A group of Emirati cardiologists have launched a campaign to promote early detection of heart disease in young people as part of Weqaya, an ongoing national health awareness effort.

The campaign, launched in collaboration between the Zayed Giving Initiative, the Saudi German Hospital and the Dar Al-Ber Society, seeks to increase cardiac awareness among the youth, encourage them to undergo heart check-ups and learn about the major causes of heart disease, namely high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and high LDL (bad cholesterol ) levels.

Heart disease is a major cause of death in the UAE where the youth and older age groups can develop arterial diseases and suffer heart attacks, noted Dr. Adel Al Shameri, CEO of the Zayed Giving Initiative.

The campaign will see an elite group of cardiologists from the UAE and overseas offering free check-up to the to the youth to detect any major causes of heart diseases, he added.

It builds on the success of previous initiatives launched both at home and internationally benefiting millions of people, Al Shameri said.