ABU DHABI // Doctors at a symposium warned of the hidden risks of cardiac disease, which can come without symptoms, leaving people unaware that they have it until they have strokes or heart attacks. Medical professionals met at Al Raha Beach Hotel on Friday to discuss how to prevent and raise awareness of cardiovascular disease. It causes 28 per cent of all deaths in the UAE and is the country's most prevalent preventable killer.
"Cardiovascular disease is one of the biggest problems in the world," said Dr Norbert Augustin, chairman of the hospital's department of cardiac sciences. "Most patients are not aware that they have a problem. You don't feel it. There are no symptoms." The risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol, Dr Augustin said. "Usually it is a silent risk. It's a big problem. You could have a problem for years, which could affect the whole body, including the heart and the brain."
Dr Sherif Baker, a consultant cardiologist from the hospital, made his point more bluntly than other speakers. "Obesity equals heart disease equals death," he said. While he acknowledged that genetics play a role in the prevalence of heart disease in the UAE, he blamed a modern lifestyle for the damage people inflict on their bodies. "Eating is the most important pleasure now in life," he said. "God didn't create us for McDonald's. He created us for a productive life."
Dr Abdulrazak Alkaddour said stop-smoking campaigns should focus on shisha as well as cigarettes. "One hour of shisha has 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke from a single cigarette," he said. He called for anti-smoking advertisements on cigarette packages similar to those mandated in Canada, which graphically illustrate the dangers of smoking. Cigarette sales have fallen in Canada since the warnings were introduced.
Dr Augustin said doctors need to tell their patients more about how to be healthy. "We want to encourage and educate the doctors with these lectures to persuade patients to take care of their health," he said Most people are aware their habits are unhealthy, he said. But doctors need to explain what they can do to make themselves healthier. amcmeans@thenational.ae