Thousands of UAE residents have benefitted from free blood pressure screening and education at nine events held across the country in private companies, hospitals and shopping malls as part of this year’s World Hypertension Day, which is being sponsored globally by Novartis.
Prevalence data cited by UAE doctors suggests that up to 27.9 percent of the country’s population over the age of 18 suffers from high blood pressure [1], which is known as the ‘silent killer’ because it has no obvious symptoms, but increases the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes.
UAE doctors recommend annual screening for high blood pressure from the age of 18 for healthy individuals, and more frequently for those with obesity, stress and a family history of hypertension – all of which can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle and taking regular exercise.
“Once people reach 18 years of age then they should have their blood pressure measured yearly to determine whether they are hypertensive. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for developing heart disease, stroke, kidney problems and diabetes, all of which reduce life expectancy,” said Dr. Fadila Mohammed Sharif, Consultant Family Physician, Sharjah Medical District, UAE Ministry of Health.
“Ninety percent of people who have hypertension do not show any symptoms, which is why regular screening is essential. A lot of hypertension is related to weight gain and when people lose the weight their blood pressure comes down. We do not ask patients to go on a diet, we ask them to change their lifestyle,” added Dr. Fekry El Deeb, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist, Head of Cardiology at International Modern Hospital, Dubai.
International Modern Hospital is one of three other Dubai-based organizations that held public awareness events and offered free screening on May 17 as part of this year’s World Hypertension Day. The other organisations who took part were DUBAL, Dubai Aluminium Company, and Belhoul European Hospital.
Last week Sharjah Medical District screened more than 500 shoppers visiting Mega Mall and Sahara Centre for hypertension and handed out educational material as part of a broader health awareness campaign, which also covered asthma and Thalassemia. Similar activities were also held at Sharjah’s Kuwait and Al Qassimi Hospitals.
Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi around 300 employees at Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) Ruwais, took part in a health awareness day, which involved blood pressure testing, as did 500 employees at Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO).
“The ADCO medical clinic looks after 16,000 people, including employees and their families, and from our medical records we know that high blood pressure is one of our major health problems. This is why we are focusing on raising awareness and offering screening for hypertension as part of our annual health day,” said Dr. Salah Al-msabi, Chief Medical Officer and Occupational Physician Consultant, ADCO.
All nine events have been supported of Novartis, the global sponsors for this year’s World Hypertension Day, as part of the company’s commitment to early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
“Globally about seven million people die every year because of high blood pressure, often simply because they were not diagnosed early enough. This is why Novartis is dedicated to raising public awareness of hypertension and ensuring that people are screened, diagnosed and treated as soon possible, so helping to prevent the onset of chronic diseases that claim lives,” said Dr. Ahmed Amin, Medical Director, Novartis Middle East.
International guidelines recommend that blood pressure levels should be kept below 140/80 mmHg in non-diabetic patients and 130/80 mmHg in diabetic patients.
