Leading cardiologist Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, has developed a free mobile application called "Circle of Health" to empower individuals around the globe to take action to comprehensively assess and enhance their daily overall heart health. Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of mortality in the world. Dr. Fuster has created "Circle of Health" for the daily promotion of cardiovascular health worldwide and to reduce the epidemics of coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke.
The now internationally available mobile app was developed in English and Spanish by Fundación Pro CNIC in Spain, in collaboration with Dr. Fuster and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
Overall, cardiovascular diseases are acquired and largely preventable. The vast majority arise due to one or more of six risk factors that can be prevented or reduced with daily lifestyle and behavior modifications. These six risk factors are: high cholesterol and diabetes (chemical), obesity and high blood pressure (physical), and smoking and lack of exercise (behavioral).
"These abnormal risk factors account for 90 percent of heart attacks and strokes," says Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, Director of Mount Sinai Heart and Physician-in-Chief of The Mount Sinai Hospital, General Director of the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), and past president of the American Heart Association and World Heart Federation. "Each person needs to pay close attention to these six risk factors and maintain them daily to remain heart healthy and reduce their chances of atherosclerosis, heart attack or stroke."
"If you want to have good cardiovascular health, you must know what risk factors you have," adds Dr. Fuster. "Simply downloading the new 'Circle of Health' mobile app right on your smartphone or tablet can help you."
Using the mobile app, users learn directly from Dr. Fuster about the six variable risk factors, how to prevent or better manage them, and how to live a healthier and longer life. It assists adults on how to properly measure, prevent, fight, and reduce their risk factors.
The mobile app, developed Fundación Pro CNIC and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York in collaboration with Wake App Health, has a unique, multimedia and interactive circular format which creatively incorporates video, audio, and educational graphics. It works by comprehensively evaluating your health with an initial questionnaire to assess and measure your baseline cardiovascular health, empowering you with health information and prevention heath tips you need to succeed, and weekly and monthly motivation to establish good habits, reduce bad habits, and providing you with challenges to get more physically activated to improve your health.
"This mobile app is for those people who want to improve their health and lifestyle habits including diet, exercise, and others—and it's also a very useful tool for those that have or have had any heart attack, stroke, or artery disease to gain knowledge on how to reduce their chances of a future event," says Dr. Fuster.
"Knowledge is power and you have to make a commitment to take care of your heart and yourself. It's that simple," says Dr. Fuster. "Cardiovascular disease can be prevented and you are capable of doing so. You now have the ability for no cost to have a tool in your hand that will help you to follow a healthy lifestyle and protect your heart from the ravages of heart disease."
Currently, there are more than 6 billion people in the world with mobile phones, and nearly 2 billion with smartphones. Given the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets and the mutually growing global threat of cardiovascular diseases, Dr. Fuster believes there is no better way to reach people than via their mobile devices to prevent and reduce the risk factors of heart disease.
"Preventing and managing your heart disease should be as simple as reaching into your pocket or briefcase for a little motivation and support from your mobile device," says Dr. Fuster. "Together you and your mobile device can work together to maintain your own daily 'Circle of Health'. Don't wait any longer and start your journey with the 'Circle of Health' today."
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai gratefully acknowledges Sesame Workshop for making available the Sesame Street characters and content from its Healthy Habits for Life programs for use in educating children and their families in connection with this Project.
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