Treatment offers hope for heart attack survivors in the Middle East

World Health Organization statistics reveal that approximately 2,235 people died from heart disease - most commonly heart attack - in the United Arab Emirates in 2002. Survivors are typically categorized as "at risk" of a recurrent heart attack, or other serious outcomes, such as cardiac arrest or stroke.

"Heart disease has a crippling effect upon society, and the risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) - poor diet, obesity, smoking and physical inactivity - are setting in an alarmingly early age," said Dr. Azan Binbrek, consultant cardiologist at Rashid Hospital, Department of Health. "Improvements in treatments - along with better health education and healthier lifestyles - are essential if we are to reverse the tide of current morbidity and mortality levels."

The response comes following the announcement that Diovan (valsartan) has successfully completed the EU Mutual Recognition Procedure (MRP) in 14 countries and is now indicated for the treatment of heart attack survivors.

"Patients who have survived heart attacks still face a range of risks and require long-term support and care in order to recover properly. The fact that doctors can now prescribe Diovan to help reduce mortality in patients who have suffered a heart attack is important news in the field of cardiology," commented Dr. V.J. Sebastian, cardiologist at the Welcare Hospital.

This approval provides physicians with a proven life-saving treatment for these high-risk patients who have suffered a heart attack. Despite continuous improvements, mortality after heart attack is still high. Now, physicians can help prolong the life of these high-risk heart attack survivors in addition to providing them, when needed, with an excellent blood pressure lowering efficacy.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attacks, which remains one of the world's deadliest conditions. One in three survivors will die within a year after surviving a first heart attack. While much progress has been made in treating heart attacks in the emergency room, people who survive the acute phase of a heart attack are at greatly increased risk for repeat attacks and are in critical need for a proven protective therapy.

Approval based on landmark VALIANT trial
The only drug of its kind to receive such an indication, Diovan has now been approved in more than 50 countries to reduce mortality of high-risk patients following a heart attack. The post-heart attack indication for Diovan is based on the positive results of the 14,703 patient trial known as VALIANT (VALsartan In Acute myocardial iNfarcTion) which was one of the largest long-term studies ever conducted in people who have survived a heart attack. VALIANT demonstrated that Diovan preserved the benefit of captopril, which is one essential component of the currently recommended standard of care in these patients, meaning it reduced death to the same degree as the proven treatment.