MOBILE, Ala. — Mobile County residents are being asked to give their hearts some attention on Tuesday, Sept. 29, as communities around the globe mark World Heart Day, an annual campaign aimed at raising awareness of cardiovascular disease and the everyday steps that can help prevent it.
The local call to action comes with a sobering backdrop. Cardiovascular disease, the umbrella term for heart disease, stroke and related conditions of the heart and blood vessels, is the leading cause of death in Mobile County. According to the local awareness message, it claims more lives in the county than cancer and chronic respiratory diseases combined, and heart disease and stroke together account for nearly one in three deaths here.
Yet the same message stresses a more hopeful point: national estimates suggest that as much as 80% of heart disease and stroke could be prevented by managing risk factors and getting timely care. World Heart Day, organizers say, is a reminder that small changes, made consistently, can make a life-saving difference.
World Heart Day at a Glance
- What: World Heart Day, a global awareness campaign on cardiovascular disease
- When: Tuesday, Sept. 29
- Who organizes it: The World Heart Federation, working with the World Health Organization
- 2026 theme: “Don’t Miss a Beat”
- Local focus: Knowing your numbers, learning CPR, recognizing heart attack warning signs and building heart-healthy daily habits
- How to take part: Get a screening, sign up for a CPR class, or host or join a heart health event through a school, church, workplace or community group
A Global Campaign With Local Stakes
The World Heart Federation, a Geneva-based organization that brings together heart foundations and cardiology societies from around the world, established World Heart Day in 2000 to rally international action against cardiovascular disease. The federation describes the illness as the world’s number one killer and says most deaths from it are driven by risk factors that can be prevented or managed.
This year’s theme, “Don’t Miss a Beat,” centers on three ideas: recognizing the signs and symptoms of cardiovascular disease, protecting heart health through prevention, and pressing governments and health systems to do more about the disease.
The national picture shows why the message matters close to home. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 919,032 people in the United States died from cardiovascular disease in 2023, the equivalent of about one in every three deaths. The agency estimates that one person in the country dies from cardiovascular disease every 34 seconds, and that about 805,000 Americans have a heart attack each year. Health care services and medications for heart disease cost the nation more than $168 billion during 2021 and 2022, according to the CDC.
Alabama has long ranked among the states with the highest heart disease death rates, a pattern public health officials have tied to high rates of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, tobacco use and limited access to care in some communities. That makes an awareness day more than a symbolic gesture along the Gulf Coast.
Know Your Numbers
Local health advocates say understanding your own health measurements is one of the most powerful tools for prevention. Many of the most dangerous risk factors produce no symptoms at all until something goes seriously wrong, which is why routine checks matter.
The key measurements health organizations such as the American Heart Association encourage adults to track include:
- Blood pressure: The American Heart Association considers a reading below 120/80 normal. High blood pressure is often called a “silent killer” because it typically causes no symptoms while it damages arteries over time.
- Cholesterol: A simple blood test measures LDL, often called “bad” cholesterol, HDL and triglycerides. High LDL contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries.
- Blood sugar: Diabetes and prediabetes significantly raise the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Weight and body mass index: Carrying excess weight puts added strain on the heart and is linked to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Screenings are often available through local clinics, pharmacies and community health events, according to the World Heart Day message for Mobile County. Many pharmacies offer free blood pressure checks, and a primary care provider can order cholesterol and blood sugar tests during a routine visit. Residents without a regular doctor can ask about community health centers, which offer care on a sliding fee scale based on income.
Learn CPR and Be Ready to Save a Life
Cardiac emergencies can happen anywhere and at any time, and the moments before an ambulance arrives often decide the outcome. That is why learning CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is a central part of this year’s local push.
The American Heart Association says immediate CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival after cardiac arrest. The need is significant: more than 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside of hospitals in the United States each year, according to the association.
Most of those emergencies do not happen in public places. The American Heart Association reports that about 73% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in homes, meaning the person most likely to need to perform CPR is a family member. Only about 40% of people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside a hospital receive bystander CPR, according to the association’s most recent statistics, and survival to hospital discharge for adults treated by emergency crews remains around 9%.
Hands-only CPR, which the American Heart Association promotes for untrained bystanders helping a teen or adult who suddenly collapses, involves two steps: call 911, then push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives. Formal classes, which also cover rescue breaths, CPR for children and infants and the use of an automated external defibrillator, or AED, are offered by hospitals, fire departments, the American Red Cross and other training providers across the region.
Know the Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
Quick action saves lives. If someone is experiencing chest pain or difficulty breathing, responding immediately is critical, the World Heart Day message stresses.
The CDC lists the major symptoms of a heart attack as:
- Chest pain or discomfort, which may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain, and may last more than a few minutes or go away and come back
- Feeling weak, lightheaded or faint, sometimes with a cold sweat
- Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms or shoulders
- Shortness of breath, which can occur with or before chest discomfort
The CDC notes that unusual tiredness and nausea or vomiting can also be symptoms, and that women are more likely than men to experience them. Anyone who notices these signs in themselves or someone else should call 911 right away, the agency advises. Getting to an emergency room quickly reduces damage to the heart muscle and improves the chance of survival.
Stroke, the other half of the cardiovascular picture, has its own warning signs. Health organizations use the memory aid F.A.S.T.: face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty and time to call 911. As with a heart attack, every minute counts.
Heart-Healthy Steps Every Day
Preventing heart disease starts with daily habits, and none of them require a gym membership or a complete lifestyle overhaul. The American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8” framework lays out the building blocks of cardiovascular health:
- Eat better: Focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, lean proteins and fish, and cut back on sodium, added sugars and highly processed foods.
- Be more active: Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, each week.
- Quit tobacco: Smoking and vaping damage blood vessels, and quitting lowers risk over time.
- Get healthy sleep: Most adults need seven to nine hours a night.
- Manage weight: Even modest weight loss can improve blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar.
- Control cholesterol, manage blood sugar and manage blood pressure: Regular checkups, and medication when a doctor prescribes it, keep these numbers in a healthy range.
On the Gulf Coast, some of those steps come with a local flavor. Fresh Gulf seafood that is grilled, baked or broiled rather than fried, a walk along the Mobile waterfront or through a neighborhood park in the cooler months, and swapping sweet tea for water or unsweetened drinks are small changes that add up.
Helping Someone Else
The Mobile County message emphasizes that heart health is not only about individual choices. Whether residents are caring for themselves or for someone else, there are practical ways to help.
That can mean reminding an aging parent to take blood pressure medication, going with a friend to a screening, cooking a healthier family meal, or simply making sure more people in a household know what to do in an emergency. Because so many cardiac arrests occur at home, one family member who knows CPR can change the outcome for another.
Workplaces and churches can make a difference, too, by keeping an AED on site, making sure staff and volunteers know where it is and how to use it, and hosting CPR training sessions.
Join the Movement in Mobile County
World Heart Day is meant to be more than a date on the calendar. Local organizations, schools and community groups are being encouraged to host events, share resources and support heart health education across the county.
The effort lands during a busy stretch for heart health in the region. The University of South Alabama recently launched its campaign for the 2026 Mobile Heart Walk, which benefits the American Heart Association and is set for Saturday, Nov. 7, outside the USA Mitchell Center, giving residents another way to turn awareness into action this fall.
The takeaway from organizers is simple: check your numbers, learn the warning signs, get trained in CPR and take one small heart-healthy step each day. Together, they say, residents can build a healthier Mobile County one heart at a time.
What Residents Should Know
- Call 911 immediately for chest pain, sudden shortness of breath or signs of stroke. Do not drive yourself to the hospital if emergency help is available.
- Ask your pharmacist or primary care provider about blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar checks.
- Look for CPR classes through local hospitals, fire departments or the American Red Cross.
- Learn where the AED is at your workplace, school or place of worship.
- Start small: a daily walk, one more serving of vegetables or an earlier bedtime all count.