Cardiac arrhythmias, which are conditions related to abnormalities in heart rate and/or rhythm, are a growing public health concern worldwide. The prevalence of the most common of these conditions, atrial fibrillation (AF), has increased significantly rising from 33.5 million cases in 2010 to 59 million cases in 2019.

Early detection is key to the prevention of complications arising from cardiac arrhythmias, which include stroke and heart failure. Therefore, increasing public knowledge of these conditions is essential to empower individuals to understand, detect and address them effectively.

Pulse Day is an annual global initiative dedicated at raising public awareness about cardiac arrhythmias. It aims to inspire people everywhere to take simple yet impactful steps towards protecting their heart health, such as becoming more informed about their heart’s rhythm, checking their pulse regularly, and seeking medical advice whenever an irregularity is detected.

Pulse Day is held annually on the 1st of March (1/3), to serve as a reminder that 1 in 3 people worldwide is at risk of developing a cardiac arrhythmia during their lifetime.