Pattern of Cardiovascular Diseases as Seen in an Out-Patient Cardiac Clinic in Ghana

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are increasingly emerging as a major health problem in sub-Saharan Africa, but information on the epidemiology, clinical characteristics and spectrum of the diseases are scanty. Epidemiological data regarding the incidence and prevalence of CVDs in different geographical regions are essential to our understanding of global distribution and evolution of CVDs. We conducted a retrospective observational study to determine the prevalence and spectrum of cardiovascular diseases in patients seen at the out-patient cardiac clinic of the Directorate of Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi, Ghana. Medical records of 432 patients selected from the cardiac clinic using simple random sampling. The medical history, including the socio-demographic information, was examined. The results of the patients' laboratory tests, chest X-ray, electrocardiography, M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography with Doppler and colour flow imaging of the patients were also examined. The patients were aged between 13 -97 years with the mean age (±standard deviation) of 55.35 (±19) years. There were more females (53%; n = 229) than males (47%; n = 203). The main cardiovascular diseases seen included: hypertensive heart disease (35.6%; n = 154), valvular heart disease (19.7%; n = 85), cardiomyopathies (18.5%; n = 80), arrhythmias (6.3%; n = 27) and coronary artery disease (4.2%; n = 18). The most common causes of valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathies and arrhythmias were rheumatic heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy and complete heart block respectively. In conclusion, our study has shown that hypertensive heart disease, rheumatic heart disease and cardiomyopathies were the main cardiovascular diseases, seen in 73.8% of the patients in this study.

Clinical and Socio-Demographic Profiles of Patients Seen with Rheumatic Heart Disease in a Cardiac Clinic of a Tertiary Hospital in Ghana

“…Rheumatic heart disease has mostly disappeared in most industrialized nations, but it remains a significant clinical and public health issue in Ghana and several other developing countries. 1,13,18,19 The clinical and socio-demographic profile of patients with RHD attending the adult cardiac clinic of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana, is described in this study. A total of 140 individuals (37 men and 103 women) were investigated retrospectively.…”

“…Other investigations, however, have found that mitral regurgitation with mitral stenosis is the most prevalent valvular presentation in RHD. 13,23 Mitral stenosis is the most prevalent valvular lesion in RHD, according to a few studies. 31 Surprisingly, there was no evidence of mitral stenosis in this report.…”

“…A recent study of cardiovascular disease patterns encountered in an outpatient cardiac clinic in Ghana suggested that RHD could still be a significant cause of cardiovascular disease in this country. 13 Consequently, the goal of this study was to determine the clinical and socio-demographic profile of RHD patients at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana.…”

Ethnopharmacological Study of Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases and Their Associated Risk Factors in sub-Saharan Africa

“…Cardiac diseases have also been identified as a major non-communicable disease among children in SSA [ 13 ]. Several authors such as BeLue et al [ 9 ], Monti et al [ 14 ], Amegah [ 12 ], van der Sande [ 15 ], Yach et al [ 16 ], Tokoudagba et al [ 17 ], Nkoke and Luchuo [ 18 ], and Owusu and Acheamfour-Akowuah [ 19 ], among others, have attributed the increase in the burden of CVDs and related risk factors in the region to certain agents. These include the epidemiological transition brought about by increasing urbanization, changing lifestyle/dietary patterns, socioeconomic development, and modernization.…”

“…They include heart failure (also referred to as congestive heart failure), stroke, coronary artery, coronary heart, cerebrovascular, and rheumatic heart diseases [ 1 , 6 , 21 , 22 ], as well as other conditions, with diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol/hyperlipidemia, obesity (abnormal or excessive fat accumulation), tobacco/cigarettes use, increase in age, sedentary lifestyle, and genetic predisposition, among others, as risk factors [ 2 , 3 , 7 , 20 , 23 , 24 ]. In SSA countries, the CVDs challenge has given rise to additional pressure on the healthcare systems, which are still struggling to cope with other diseases that affect the region [ 19 ].…”