Dr. Ali Beydoun, a specialist in cardiovascular diseases, attributes the reasons for the increase in this phenomenon in Lebanon to a group of factors, most notably “the decline in health care due to the high hospital costs on the one hand, and the discontinuation of some types of medicines on the other hand, and the accompanying monopolies of medical drugs.” Beydoun confirms that dozens of cases that develop health symptoms related to heart attacks, “do not go to hospitals for fear of the bill that awaits them.” The high prices of laboratory tests, radiographs, catheters, and other medical procedures were a result of the deterioration of the health sector caused by the severe economic crisis in Lebanon. Beydoun believes that “cases that are satisfied with some medications when they feel the symptoms of a heart attack, may end up in death due to the absence of medical intervention in hospital emergency.” Among the factors that cause these clots are also “the presence of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high blood cholesterol.”
Stress
There are no official statistics on the number of patients with heart disease, or even deaths from heart attacks in Lebanon, but Dr. Izzat Hashem, an inspector at the Ministry of Health and a specialist in cardiovascular diseases, confirms that the numbers have increased dramatically in the last two years, “and the most prominent reasons are To this height is the great psychological pressure and tension resulting from the various crises that the country is going through, most notably the stifling economic crisis, which has had its repercussions on all aspects of life. It is known that psychological stress is “a key element in the occurrence of serious and fatal diseases, and it cannot be underestimated and the harm that it can cause to the health of the heart, especially if this tension is of a chronic type.” Hashem agrees with his colleague Beydoun that “the interruption of heart disease medications, or the economy in their consumption causes direct harm to the patient,” adding to him the factor of “smoking because of the toxic substances that enter the human body.”
Preventative measurements
Doctors recommend periodic examinations of the body and an ultrasound of the heart, especially if there is a history of the disease in the family. It is also important to pay attention to healthy nutrition through a healthy and balanced diet that benefits the body, and to reduce saturated fats in meals, as they cause clogged arteries. Doctors also call for exercise because of its role in strengthening blood circulation and maintaining a healthy heart.
One of the important guidelines advocated by the World Health Organization is to reduce smoking, because of the risks it causes to the heart and blood vessels. Doctors also recommend relieving stress and psychological pressure by walking, practicing yoga and slow breathing exercises.