KUWAIT: Kuwait Heart Foundation (KHF) said 4500 acute heart attacks were registered during the last seven months, according to a scientific study that started in May, adding that the study will continue until the number of participants reaches 10,000 patients. The age groups will be identified. The causes include smoking and chronic diseases.

Chairman of the Gulf Heart Foundation (GHF) and Member of the Board of KHF, Dr Mohammad Zubaid, told journalists following the opening of the 15th conference that is organized by GHF in cooperation with KHF and has participation from the Gulf, Arab, and foreign countries. The summit will discuss the latest in heart disease and have consultations about diseases.

He said that 20 percent of heart attack patients arrive at hospitals in ambulances, compared with 90 percent in Europe, which affects the speed of treatment and affirms the need to intensify the awareness aspect of how to deal with heart attacks. He said the conference will discuss several issues related to the achievements made in GCC countries to expand the benefit, be it at the treatment level or surgeries. Heart diseases are the main cause of deaths locally, globally, and around the world.

KUWAIT: Participants are pictured during the event.

Kuwait has worked for the past 15 years on making all heart and chronic diseases medications available in all its health facilities to make it easy for patients to have access to medicines at any time and any place, which has had a positive effect on the success of medication strategies in the country. Dr Zubaid revealed that a heart transplant operation was made this year and another last year in Kuwait, expecting the flourishing of heart transplant operations in the country in cooperation with GCC countries to advance health services globally.

Zubaid said GHF (which was founded 21 years ago) is proud of all that it has achieved, adding that it has made several achievements, including the encouragement of science. The society cooperated with the European Heart Association, the American Heart Association, and the Heart Association International, enabling cardiologists in the Arabian Gulf to set for the European Heart Association test, which will enable doctors to get recognized certificates.

Meanwhile, KHF Secretary General Dr Rashed Al-Owayesh said KHF seeks to advance medical services through such conferences by discussing the most recent results of specialized research in the field of heart diseases. He said KHF was founded in 1982 to promote awareness about the importance of maintaining heart safety and avoiding heart diseases.