Roadmap to battle failure plan aims to better prevent and treat condition

ABU DHABI // A three-pronged strategy to battle the high death rate from heart failure has been agreed on by a regional panel of experts meeting in the capital.

The Mena Heart Failure Road-map aims to drive policy that introduces a consistent standard of care for heart failure, which is the single biggest killer of people in the UAE.

The strategy is in three parts – prevention, identifying the problem and treating it.

Apart from the lack of standard policies for heart failure patients in the region, there is also a lack of data, which is a challenge to planning.

Experts from the UAE, Egypt, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have collaborated on the plan, which was produced by the UK consultancy Health Policy Partnership.

“The first aim is to work with the national authorities to establish databases that give us accurate data of the magnitude of the problem,” said Dr Feras Bader, cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

“The second is to work with the public on diagnosing heart failure earlier. The third goal is to improve the management process and decrease the burden on the healthcare system. We are estimating that about 250,000 people suffer from heart failure in the UAE. We think the incidence is increasing but we don’t have statistics.”

Dr Walid Shaker, a consultant in cardiothoracic surgery at Burjeel Hospital, said heart failure was a significant burden on the healthcare system.

“The problem is too big. If we identify heart failure at an early stage, we can decrease its prevalence,” he said.

Dr Bader said that, given the size of the problem in the region, a united effort was needed.

“The problem in our region is we don’t have a regional association, we only have small working groups in some countries,” he said.

About 30 per cent of all deaths in the UAE can be attributed to heart problems, about the same as in the West – but the patients here are dying as many as 10 years younger than people in western countries.

Heart failure means the heart cannot pump blood around the body properly. It usually occurs because the heart has become too weak or stiff. It does not mean your heart is not working – it just needs help to make it more efficient.

Heart disease, of which heart failure is a symptom, is affecting people aged in their mid-40s to 50s here, which is about 10 years younger than in western countries.

Normally it cannot be cured but the symptoms can be controlled for years, although heart failure does tend to gradually get worse over time.

About 25 to 50 per cent of those who have cardiovascular problems eventually suffer from heart failure. Screening is very important as risk factors such as hypertension and early diabetes do not have any symptoms.

Treatment of heart failure is also very costly, making prevention important.

The most effective treatment is a heart transplant, although that operation is not yet available in the UAE, said Dr Shaker.

An unhealthy lifestyle, smoking and lack of exercise are all factors in cardiovascular problems.

Hend Soliman, from Egypt, suffered heart failure in the early 1990s but had it misdiagnosed by her doctor. She was told it was nothing to worry about but in 1993, she had to go to the US for a heart bypass.

“We are asking medication companies to reduce prices,” said Mrs Soliman, a member of the Egyptian Association for Care of Heart Failure Patients.

“We also focus on the importance of proper diagnosis. There should be centres where patients of heart failure can get good care.”

The Mena Heart Failure Roadmap aims to prepare the healthcare system for the rising burden of cardiovascular problems and to ensure patients in the UAE and the region are provided with adequate tools, treatment and support.

It was launched by the Mena Heart Failure Alliance, which was officially formed on Saturday and is the region’s first dedicated group for heart failure management.