On World Heart Day, over 150 students of the State University of Medicine and Pharmaceutics “Nicolae Testemitanu” staged a Heart Beat March, walking the road from the university’s central block to the Public Garden “Stephan the Great” to show that 100 steps a day are needed for a healthy heart. The march ended at the God’s Birth Cathedral, where the students formed a heart and released balloons into the sky, IPN reports.

The Heart Beat March was initiated by the university’s Communication and Public Relations Service. Alina Timotin, a member of the organizational team, said the event is aimed at promoting a healthy lifestyle among the population, especially walking and fruit eating, so as to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Eugeniu Deminet, first-year student at the Faculty of Pharmacy, said the students shared out leaflets to passersby, informing them about the steps that must be taken for a healthy life. “50% of Moldova’s population suffers from diseases of the cardiovascular system. By this march, we call on the people to take care of their health as there are many noxious things today, including smoking and alcohol,” he stated.

Veronica Grozavu, second-year students at the General Medicine Department, said the passersby received also by an apple from the participants in the march. “We are the future doctors and those who are responsible for the people’s health. We tell the people that an apple a day is equal to a healthy heart for life,” she noted.

Serghei Suman, pro-dean of the Faculty of Medicine No. 1, said that such marches must be staged as often as possible so as to exclude major risks of heart disease. He stated that according to the World Health Organization, this disease is among the top diseases in the list. He recommended eating an apple a day, drinking two liters of water a day, and avoiding eating too much sugar and salt.

The cardiovascular diseases in Moldova account for about 57.5% of all the deaths. The main risk factors for these diseases are: high blood pressure, overweight, the high level of cholesterol in blood, smoking, drinking of alcohol and a sedentary lifestyle.

The march was organized by the State University of Medicine and Pharmaceutics “Nicolae Testemitanu” in cooperation with the Association of Medical Students and Residents with the support of the World Health Organization and the National Health Insurance Company.