Marcos to Filipino singles: Take care of your heart

MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has a message especially addressed to all single men and women this love month: take care of your heart.

In a video message, he also encouraged everyone to practice self-love.

“The new Filipino is more careful about his health. So this month of hearts, let’s celebrate loving ourselves,” Marcos said in Filipino in a video posted on his official Instagram account.

“Let’s take care of our [heart] because no one else but you will take care of them, especially if you are single,” he added.

Marcos’ video message also showed snippets of him performing various exercises – running on the treadmill and doing sit-ups and bench presses.

The government has designated February as Philippine Heart Month to urge the public to focus on the importance of heart health.

The Philippine Statistics Authority previously reported that ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular illness, and neoplasms are among the leading causes of mortality in the country between January and September 2022.

Healthcare reform advocate Dr Tony Leachon said last year that age, genetic predisposition, and lifestyle can all contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases.

He recommended avoiding any modifiable risks such as smoking, drinking, and poor diet to lessen the possibility of developing heart disease. He also said that people should keep their blood pressure at or around 140/90 and be wary of the risk of stroke if it rises above 180.

He had urged the public to keep in mind the acronym FAST –facial drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulties, and time – to help detect stroke symptoms during an emergency. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN