PhD Degree Awarded to Mr. Muammar Al-Assadi in Cardiology

Mr. Muammar Yahya Mohammed Al-Assadi was awarded a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree in Cardiology for his dissertation titled: Gender-Related Differences in Presentation, Management, and Outcomes among Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome in Yemen, which was submitted to the Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences – Sana’a University. The dissertation defense was held on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

The PhD Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:

#	Committee Members	Designation	Position
1	Prof. Mohammed Mohammed Ahmed Al-Kebsi	Internal Examiner	Chair
2	Prof. Nouraddeen Noaman Al-Jaber	Main Supervisor	Member
3	Prof. Dhaifallah Saleh Ahmed Jaeed	External Examiner	Member

The dissertation aimed to:

Clinically compare differences in symptoms and types of myocardial infarction among men and women in Yemen.
Analyze risk factors by assessing the impact of traditional factors such as diabetes and hypertension, alongside local factors such as Qat chewing and smoking, on both genders.
Measure the treatment gap in access to cardiac catheterization and stent placement among men and women.
Evaluate clinical outcomes by comparing in-hospital mortality and complications, as well as one-year post-discharge outcomes.

The study yielded several key findings summarized as follows:

A mortality gap was found, with in-hospital mortality higher among women than men (12.6% vs. ‎‎6%).‎
A treatment disparity, as women were less likely to receive cardiac catheterization and ‎stent placement compared to men.‎
Differences in risk profiles: diabetes and hypertension were the most prominent risk ‎factors among women, whereas smoking and Qat chewing were the leading ‎contributors among men.‎
Woman who survived the acute phase had survival rates ‎comparable to men at one-year follow-up.‎

In light of these findings, the researcher recommended the following:‎

Ensuring therapeutic equity by providing women with equal and timely access to cardiac catheterization and stenting procedures.
Raising community awareness of atypical heart attack symptoms in women, such as shortness of breath and fatigue.
Strengthening control of chronic diseases, particularly diabetes and hypertension among women, to reduce sudden cardiac events.
Combating smoking and Qat chewing through awareness campaigns to reduce early-onset cardiovascular disease among youth and men.

The defense session was attended by Assoc. Prof. Adel Al-Ghaili, Vice Dean of the ‎Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences for Academic Affairs and Postgraduate ‎Studies, and Prof. Ahmed Al-Mutarrib, Head of the Cardiology Department, along ‎with a number of academics, researchers, students, interested attendees, the researcher’s ‎colleagues and family members.