'A
New Era for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction,' will take place from December 5. It
is organized under the patronage of H. E. Humaid Mohamed Al Qutami, Health
Minister of the UAE & is being supported by an educational grant from Pfizer.
Leading specialists from the Harvard Medical School Faculty, as well as other
internationally-recognised experts, will attend the event.
The congress will provide an important platform to analyse key new international
studies on the advances in the management of heart diseases, hypertension,
hyperlipidemia and smoking cessation, as well as offering important new research
on local challenges and potential solutions.
New research from the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, USA and the
University of Liverpool, U.K., suggests that globally, after decades of decline,
deaths due to heart disease appear to have levelled off among young men and may
be trending upward in young women.
Researchers believe that this is likely due to poor health habits and the
growing numbers of young people who are overweight or obese. The news is
particularly concerning for medical experts working within the Middle East,
where evidence suggests that the prevalence of mortality and morbidity due to
cardiovascular illness had increased.
'We are entering into a new era in our efforts to reduce the risks associated
with cardiovascular disease, because, on one hand, we are more able to diagnose,
treat and prevent the most prevalent conditions,' said Gilbert Mudge, MD, course
organiser and member of the Harvard Faculty. 'However, it is also the case that
lifestyle changes and demographic factors are playing a major role in increasing
the incidence of cardiovascular disease, particularly in areas like the Middle
East.'
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United Arab Emirates
(41%) and conditions relating to heart disease are prevalent throughout the
Middle East. The prevalence of hypertension in Kuwait, for example, is 26.3%,
compared to 32.1% in Qatar, 45.3% in Egypt and 33% in Oman.
Many Gulf countries also suffer with extremely high rates of diabetes in adults
and children. The United Arab Emirates (20.1% of adults), Qatar (16%), Bahrain
(14.9%), and Kuwait (12.8%) all feature in the international top five countries
for highest percentage of adult sufferers.
While discussing the advances in the management of cardiovascular disease,
delegates at the conference will also examine the challenges and controversies
of hypertension management, new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in
cardiovascular risk management and new opportunities for treating coronary
artery disease as well as new advances in the smoking cessation era.
'Across the GCC, health authorities and hospitals are working together to find
the most effective strategies for dealing with these challenges. We've
deliberately chosen Dubai as the host destination for the 4th consecutive year
because of the major strides that the UAE has made in this area,' added Mudge.
'Pfizer is a long-term partner with Harvard Medical School, as part of our role
of helping drive research and treatment updates,' said Dr. Ahmed El Hakim,
Director of Policy and External Affairs, Pfizer Middle East.
More than 400 experts from across the Middle East and Africa will attend A New
Era for Cardiovascular Risk Reduction conference being held at Dubai's Hyatt
Regency from December 5-6, 2007.
