67% of heart attacks in UAE can be prevented by lowering cholesterol in people with diabetes

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of people with diabetes and it is present in 75% of all diabetes-related deaths. The UAE has one of the highest numbers of diabetics in the world by as high as 40% due to the consumption of high fat food, lack of physical activity and regular cholesterol checks.

Commenting on the international study presented by recent American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Dallas, USA, Dr. Jamal Jammal, an Internist at the Dubai Physiotherapy Clinic said: “Major coronary events, including heart attacks, can be reduced by 67% in people with diabetes simply by managing their cholesterol levels. However, when managing cholesterol, physicians should worry about the dosage of the medicine prescribed. Diabetic patients should be on a low dosage of statins with high efficacy and one should avoid those medications that are only effective in high doses. The problem with diabetics is that they have more tendency to have a heart attack and if this is not treated with low dose high efficacy treatments, this can lead to other complications.”

Physicians, diabetes educators, and people with diabetes must make cholesterol control a very high priority. Although it has been widely believed by doctors that lowering cholesterol would reduce heart disease in people with diabetes, conclusive evidence from various surveys in the UAE has shown a lack of promptness by physicians to send their diabetic patients for a cholesterol check-up.

Additional data presented at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions show that a medicine called Crestor (rosuvastatin) reduced "bad" cholesterol by 65 percent on patients who were mainly diabetics; from their pre-treatment baseline levels.

Anyone can develop high blood cholesterol regardless of age, sex, race, or ethnic background. Because there are no warning symptoms or signs, patients often fail to have regular cholesterol checks. When high levels of cholesterol is combined with another major risk factor such as diabetes or cigarette smoking, the risk of coronary heart disease increases three fold.