Urgent need to reverse cardio-metabolic diseases: Shaikh Nahyan

The 4th American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Dubai, A4M Dubai, held under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, opened on Tuesday at the Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa, in Dubai.

In his opening address to the three-day event, after welcoming attendees, Shaikh Nahyan highlighted the importance of lowering incidents of cardiovascular disease, a major killer around the world, and how vital it is that research is maintained into innovation and methodology in the field.

Shaikh Nahyan said to the delegates, "I hope that your visit to our country for this International Anti-Aging Conference in Dubai will help us age in a safe and healthy way. Although we are doing our best, our best has not yet been good enough. I regret to say that a large percentage of our people die before they should, victims of cardiovascular disease, our leading cause of death. Your three-day discussion of that disease is of paramount relevance to the United Arab Emirates. We have a vital interest in reversing cardio-metabolic diseases. If that can be done with nutritional and functional interventions, so much the better."

Shaikh Nahyan went on to say that the UAE welcomes all research-based advice that will help improve the well-being and prosperity of the UAE. "Our leaders have, from the beginning, sought the best advice of world experts in all fields. They considered that advice carefully and acted in a fully informed fashion. The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has said, 'Our success will be measured by our ability to use the resources and competitive advantages available to us to truly achieve the status of a leading global economy.' We recognise that our world is full of valuable resources, and we intend to use them all wisely."

Shaikh Nahyan explained that the UAE has designated the year 2015 as the National Year of Innovation, saying that innovation and entrepreneurship have fueled the growth of the nation, and as such, the healthcare experts assembled for the conference are likewise committed to innovation and entrepreneurship.

"You are developing new and effective ways for keeping us healthy and for helping us avoid many of the maladies that we traditionally associate with aging. Going beyond conventional medical practices, you are courageously taking the risks of pioneers. You are taking advantage of the latest and best scientific research, particularly that in the field of genetics. We in the UAE have seen that innovative research put to work at the DNA Centre for Integrative Medicine and Wellness founded by Dr. Nasim Ashraf on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi."

Shaikh Nahyan went on to say that the attendees are representing an industry dedicated to healthcare rather than ailments, bringing the benefit of examinations, testing, diagnoses, prescriptions, treatment, and advice.

"You have the knowledge and skill to be a moving force in the reshaping of attitudes that encourage young people to develop the best, most healthy habits. Without those habits, our youth will become the statistics that provoke future conferences of this sort. I fervently hope that international conferences such as yours beginning today will help the UAE and the many other countries around the world raise new generations of healthy-eating, vigorously exercising, prevention-oriented young men and women who in a leaner, more fit era will know of such conferences only by way of historical research," he said.

Shaikh Nahyan concluded by saying that health care is a global endeavour, one in which scientists and professionals collaborate across national boundaries for the purpose of improving global health. "The conference recognises the fact that nations all over the world share the same challenges and concerns and that we can learn from successful experiences everywhere. With regional and international partnerships, we can share our own efforts and participate in all useful developments."

• Dubai