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Heart failure, ventricular dysfunction and risk factor prevalence in Australian Aboriginal peoples: the Heart of the Heart Study

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 00:28 authored by McGrady, M, Krum, H, Carrington, MJ, Stewart, S, Zeitz, C, Lee, GA, Thomas MarwickThomas Marwick, Haluska, BA, Brown, A
Background Limited strategies have been developed to evaluate and address the alarming discrepancy in early mortality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.
Objective To assess heart failure (HF), HF risk factors and document cardiac characteristics in an Australian Aboriginal population.
Design, setting, participants Adults were enrolled across six Aboriginal communities in Central Australia. They undertook comprehensive cardiovascular assessments, including echocardiography, to determine HF status, asymptomatic ventricular dysfunction and underlying risk factor profile.
Results Of 436 participants (mean age 44±14 years; 64% women) enrolled, 5.3% (95% CI 3.2% to 7.5%) were diagnosed with HF, only 35% of whom had a pre-existing HF diagnosis. Asymptomatic left ventricular dysfunction (ALVD) was seen in 13% (95% CI 9.4% to 15.7%) of the population. Estimates of HF risk factor prevalence were as follows: body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 42%, hypertension 41%, diabetes mellitus 40%, coronary artery disease (CAD) 7% and history of acute rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease 7%. In logistic regression analysis (after adjustment for age and gender), HF was associated with CAD (OR=9.6, p<0.001), diabetes (OR=5.4, p=0.002), hypertension (OR=4.8, p=0.006), BMI ≥30 kg/m2 (OR=2.9, p=0.02), acute rheumatic fever or rheumatic heart disease (OR=5.6, p=0.001) and B-type natriuretic peptide (OR=1.02, p<0.001).
Conclusion The burden of HF, ALVD and risk factors in this population was extremely high. This study highlights potentially modifiable targets on which to focus resources and screening strategies to prevent HF in this high-risk Indigenous population.

History

Publication title

Heart

Volume

98

Issue

21

Pagination

1562-1567

ISSN

1355-6037

Department/School

Menzies Institute for Medical Research

Publisher

B M J Publishing Group

Place of publication

British Med Assoc House, Tavistock Square, London, England, Wc1H 9Jr

Rights statement

Copyright 2012 BMJ, the authors

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Clinical health not elsewhere classified

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