A new study will track and assess the incidence, risk factors and treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), a form of heart disease, across four GCC countries.

A total of 18 UAE cardiology experts attended the Gulf COAST Investigator Meeting recently to decide on plans and timelines for the launch of the “Gulf loCals with acute CorOnAry Syndrome evenTs” Registry, or Gulf COAST Registry.

“Heart disease is the number one killer, both in the region and in the UAE, accounting for 25 to 30 per cent of UAE deaths,” said Dr Fahad Omar Baslaib, President of the Emirates Cardiac Society and Head of the Cardiology Department at Rashid Hospital.

“This study is an important step for both our country and our region. Heart disease disproportionately affects our region, with the average age of acute coronary syndrome patients across the Middle East a decade younger compared with the West, and this study will help us understand why. At the investigator meeting, we will be working with renowned experts from across the region to agree on a path forward for the study.”

“We already know that many of our citizens suffer and die from heart disease. But, without understanding both the extent of the problem and how it’s actually being treated, it is difficult to make recommendations to improve patient care,” said Dr Abdulla Shehab, vice president of the Emirates Cardiac Society.

“While significant data exist at the international level, we lack the regionally specific information necessary to better understand and address ACS and the needs of our citizens. Gulf COAST will deliver the robust local data that we require,” he added.

Gulf COAST is a collaborative effort among leading cardiologists from Oman, Bahrain, the UAE and Kuwait. The study will track 4,000 Gulf citizens across 35 hospitals in the region for up to one year, who are admitted with a diagnosis of ACS, a leading form of heart disease associated with cardiovascular events such as heart attack.

The meeting marked a significant milestone in a process that began in Dubai this past June, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for coronary research by AstraZeneca Gulf.

Tarek Rabah, area vice president, Middle East and Africa, said: “Improving health is one of the toughest challenges facing the world today. But we can’t do it alone. Under the guidance of leading experts like Dr Fahad Omar Baslaib and Dr Abdulla Shehab, great research, such as the Gulf COAST study, will drive this quest for better health.”

“Gulf COAST aims to better understand and collect information of the state of patients with heart disease or Acute Coronary Syndrome, from the moment of hospitalization to discharge. This is crucial for patients’ long-term wellbeing and even survival.

AstraZeneca is committed to supporting the best possible care for patients, and ensuring that they are supported throughout their disease management and treatment,” he added.

The high-level objectives of Gulf COAST are to understand the incidence of ACS and regional risk factors and outcomes, to benchmark against current accepted practices and guidelines, and to establish a network of collaborators in this research.

Gulf COAST will cover the patient from the time they arrive at the hospital, through discharge and beyond, up to one year.

Gulf COAST is supervised by a 17-member study Steering Committee of senior cardiologists and leading experts from the four countries and an international scholar from the US. – TradeArabia News Service