A Saudi Heart Association Position Statement on Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes Mellitus

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes mellitus are prominent public health concerns in Saudi Arabia owing to their increasingly high prevalence and burden. Based on this, the Saudi Heart Association (SHA) set out to develop an official position statement on CVD and diabetes mellitus, with a focus on the prevention and management of these conditions and relevant special populations in the context of Saudi Arabia.

A multidisciplinary panel of experts met under the auspices of the SHA in a series of meetings to review and discuss available evidence on the prevention and management of comorbid CVD and diabetes mellitus. Specialized subcommittees reviewed the data and offered context-specific recommendations (taking into account Saudi population characteristics, local healthcare system, available resources and medical expertise), which were later approved by the full expert panel.

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and CVD is alarming in the Saudi Arabian population. Diabetes mellitus and CVD are interconnected on several levels, including cellular and molecular events as well as epigenetic and genetic mechanisms. Screening for CVD is a priority for patients with diabetes and concomitant risk factors. The expert panel also recommends aggressive management of high blood pressure and dyslipidemia in addition to lifestyle changes and achieving glycemic targets for the prevention of CVD in patients with diabetes. Some glucose-lowering drug classes, namely SGLT2-inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists, offer significant benefits on the level of cardiovascular risk reduction and are thus a powerful addition to the clinical management armamentarium in CVD and diabetes. Special consideration is also advised for patient populations with distinct clinical presentation and needs, such as coronary artery disease, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, among others.