Cyclist's heart attack a wake-up call for making lifestyle improvements
A Filipino cyclist says his brush with death after a serious heart condition went undiagnosed should encourage others to check their cardiovascular health. Godfrey Abello, 44, was walking to work at Wolfi’s bike shop in Dubai when he felt a sharp pain in his chest and arm. A recent check-up had told him his cholesterol was high, but he had otherwise been given a clean bill of health and so…
Godfrey Abello, a 44-year-old Filipino cyclist, experienced a heart attack while working on a customer's bike in Dubai. He initially believed his chest pain was indigestion, but upon visiting Medcare Hospital in Al Safa, he was diagnosed with an NSTEMI, a type of heart attack caused by reduced blood flow to the heart due to a blockage in a coronary artery.
After experiencing ventricular fibrillation, Abello underwent surgery where a blocked coronary artery was opened and a stent inserted. Reflecting on his situation, Abello now recognizes the importance of seeking immediate medical attention when experiencing heart-related symptoms. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 40% of all fatalities in the UAE.
Due to the high prevalence of heart-related issues, acute cardiac events have been closely monitored to better understand their causes and improve public health awareness. In the 2010 Gulf Race (Registry of Acute Coronary Events) study, it was found that nearly one-third of severe heart attack patients in the Middle East reached the hospital more than 12 hours after their symptoms began.
Dr Jan Niclas Strickling, a specialist interventional cardiologist at Medcare Al Safa, warns that heart attack symptoms can be subtle and easily mistaken for digestive issues like indigestion or reflux. Younger patients, particularly those in their 30s and 40s, are now showing the same level of artery damage that was once only seen in patients over 70.
Younger patients in the UAE are at a higher risk for heart attacks, with more than 35% of those undergoing cardiac procedures at Aster Hospital in Mankhool being under the age of 50.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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