Health experts across the region are raising the alarm over the growing impact of lifestyle-related diseases, declining trust in healthcare systems and the rising influence of social media on young people’s health choices.
Abdul Rahman Agha El Kinge, Consultant Medical Oncologist at NMC Royal Hospital in Sharjah, UAE, revealed that 45% of young adults ignore professional medical advice, while 38% turn to social media for health information instead of consulting certified clinicians. He added that public trust in healthcare systems has dropped to just 51%, reflecting a worrying global trend of misinformation and digital dependence.
Meanwhile, Tarek Yakout, Consultant of Medical Oncology and Head of the Inpatient Oncology Service at Cairo Cure Hospital, and Chair of the Oncology Department at Sahel Teaching Hospital in Cairo, emphasised that Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) remain the world’s leading killers. These include cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, mental health disorders, chronic kidney disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome — all of which are not caused by infectious agents and cannot be transmitted between individuals.
Silent killers
Yakout explained that NCDs stem from a mix of behavioural, physiological and environmental factors. Key behavioural risks include tobacco use, poor diet, lack of exercise and alcohol abuse. Physiological contributors involve high blood pressure, high blood sugar and obesity, while environmental and social factors include pollution, stress and socioeconomic challenges.
According to the World Health Organization’s 2021 data, NCDs are responsible for 74% of all global deaths, with cardiovascular diseases accounting for 55%, cancers 28.8%, respiratory diseases 11.3% and diabetes 5%. Yakout added that in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region alone, the economic toll of NCDs reaches $96.7bn annually, a figure comparable to the cost of major infrastructure projects.
He warned that obesity is emerging as one of the region’s most pressing health threats, noting that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has some of the highest obesity rates worldwide. Six countries rank among the top 20 globally: Kuwait (45.4%), Qatar (43.8%), Egypt (43%), Saudi Arabia (41.1%), Iraq (37.4%) and Bahrain (37.2%).
Despite decades of awareness campaigns, tobacco use continues to be a major public health issue. Based on the WHO Global Report 2024 and Tobacco Atlas 2022, the Middle East records some of the highest smoking rates among adults: Jordan (36.3%), Lebanon (34%), Palestine (31.3%), Egypt (24.7%), Syria (23%), Kuwait (22.7%), Bahrain (18.1%) and Iraq (16.7%).
Experts warn that tobacco smoke contains thousands of toxic chemicals that damage cells, cause inflammation and significantly increase cancer risk. It disrupts nitric oxide — a molecule responsible for blood vessel relaxation — leading to oxidative stress and cellular injury. Free radicals in smoke attack mitochondria and DNA, increasing the likelihood of mutations and cancer development. Encouragingly, a large meta-analysis in China revealed that the risk of lung cancer drops to normal levels just seven years after quitting smoking.
Adding to the discussion, Adj. Prof. Prem Kumar Shanmugam, Founder, CEO and Clinical Director of Solace Asia Addiction Retreat, described physical inactivity as a “silent global epidemic.” He noted that insufficient exercise contributes to 5 million preventable deaths each year, increases mortality risk by 30% and costs the global healthcare system $54bn annually. Shockingly, 80-81% of adolescents worldwide fail to meet recommended activity levels – a problem that begins early and persists into adulthood.
Shanmugam also highlighted the growing addiction crisis, with more than 35 million people worldwide currently affected — a number steadily increasing across Asia and the Middle East. He stressed that addiction must be viewed not merely as a personal struggle but as a public health emergency impacting families, communities and economies.
Explaining the neurological mechanism behind addiction, Shanmugam clarified that dopamine — the brain’s reward chemical — drives craving (wanting) rather than pleasure (liking). Drugs can release up to ten times more dopamine than natural rewards, causing the brain to prioritise substance use and reinforcing compulsive behaviour even when enjoyment fades. “This hijacking of the brain’s reward system is what fuels the addiction cycle,” he said.
Smoking alternatives
Doctors have proposed solutions for smokers who do not want to quit, aiming at least to reduce the harm caused by burning tobacco.
The World Health Organization reported that there were 1.3 billion smokers worldwide in 2024.
Clinicians therefore recommend better alternatives currently available, such as heated tobacco and nicotine pouches.
Yakout stated that traditional smoking is responsible for many types of cancer — not only lung cancer. He clarified that the problem does not lie in nicotine itself, which is addictive but not carcinogenic, but rather in the compounds released during combustion, such as benzene, formaldehyde and many others, all classified by the World Health Organization as carcinogens.
He explained that cigarette alternatives, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, are not recommended for non-smokers but can serve as tools to help adult smokers quit, since they deliver nicotine without combustion, thereby reducing exposure to carcinogenic substances.
He added that smoking alternatives like e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches can be suitable substitutes for adult smokers, helping to lower health risks.
Yakout also highlighted the importance of collective efforts by governments, NGOs and medical associations to communicate accurate health information to smokers, calling for nationwide awareness campaigns similar to President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s “100 Million Health” initiative.
He stressed the need for greater public awareness to encourage individuals to modify harmful habits and lifestyles — such as smoking, chronic stress and lack of sleep — to reduce health risks.
Yakout noted that around 40% of cancer cases could be prevented through lifestyle changes, including quitting smoking, improving diet, exercising more, reducing stress and undergoing early screening, which helps detect tumours in their initial stages and increases survival rates.
Non-combusted cigarettes
Sherif Bakir, Senior Consultant in Cardiology at Medcare Medical Centre, stated that non-combusted cigarettes are significantly less harmful than traditional cigarettes.
Bakir explained that the main harm in traditional cigarettes does not come from nicotine itself but from the process of burning tobacco, which produces carbon monoxide and more than sixty harmful and toxic substances.
He added that in the case of e-cigarettes, tobacco is not burned; instead, a liquid containing nicotine is heated, which greatly reduces the amount of toxic substances produced compared to cigarettes.
Bakir emphasised that nicotine is not completely safe, but it does not cause cancer; its main risk lies in its addictive nature.
He noted that when a person smokes, the brain creates special receptors for nicotine that did not exist before. If the person quits smoking for three days, these receptors begin to deactivate, but they never disappear completely. He pointed out that even after years, if the person returns to smoking, these receptors may be reactivated.
He continued that several studies from around the world confirm the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a less harmful alternative. A recent study from South Korea involving 1,750 patients who had suffered heart attacks divided them into three groups: the first quit smoking completely, the second used e-cigarettes, and the third continued smoking traditional cigarettes.
Bakir explained that after a four-year follow-up, the second group (e-cigarette users) showed the same reduction in the risk of recurrent heart attacks as the first group, while 25% of the third group suffered new heart attacks.
He also stressed that the use of e-cigarettes by young people who were not smokers to begin with is unacceptable, as it exposes their developing brains to nicotine. Moreover, the lungs at younger ages are not yet fully developed, which increases the risks. For this reason, some countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, restrict the sale of these products to individuals over the age of 21.
Bakir concluded by noting that the main behaviours negatively affecting heart health include smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and chronic stress.
