Sabah Al-Ahmed Heart Center and Kuwait Heart Association launch awareness campaign under the slogan 'Pulse... Every Beat Matters'

Kuwait City, Aug 10 (KUNA) -- The Sabah Al-Ahmad Heart Center, in collaboration with the Kuwait Heart Association, launched today, Thursday, the awareness campaign on heart and metabolic diseases under the slogan “Pulse: Every Beat Matters” at The Avenues Mall for two days. The campaign aims to educate citizens and residents on how to perform chest compressions and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in cases of sudden cardiac arrest.

Dr. Khaled Al-Mulla, a cardiologist and head of the Sabah Al-Ahmad Heart Center at Al-Amiri Hospital, told KUNA that the campaign seeks to raise public and patient awareness about the concept of metabolism and its direct relationship with heart health. He noted that metabolism is affected by diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol, which are key factors that collectively exacerbate heart diseases.

He pointed out that the groups most at risk are those who have these risk factors or follow unhealthy lifestyles, emphasizing that managing these conditions requires regular follow-up in specialized clinics.

Al-Mulla explained that the campaign serves as a preliminary step ahead of the Third Annual Conference on Heart and Metabolic Diseases, scheduled to be held in Kuwait next Saturday, with participation from a select group of physicians and specialists from various Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and European nations.

Dr. Al-Mulla stressed the importance of primary prevention through regular physical activity and adopting a healthy lifestyle to reduce the risk of heart disease and protect against its complications.

For his part, Dr. Rashid Al-Awish, Secretary-General of the Kuwait Heart Association, told KUNA in a similar statement the importance of spreading health awareness and training people in life-saving techniques and cardiac resuscitation. He noted that heart diseases are the leading cause of death globally and account for about 42 percent of total deaths in Kuwait.

Al-Awish added that despite a noticeable decline in complication rates thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Health and rapid ambulance response, risk factors such as obesity and smoking contribute to a higher incidence of heart disease in younger age groups compared to global rates.

He mentioned that the association consistently carries out community and field activities, noting that the Ministry of Health has recommended providing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in various commercial malls across the country to enable rapid intervention and save emergency cases.

He called on members of society to adopt a healthy lifestyle and engage in at least 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week, emphasizing the role of exercise in strengthening the heart muscle, lowering cholesterol levels, and preventing heart attacks. (End) M.N.M./A.M.H.