Hospital urges UAE residents to focus less on fitness targets and more on regular aerobic activity while controlling silent risks including hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol
Ras Al Khaimah, : Ten thousand steps a day? Fifteen thousand? An hour at the gym? According to RAK Hospital, there is no single magic number for protecting your heart.
Ahead of World Heart Day, the hospital is urging UAE residents not to become overwhelmed by step counts, wearable data or complicated fitness routines. Instead, the advice is simple: keep moving, know your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and consistently control the cardiovascular risks you already have.
“There is no magic number. Ten thousand steps, fifteen thousand steps or similar numbers are often oversold. What you need to do is start somewhere,” said Dr. Adil Rizvi, Medical Director and Consultant Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon at RAK Hospital. “If you ask me for one easy activity that can really improve heart health, it is walking. Half an hour to 40 minutes on most days of the week is beneficial.”
No magic number — just keep moving
For cardiovascular health specifically, Dr. Rizvi recommends aerobic exercise — sustained activity that raises the heart rate for a period of time. Brisk walking, jogging, cycling and swimming are all good options. While resistance training has wider health benefits, aerobic activity is particularly beneficial for the heart.
People with desk-based jobs should also not assume that exercising after sitting for much of the day is pointless.
“Any exercise is better than no exercise. If someone spends most of the day sitting but still goes for a run for 40 minutes in the evening, they are definitely benefiting from that run,” said Dr. Rizvi, challenging the idea that a sedentary working day cancels out the benefits of subsequent exercise.
Being active doesn’t cancel out silent risks
Among the major cardiovascular risk factors Dr. Rizvi encounters are diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, smoking and dyslipidaemia, or abnormal levels of lipids such as cholesterol in the blood.
Hypertension and diabetes are particularly concerning because both can initially exist without obvious symptoms. A person can have substantially elevated blood pressure and continue to feel perfectly well, while diabetes can remain undiagnosed or inadequately controlled for years.
The absence of symptoms can also cause people who have already been diagnosed to become complacent about treatment.
“Someone may be prescribed medication, take it for some time and then stop because they don’t feel any different,” said Dr. Rizvi. “But stopping treatment does not mean the underlying risk has disappeared. Years down the line, uncontrolled diabetes or hypertension can lead to serious problems.”
Importantly, cardiovascular risk is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon. How well diabetes or hypertension is controlled matters. Dr. Rizvi explained that while a person with well-controlled diabetes may still carry some additional cardiovascular risk, uncontrolled diabetes can carry substantially greater risk. Managing the condition therefore remains critical to reducing the likelihood of future cardiovascular problems.
The message is increasingly relevant to younger adults. In his clinical practice, Dr. Rizvi says cardiovascular disease is commonly encountered among patients in their late 30s and 40s, reinforcing the need to start paying attention to heart health well before older age.
Continuity of treatment is another concern. Dr. Rizvi has encountered some blue-collar workers and taxi drivers in the UAE who arrived with diagnosed diabetes or hypertension but subsequently stopped taking their medication. He said access to clinics, co-payments, limited awareness about the importance of continuous treatment and living away from family can sometimes contribute to the problem, while diet may add another layer of risk.
“Being diagnosed is only the first step. If you have diabetes or hypertension, keeping it controlled is what matters,” he said.
Women also need to recognise that their cardiovascular risk changes with age. Female sex hormones have protective cardiovascular effects during the reproductive years, but cardiovascular risk increases after menopause, making blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, weight and physical activity increasingly important considerations for women as they age.
Ultimately, Dr. Rizvi says heart protection does not need to become complicated.
“If somebody has diabetes, they should focus on controlling their diabetes. If they have high blood pressure, they should control their blood pressure, and if they have high cholesterol, they should manage their cholesterol levels. They don’t necessarily need fancy vitamins or elaborate supplements; the most important thing is to know your numbers and keep these key risk factors under control. These simple steps can make the biggest difference in reducing cardiovascular risk,” said Dr. Ahmed Sharafeldin, Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at RAK Hospital.
For adults whose results are normal, he recommends checking blood pressure, blood sugar and lipid profile at least once a year, with more frequent monitoring based on individual risk and medical advice.
“The fundamentals are simple: check your blood pressure and blood parameters, watch what you eat, exercise, don’t smoke and keep your weight under control,” concluded Dr. Rizvi. “You don’t need to chase a magic number. Start moving, know your risks and consistently control the factors you can.”