key take-aways   The European Society of Cardiology, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the World Heart Federation have published the first joint statement calling for urgent action to address environmental stressors as major contributors to cardiovascular disease (CVD).  Environmental risk factors that impact cardiovascular health include air pollution, traffic, airplane and industrial noise, artificial light exposure, chemical pollution, plastic and the various effects […]

A Milestone for Cardiovascular Health in Europe: The EU Safe Hearts Plan

On 16 December, the European Commission published the EU Safe Hearts Plan, the first comprehensive, EU-wide strategy dedicated to cardiovascular health. The Plan marks a major milestone in the EU’s response to cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death across the Union, responsible for 1.7 million deaths every year.  Momentum around the Safe Hearts Plan has been building in […]

Statement by the World Heart Federation, commenting on the passage of the Fourth United Nations Political Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being

Today’s passage of the Fourth United Nations Political Declaration on Noncommunicable Diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being marks a watershed moment for international collaboration to tackle the world’s number one killer, cardiovascular disease (CVD). “WHF is buoyed by the encouraging support of major groups and so many Member States in addressing cardiovascular […]

All Topics

Air Pollution

Air Pollution

Chagas Disease

Chagas Disease

Cholesterol

Cholesterol

COVID-19

COVID-19

Diabetes

Diabetes

Healthy Diet

Healthy Diet

Heart Failure

Heart Failure

Hypertension

Hypertension

Obesity

Obesity

Prevention

Prevention

Rheumatic Heart Disease

Rheumatic Heart Disease

Tobacco

Tobacco

Women & CVD

Women & CVD

The most common heart attack symptom, in both men and women, is some type of chest pain, pressure or discomfort. But chest pain is not always the most noticeable symptom, especially in women, who are more likely to experience it as pressure or tightness in the chest. They may even have no chest pain at […]

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