A 41-year-old UAE citizen, struggling with obesity for decades, was motivated to lose 34kgs after experiencing a 'warning' heart attack, followed by open-heart surgery.

After doctors at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi cautioned Ali Mohamed of his health, he finally took charge.

Emirati engineer, who works in the oil and gas industry, weighed at 180 kgs at one time. Since 2011 he had been slowly losing weight. During the 2020 summer, he began an exercise routine to bolster his weight loss curve.

That’s when he felt a burning sensation in his chest during working out and would sweat profusely. Misjudging the symptoms as indigestion, Mohamed waited six weeks before he visited a doctor at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.

“Mohamed had all the traditional risk factors for severe heart disease as he was obese, diabetic and a smoker. On top of that, he had a strong family history of heart disease and extremely high cholesterol that runs in his family,” says Dr Hani Sabbour, a cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. “When we ran our tests on Ali, the results were shocking. He was in urgent need of a bypass. The only good news for him was that he had been experiencing ‘warning’ heart attacks that had not damaged his heart muscle."

Due to his extremely high cholesterol, less invasive treatment options, like stents, would not work as they would quickly become blocked extremely. Ali needed an open heart surgery. “I was shocked and scared when the doctors gave me the news. I was asking myself how this could be at my young age and whether these were my last days in this world,” said Mohamed. “I have always tried to lose weight and be healthier but other things got in the way. I spoke to my wife and I decided that from now on, my health would be my number one priority.”

Following his successful surgery, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi’s cardio metabolic clinic helped Mohammed to manage his diet and exercise, control his diabetes and lower cholesterol. He stopped smoking and began working out three times per week and followed a much healthier diet. These changes helped him lose around 34kgs in the year since his surgery. Also his cholesterol levels dropped by over 75 perfect while working with the cardio metabolic clinic. There was also significant improvement in his blood pressure and HBA1c, an indicator of his blood sugar control.

“Thanks to my new diet and exercise program, I feel like a different person. Having Dr Sabbour and the team from Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi with me to answer questions and guide me down the right path has been fantastic,” said Mohamed. “They showed me that anything is possible. I have cut sugar from my diet and eat very healthily now. I also follow my workout routine three times a week without fail. Now I am trying to encourage my family to do the same.”

For his care team at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Mohamed’s transformation highlights importance of recognising risk factors and symptoms for cardiac issues and powerful impact that a more heart-healthy lifestyle can have.

“The change we’ve seen in Ali has been amazing. He demonstrates that with the right motivation and clinical support, the mind really can triumph over matter,” said Dr Sabbour. “He has managed to overcome many hurdles to transform his life for the better. His decision to start exercising and his warning heart attack might have saved his life. Without them, his condition might have progressed even further.”