Etiologies and Patterns of Valvular Heart Disease Among Cardiac Patients at the Cardiac Center of Ethiopia During February 2000 to April 2022

Abstract

Background

The leading global contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality is valvular heart disease. It is on the rise worldwide, including in the developing countries. However, the prevalence, patterns, and etiologies of valvular heart disease have not been well studied in Ethiopia. Hence, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, patterns, and etiologies of valvular heart disease at the Cardiac Center of Ethiopia from February 2000 to April 2022.

Methods

This institution-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2000 and April 2022. Data from three thousand two hundred fifty-seven VHD were extracted from the electronic medical records and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics, such as the frequency, mean ± standard deviation, and cross tabulations, were used to summarize the data.

Results

Of 10,588 total cardiac cases registered and treated at the Cardiac Centre of Ethiopia from February 2000 to April 2022, 30.8% (3257) were diagnosed with VHD. The most typical diagnosis for VHD was multi-valvular involvement, which accounted for 49.5% of cases (1612), followed by pulmonary stenosis (15%) and mitral regurgitation (14.3%). Females were more likely to develop valve diseases than males, being at the highest risk for each identified etiology of valve disease 1928 (59.2%). The majority percentages of the population affected by VHD were between 18 and 44 age category 1473 (45.2%). The most common etiology of VHD was rheumatic 2015 (61.87%), followed by congenital origin 828 (25.42%).

Conclusion

VHD affects nearly one-third of all cardiac cases admitted to the hospital. Multi-valvular involvement is the most commonly diagnosed form of VHD. Rheumatic causes were more prevalent in this study. As found in this study, VHD affects a significant percentage of the population, which in turn could have an impact on the country’s economy and deserve attention as a possible means of intervention.

Keywords:

• Cardiac Center of Ethiopia
• etiology
• patterns
• valvular heart disease

Abbreviation

RHD, Rheumatic heart disease; VHD, Valvular heart disease; MAVD, Mixed aortic valve disease; AS, Atrial stenosis; TS, Tricuspid stenosis; MS, Mitral stenosis; PS, Pulmonary stenosis; AR, Aortic regurgitation; MR, Mitral regurgitation; TR, Tricuspid regurgitation; PR, Pulmonary regurgitation; NRVHD, Non-rheumatic valvular heart disease.

Data Sharing Statement

The corresponding author can provide the datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study upon reasonable request.

Ethics Approval

The Addis Ababa University College of Health Sciences’ Institutional Review Board granted ethical approval for this study. A support letter was also provided to the Cardiac Center of Ethiopia. Participants in the study provided written informed consent. The study was carried out according to the Helsinki Declaration.

Acknowledgment

For providing the facilities required to carry out this research, we are grateful to the study participants and the staff of the cardiac center in Ethiopia.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.