More than half of UAE residents have been affected by heart disease during their lifetime, according to a new study.
The survey of more than a thousand UAE residents revealed that 55% of respondents had been directly affected by heart disease (12%), having a close friend or family member diagnosed with heart disease (53%), or both.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the UAE, with symptoms in patients often occurring a decade earlier than their counterparts in other developed nations.
Despite high levels of awareness, 53% of residents reported they have not had their heart health checked for over two years, with almost one third (30%) saying they had never done so.
The most common risk factors reported were high blood pressure (46%), stress (45%), cholesterol (44%) and lack of exercise (44%).
In addition, obesity and diabetes, conditions closely linked to severe heart disease, were reported to affect 35% and 30% of those surveyed, respectively.
The survey was commissioned by Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi ahead of World Heart Day on September 29.
