Dubai Health Authority Screening Events Run Across Dubai Ahead of World Heart Day on September 29 with Support of Sponsor Novartis
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Thousands of UAE residents have benefitted from free risk factor screenings and education at seven events held across the country as part of this year's World Heart Day, drawing attention to the burden of cardiovascular disease in the Emirates.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world's largest killers, claiming 17.1 million lives a year. Risk factors of heart disease and stroke include high blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, smoking, inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables, obesity and physical inactivity, according to Dr Fahad Baslaib, president of the Emirates Cardiac Society.
"Cardiovascular disease is very common, especially in the UAE, and is the leading cause of death worldwide. The sad fact is that 80 percent of these deaths are preventable," Dr Baslaib added.
CVD is the leading cause of mortality in the Emirates, accounting for 28.7 percent of all deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (1). Prevalence data cited by UAE doctors suggests that up to 27.9 percent of the country's population over the age of 18 suffer from high blood pressure (2), which is known as the 'silent killer' because it has no obvious symptoms, but increases the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes. The UAE has also seen an explosion of diabetes cases recently, with a staggering near 20 percent of Emiratis suffering from the disease (3).
"The main risk factors for developing cardiovascular disease are diabetes, hypertension, obesity and smoking especially in the UAE, all exacerbated by the sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle that people here have become accustomed to," continued Dr Baslaib, who is also Head of the Cardiology Unit at Rashid Hospital.
Dr Baslaib suggests that the best approach to preventing these unnecessary deaths is lifestyle modification such as increased movement and quitting smoking, in conjunction with appropriate medication to mitigate the risks. Detecting and controlling the main risk factors through routine checkups and screening programs such as these will allow for treatment and ultimately the prevention of related complications such as cardiovascular disease.
According to the World Heart Federation, smoking increases the risk of stroke and coronary heart disease by 100 percent, and a smoker that quits can reduce their risk of CVD to almost that of someone who has never smoked (4). The data also suggests that walking two hours per week reduces the incidence of premature death from CVD by up to 53 percent (5).
The screening campaign was initiated on September 20 at the DHA headquarters, followed by events at Dubai International Airport, Deira City Center, Dubai Hospital, Rashid Hospital and finally at a labor camp in Jebel Ali on September 29 to mark World Heart Day.
Novartis, the campaign's main sponsor, is planning to expand the screening events to incorporate other centers as well as Dubai government hospitals to implement the biggest structured screening to ever take place in the Emirates, reaching over 5000 people.
All events have been supported by Novartis, as part of the company's commitment to early diagnosis and treatment of CVD, in collaboration with the DHA and the Emirates Cardiac Society.
A breakdown of CVD deaths in the UAE shows that acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) make up 28 percent of these deaths, cerebrovascular disease (stroke), 16.2 percent, hypertensive disease (high blood pressure) 13.0 percent and ischemic heart disease (heart failure) 12.3 percent (1).
Research:
[1] Country Cooperation Strategy for WHO and the United Arab Emirates 2005-2009. www.who.int/countryfocus/cooperation_strategy/ccs_are_en.pdf
[2] The prevalence of hypertension in different geographical regions of Saudi Arabia. Annals of Saudi Medicine.1998;18 (5):401-7.
[3] El-Sharkawy T 'Diabetes in United Arab Emirates and other Arab Countries: Need for epidemiological and genetic studies'. Genetic Disorders in the Arab World: United Arab Emirates Centre for Arab Genomic Studies (CAGS); 2004., 1:
[4] World Heart Federation, Cardiovascular disease risk factors - Tobacco
http://www.world-heart-federation.org/cardiovascular-health/cardiovascular-disease-risk-factors/tobacco/
[5] World Heart Federation, Cardiovascular disease risk factors - Physical inactivity
http://www.world-heart-federation.org/cardiovascular-health/cardiovascular-disease-risk-factors/physical-inactivity/
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About Novartis:
Novartis provides healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies. Focused solely on healthcare Novartis offers a diversified portfolio to best meet these needs: innovative medicines, cost-saving generic pharmaceuticals, preventive vaccines, diagnostic tools and consumer health products. Novartis is the only company with leading positions in these areas. In 2010, the Group's continuing operations achieved net sales of USD 50.6 billion, while approximately USD 9.1 billion (USD 8.1 billion excluding impairment and amortization charges) was invested in R&D throughout the Group. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Novartis Group companies employ approximately 119,000 full-time-equivalent associates (including 16,700 Alcon associates) and operate in more than 140 countries around the world. For more information, please visit http://www.novartis.com
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© Press Release 2011
