Because of air pollution, congenital diseases, shocking events, rheumatic fever, excessive eating, a lack of exercise, and feelings of deep sadness, persecution and oppression, Egyptians have some of the least healthy hearts in the world, says world-acclaimed Egyptian heart surgeon Magdi Yacoub. In an interview with Lamis el-Hadidy on Nile Life on Monday, Yacoub said taxi and micro-bus drivers are the most vulnerable to heart disease. Yacoub has returned to Egypt in order to achieve his lifetime dream of establishing a medical and scientific center in Aswan for Egyptians and Arabs, especially the poor and children. He expressed fears that his medical center might suffer the same challenges as projects by Ahmed Zewail and Farouk el-Baz, which failed to take shape, due to excessive red tape and a lack of interest, among other reasons. "One of the things that scares me most in Egypt is Egyptians' lack of interest in science," Yacoub said. Commenting on sectarian tension in Egypt, Yacoub said he believes this represents a form of "ignorance." Yacoub said he doesn't dream of receiving a Nobel prize, as he is happy to be able to relieve the pain of his patients. He mentioned that he has been honored by the British by his acceptance into the 350-year-old Royal Society, whose members included Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton. Yacoub said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is a personal friend of his and that Brown wrote the foreword for Yacoub's book "Moral Courage." Yacoub also said that the study of genetics is essential to treating heart disease properly. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
