Dubai: A major conference in Dubai will deal with the growing problem of heart failure and its impact on people and society.
"New technology is saving more lives and people suffering from heart failure are living longer," said Dr Nooshin Bazargani, chairperson of the conference and cardiologist at Dubai Hospital.
She said the cost of care for heart failure patients is putting a big burden on the patient, the family and governments. "The management and treatment is very costly," she said.
Heart failure is a leading cause of admission for patients in the UAE and worldwide, she said. Research by the Dubai Heart Centre in Rashid Hospital shows that 50 per cent of heart attack patients admitted to Dubai Hospital suffer from hypertension.
Dr Bazargani advised better risk management by controlling blood pressure and management of diabetes.
Dr Najeeb Al Khaja, secretary general of the Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Medical Sciences, said the quality of life of heart failure patients has improved over the year and they are living longer — by ten to 15 years. But he said heart diseases are the leading cause of deaths in the UAE today.
He said the subject of heart failure has developed into specialities and sub-specialities and this conference, titled "Heart Failure" and running from this Thursday to Saturday, will look into various issues of cardiac diseases and the development of new medical devices to treat and manage the affliction.
Organisers
The conference is being organised by the Shaikh Hamdan Award in collaboration with Dubai Heart Centre at Dubai Hospital, the Dubai Health Authority, and the Heart failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology.
Abdullah Bin Souqat, executive director of the Shaikh Hamdan Award, said upgrading medical services and ensuring the highest levels of efficiency are some of the strategic objectives of the award.
