CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

A Cuban President of the World Heart Association

CUBA, July 7, 2010.- Dr. Eduardo Rivas Estany of Cuba, has been elected President of the "Friends of the Heart Around the World" Society, in recognition of his dedication to this field and extended to Cuban cardiology.

This NGO promotes international efforts in cardiovascular prevention and rehabilitation, reports the Infomed Telematics Network.

Rivas Estany is Assistant Professor and Researcher, Head of the Rehabilitation Department of the Institute of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery of Havana, under the Ministry of Public Health.

Cuba has a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program in the community, dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery of patients, including care for children with congenital heart disease, for which the network is developing the pediatric cardiology network which has helped reduce the rate of infant mortality.

Cardiology services are also available in all provinces, and cardiology centres in western, central and eastern parts of the country with advanced technology and specialized medical treatment at the level of developed nations.

Rivas Estany told AIN that heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and the premature incapacity of the labor force in many countries.

Cuba is no exception to this reality and 30 percent of deaths each year are due to cardiovascular disease, of which cardiopathic ischemia is the most frequent, he said.

For this reason he insists on the importance of prevention, since smoking, sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, high in fat and carbohydrates, among other causes, have increased cardiovascular disease on the planet.(Cubaminrex – Granma)