JEDDAH: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major public health problem worldwide. There is, however, no national data available from community-based studies on the prevalence of CAD in Saudi Arabia, said Dr. Magdi Mohsen, a local cardiac expert and researcher, at a seminar here late Monday night.
However, a recent study conducted to determine the prevalence of CAD among Saudis of both sexes, between the ages of 30-70 years in rural as well as urban communities, shows that the overall prevalence of CAD in the Kingdom is 5.5 percent, he said. “A national prevention program at community level as well as high risk groups should be implemented to prevent the expected epidemic of CAD,” Mohsen added emphasizing that measures are needed to change lifestyles and address the management of the metabolic syndrome to reduce modifiable risk factors for CAD.
“More than 40 years of observational epidemiological studies have consistently confirmed that elevated cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD),” Dr. Peter Lansberg, CEO of the Durrer Cardiovascular Genetic Research Center at the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam and head of Amsterdam Lipid Clinic Slotervaart Hospital, said in his presentation.
“It has now been established by the large clinical trials that lowering plasma cholesterol with statins is a safe and effective way to prevent the number one cause of death and disease in the world,” he said. “The six landmark clinical trials of statins have shown reductions in cardiovascular events in a diversity of patient groups representing the continuum of individuals at risk for CHD,” he added. After reviewing the numerous lines of evidence regarding the efficacy of statins in hyperlipidemic patients, it is now established that statin therapy is effective in both primary and secondary prevention of CAD in patients with mild, moderate or severe hypercholesterolemia, Dr. Lansberg said.
“Extensive clinical experience has shown that statins are also effective in patients with diabetes mellitus and/or hypertension,” he added.
