Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) in the UAE is striking younger people in the age group of 35-45 with the incidence being highest in Asian expatriates and Indian expatriates being the most vulnerable, a recent clinical study has indicated.
The ongoing clinical study conducted by Aster Hospitals, Dubai, covers the period between mid-June to mid-September 2018 and covered 142 patients who were referred to their Cardiac Cath Laboratory with manifestation of CAD.

Of these nearly 106 patients were under the age of 55.
Nearly 66.2 per cent of the patients were Indians with 14.2 being from Pakistan. Other expatriates were from Bangladesh, the Philippines, UK , Egypt, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Nigeria and Serbia.
Elaborating on the nature of the data, Dr Sachin Upadhyaya, specialist cardiologist, said: “Heart disease is striking nearly a decade earlier in people of the Indian subcontinent. This study is based on pure empirical data and it is a cause for concern that now 30-40- year-olds are stricken by CAD.”

Giving further details on the nature and scope of the study, Dr Naveed Ahmad, specialist interventional cardiologist at Aster Hospitals, said: “The main cause for worry is the fact that the mean age for CAD in this region is much lower than the rest of the world where the high risk group falls in the age group of 55 and above. In our study of the 142 patients who were referred to us in various stages of CAD requiring surgical intervention, 57 per cent of them were in the age group of 40-60 years, 74.6 per cent were in less than 55 years of age group followed by 31.7 per cent who were less than 45 years of age with only 11.3 per cent being above the age of 61 years. Nearly 88 per cent of patients were from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and neighbouring countries.”

SOURCE : GULFNEWS