According to the UAE Healthy Future Study, one-third of participants have high cholesterol and blood pressure.
There may be a “public health emergency” of heart disease given the widespread high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels among Emiratis found in a nationwide study.
Key health concerns among the remaining youthful population have been identified by the UAE Healthy Future Study’s initial results.
Nearly 15,000 Emiratis have participated in the research, which is being led by New York University Abu Dhabi, in an effort to better understand the risk factors for diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.
The extensive project calls for several years of health assessments of the volunteers.
According to Dr. Raghib Ali, principal investigator with the UAEHFS, of study results gathered thus far, more than a third of people have high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels, despite the population’s median age being only 25.
He declared, “So, this is really a public health emergency,” warning that if these problems are not resolved, heart disease rates could rise.
“We have also shown comparatively high smoking rates in women as well, not just in men.”
Examining Emirati health, Dr. Ali stated that the study, which began in 2016, required “many years to get all the approvals in place and to build trust” in all parties involved, from regulators to participants.
The real benefit of the study will be revealed in the following phase, which explains why it has taken so long to recruit these 15,000 participants, he added.
The next phase of the research, which could take decades, entails returning to the volunteers who underwent analysis a few years prior and examining any changes in their health.
Research such as this, which examine the same subjects over time, are referred to as longitudinal or cohort studies, and they have proven helpful in determining the risks related to anything from smoking to eating poorly.
Researchers can identify risk factors by examining patterns of disease, as some participants may have developed diabetes, heart disease, or other conditions or may have passed away by the time they are analyzed again.
In addition, Dr. Ali serves as the chief medical officer for Our Future Health, a UK cohort study that recently revealed it has enrolled one million people.
focused medical treatment
Prof. Ayesha Al Dhaheri, a nutrition professor at UAE University and one of the study’s co-investigators, said, “Such studies are helpful in targeting a specific population, especially if we could [find] the causes to be able to identify specific interventions or an awareness program.”
In order to understand the health of study participants, numerous measurements are taken in addition to blood samples.
The study started doing genetic analyses on participants a few years ago. Some people’s whole genomes have been sequenced, a process known as whole genome sequencing.
This may prove useful in identifying the genetic variables that predispose people to specific ailments.
Officials stated that a large amount of data had already been gathered, and numerous scientific papers reporting the results had been published.
Most of these have focused on what is known as baseline data, which is details about people as they were when they started the study.
A case in point is vitamin D. Despite receiving plenty of sunshine, the majority of people in our communities lack enough vitamin D. Nobody is certain why.
He claimed that compared to many other societies, the Emirati population saw the onset of serious disease much earlier.
Once more, Dr. Abdulle stated that it was unclear why this was the situation.
Dr. Abdulle stated that as the field of precision medicine—which involves treating patients more precisely based on their unique medical conditions, such as their genetic composition—becomes more popular, the data from cohort studies like the UAEHFS may come in handy.
“The study’s data is laying the groundwork for a healthier society and better application of precision medicine,” he stated.