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Dohms puts spotlight on healthy living
DUBAI - The Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms) has planned a month-long programme of events and activities to mark World Heart Day and to promote healthy living among the general public,
With an emphasis on spreading the message to women. This year’s theme for World Heart Day as outlined by the World Heart Federation is “Women, heart disease and stroke”.
A walkathon will take place on October 24, which will kick off from Al Seef Road opposite the British embassy. The Dohms is extending an invitation to everyone, young and old, to take part in the five-mile walkathon, designed to raise people’s awareness of the need for a regular exercise to combat the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The Dohms is also planning a public meeting on the issue at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry next month.
The Dohms is also planning three public meetings and lectures for women only on October 8, 16 and 22.
Although women, due to the presence of certain female hormones, have a natural protection against heart disease and stroke, such natural protection is lost at a young age if a woman is a smoker or if she has diabetes. In fact, 16 per cent of women suffering stroke die as a result, compared to only eight per cent of men.
Dr Afzal Hussein Yusuf Ali, Consultant Cardiologist at Dubai Hospital, emphasised that half of all deaths in women over 50 in developing countries is due to heart disease or stroke, while only one-third of deaths in women over 50 in the developed countries are attributed to heart disease and stroke.
In the UAE, 35 per cent of deaths are due to heart disease compared to only 18 per cent of deaths due to traffic accidents. In fact, statistics show that this alarming rise in fatalities due to cardiac disease has been steadily rising over the last three to four years.
Dr Joseph Muscat Baron, Medical Dean at Dubai Medical College and Consultant Cardiologist at Dubai Hospital, said the primary aim of World Heart Day and the activities planned by the Dohms is to spread the message to healthy members of the community to make sure they change habits that place them at a greater risk of developing diabetes, hypertension and becoming obese, all of which increase the likelyhood of heart disease and stroke.
Dr Najeeb Al Khaja, Director of the Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery Centre at Dubai Hospital, emphasised that the negative impact of high blood pressure and diabetes in women is greater than it is in men, with the risk of failure during surgery greater in women than in men.
Dr Abdel Razak Madani, Director of Dubai Hospital, stressed the responsibility of the media in getting the message across to the public all over the UAE, stressing that UAE nationals, even in rural areas, suffer from an exceptionally high incidence rate of diabetes, with 24 per cent of UAE citizens and 20 per cent of expatriates suffering from this disease.
“Many people are diabetic but do not even know it because they do not get tested. Being overweight or having a family history of diabetes places you at greater risk of developing this disease which in turn places you at greater risk of developing cardio-vascular disease. It is important to get a check up at least once a year if you are completely healthy,” Dr Abdul Razak said.
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