© 2008 European Society of Cardiology
Chronic heart failure, selected risk factors and co-morbidities among adults treated for hypertension in a cardiac referral hospital in Cameroon
a Heart failure and transplantation Unit, Louis Pradel's Cardiovascular Hospital Lyon, France
b Department of Internal medicine and subspecialties, University of Yaoundé I Cameroon
c The George Institute For International Health, University of Sydney Australia
d Cardiology Unit, Service of Internal Medicine B, Yaoundé General Hospital Cameroon
* Corresponding author. Heart failure and transplantation Unit, Hospices Civils Lyon, Louis Pradel's Cardiovascular Hospital and Claude Bernard University, 28, Avenue du Doyen Lepine, 69500 Bron, Lyon, France. Tel.: +33 660054389. E-mail address: aitdzudie{at}yahoo.com (A. Dzudie).
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Abstract |
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Background: Information on clinical characteristics of heart failure (HF) among Africans with hypertension is needed to help define the burden of hypertension in this population, but currently there is little data available.
Aims: To determine the clinical characteristics of HF, related risk factors and co-morbidities among adult Cameroonians treated for hypertension.
Methods and results: Medical files of 1218 patients with hypertension followed at the cardiac clinic of Yaounde General Hospital were evaluated over a 10-year period from 1995 to 2005. One hundred and forty (11.5%) patients with clinical HF or asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction were included in the present analysis. Ages ranged from 26 to 84 years (mean 54.9 years) and 86 (61.4%) were men. Systolic dysfunction and isolated diastolic HF were found in 64% and 23% of patients, respectively. Seventy nine (56.4%) patients had at least one co-morbidity and 43 (30.7%) had multiple co-morbidities. Co-morbidities included: renal impairment (24.3%), overweight and obesity (20.7%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (17.1%), gout (16.4%), anaemia (15.7), diabetes mellitus (13.5%), atrial fibrillation (12.9%), stroke (9.3%), and ischaemic heart disease (5.7%).
Conclusions: HF is frequent among Cameroonian patients treated for hypertension and is regularly associated with co-morbidities. Efforts are needed to improve the control of hypertension and enhance early detection of these co-morbidities in this context.
Key Words: Hypertension • Heart failure • Cardiomyopathy • Africa • Co-morbidities • Risk factors
Received May 18, 2007; Revised November 25, 2007; Accepted February 4, 2008