High cholesterol affects more than half of UAE adults
Dubai: More than half of adults in the UAE have high cholesterol, and blood sugar levels are rising, even as obesity, smoking and high blood pressure become less prevalent, according to the National Health Survey 2024–2025 released by the Ministry of Health and Prevention. The survey, which covered 9,997 households, revealed improvements across several major health indicators compared with…
Dubai: A recent National Health Survey 2024-2025, conducted by the Ministry of Health and Prevention, has revealed that over half of the UAE's adult population suffers from high cholesterol levels, with blood sugar levels also on the rise. Despite a decrease in obesity, smoking, and high blood pressure, cardiovascular risk factors, excessive sodium consumption, and low participation in cancer screening programs persist as concerns.
Obesity fell from 27.8% to 22.4% among adults, while smoking declined from 9.1% to 8.7%. However, the prevalence of high cholesterol increased from 43.7% to 54.2%, and elevated fasting blood glucose rose from 11.8% to 12.5%. High cholesterol affects more than half of adults, with the condition becoming more prevalent as age increases.
Among those previously diagnosed with high cholesterol, 82.4% reported taking their prescribed medication during the two weeks preceding the survey. However, 23% of adults had never undergone a cholesterol test, highlighting a lack of preventive health screening.
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