About 250 cardiologists and researchers from the UK, the United States, the UAE, Egypt and Pakistan joined their Saudi counterparts in presenting papers about heart diseases relevant to the Kingdom and the rest of the Middle East, Dr. Syed Iqbal Rahmatullah, section head of the division of cardiology and director of heart failure and transplant program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center, told Arab News at Park Hyatt Hotel.

The conference focused on the rising incidence of heart related problems across the Kingdom and also in other parts of the region, and emphasized the need for a renewed campaign among people on obesity, diabetes and hypertension, which all ultimately lead to heart disease. “The Saudi economy is growing and with that its citizens and residents are getting richer. The sedentary lifestyle and indiscriminate consumption of unhealthy food is leading to health problems that affect the heart,” Rahmatullah said.

He added that a recent study showed that more than 50 percent of Saudis were obese; more than one in four Saudis are diabetic and/or hypertensive, and due to such problems 6 to 8 percent of the population have heart disease.

The rate of angiography, angioplasty and open-heart surgery also continues to increase.

“Contributing to heart disease are risk factors like smoking, hypertension and diabetes, which need to be taken care of,” said Rahmatullah who is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine & Cardiovascular iseases.

“The need of the hour is to start campaigns from the school level to educate children about good eating habits. We’ll also be running a program encompassing the remotest corners of the Kingdom about the hazards of smoking and the steps to be taken to guard against obesity and hypertension, in the interest of keeping the heart healthy,” he added.