Over the years, the industrial and technological revolutions and the economic and social transformations brought about progress. However, amid the material prosperity and comfort, there is also a noticeable rise in the cause of untimely death resulting from cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis. These predicament has become a threat to the citizens and it has become the number one cause of death in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dr. Mohammad Kurdi, consultant, invasive cardiologist and associate professor of cardiology, Faculty of Medicine at King Saud University, said 42% of deaths in the Kingdom are due to cardiovascular diseases and that 40% of patients admitted at the Emergency Room are heart patients. Dr. Kurdi called on the decision makers to continue the national plans in combating the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity, and smoking. He also emphasized the importance of the care of concerned authorities in building more parks, pedestrian areas, and gyms. He also pointed out that the focus during the next 10 years should be on sending medical graduates to prestigious universities around the world to study family and community medicine. In addition, he said the higher rates of the diseases are a huge burden on health institutions in The Kingdom when it comes to treatment, rehabilitation, appointments, surgeries and other indirect costs of hospitalization, notwithstanding the burden economically, socially, and psychologically on patients and their caregivers, generally. Furthermore, Dr. Kurdi said it is essential to benefit from the recent studies in the field of atherosclerosis where a recently announced study in The American Heart Association Meeting called GLAGOV revealed that «Evolocumab» drug produced by AMGEN made a significant regression in the percentage of atheroma volume. The study showed that 64% of patients included in the study is considered to be best result achieved in the history of atherosclerosis studies. This gives hope to heart and atherosclerosis patients in the Kingdom and can prevent future heart attacks as a result of the disease progression. Dr. Kurdi further said patients in the Gulf region suffer from heart attacks at the age of 54, which is 10 years younger than the average age world wide, noting that the biggest risk factor is uncontrolled cholesterol level. He pointed out that drugs used now do not help more than 50% of patients to reach the recommended LDL targets which means that more effective treatments, awareness, and change of lifestyle is a must. — SG
