Emirati patient urges organ donation after life-saving heart transplant

Ahmed Al Noobi only found out he was living with a genetic heart weakness after a routine check-up

A grateful Emirati patient who received critical heart transplant surgery after the alarm was raised at a routine check-up has urged people to join the nation's organ donation drive to help provide the gift of life.

Ahmed Al Noobi was unaware he faced a race against time until a planned one-hour doctor's visit in 2023 led to a hospital admission on the same day.

Mr Al Noobi, 44, was told he had a genetic weakness in his heart that required urgent medical intervention.

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“It turned out my dad has it and my brother has it – it’s in the family,” he said of a condition that could have proven to be a silent killer.

“I expected a one-hour visit. Instead, they admitted me the same day. After a month and a half of medications my heart kept declining.”

Doctors implanted a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a temporary measure.

“Life changed – charging the device, shower restrictions, but I got back to most activities,” said Mr Al Noobi, who shared his experiences to mark World Heart Day.

Eight months later, he received the long-awaited call that a donor heart had become available.

“I was shaking from nerves and excitement,” Mr Al Noobi recalled.

Admitted on March 18 last year, he underwent transplant surgery two days later at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

“Within 24 hours I was walking. Recovery was faster than after my first surgery. Now I breathe normally and I’m not attached to wires any more.”

Mr Al Noobi urged the public to register as organ donors, so that more lives can be saved.

“When I received my heart, three or four other organs helped other people that day. Imagine how many families you touch,” he said.

Giving patients a new lease of life

Dr Nadya Obaid Al Matrooshi is medical director of the organ transplant programme at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Dr Nadya Obaid Al Matrooshi, medical director of the heart transplant programme at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, leads a team that has performed nearly 40 heart transplants since 2017.

She stressed that every second counts when treating heart conditions and welcomed efforts to bolster preventive measures.

“Without a transplant, the risk of dying can reach 20 per cent within the first six months,” she said. “With a transplant, patients can live 10 to 15 years or longer thanks to new medications and technologies.”

She said the government's Emirati Genome Programme is playing an important role in discovering genetic heart conditions in patients at an early stage and in helping to improve treatment outcomes.

“We have transplanted young patients because of inherited heart muscle disease,” Dr Al Matrooshi said, noting that the genome programme is helping doctors identify hereditary cardiomyopathies so families can be screened earlier.

She advised that patients should be screened for heart risk factors from age 40, or earlier if there is a family history of cardiac issues.

Life-saving campaign

Dr Yousef Alattar emphasised that regular health check-ups are crucial. Photo: Yousef Alattar

Dr Yousef Alattar, a consultant and chairman of the cardiology department at Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City in Abu Dhabi, said this year's World Heart Day theme – 'Don't Miss a Beat' – was a reminder for patients to be proactive.

“Every beat is a gift, and we must not ignore the small steps that protect it: regular check-ups, healthier choices, and listening to our bodies,” he said.

“Our hearts often whisper before they shout. Chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, palpitations or leg swelling should never be ignored.

Women, he said, may notice subtler signs such as nausea, back pain or unusual tiredness.

“Even a few minutes can make the difference between a scare and a tragedy.”

He said the American College of Cardiology recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week and advises to eat healthily, manage stress, avoid smoking and prioritise sleep.

Dr Wael Al Mahmeed, consultant cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, warned that heart disease and stroke remain the UAE’s number one cause of death.

“Patients here are developing heart disease 10 to 15 years earlier than their counterparts in the West,” he said.

“Roughly 60 per cent of residents are overweight or obese, diabetes and hypertension are rising, and control of these risk factors is poorer than in other countries.

“Our treatments are excellent, but prevention is where we’re falling short,” Dr Al Mahmeed said.

He called for stronger school health programmes, including more nutritious school lunches and tougher action on smoking and sugary drinks. Global healthcare company Novartis is working UAE health authorities on genomics, digital health strategies and public-awareness campaigns to expand testing and accelerate access to new therapies.

“With collaboration across governments, healthcare providers and the private sector, we can ensure no heart is lost too soon,” said Judith Love, president for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa at Novartis.

She said the UAE’s goal to reduce cardiovascular mortality by 33 per cent by 2030 is “both inspiring and achievable” if prevention and early detection are prioritised.

“Cardiovascular disease remains the number-one killer worldwide, claiming 18 million lives every year – more than all cancers combined – yet 80 per cent of these diseases are preventable,” she said.