Gulf COAST, a first-of-its-kind study focusing on Gulf citizens, reaches 1500 enrollees
Dubai, UAE - The Gulf COAST Registry is proud to announce an enrollment milestone with1500 patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome (ACS) now enrolled in a study that will assess the incidence, risk factors and treatment of ACS across the GCC.
Due to the high prevalence of ACS in the region,[1] the study enrollment has progressed quickly, already achieving more than 33 percent of the target. The study will follow an expected 4,000 patients from across 35 hospitals in the region, who will be admitted with a diagnosis of ACS, a leading form of heart disease associated with cardiovascular events such as heart attack. Gulf COAST will track each patient enrolled in the study, from the time they are admitted to the hospital, through discharge and beyond, for up to one year.
"For a person suffering from ACS, there are many reasons to participate in the Gulf COAST registry. We are very pleased to have come this far in such a short period of time and look forward to welcoming further patients to participate in the revolutionary Gulf COAST registry," said Dr. Abdulla Shehab, UAE Gulf COAST Coordinator and Vice President of the Emirates Cardiac Society. "Study enrollees will help us gain a better understanding of ACS, provide valuable insight to improve quality of life with ACS, and ultimately, improve health outcomes for ACS patients."
"The Gulf COAST registry is an important step for both the UAE and the region. Heart disease disproportionately affects our region, with the average age of acute coronary syndrome patients across the Middle East a decade younger compared with the West, and this study will help us understand why," continued Dr. Shehab. "While significant global data exist, we don't have the data necessary to better understand and address the needs of our own citizens suffering with ACS. Each enrollee in the Gulf COAST registry will take us one step closer to improved care for the Gulf's ACS patients."
"Working alongside our local partners such as the Emirates Cardiac Society and the investigators of the Gulf COAST study, it is a clear example of how we can put patients' long-term wellbeing at the centre of our endeavours. Gulf COAST will improve the life expectancy of ACS patients in the region," expressed Samer Al Hallaq, President, AstraZeneca Gulf. "AstraZeneca is committed to supporting healthcare professionals and provide the best possible care for patients, and ensuring that they are supported throughout their disease management and treatment. We hope for the continued success of the study and look forward to helping more patients in the future."
Gulf COAST is supervised by a 17-member study Steering Committee of senior cardiologists and leading experts from the four countries and an international scholar from the United States. Enrollment will continue throughout 2012, with data analysis taking place in 2013.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a primary focus on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory and inflammation, oncology and infectious disease. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. For more information please visit: www.astrazeneca.com.
For further information, please contact:
Natacha Raphael
Area Communications Lead
AstraZeneca - Middle East & Africa
Natacha.Raphael@astrazeneca.com
+971 504207764
Laura Sheahan
Account Executive
Edelman
Laura.Sheahan@edelman.com
+971 504461517
[1] Zubaid, Rased, Almahmeed, Al-lawati, Sulaiman, Al-Motarreb, Amin, Al Suwaidi, Alhabib. Management and outcomes of Middle Eastern patients admitted with acute coronary syndromes in the Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE). Acta Cardiol, 2009; 64(4): 439-440.
© Press Release 2012
