Majid Al Futtaim launches 10th heart health campaign

Dubai: Majid Al Futtaim has launched its 10 regional health awareness campaign ‘Feel the Beat,’ offering complimentary cardio-health screening for women at shopping malls in the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon and Oman.

The leading shopping mall and leisure pioneer is collaborating with the American Heart Association and Emirates Cardiac Society for the two month-long campaign.

The campaign, which started on the first week of September until the end of October, aims to spread awareness of cardiovascular disease, prevention and the importance of early detection.

While cardiovascular disease is often perceived to mostly afflict men, the campaign will focus on spreading awareness about the risks to heart health in women.

According to a Nielsen study of women in the GCC, the top two health concerns were high-cholesterol levels and being overweight, both of which are risk factors for heart disease.

Despite heart disease being the leading cause of deaths in the region, the perception of its risk is low and warning signs are often ignored.

“Over 10 years, we have tested tens of thousands of women at our shopping malls in the UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon and Oman and raised awareness of one of the most prevalent diseases affecting women in the region,” said Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, managing director for Majid Al Futtaim Properties, Shopping Malls, UAE, Bahrain & Oman.

All participating shopping malls will have allocated areas to host medical professionals from Dubai Health Authority and Zulekha Hospital who will administer complimentary cardio-health screening and conduct screening for women. At each designated location, visitors will be able to check their Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar and Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine if they are at risk of heart diseases and if they would require a follow-up consultation for further analysis.

Dr Younis Kazim, CEO of the Dubai Healthcare Corporation at the Dubai Health Authority, also pointed out the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is committed to partnering with various government and private institutions, as well as international and local heart associations, to raise awareness and ensure early detection of heart disease among all ages.

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Participants are encouraged to visit the following Majid Al Futtaim shopping malls for testing and screening:

• September 7-9 My City Centre AL Nasseriya

• September 13-15 City Centre Mirdif

• September 13-15 City Centre Fujairah

• September 20-22 City Centre Deira

• September 20-22 City Centre Ajman

• September 27-29 City Centre Sharjah

• September 27-29 Mall of the Emirates

• October 4-9 City Centre Al Shindagha

• October 4-6 Matajer Al Juraina

• October 11-13 Matajer Al Mirgab