India, Sept. 29 -- India's demographic dividend is only as strong as its arteries. On World Heart Day, the pledge is simple: don't miss a beat, and don't let the country miss one either

Every September 29, World Heart Day asks the world to listen to the one organ we notice only when it falters. Founded in 2000 by the World Heart Federation with the WHO, the day endures because its message never ages: cardiovascular disease is the planet's leading killer, claiming nearly 20 million lives a year. More than four in five of those deaths are heart attacks and strokes, and a third strike people younger than 70. This year's campaign, "Don't Miss a Beat", targets the disease's cruellest feature: it often gives no warning until it is too late.

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