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Primary Health Care Corp (PHCC) organised an awareness campaign to mark World Heart Day, observed annually on September 29.Led by the Health Education Department in collaboration with health centres and their multidisciplinary teams, the campaign embraced this year’s theme, “Don’t Miss a Beat,” encouraging people to recognise cardiovascular risk factors and warning signs and take early action to protect their heart health.This message is particularly important as cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation, they claimed an estimated 19.8mn lives in 2022. Much of this risk can be reduced through smoking cessation, healthier eating and increased physical activity, alongside early detection, treatment and ongoing management of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.The campaign featured interactive booths and stations where patients and visitors learned about cardiovascular risk factors, had their blood pressure checked, and explored healthy food choices, salt reduction, physical activity and ways to reduce sedentary behaviour. Activities also addressed the harm of tobacco and available smoking cessation services.Participants learned to recognise the warning signs of heart attack and stroke and the importance of seeking immediate medical assistance. They were encouraged to choose a realistic health goal they could begin incorporating into their daily lives. Children also took part in simple interactive activities focused on healthy eating, movement, and everyday habits that support heart health, helping establish healthy behaviours from an early age and engaging families in promoting heart health.Dr Maryam al-Emadi, director of Clinical Operations and Senior Consultant in Family Medicine at PHCC, said delivering the campaign through health centres strengthens primary care’s role in prevention and early detection while giving patients and their families the support they need to take practical steps to protect their health. She emphasised that collaboration between the Health Education Department, clinical teams, and support services reflects PHCC’s approach to providing integrated, patient-centred care.As part of the World Heart Day activities, Dr Sarah Rashid Musa, manager of Health Education and Consultant in Community Medicine, delivered an awareness lecture for healthcare professionals entitled “cardiovascular disease: from risk factors to root causes.” The lecture explored the global and local burden of cardiovascular disease, the importance of accurate blood pressure measurement and cardiovascular risk assessment, and the role of nutrition and physical activity in prevention. It also examined how social and behavioural circumstances affect patients’ ability to follow their care plans, highlighting the importance of listening to patients, identifying the barriers they face and coordinating support among healthcare team members.Dr Sarah explained that effective health education begins by helping individuals understand their health risks and the barriers that may limit their ability to adopt healthy behaviours, then agreeing on realistic goals that can be achieved and monitored. She emphasised the importance of knowing and monitoring blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels, noting that high blood pressure may occur without symptoms. She also highlighted the role of health education in empowering patients, involving them in appropriate health decisions and translating knowledge into sustainable daily practices that support heart health. 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a global health challenge. Its management requires an integrated approach involving appropriate medical therapy, regular monitoring of risk factors, and lifestyle modifications to prevent complications and promote heart health. Among the latter, music has emerged as a potential intervention to support cardiovascular health. It is a universal art form that is pervasive in every society globally and is a source of comfort, inspiration and entertainment. Historical basis of music in medicine, dates back to at least the 6th century. Pythagoras, an ancient Greek philosopher, used music to treat bodily and psychological ailments. In 1918, Columbia University introduced the first course on music therapy, entitled “Musicotherapy.” Growing scientific evidence suggests that music may influence cardiovascular health through several physiological and psychological mechanisms. Studies have shown that music can modulate autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, resulting in decreased heart rate and blood pressure through the release of endogenous opioids .Slow, low-tempo, consonant music—often classical or “relaxing” music—is associated with reduced heart rate and blood pressure due to increased parasympathetic activity and oxytocin. In contrast, fast, high-intensity music tends to raise the heart rate as it triggers the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine, activating the sympathetic nervous system. Music enhances the Heart rate variability (HRV) ,higher and more adaptable HRV is generally associated with greater physiological resilience and the ability to respond appropriately to stress. Overall, evidence suggests that relaxing music reduces psychological stress and anxiety and, in some settings, contributes to improvements in blood pressure and vascular function. A meta-analysis conducted by researchers found that when coronary heart disease patients listened to music, their stress levels, heart rate and blood pressure reduced. Music was found to have a relaxing and calming effect for the patients undergoing cardiac catheterization . Music therapy for post-cardiac surgery patients diminished anxiety and pain, reduced the need for analgesics and alleviated the adverse effects of opioid pain relievers according to recent research . One of the Groundbreaking study presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session together with the World Congress of Cardiology, found that listening to 30 minutes of music a day can reduce pain and anxiety in post-infarction angina patients significantly . Heart failure management requires a multidisciplinary approach focused on improving quality of life, reducing symptoms and hospitalizations, and improving survival. Research has suggested that music therapy can reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms and improve sleep quality among patients with heart failure. A study presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting found that music therapy can significantly lower heart rate, blood pressure and patient–ventilator asynchronies among patients admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit . One of the most promising clinical applications of music is its integration into a structured cardiac rehabilitation program to enhance rehabilitation tolerance, elevate mood, and promote adherence to rehabilitation exercises. Music therapy is directed towards either reducing anxiety and stress or fostering a motivational environment for rehabilitation.Listening to about 30 minutes of relaxing music for cardiovascular health has unveiled a realm of novel opportunities, holding the promise of remarkable advancements in the near future.  Music-related leisure activities such as listening to music or playing a musical instrument have been associated in observational studies with cardiovascular health and a lower incidence of cardiovascular events. Nevertheless, music should not be considered a substitute for established cardiovascular prevention strategies as regular physical activity, a heart-healthy diet, smoking cessation, appropriate medication, blood-pressure control, control of Diabetes ,cholesterol management, and regular medical follow-up. Rather, it may complement these approaches as a part of holistic strategy in reducing the CVD risk. This World Heart Day: “Don’t Miss a Beat” is a continuous momentum promoting heart health. “Music is life;That’s why our hearts have beats” is a popular inspirational quote that highlights that music and the human heart share something fundamental:The Rhythm. 

In recognition of World Heart Day, Sidra Medicine is highlighting a recent milestone in complex congenital heart surgery following the successful treatment of three-year-old Dana, who was born with an exceptionally complex heart condition.World Heart Day, observed annually on 29 September, raises awareness of cardiovascular health and the importance of improving access to appropriate prevention, diagnosis and treatment.Dana was referred to Sidra Medicine with a congenital heart condition that required the cardiac team to consider two possible surgical approaches: a univentricular repair or a biventricular repair.While a univentricular approach would have been technically less demanding, the multidisciplinary cardiology team determined that a biventricular repair could offer Dana the potential for a better long-term outcome and quality of life. The procedure, however, was considerably more complex and required careful planning to protect her heart’s electrical conduction system.The conduction system is the network of specialised tissue that controls the heartbeat. Injury to this delicate system during surgery can cause complete heart block. In such cases, a patient may require a pacemaker and potentially further procedures to replace the device and its leads over their lifetime.To reduce this risk, Sidra Medicine’s cardiac team used intraoperative conduction system mapping during Dana’s surgery.Dr Husnu Firat Altin, senior attending physician from the Cardiovascular Surgery Division at Sidra Medicine, said: “Dana’s condition required us to balance the complexity of the surgery with what could give her the best possible outcome in the long term. Protecting the heart’s conduction system was one of the most critical aspects of the procedure. By mapping the conduction tissue during surgery, we were able to identify the areas that needed to be protected and plan the repair accordingly.”During the operation, the team mapped the conduction system from inside Dana’s heart. Cardiovascular surgeons then used the information to guide the placement of patches and closure of intracardiac defects while avoiding critical conduction tissue.Dr Olivier Ghez, division chief of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at Sidra Medicine said: “For children with complex congenital heart conditions, success is not only about completing the operation. We also consider how the decisions we make today may affect the child years into the future. Dana’s surgery represents an important advancement in the use of intraoperative conduction system mapping for this type of complex congenital heart procedure in the region.”Dana recovered faster than initially anticipated. She completed the intensive care phase sooner than expected and was discharged from the hospital ahead of the projected timeline. Follow-up assessments showed an excellent surgical result, with a normal and stable heart rhythm and no evidence of injury to the conduction system. 

A new international study shows that cardiovascular inflammation remains highly prevalent among people with cardiovascular diseases and can have serious health implications, despite the current standard of care treatment. The study found that two in five people with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease have cardiovascular inflammation, causing an increased risk of major cardiovascular issues. This is an important concern because cardiovascular inflammation is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular issues such as heart attack and stroke in people living with cardiovascular diseases. A Poseidon analysis by Novo Nordisk was recently published in the *European Journal of Heart Failure and showed that two in five people with heart failure also have cardiovascular inflammation. Poseidon was a large, multinational, cross-sectional observational real-world evidence study designed to evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of high inflammatory risk in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with and without chronic kidney disease and/or heart failure.The Poseidon included 18,904 patients across 18 countries and showed that cardiovascular inflammation remains highly prevalent among people with cardiovascular disease despite the current standard of care treatment. These findings underscore a significant gap in current cardiovascular care. Even when people receive guideline-recommended treatments to control cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, inflammation-driven cardiovascular risk persists. The study represents one of the largest contemporary global assessments of the prevalence of cardiovascular inflammation in this high-risk population. "Poseidon makes clear that inflammation is not a peripheral concern. It is a shared driver of risk affecting millions of patients worldwide with cardiovascular disease who remain vulnerable despite our best current therapies," said Prof Carolyn SP Lam, senior consultant at Singapore National Heart Centre’s Department of Cardiology and professor at the Duke-NUS Medical School’s Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Signature Research Programme. "What is striking is the consistency of inflammatory signals across such diverse patient populations,” she said. “That consistency points to a practical way forward – identifying patients most likely to benefit from therapies that directly target inflammation." Poseidon enrolled 18,904 patients across 18 countries spanning Europe, North America, South America and Asia-Pacific between 2023 and 2025.Within the study, 13,475 patients had atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, of whom 5,757 (42.7%) had chronic kidney disease, while 11,809 patients had heart failure spanning all types of heart failure. Cardiovascular inflammation plays a central role in the development and progression of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.Multiple studies have shown that people with cardiovascular inflammation face an increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, including heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death. Inflammation also contributes to chronic kidney disease progression, and chronic kidney disease itself may promote inflammation, creating a cycle that amplifies cardiovascular risk. It plays a key role in heart failure, and it is common across all types of heart failure, particularly in people with obesity, kidney disease and other metabolic conditions. The growing recognition of the role of inflammation in cardiovascular disease is reflected in recent guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, and the American College of Cardiology. Cardiovascular inflammation is increasingly recognised as a key driver of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and a major contributor to persistent cardiovascular risk in people receiving standard preventative therapies. It also plays a key role in heart failure, and it is common across all types of heart failure, particularly in people with obesity, kidney disease and other metabolic conditions.

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity globally, despite significant advances in medical and surgical treatment. While modifiable risk factors (smoking, high blood cholesterol, hypertension, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes mellitus) can often be controlled through lifestyle changes and medical treatment, mental health also needs to be a key focus in the prevention and management of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).The heart and brain are in constant exchange; this connection plays a major role in how we experience and respond to stress. The activation of the sympathetic nervous system due to an acute stress reaction has a direct effect on the cardiovascular system, resulting in an increase in heart rate variability, respiratory frequency, blood pressure, and vasoconstriction of the blood vessels. These physiological changes can lead to long-term strain on the heart, contributing to hypertension, arrhythmias, coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular conditions. As we continue to explore holistic and integrative approaches to care, meditation has emerged as a promising, non-invasive tool for enhancing heart health since centuries. Meditation is a mind-body practice, a state of concentration and reflection that improves spiritual and emotional well-being, with the goals of achieving a state of inner peace, physical relaxation, and psychological balance. Neurophysiological and neuroanatomical studies suggest that meditation can have long-standing effects on the brain, which may have beneficial consequences for prevention of cardiovascular risk. Additionally, different forms of meditation (e.g., focused attention, mindfulness, loving-kindness and Transcendental meditation) will have different psychological and neurological effects. Most published studies report some improvements in levels of perceived stress, mood, anxiety, depression and quality of sleep. Therefore, integration of mind-body awareness, lifestyle modification, and contemplative practices like meditation offer a comprehensive approach to cardiac health.The American Heart Association acknowledges that Transcendental Meditation modestly lowers blood pressure and may serve as a helpful adjunct to traditional treatments. There is growing evidence that mindfulness and guided meditation could improve blood pressure regulation and cardiac stress biomarkers, providing a non-pharmacological complement to traditional hypertension and cardiovascular disease treatments. It was reported that not only in hypertensive patients but also in normotensive patients, regular practice of meditation reduces the ambulatory blood pressure levels. Meditation and mindfulness engage the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which relaxes and regulates the autonomic system, lowering stress and improving emotional regulation. Meditation, especially mindfulness-based training, has been linked to higher abstinence rates in smoking cessation programs. This may be due to better management of cravings and improved self-regulation—critical for reducing cardiovascular risk.Small studies suggest that meditation improves symptoms in people with irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) and enhances quality of life. One important indicator of heart health is heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects the dynamic balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic system is responsible for increasing heart rate, raising blood pressure, and releasing glucose into the bloodstream to support physical activity. In contrast, the parasympathetic system slows the heart rate and promotes nutrient storage, generally reducing physiological activity.One study found that heart rate fluctuations decreased during meditation, and the heart rhythm became regular. Conversely, before meditation, heart rate variability and fluctuations were higher. Heart Rhythm Meditation (HRM) is a unique form of meditation that engages in deep, slow, full breaths and focuses attention on the heart. This form of breathing stimulates the vagus nerve with greater intensity than a normal spontaneous breath, which then reduces the heart rate.Chronic stress releases glucocorticoids, which promote inflammation and atherosclerosis increasing the risk of CAD. Mindfulness practices have been associated with: Reduced cortisol levels, Decreased pro-inflammatory cytokines, Improved insulin resistance and lipid profiles. While percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is employed to relieve symptoms and improve outcomes in CAD patients, psychological factors—particularly patient anxiety have been shown to exacerbate CAD symptoms and potentially diminish the clinical effectiveness of PCI. Randomized controlled trials determined that the addition of psychosocial interventions, including meditation, breathing exercises, and physical relaxation techniques, into standard cardiac rehabilitation regimens improves outcomes among patients with CAD. Studies have shown that mindfulness effectively alleviates anxiety and improve sleep quality pre-PCI, which in turn results in higher PCI success rates, lowered hospitalization times, and reduced postprocedural complications. However, while early data is promising, more research is needed to establish meditation’s role in secondary prevention.In clinical practice, meditation should not replace guideline-directed medical therapy but can be considered a reasonable and empowering adjunct to cardiovascular risk reduction strategies. Encouraging patients to participate in their own wellness—physically, emotionally, and mentally—may improve adherence, outcomes, and overall quality of life.This World Heart Day: “Don’t Miss a Beat”. As we celebrate World Heart Day, let’s remember that every heartbeat counts. Empower yourself and others by embracing holistic approaches to support heart health and live a more balanced healthy life.