People die of heart attacks much younger in the UAE

World Cardiology Congress begins in Dubai outlining solutions for the growing health risk

People in the UAE die of heart attacks almost 20 years earlier than the rest of the world, experts revealed.

“The threshold for cardiac arrest and cardiovascular disease (CVD) worldwide is 65 years, while people in the UAE are suffering from the CVD at the age of 45,” said Dr Abdullah Shehab, chairman of the Emirates Cardiac Society.

He spoke to Gulf News on the sidelines of the World Cardiac Congress which opened in Dubai yesterday.

The four day-congress was inaugurated by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council.

Professor David A Wood, president of the World Heart Foundation, in his keynote address, stressed the need to formulating a call to action by politicians and policymakers.

“The probability of dying after a heart attack is four or five times higher in many middleand low-income countries, compared to higher income countries. Our priorities at World Heart Federation are secondary prevention for CVD patients, primary prevention for those at high risk of developing CVD and primordial prevention in the population specifically focused on tobacco.”

Humaid Al Qutami, chairman of the Dubai Health Authority (DHA), welcomed the 4,000 delegates from 90 countries at

the conference. “Globally, heart disease is the leading cause of death and it’s of critical importance that the discussions and scientific papers presented here from experts will help provide a clearer solution to the challenges and solutions in cardiology,” he said.

“The DHA has established an International Cardiology and Research Centre that aims to become the preferred destination for those looking for quality

cardiology treatment,” he added. The four-day congress will see 600 speakers present over 200 scientific papers.

“It is a matter of honour that Dubai is hosting the congress for the second time in six years, as no other country has won this bid twice. This is a testament to the work we are doing on CVD here in the UAE,” said Dr Fahd Baslaib, interventional cardiologist and CEO at Rashid Hospital.