A series of events is being held tomorrow at Mater Dei Hospital to underline the importance of looking after one’s heart.

Within the main foyer, the Malta Medical Student Association will be assessing the risk of heart attacks by checking weight and body mass index with an ideal weight calculation, waist circumference, blood sugar and blood pressure.

The Health Promotion Unit will also be on site with a stand explaining the importance of weight control, diet, exercise, smoke cessation, diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol control.

The Catheterisation Suite within the yellow zone at level -1, where coronary angiograms, stents, pacemakers and valve implantations (TAVIs) are performed, as well as the Cardiac Lab at outpatients level 1, where exercise stress tests, echocardiograms, holters and blood pressure monitors are carried out, will be open to the public. Professional health carers will be on site explaining the various procedures as well as demonstrating the equipment and devices.

Public lectures will be delivered at the ground floor lecture room, opposite the chapel entrance, starting at 11am. Consultant cardiologist Alex Borg will be talking about how prevalent heart attacks are. Paula Vassallo, director of the Health Promotion Unit, will be explaining what measures can be taken to prevent heart attacks and strokes while Robert Xuereb, president of the Maltese Cardiac Society and chairman of the Department of Cardiology, will address the audience on the latest in heart care at Mater Dei Hospital.

■ The event is being held tomorrow at Mater Dei Hospital between 9am and noon. Entrance is free. It is supported by Novartis.