Emirati Heart Deaths Rising

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi to Commission Survey into Causes as 29 September’s World Heart Day Fast Approaches; Findings will Support Hospital’s “Love Your Heart” Campaign

​Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, the region’s leading heart care hospital, is to commission a survey into the root causes of Emirati heart deaths, in an attempt to stem the rise in cardiovascular disease (CVD), the nation’s number one killer.

CVD, which includes stroke and heart attack, continues to be the leading cause of death in the UAE, with the disease accounting for 34.9 percent of all deaths in 2015, according to the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD).

The Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi survey has been designed to allow the acute care hospital’s caregivers to better understand UAE nationals’ knowledge and attitudes regarding CVD. 

“Our survey will focus squarely on UAE nationals’ attitudes toward control and management of the disease.  If we can shift their thinking about how lifestyle affects individual outcomes, then we can move the entire society toward a healthier, more sustainable future,” said Dr. Johannes Bonatti, chief of the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

According to the World Heart Federation, CVD kills more than 17.3 million people a year, with the disease accounting for 31 per cent of all deaths globally, making it the number one cause of death in the world today.

World Heart Day was founded in 2000 by the World Heart Federation, which is based in Geneva, Switzerland, to spread awareness about CVD.

Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is marking World Heart Day, which is held every year on September 29, with its own theme of “Love Your Heart”. 

The results of the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi CVD survey will be announced next month.