Introduction: Nowadays cardiovascular disorders are the most important cause of morbidity and mortality among Hajj pilgrims. Physical and emotional stress accompanying this ceremony is considered the main cause for these events.
Purpose: To raise awareness of patients and medical authorities to the dilemma, and to propose a prescreening evaluation of people who intend to undergo a holy pilgrimage known as Hajj, in Makkah.
Methods and Materials: We present a 63-year-old female housekeeper, known with hypertension, smoking, hyperglycemia and a family history of hyperlipidemia and ischemic heart disease. While she visited Makkah as a pilgrim, she was hospitalized due to acute myocardial infarction, and treated by lytic therapy. A month after she was referred to coronary angiography due to post MI angina. Cardiac catheterization revealed triple vessel disease which needed coronary bypass surgery.
Conclusions: In order to prevent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among Hajj pilgrims, it is recommended to screen people for cardiovascular risk factors and adherence to medical therapy.
