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Coronary heart disease

Optimal Medical Therapy Prescription Practices in the UAE Vary: Study Reveals

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers at Gulf Medical University have recently conducted a study on the prescription practices of optimal medical therapy (OMT) following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in a tertiary care hospital in the United Arab Emirates. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and determinants of OMT prescription at hospital discharge. The researchers found that among 103 consecutive patients who underwent PCI between January 2021 and June 2023, OMT was prescribed at discharge in 37.9% of the patients. The study revealed that diabetes and hypertension were significant predictors of OMT prescription, while advanced age and acute heart failure were negative predictors. The findings suggest a need for targeted interventions to improve adherence to guideline-directed therapy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study included 103 consecutive patients who underwent PCI between January 2021 and June 2023 at a tertiary academic hospital in the UAE.
  • Among the patients, 37.9% (39 patients) received OMT prescription at discharge.
  • Diabetes (adjusted odds ratio = 3.86, 95% CI: 1.42-10.52, p = 0.01) and hypertension (adjusted odds ratio = 5.99, 95% CI: 2.04-17.60, p = 0.001) were significantly associated with higher odds of OMT prescription.
  • Advanced age (adjusted odds ratio = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.08-0.65, p = 0.01) and acute heart failure (adjusted odds ratio = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.01-0.60, p = 0.02) were associated with lower odds of OMT prescription.
  • The rate of OMT prescriptions at discharge was comparable to international studies, though suboptimal in the UAE.

Statistics:

  • 39 patients (37.9%) received OMT prescription at discharge.
  • Diabetes and hypertension were positively associated with OMT prescription, with adjusted odds ratios of 3.86 and 5.99, respectively.
  • Advanced age and acute heart failure were negatively associated with OMT prescription, with adjusted odds ratios of 0.23 and 0.06, respectively.
  • The study included 103 consecutive patients, with a median age of 49.0 years.
  • The study found that 93.2% of the patients were males and 74.8% were non-Arabs.

Sources:

  • Trends in prescribing optimal medical therapy at discharge following percutaneous coronary intervention in a tertiary care hospital in the UAE. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 2025;12:1522216.
  • NewsRx. Findings from Gulf Medical University in Cardiovascular Medicine Reported (Trends in prescribing optimal medical therapy at discharge following percutaneous coronary intervention in a tertiary care hospital in the UAE). Cardiovascular Week. October 20, 2025; p 132.

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