UAE: Heart diseases on the rise among youth, say doctors

Cases of cardiovascular diseases have been on the rise among the UAE's youth, and many of these lead to heart attacks and stroke, medical experts have said.

According to the World Health Organisation, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality globally, accounting for 17.9 million deaths annually.

Doctors from the UAE’s private hospitals noted a trend where majority of the cases fall among the age group of 30 to 50 years.

Dr Bilal Kabeer Khan, cardiology specialist at Ahalia Hospital, Mussafah, said that over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic change in people's lifestyles, thus leading to an increase in cases of heart diseases.

“The impact on the activity, diet and lifestyle of its populations has led to greater incidence of diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol. This has led to higher incidence of heart disease.”

In the past years, the UAE Health Future Study and UAE National Health Survey showed that the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in the young population — aged 18 to 40 years — is quite high.

The risk factors for heart disease are grouped into two major categories. The first category is non-modifiable risk factors like age, gender and a family history of heart disease.

The second category of risk factors covers modifiable risk factors — diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking, lack of exercise and excessive stress.

“The risk factors for heart disease are interconnected and each additional risk factor increases the risk of heart disease exponentially. These risk factors, if left uncontrolled, eventually lead to heart disease,” Dr Khan pointed out.

Dr Jairam K. Aithal, consultant interventional cardiology and programme director, NMC Healthcare, underlined that almost 35 to 40 per cent of deaths in the UAE are from heart attacks or strokes.

“In the UAE, heart attacks affected us almost a decade before most other countries. Changing lifestyles, smoking, and increased incidence of obesity and diabetes in the younger population lead to more immature heart attacks,” Dr Aithal said on the occasion of World Heart Day, which falls on September 29.

Impact of Covid-19 pandemic

Dr Khan noted that globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has affected cardiovascular health adversely.

Step 5: Know your numbers. Visit your physician regularly and keep track of your blood pressures, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.