About 10,000 coronary heart patients across Europe showed significant improvements when treated through a nurse-led multi-disciplinary team approach, coupled with support and involvement of a patient’s partner or family member.
According to the UAE Heart Network, the study proves very much relevant and applicable for countries with high-risk rates of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) such as the UAE. The organisation stated that it has always been integral to their campaign to include partners and family members in the battle against CVDs.
Results from the EUROACTION, the largest European-wide preventive cardiology project set new benchmarks in heart care programs which could improve lifestyle and reduce risk factors in coronary patients. The study is Crestor’s second major breakthrough research after statin therapy, which reported significant results in preventing heart attacks.
“The initiative done by EUROACTION is an important milestone and countries with less awareness should take advantage of this results in getting the family involved in preventing CVDs. Love and care is a very important element, ” said Dr. Saadi J. S. Al-Jadir, Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist, Fujairah Medical Region.
The study observed that emphasis on family support and shared commitment to heart-healthy living brought significant changes not only in EUROACTION patients but also in their partners. This has been done in comparison to usual care in other hospitals and general practices, across the key lifestyle and risk factors such as diet in fruit and vegetables, saturated fat and oily fish intake, physical activity, central obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose.
Results showed that about 75 percent of both coronary and high risk patients and their partners achieved the recommended fruit and vegetable consumption compared to over 35 percent of patients under usual care. Reduction in saturated fat consumption was also reported with an increase in oily fish intake by 17 percent.
Physical activity targets of about three to four times a week were achieved by twice as many EUROACTION patients compared to usual care. Blood pressure targets were consistently achieved by patients on the programme while diabetic patients reached their blood pressure targets more successfully with 38 percent while usual care reached only 17 percent.
Success rate in lowering cholesterol was recorded by coronary patients at 78 percent while high-risk patients demonstrated a significant increase in target achievement from 23 percent to 36 percent, whilst usual care high risk patients remained unchanged during the programme.
Cardio-protective medication such as anti-platelets, beta-blockers, diuretics, ACE inhibitors and statin therapy also improved and found to be used more frequently in EUROACTION than in usual care patients, both in hospital and general practice. Improvements in prescription were achieved with lower cost in generically available drugs from local formularies.
Statin therapy, a combined medication has recently been discovered to reduce 70 percent of cholesterol and reduce 46 percent in C-reactive protein, a chemical component leading to vascular inflammation.
In the UAE, the rate of heart attacks is higher than cancer, with records of one of the highest statistics with high cholesterol levels in the world yet it is the most underestimated and ignored condition in the country.
