Al Jalila Foundation, Fundación Iker Casillas, IDOVEN partner to advance cardiovascular research

Al Jalila Foundation today announced a new partnership with Fundación Iker Casillas and IDOVEN to improve monitoring of cardiac health through the use of technology, artificial intelligence and innovation applied to health to improve lives.

Together with Al Jalila Foundation, the parties will lead a pilot study to monitor cardiac health of a cohort of 100 people who will undergo extensive professional medical assessment and provide their ‘heartbeat data’ to contribute to research and prevention of sudden death among groups at high risk of heart disease.

Fundación Iker Casillas is a non-profit entity chaired by the world famous football legend Iker Casillas who created the foundation to support, promote, and develop activities that help improve the health and quality of life. IDOVEN is a European HealthTech startup company based in Madrid that seeks to prevent cardiac diseases, myocardial infarction, and sudden death.

According to the World Health Organisation, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally with almost 20 million lives being lost every year. It is also the primary cause of death in the UAE contributing to 30 percent of fatalities annually. The partnership aims to reduce preventable heart disease.

Dr. Abdulkareem Al Olama, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation, welcomed Iker Casillas, Founder of Fundación Iker Casillas, and Dr. Manuel Marina Breysse, CEO and Co-Founder of IDOVEN, and took them on a tour of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Medical Research Institute and briefed them on the Foundation’s education and research programmes.

Dr. Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama, CEO of Al Jalila Foundation, said,

"From telemedicine to artificial intelligence and robotic surgery, technology is revolutionising the healthcare industry. Advances in medical technologies are beyond anything we could have ever imagined. These innovations have allowed us to advance patient treatment and, sometimes, even predict the onset of illnesses to prevent serious complications and even premature death. Today, thanks to advances in medical research, people are living longer and healthier lives. With remote patient monitoring, physicians can now know what is going on with a patient without physically being close. This pilot study will give us new insights into preventing heart attacks and other heart problems, which can contribute to saving lives and benefiting millions of people."

The partnership will pioneer the implementation of automatic cardiac diagnostic systems, making it possible to remotely monitor patients through scalable technology in the future and at the same time contributing to research and prevention of cardiovascular diseases in the UAE.

Casillas said,

"Thanks to Al Jalila Foundation, today I can strengthen my Foundation's commitment to reduce heart diseases. Through this alliance with IDOVEN and its artificial intelligence, we will achieve more accessible health and a healthier population in the UAE."

Dr. Breysse said,

"It is our belief that this project will contribute to the health and wellbeing of the country’s diverse population to support the UAE’s national healthcare strategy and its drive to deliver innovative healthcare programmes to its people."

News Source: Emirates News Agency