A Hospital-Based Study on Causes Peculiar to Heart Failure

Abstract

Background: We sought to determine the frequency of the risk factors for congestive cardiac failure (CCF) in a tertiary care hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan.

Methods: This retrospective, observational study was conducted in the department of cardiology, Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, from March 2005 to September 2007. Relevant information regarding the risk factors of CCF was recorded on questionnaires, devised in accordance with the objectives of the study.

Results: This study recruited 1019 patients with an established diagnosis of CCF on the basis of clinical findings and pertinent investigations. The study population comprised 583 (57.12%) men and 436 (42.78%) women. The patients’ age ranged from 6 years to 82 years with a mean age of 48.5 years and a mode of age of 45 years. The distribution of the causative factors of CCF was as follows: ischemic heart disease in 38.56%; hypertension in 26.30%; dilated cardiomyopathies in 10.10%; obstructive and restrictive cardiomyopathies in 5.39%; valvular heart diseases in 9.32%; congenital heart diseases like ventricular septal defects and atrial septal defects in 4.41% and 0.58%, respectively; constrictive pericarditis in 1.07%; pericardial effusion in 0.68%;  chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pulmonary hypertension in 1.47%; thyrotoxicosis in 0.68%; complete heart block in 0.29%; and Paget’s disease in 0.09% of the cases.

Conclusion: Ischemic heart disease, hypertension, cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, and congenital heart disease were the major contributors to CCF in our patients.