Open AccessFrequency of risk factors and aetiologies for heart failure in Saudi Arabia: A hospital-based study
Author(s) -
Abdelfatah Elasfar,
Waleed AlShaghaa,
Mohamed Abdulaal
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the egyptian heart journal /the egyptian heart journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.212
H-Index - 9
eISSN - 2090-911X
pISSN - 1110-2608
DOI - 10.1016/j.ehj.2013.12.034
Subject(s) - medicine , heart failure , ejection fraction , coronary artery disease , diabetes mellitus , cardiomyopathy , population , valvular heart disease , peripartum cardiomyopathy , epidemiology , cardiology , pediatrics , environmental health , endocrinology
Most studies on HF epidemiology have been performed in western countries, and scarce data are available in Arab populations including Saudi Arabia.Objectives: In this study we aimed to determine the frequency of risk factors and aetiologies for HF in patients admitted with acute heart failure (AHF) to a tertiary care referral center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Methods: We enrolled all consecutive patients admitted to our center between September 2009 to December 2011 with the primary diagnosis of acute heart failure. It is a prospective cohort study of the risk factors and aetiologies leading to heart failure in that population. Relevant information regarding the risk factors and aetiologies of HF were recorded on CRF designed in accordance with the objectives of the study.Results: We enrolled 882 patients with median age (IQR) of 59 (15) years; 68% men, 95% Saudis; 30% had de novo HF, and 72.3% had reduced ejection fraction. Exacerbating factors for AHF admission were multifactorial including acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in 35.5% of patients, uncontrolled hypertension in 19.6%, infections in 13.8%, worsening renal failure in 34.3%, noncompliance with diet in 58.8%, and with treatment of HF in 19.3%. The main aetiologies of HF were CAD (59.3%), idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (20.6%), hypertension (8.2%), primary valvular heart disease (7.6%), cardiotoxic cardiomyopathy (2.5), pregnancy related cardiomyopathy (1%) and thyroid disorder related cardiomyopathy (1%). The prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors was high: 62.9% had diabetes mellitus, 68.7% had hypertension, 44.2% were either current or ex-smokers, and 36.4% had hyperlipidaemia.Conclusions: Coronary artery disease, hypertension, cardiomyopathy and valvular heart disease are the major contributors to heart failure in this patient’s cohort. The exacerbating factors for acute heart failure included high rate of noncompliance to either heart failure diet or medications which remains as a potential target for improvement of care