Health care has become reactive rather than preventive.
This is according to a top cardiologist Ross Walker.
In a report by The National, Walker explains that health is a simple combination of nutrition, exercise, sleep, screening and emotional well-being.
“The medical profession typically reacts to health care by having the ambulance parked at the bottom of the cliff, rather than fixing the rails at the top – or focusing on prevention,” he was quoted as saying.
The Australian author then warned against fad diets.
“Many of these fad diets are nonsense. Most things are fine to eat in moderation. If you get rid of the ‘white death’ in your diet – sugar, salt, white bread, pasta and potatoes – you can make a big difference,” he said.
He urged people in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to abandon bread, pasta, sugar and salt in order to address growing cases of diabetes.
“Nutrition is simple; eat less and eat more naturally. Saturated fat does not cause heart disease alone. Studies at Cambridge University have found no link between meat, eggs or dairy and heart disease,” he added.
According to the report, 30% of deaths in Dubai are due to heart disease and stroke. They are also said to be the “world’s leading causes of death, claiming 17.3 million lives each year.”
This makes preventive health mechanisms a priority for healthcare.
“Much more than 90 per cent of modern diseases are preventable through education. A heart attack can cost A$40,000 (Dh111,000) to treat. If it can be prevented, that has huge cost implications,” the celebrity cardiologist explained.
