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Senior Cardiology Specialists from Aster Hospitals' Advanced Heart Clinic. Image Courtesy: Aster Hospitals
- In UAE, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality, with premature coronary heart diseases (CHDs) occurring about 10-15 years earlier than in individuals from western countries.[1]
- At Aster Hospitals & Clinics, majority of the patients with cardiovascular diseases are getting detected at an advanced stage. Almost 31% of patients who visited the cardiology department over the last two years have been diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease.
- Majority of the CVD patients are males in the age group of 46-60 years, vital age when they work to contribute to the country’s economy and have dependent families.
Dubai - More than half a billion people worldwide are affected by cardiovascular diseases, which accounted for 20.5 million deaths in 2021—close to a third of all global deaths. Up to 80% of premature heart attacks can be prevented.[2] Heart Failure is a condition where heart muscles can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s need for blood and oxygen. Heart Failure affects more than 64 million people worldwide.[3] The initial symptoms that a patient may face include shortness of breath or fatigue which are often ignored till the disease progresses to an advanced stage that can lead to poor functional capacity and quality of life, and high costs with fatal outcomes. Timely detection and appropriate management can help patients with heart failure lead a quality life with better control on symptoms. Therefore, attempts to decrease its social and economic burden have become a major global public health priority.
As there aren’t many specialized management facilities available for heart failure in UAE, Senior Cardiology Specialists from Aster have joined hands to launch The Advanced Heart Clinic with an aim to help patients with heart failure better manage their condition by providing comprehensive care ranging from accurate diagnosis, appropriate management through medication, timely intervention and surgical care as required.
Over the last two years, around 9500 patients were treated for cardiovascular diseases at Aster Clinics and around 5300 at Aster Hospitals. Conveniently located at two key Aster Hospital branches— Aster Hospital Mankhool and Aster Hospital Qusais—The Advanced Heart clinic ensures accessibility for patients throughout the region.
Commenting on the need for such a specialized service, Dr. Naveed Ahmed, Consultant Interventional Cardiology, Aster Hospital Mankhool, said, “From our experience here at Aster Hospitals, we have seen that majority of the heart failure cases, if detected early and managed well, can benefit the patient by slowing disease progression, appropriately managing the comorbidities and early intervention by specialists as required to prevent serious complications. As patients are getting detected at an advanced stage and in a younger age group, it is even more critical for them to maintain better quality of life and manage the disease appropriately to save lives.”
Dr. Sherbaz Bichu, Chief Executive Officer, Aster Hospitals and Clinics in the UAE, Oman, and Bahrain, said, "On this World Heart Day, I am delighted to announce a momentous milestone in our journey towards better healthcare and improved patient outcomes. Today, we proudly unveil our latest initiative, the Heart Failure Clinic. This initiative is a significant step forward in our commitment to delivering comprehensive and compassionate care to those affected by heart failure. Heart failure is a condition that touches the lives of countless individuals and families around the world. It can be a daunting and challenging journey for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals alike. At Aster Hospitals, we recognize the importance of addressing this condition with the utmost dedication, expertise, and innovation. We believe that our expert team and state-of-the-art facilities will make a substantial impact on the well-being of our community."
The Advanced Heart Clinic welcomes patients falling into various categories, including those with known heart failure and experiencing symptoms such as breathlessness, swelling of feet, and fatigue. The clinic's goal is to provide comprehensive evaluations to establish accurate diagnoses and initiate personalized treatment plans to achieve optimal heart health and overall well-being. The Advanced Heart Clinic would be led Dr. Sachin Upadhyaya, Specialist Cardiology at Aster Hospital Mankhool and Dr. Abdul Rauoof Malik, Specialist Cardiology at Aster Hospital Al Qusais and supported by Dr. Naveed Ahmed, Consultant Interventional Cardiology, Dr. Razi Ahmed, Specialist Cardiology, Dr. Krishna Sarin, Specialist Interventional Cardiology, Dr. Negin Molazadeh, Specialist Cardiology, Dr. Anil P. Kumar, Specialist Interventional Cardiology, Dr. Debabrata Dash, Consultant Interventional Cardiology and Dr. Yogeeswari Vellore Satyanarayanan, Specialist Cardiology.
The Advanced Heart Clinic's launch marks a significant milestone in the ongoing battle against cardiovascular diseases, aligned with Aster’s commitment to making advanced quality care easily accessible for patients.
About Aster DM Healthcare
Aster DM Healthcare Limited is one of the largest private healthcare service providers operating in GCC and in India. With an inherent emphasis on clinical excellence, we are one of the few entities in the world with a strong presence across primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary healthcare through our 33 hospitals, 127 clinics, 527 pharmacies* and 229 labs and patient experience centers in seven countries, including India. We have 31,222 dedicated staff including 3,998 doctors and 9,204 nurses across the geographies that we are present in, delivering a simple yet strong promise to our different stakeholders: “We’ll treat you well.” We reach out to all economic segments in the GCC states through our differentiated healthcare services across the “Aster”, “Medcare” and “Access” brands.
*Including 255 Pharmacies in India operated by Alfaone Retail Pharmacies Private Limited under brand license from Aster
For more information about us, please contact:
Lavanya Mandal | Udhayan Sasidharan Nair |
[1] UAE: Cardiovascular disease and Premature coronary diseases https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35593359/
[2] World Heart Association: https://world-heart-federation.org/wp-content/uploads/World-Heart-Report-2023.pdf
[3] World Heart Association: https://world-heart-federation.org/what-we-do/heart-failure/