Each year, National Heart Month is observed in February and Abu Dhabi 360, the recently launched emirate-wide wellness program, has partnered with Livehealthy to make sure you know how and why you should invest in your heart health. But first. What is cardiovascular disease? Cardiovascular disease, or heart disease, is the leading cause of death worldwide. An estimated 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2019, representing a staggering 32 percent of all global deaths.