The Perception of Coronary Artery Disease and Cardiac Catheterization in Saudi Arabia: “What the Public Know”

Objective Coronary artery disease (CAD) constitutes a significant health hazard in middle-aged individuals in Saudi Arabia. We sought to assess the level of knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors and describe the perception of coronary intervention among the general population in the city of Jeddah in the western part of Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Jeddah during the period from April 2019 to September 1, 2019, by using a structured online questionnaire to assess the participants’ awareness of risk factors for CAD and coronary intervention. The survey included questions about socio-demographic data, risk factors of cardiovascular diseases, symptoms of heart attack, knowledge of coronary catheterizations, as well as resources of knowledge about coronary heart disease. Results The study included 984 participants. The majority of the participants had university diplomas (78.1%). Only 38.5 % were healthcare workers. Dyslipidemia and smoking were identified by 70.5% and 66.7%, respectively, as a recognized risk factor for CAD. Diabetes was mentioned by 32.1%. Participants without CAD risk factors had a significantly lower level of knowledge regarding the strong association between diabetes mellitus (DM) II and CAD (p-value=0.02). Healthcare professionals had a significantly lower level of knowledge regarding cardiac catheterization as compared to non-healthcare professionals. A higher percentage of healthcare professionals would agree to have cardiac catheterization if indicated (p-value=0.003). Awareness campaigns were the most common source of information for the public. Conclusion The current level of knowledge of CAD in the western part of Saudi Arabia is fair. National awareness campaigns are required to improve the level of healthcare education.