High cholesterol affects more than half of UAE adults

Dubai: More than half of adults in the UAE have high cholesterol, and blood sugar levels are rising, even as obesity, smoking and high blood pressure become less prevalent, according to the National Health Survey 2024–2025 released by the Ministry of Health and Prevention.

The survey, which covered 9,997 households, revealed improvements across several major health indicators compared with 2017–2018, but also identified persistent concerns over cardiovascular risk factors, excessive salt consumption and low participation in cancer screening programmes.

Obesity fell from 27.8 per cent to 22.4 per cent, while smoking declined from 9.1 per cent to 8.7 per cent. The prevalence of high blood pressure also dropped, from 28.8 per cent to 25.9 per cent.

Yet the proportion of adults with high cholesterol rose sharply, from 43.7 per cent to 54.2 per cent, while elevated fasting blood glucose increased from 11.8 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

The findings highlight a mixed picture of the nation's health, with progress in some preventable risk factors accompanied by growing challenges in others.

The proportion of adults with three or more major health risk factors declined from 52.5 per cent to 44.5 per cent, suggesting broader progress in reducing risks associated with non-communicable diseases.

High cholesterol emerged as one of the most significant concerns in the survey, affecting 54.2 per cent of adults, compared with 43.7 per cent in 2017–2018.

A further 28.7 per cent had elevated triglyceride levels, while average total cholesterol increased from 182.3 to 190.6 milligrams per decilitre.

The prevalence of high cholesterol increased with age.

Among adults previously diagnosed with high cholesterol, 82.4 per cent reported taking their prescribed medication during the two weeks preceding the survey.

However, 23 per cent of adults had never undergone a cholesterol test, highlighting a gap in preventive health screening.

Elevated fasting blood glucose also became more prevalent, increasing from 11.8 per cent to 12.5 per cent.

In contrast, the prevalence of impaired fasting glucose declined from 11.7 per cent to 5.9 per cent.

The survey found that 18.3 per cent of adults had never had their blood sugar tested, while 90.4 per cent of those diagnosed with diabetes reported taking their medication during the previous two weeks.

High blood pressure showed a more encouraging trend, falling to 25.9 per cent from 28.8 per cent.

Nevertheless, 16 per cent of adults had never had their blood pressure measured. Among those previously diagnosed with hypertension, 94.9 per cent reported taking their medication during the two weeks before the survey.

The UAE recorded a 5.4-percentage-point decline in obesity, with prevalence falling from 27.8 per cent to 22.4 per cent.

The survey also reported that 66.7 per cent of adults were overweight.

Excess weight was more common among men, while obesity was more prevalent among women.

Rates of excess weight increased with age, reaching their highest levels among adults aged 45 and above.

The findings suggest progress in tackling obesity, although unhealthy weight remains a significant public health concern.

Physical activity was another area of improvement.

The proportion of adults failing to meet recommended physical activity levels declined from 70.8 per cent in 2017–2018 to 59.1 per cent in 2024–2025.

According to the report, the improvement means the UAE has achieved its physical activity target for 2030 ahead of schedule.

However, insufficient physical activity remained more widespread among women, affecting 68.7 per cent, compared with 51.5 per cent of men.

Among Emiratis, the rate stood at 67.6 per cent, compared with 54.4 per cent among non-Emiratis.

Respondents identified several factors that would encourage them to exercise more, including greater access to public parks, dedicated exercise time during working hours and gyms located closer to residential areas.

Smoking prevalence edged down from 9.1 per cent to 8.7 per cent, continuing an improvement in one of the major preventable causes of chronic disease.

Smoking remained substantially more common among men, with a prevalence of 13.7 per cent, compared with 2.4 per cent among women.

Adults aged 18 to 29 recorded the highest smoking rate, at 9.8 per cent.

The median age at which smokers began using tobacco was 21, although the survey recorded cases of people starting at just eight years old.

Manufactured cigarettes accounted for 66.5 per cent of tobacco products used by daily smokers, followed by electronic cigarettes at 13.7 per cent and medwakh at 13.6 per cent.

The report indicated that changing tobacco consumption patterns, particularly among younger adults, require continued adjustments to tobacco-control policies and public awareness campaigns.

The survey identified excessive salt consumption as another persistent health concern.

Adults consumed an average of 10 grams of salt daily, twice the maximum intake recommended by the World Health Organisation.

Nearly three in 10 adults, or 29.2 per cent, reported adding salt or salty sauces to their food while eating, while 39.8 per cent used them during cooking.

Excessive salt intake is a recognised risk factor for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

The survey also recorded self-reported prevalence rates of 1.1 per cent for cardiovascular diseases, 1.1 per cent for chronic lung diseases, 3.1 per cent for arthritis, 0.7 per cent for cataracts and 0.1 per cent for stroke.

Eye health screening also remained uneven.

Four per cent of respondents reported blurred vision, while 3.6 per cent experienced sensitivity to light. Meanwhile, 31 per cent had never undergone an eye examination by a specialist.

Despite improvements in other health indicators, the survey highlighted substantial gaps in early cancer detection.

Only 36.4 per cent of women aged 40 and above had ever undergone a mammogram.

Lack of awareness was the most frequently reported barrier to breast cancer screening, cited by 51 per cent, followed by fear of being diagnosed with cancer.

Cervical cancer screening showed progress, with the proportion of women aged 30 to 49 who had ever undergone screening rising from 14.6 per cent to 24.4 per cent.

However, colorectal cancer screening remained particularly low.

Just 5.6 per cent of adults aged 40 and above reported having undergone a colorectal cancer screening test.

The rate was 9.6 per cent among Emiratis and 2.8 per cent among non-Emiratis.

The report identified limited awareness and the belief that screening is necessary only after symptoms appear as major reasons for avoiding the tests.

These findings underscore the need to strengthen public understanding of preventive screening and early diagnosis.

The survey found that 0.4 per cent of adults reported experiencing symptoms of depression during the preceding year, with a higher prevalence among women.

Among those who reported depression, 17.5 per cent had taken medication for treatment, while 20 per cent had received psychological counselling.

The report identified low rates of seeking professional support as an area requiring attention.

Most respondents reported relatively few difficulties with routine physical activities.

About 90.8 per cent said they experienced no mobility difficulties, while 88.7 per cent reported no problems performing strenuous physical activities.

Among adults aged 60 and above, however, between 30 and 40 per cent experienced difficulties with certain daily activities, particularly walking and climbing stairs.

More than 96 per cent of respondents expressed satisfaction with their health, relationships and living conditions.

Financial confidence was more limited, with 41.9 per cent reporting feeling completely financially secure.

Access to healthcare was among the strongest indicators recorded by the national survey.

About 96.6 per cent of adults reported being able to seek or obtain healthcare when needed.

Patient satisfaction reached 97.5 per cent for inpatient services and 98.6 per cent for outpatient care.

The survey found that 3.9 per cent of respondents had spent at least one night in hospital during the preceding year, rising to 6.9 per cent among adults aged 60 and above.

Average travel time to healthcare facilities was 27.8 minutes for inpatient services and 24.2 minutes for outpatient care.

Private hospitals accounted for 67.8 per cent of reported outpatient visits, compared with 31.9 per cent for government hospitals.

The Ministry of Health and Prevention's report concluded that the UAE had made measurable progress in reducing obesity, smoking, hypertension and insufficient physical activity.

However, rising cholesterol levels, excessive salt consumption and limited participation in cancer screening continue to present challenges.

The survey emphasised the importance of using its findings to update national health strategies, strengthen prevention and early detection, and reduce the risk factors associated with non-communicable diseases.