Dear colleagues,

Non communicable disease echoes scary because of mortalities associated with them, an estimated 80% deaths recorded due to NCDs in low and middle income countries are due to NCDs. Researcher’s statistics implicates that by 2030, 80% of total deaths globally will be due to these maladies. Middle East is now considered at high risk of developing NCDs due to rapid pace of urbanization. Recently, WHO has prioritized key areas of research for  prevention and cure of the NCDs. Further according to political declaration of United nations the major area of research and development focus was NCDs. WHO global action plan 2013-2020, for promoting and supporting research in the area of NCDs, kept as one of its objectives. Saudi Arabia categorized as a high income country, the country has competent but costlier health care system. Lack of health care awareness to patients and to society, leads to poor understanding of risk to develop NCDs. In Saudia Arabia 16.4 deaths, most probably are due to NCDs. Statistical Data compiled by WHO in 2014 reported that cardiovascular diseases  accounts for 46% of total mortalities, cancers ranked as second and accounts for 10%, chronic respiratory diseases leads to 3%, diabetes causes 5%, and other NCDs caused 14% of total mortalities in Saudi Arabia. 20th century’s greatest achievement is to increase the life expectancy, which caused an enormous progression in the figures of elderly everywhere in the world. The main consequence of this phenomenon is affliction of NCDs, which has severely debilitated the worth of life in elderly and challenged the competence of our healthcare resources.

Further according to researchers 25% of total drugs molecules that enter clinical development fails because of their ineffectiveness. While some drugs predisposed serious adverse effects, some drugs are costlier. Recent advances in the information about genetics, pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutics of NCDs explored new therapeutic targets and simplified the early diagnosis of the diseases and drug innovations. Currently, genomic biomarkers offered opportunities to identify the exact mechanism of disease progression and therapeutic targets. Moreover, repurpose of drugs is the another front which opened the doors for conducting new research and find out the possible pharmacological effects of importance of the existing molecules . 

The Main aim of the current special issue to display newer insights to understand and explore the molecular mechanisms and involvement of genomic biomarkers and omics in NCDs progression to the scientist engaged in this particular area with special emphasis on the cardiovascular diseases. Further the special issue will focus to showcase the new drug discoveries or the efforts behind the novel drug development for the problem highlighted. 

Non communicable disease, 

Cardiovascular disease

Angina

Heart failure

Hypertension

Coronary artery disease