RIYADH, 15 June 2005 — Thirteen percent of all deaths in the Kingdom is due to heart attacks and 36 percent of that number die during the first attack. A recent press conference in Riyadh advised the public about the availability of advanced anti-hypertensive medication. It also warned them of cardiac problems due to lack of regular exercise and too many fatty foods.
“High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attacks. One in three survivors will die within a year after surviving a first heart attack. While progress has been made in treating heart attacks in the emergency room, people who survive the acute phase of a heart attack are at greatly increased risk for repeat attacks and are in critical need of new treatments given such a high risk of death,” said Dr. Samy A. Halim, medical director of the Novartis Pharma Services. He said a new anti-hypertensive medication, Diovan (valsartan), has been approved for use in the treatment of heart attack survivors.
WHO statistics reveal that 16,438 people died from heart disease — most commonly heart attack — in the Kingdom in 2002. “Patients who survive heart attacks still face a range of risks and require long-term support and care in order to recover properly,” said Dr. Hossam Ahmed Remah, consultant cardiologist, Al-Hammadi Hospital, Riyadh.
The approval of the new medication provides physicians with a documented life-saving treatment for high-risk patients who have suffered a heart attack. Despite continual improvements, mortality after heart attack is still high. Now, physicians can help prolong the life of survivors and provide them with excellent means of lowering blood pressure.