Third of UAE's male population suffers from heart diseases

The most common health complaint for both Emiratis and expatriates in the UAE is cardiovascular disease.

I.H., 54, has a history of chronic heart disease, including a severely hardened valve that makes the heart work harder and weaken in the long run.
I.H. is just one among a third of the male population who suffer from health ailments, according to the UAE Men's Health Alliance. With the World Heart Day marked on September 29, statistics from the Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (HAAD) have revealed that the issue remains of utmost importance.
The most common health complaint for both Emiratis and expatriates in the UAE is cardiovascular disease. A recently published statement from the American Heart Association and World Heart Federation (WHF) shows that premature deaths from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) could rise by a third by 2025 worldwide. The rise for the patients in the Middle East and North Africa is estimated to be 32 per cent in women and 35 per cent in men.
While doctors at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi saved I.H. with a timely surgery, many others have symptoms that go undetected for years.
Dr Pradeep Kumar Gupta, consultant cardiologist, Saif and IBHO Hospital, Ras Al Khaimah, said a huge number of residents have risk factors such as obesity, hypertension and cholesterol. "There are no symptoms for these risk factors," he said.
He said there were two ways to detect heart diseases such as including community screening and monitoring of patients by healthcare professionals. "Heart disease needs to be tackled through a holistic approach and people need counselling to stop consumption of trans fats, junk food, smoking and dietary modification," he added.
The WHF also issued a global policy call to governments around the world to implement reliable and fit for purpose surveillance and monitoring systems for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in order to better prevent, treat and control the world's biggest killer.
Dr Salim Yusuf, president, WHF, said: "We are calling on governments to reinforce their commitment to preventing premature deaths by taking some key steps toward better surveillance of their populations."
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com