The Gulf Interventional Meeting (GIM) has concluded its second annual event in the UAE. Held at Emirates Towers, GIM was attended by 100 leading interventional cardiologists from around the world, making it the largest meeting of its kind in the Gulf. Beyond providing a platform to discuss advances in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, the GIM’s mission is to promote collaboration in the fields of invasive cardiology and clinical research.
Incorporating the Arabian Gulf, Levant and Egypt, GIM is held under the auspices of the Gulf Heart Association, in affiliation with the world’s leading Interventional Cardiology group EuroPCR. Participants in the event pointed to the growing incidence of heart disease in the Middle East, and stressed the need for the kind of integration and interaction fostered by GIM. They also cited a need for increased public awareness, a vital function of the high-profile event.
“Smoking, lack of exercise and poor eating habits have all contributed to a rise in cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Ibrahim Al-Rashdan, Head of the Cardiology Department at Kuwait’s Chest Hospital. “As well as working on prevention, researchers and doctors around the world need to develop effective treatments. International meetings such as GIM will help us achieve this goal.”
Following the second day of the two-day event, GIM participants gathered at Dubai’s Murouj Rotana for the launch of CYPHER SELECT PLUS Stent, the Cordis Corporation’s third-generation drug-eluting stent. Recently made available in the Middle East simultaneously along with Europe, African and Asia Pacific, CYPHER SELECT PLUS was cited as the kind of innovation needed to help stem what some cardiologists are calling a global “epidemic.”
According to the latest figures from the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease kills 17 million people a year worldwide. That figure is projected to rise to 24 million in a little over two decades. The situation is particularly dire in the Middle East. A recent study in the UAE found that more than 40 per cent of deaths in the UAE are a result of heart disease. Further reports suggest that heart disease was the leading cause of death in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE in 2006.
“In terms of our collective health, the Middle East has entered into a critical period,” said Dr. Haitham Amin, Head of the Cardiac Care Unit at Bahrain Defense Forces Hospital. “Research shows that a growing number of people in the region are suffering from, and dying from, heart disease. But this is also a global issue, which makes GIM especially important. To remedy or at least contain this problem, the best of the best need to put their heads together.”
Dr. Jean Marco, Chairman of EuroPCR, concluded, “Our organisation exists to facilitate the exchange of scientific information among medical professionals. We view meetings like GIM to be a key part of the drive to develop effective treatments and prevention strategies. We are excited to have worked with GIM this year and look forward to continuing our relationship in the future.”
