DUBAI // More effective methods of prevention are required to reduce cardiovascular disease, doctors at Dubai's Rashid Hospital say.
Earlier screenings would enable doctors to better detect the onset of hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol - all of which are risk factors for heart disease, said Dr Fahad Baslaib, a consultant interventional cardiologist and the director of the cardiology department.
Last year, there were 400 open-heart surgeries and 3,100 angiography and angioplasty cases at the hospital, the latter of which consists of X-raying and widening blocked arteries.
A fifth of the 3,100 patients who were X-rayed or had their arteries unblocked were Emirati; more than half the total were smokers. Many patients were also found to have diabetes, hypertension and a high cholesterol.
"What we need to do is increase awareness to the public and to the doctors. We need to promote regular screenings with a doctor as well as a healthy lifestyle."
Part of the problem is unhealthy eating and exercise habits, said Dr Obaid Al Jassim, a consultant cardiac surgeon and head of the cardiothoracic surgery department. "While many of the 400 open-heart surgeries were the result of congenital heart disease, a significant number were still linked to poor lifestyle."