KUWAIT CITY, Oct 13: Sabah Al-Ahmad Heart Center, in cooperation with the Kuwait Heart Association, has launched the annual campaign to raise public awareness about heart diseases and risk factors with the theme, “Healthy Heart for a Bright Future.” Chairman of the campaign, head of the Lipid Diseases Unit at the center, and a member of the association Dr. Ahmed Jassim Al-Sarraf said the campaign sheds light on the risk factors for heart diseases, including high blood sugar, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol level and others. He warned that heart disease and atherosclerosis are the main causes of death not only in Kuwait but also globally. He cited statistics indicating that heart diseases and atherosclerosis, cause the death of about 4,000 citizens annually, hence, the importance of holding this campaign annually to raise awareness of the risk factors and how to avoid them.

He revealed that 50 percent of the Kuwaitis have high blood fat and that the country ranks first in the Arab world in terms of obesity and overweight rates, as statistics showed that 75 percent of the population is overweight. He said some statistics state that the obesity rate in Kuwait is the highest in the world, while the diabetes rate has reached 25 percent. He added the campaign includes a one-day conference with the participation of lecturers from Kuwait, other Gulf countries and the United Kingdom, as well as week-long events at the Avenues Mall to educate the public about the causes of heart diseases and atherosclerosis.

By Marwa Al-Bahrawi
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff