Up to five percent of Saudi children are suffering from cardiac diseases and the country has among the world's highest diabetes rates, doctors said at the 10th International Conference for Cardiac Diseases organized by the Armed Forces Hospital in Jeddah. Dr. Ghar Habeeb, consultant cardiologist and head of Angiography Dept. at the Armed Forces Hospital here, said diabetes is listed among the common diseases in the Kingdom, accounting for 24 percent of the Saudi population. He said Thursday at the concluding session of the conference that 30 percent of the cardiac patients in the Kingdom are smokers, Arabic daily Al-Watan reported. Conference participants reviewed the latest technology and devices used in treatment of cardiac and pulmonary diseases. Dr. Mona Al-Barkati, head of the Pediatric Cardiology Dept. at the hospital said the conference in its 10th session was fully devoted to pediatric cardiac diseases. She noted that congenital diseases are the highest among the children in the population. The major cause of congenital cardiac diseases in children is hereditary. At the conference, the doctors concentrated on the diseases affecting the right ventricle, cardiac congenital diseases and methods of treating them through surgery, angiography and medicines. __
