[ad_1]
Atrial fibrillation underdiagnosed in UAE, affecting 140 million people worldwide, say doctors and healthcare experts
Photo by Shihab
Atrial fibrillation, one of the most common cardiac arrhythmias leading to irregular heartbeats, is underdiagnosed in the UAE and worldwide.
Doctors and health care experts have called it a silent killer, saying delayed detection of atrial fibrillation can lead to stroke and heart failure.
Dr Omar Al Falasi, a cardiologist and electrophysiologist at Rashid Hospital, said atrial fibrillation is a very serious condition that affects 140 million people worldwide, and this number is underestimated.
“This is [definitely] Underdiagnosed as this is consistently expressed by all international agencies. Five million people in the United States and 4.8 million in Europe are affected by the disease. As people age, more and more people may develop atrial fibrillation.High blood pressure, smoking, and alcoholism [are all] Some of the main reasons for this,” Dr Al Falasi said.
Dr. Al Falasi speaks at the UAE’s first atrial fibrillation screening programme launched by Pfizer in partnership with FibriCheck and AlTibbi.
The FibriCheck platform enables patients to take heart rhythm measurements from their smartphone. When irregular rhythms or signs of atrial fibrillation are detected, the app provides these patients with the actionable data they need to seek medical attention and prevent serious complications such as stroke. Meanwhile, AlTibbi enables patients in the UAE to access telehealth services.
Pfizer aims to facilitate screening of 100,000 people in the Bay Area.
Pfizer Gulf Medical Director Nadine Tarcha said the company will continue to do its best to ensure patients effectively get the help they need and empower them to take their health into their own hands by equipping them with cutting-edge digital solutions.
“Statistically, at age 40, people have at least a 25 percent chance of developing conditions such as atrial fibrillation, and the risk only increases with age,” said Dr. Al Falasi.
Dr Omar Al Falasi added that even young people who smoke and drink alcohol can develop the disease.
“It’s more common in people 60 and older, who are more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney problems. Palpitations are the most common sign of atrial fibrillation, [followed by] Chest pain, fatigue and dizziness,” he said, adding that by 2050, one in three people will develop the condition after a certain age.
Likewise, the UAE’s population will age even more in the coming years; therefore, he added, the number of people suffering from this will also increase in the coming years.
Ayman Sharaiha, co-founder and chief operating officer of AlTibbi, said 140 million people currently have atrial fibrillation, which is a big market the company is trying to tap.
FibriCheck CEO Lars Grieten calls atrial fibrillation a “silent killer.”
“We monitored over 1 million people, and 70 percent of them were asymptomatic. So these techniques can help with early detection.”
“People can download [the app] Filter yourself and get results from Apple and Android platforms. They can also receive invitations from doctors, such as prescriptions.This will allow linking patient data to physicians and data [will be] Take it to your doctor regularly.
If they are a high risk customer, they can use the app for 7 days or more and get [their] Report.Over one million downloads [the app]and the data is securely stored in our cloud,” Grieten said.
Also read:
[ad_2]
Source link
