Department Icon
List of services
Department Image
Status message
Cardiology
Cardiology
UHS Department of Cardiology is full-fledged with professors and the best cardiologists in Sharjah who serve the patients. The field of cardiology is associated with the diagnosis and treatment of heart failure, congenital heart defects, valvular heart disease, coronary artery disease, and electrophysiology.
Our cardiology doctors have academic credentials that absolutely justify their presence in this department. UHS Cardiologists work closely with heart surgeons, supervise drug and other heart-related therapies, perform studies of basic heart functions, and also provide ongoing care for heart patients.
What is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular disease generally refers to conditions that involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack, chest pain (angina), or stroke. Other heart conditions, such as those that affect your heart's muscle, valves, or rhythm, also are considered forms of heart disease.
Who Is at Risk for Heart Disease?
Certain traits, conditions, or habits may raise your risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). These conditions are known as risk factors. The majority of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is caused by risk factors that can be controlled, treated, or modified, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, overweight/obesity, tobacco use, lack of physical activity, and diabetes.
However, there are also some major CVD risk factors that cannot be controlled. The American Heart Association recommends beginning heart disease prevention early in life, starting by assessing your risk factors and working to keep them low. The sooner you know and manage your risk factors, the better your chances of leading a heart-healthy life.
Heart disorders usually present silent symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment may prevent further complications from arising. Waiting for your heart to give the warning signals could possibly threaten your life. Tracking potential heart ailments and redressing them is crucial for risk-free living. Hence, carefully choosing the cardiac care that is most suitable for you is essential.
Your heart deserves only the best and for this University Hospital Sharjah has deliberated a heart care package that lays an impetus on checking and accurately determining the condition of your heart. Aimed to offer the perfect solution to all major cardiac issues the package includes tests that can discover conditions that may not present any symptoms, allowing for earlier diagnosis and treatment.
They also include a consultation with a heart specialist who can help manage your heart health and follow up with you on the results of the screening.
Risk factors for Heart Diseases
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
High blood pressure increases the heart's workload, causing the heart muscle to thicken and become stiffer. This stiffening of the heart muscle is not normal and causes the heart not to work properly. It also increases your risk of stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and congestive heart failure. When high blood pressure exists with obesity, smoking, high blood cholesterol levels, or diabetes, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases even more.
Raised Blood Glucose (Diabetes)
Diabetes seriously increases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Even when glucose levels are under control, diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, but the risks are even greater if blood sugar is not well controlled. If you have diabetes, it's extremely important to work with your healthcare provider to manage it and control any other risk factors you can.
Physical Inactivity
An inactive lifestyle is a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Regular, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity helps reduce the risk of heart and blood vessel disease. Even moderate-intensity activities help if done regularly and long-term. Physical activity can help control blood cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity, as well as help lower blood pressure in some people.
Obesity and Overweight
People who have excess body fat - especially if a lot of it is at the waist - are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors. Overweight and obese adults with risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high blood sugar can make lifestyle changes to lose weight and produce clinically meaningful reductions in triglycerides, blood glucose, HbA1c, and risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. To achieve optimal health, the median BMI for adult populations should be in the range of 21-23 kg/m2, while the goal for individuals should be to maintain a BMI in the range of 18.5-24.9 kg/m2.
Unhealthy Diet
High dietary intakes of saturated fat, trans-fats, and salt and low intake of fruits, vegetables, and they are linked to cardiovascular risk. The amount of dietary salt consumed is an important determinant of blood pressure levels and overall cardiovascular risk and the WHO recommends a population salt intake of less than 5 grams/person/day to help the prevention of CVD.
Frequent consumption of high-energy foods, such as processed foods that are high in fats and sugars, promotes obesity compared to low-energy foods. High consumption of saturated fats and trans-fatty acids is linked to heart disease; elimination of trans-fat and replacement of saturated with polyunsaturated vegetable oils lowers coronary heart disease risk.
In addition to the modifiable risk factors, there are some risk factors that cannot be changed. Simply getting old is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease; the risk of stroke doubles every decade after age 55. Your family's history of cardiovascular disease indicates your risk.
If a first-degree blood relative has had coronary heart disease or stroke before the age of 55 years (for a male relative) or 65 years (for a female relative) your risk increases. Your gender is significant: as a man you are at greater risk of heart disease than a pre-menopausal woman. But once past the menopause, a woman's risk is similar to a man's.
The risk of stroke is similar for men and women. Your ethnic origin plays a role. People with African or Asian ancestry are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than other racial groups. Since you can't do anything about these risk factors, it's even more important for you to manage the risk factors that can be changed.
Guidelines for Cardiac Screening
- As the blood test requires fasting, please abstain from food and drinks for at least 10 hours before your scheduled appointment. Sips of plain water are allowed.
- Please do not take medicine or insulin for diabetes on the morning of the scheduled appointment. Regular high blood pressure and/or heart medication can be continued. Always check with your heart doctor on medication needs prior to screening.
- Please bring along your sports attire for the cardiac evaluation. Don't forget your sports shoes and socks.
- For your comfort and convenience at the medical examination, it is advisable to wear a two-piece outfit.
- (For ladies only) It is advisable for the urine test to be conducted at least 5 days before the start of menstruation or 5 days after the end of menstruation.
Disclaimer
The purpose of health screening is to identify as early as possible certain health problems which may help to improve quality of life or slow down the progression of certain diseases, however, screening tests are not diagnostic and it is recommended that the patient's doctor should perform additional testing to make diagnosis.
Doctors in cardiology
Dr. Mohamed Seif
Head of Internal Medicine Department, Senior Consultant Cardiologist, Aeromedical Examiner
SERVICES
Heart disease defines a variety of conditions affecting different areas of the heart. Heart disease symptoms may be different in men and women.
Each time the heart beats, blood is pumped through the arteries and veins - the blood vessels of your circulatory system. Arterial blood pressure is created by the force exerted by the blood against the artery walls, as they carry blood around your body. Hypertension refers to a persistent elevation of arterial blood pressure. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is when the pressure of the blood being pumped through your arteries is higher than it should be.
The heart has 4 valves which needs to function properly to keep the blood pumped in the right direction. If one or more of these valves malfunction, a heart valve disease is said to have occured.
The heart failure is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump sufficient blood to the rest of the body. The heart may start pumping faster to compensate for its loss of function. The most common symptoms of congestive heart failure includes shortness of breath, fatigue, chest discomfort, swollen ankles or legs, and reduced ability to exercise.
It is a diagnostic test to determine the functioning of the heart under stress and ability of the heart to withstand it. You will be asked to perform treadmill or cycling during which the physician will perform echocardiogram and measures blood pressure changes. It is mainly done to detect the cause of chest pain, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, or fluttering in the chest.
Echocardiography uses sound waves to create images of the heart. The images determine the size of the heart, strength of the heart muscles, presence of heart diseases, and heart valve malfunctions. The images of the heart are displayed on a large screen monitor that helps the doctor and the patient to make a better view during examination.
Computed tomography (CT), also known as CAT, is a painless, sophisticated x-ray procedure. Multiple images are taken during a CT or CAT scan, and a computer compiles them into complete, cross-sectional pictures ("slices") of soft tissue, bone, and blood vessels. A CT scan obtains images of parts of the body that cannot be seen on a standard x-ray. Therefore, these scans often results in earlier diagnosis and promotes successful treatment of many diseases.
The deposition of plaque in the coronary artery wall results in the clogging of the artery and disrupts the flow of oxygenated blood to the heart. This condition often causes heart attack.
Cardiac Imaging refers to a combination of methods that can be used to obtain images related to the structure and function of the heart. Cardiac (heart) imaging procedures include: Echocardiography, Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), Computed tomography (CT), Coronary CT calcium scan, Positron emission tomography (PET), Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).