Lauren A Eberly1, Emmanuel Rusingiza2, Paul H Park3, Gedeon Ngoga4, Symaque Dusabeyezu4, Francis Mutabazi4, Emmanuel Harerimana4, Joseph Mucumbitsi5, Philippe F Nyembo6, Ryan Borg4, Cyprien Gahamanyi4, Cadet Mutumbira4, Evariste Ntaganda6, Christian Rusangwa4, Gene F Kwan7, Gene Bukhman8. 1. Division of Global Health Equity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. 2. Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali, Kigali, Rwanda; Inshuti Mu Buzima, Rwinkwavu, Rwanda. 3. Partners in Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Program in Global Noncommunicable Diseases and Social Change, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts. 4. Inshuti Mu Buzima, Rwinkwavu, Rwanda. 5. Department of Paediatrics, King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda. 6. Ministry of Health, Kigali, Rwanda. 7. Partners in Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Program in Global Noncommunicable Diseases and Social Change, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Section of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts. 8. Division of Global Health Equity, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Partners in Health, Boston, Massachusetts; Program in Global Noncommunicable Diseases and Social Change, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts. Electronic address: gbukhman@bwh.harvard.edu.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Heart failure is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Our understanding of the heart failure burden in this region has been limited mainly to registries from urban referral centers. Starting in 2006, a nurse-driven strategy was initiated to provide echocardiography and decentralized heart failure care within noncommunicable disease (NCD) clinics in rural district hospitals in Rwanda. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients with cardiologist-confirmed heart failure treated at 3 district hospital NCD clinics in Rwanda from 2006 to 2017 to determine patient clinical characteristics and disease distribution. Over 10 years, 719 patients with confirmed heart failure were identified. Median age was 27 years overall, and 42 years in adults. Thirty-six percent were children (age <18 years), 68% were female, and 78% of adults were farmers. At entry, 39% were in New York Heart Association functional class III-IV. Among children, congenital heart disease (52%) and rheumatic heart disease (36%) were most common. In adults, cardiomyopathy (40%), rheumatic heart disease (27%), and hypertensive heart disease (13%) were most common. No patients were diagnosed with ischemic cardiomyopathy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the largest single-country heart failure cohort from rural sub-Saharan Africa demonstrate a persistent burden of rheumatic disease and nonischemic cardiomyopathies.
BACKGROUND:Heart failure is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. Our understanding of the heart failure burden in this region has been limited mainly to registries from urban referral centers. Starting in 2006, a nurse-driven strategy was initiated to provide echocardiography and decentralized heart failure care within noncommunicable disease (NCD) clinics in rural district hospitals in Rwanda. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a retrospective review of patients with cardiologist-confirmed heart failure treated at 3 district hospital NCD clinics in Rwanda from 2006 to 2017 to determine patient clinical characteristics and disease distribution. Over 10 years, 719 patients with confirmed heart failure were identified. Median age was 27 years overall, and 42 years in adults. Thirty-six percent were children (age <18 years), 68% were female, and 78% of adults were farmers. At entry, 39% were in New York Heart Association functional class III-IV. Among children, congenital heart disease (52%) and rheumatic heart disease (36%) were most common. In adults, cardiomyopathy (40%), rheumatic heart disease (27%), and hypertensive heart disease (13%) were most common. No patients were diagnosed with ischemic cardiomyopathy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the largest single-country heart failure cohort from rural sub-Saharan Africa demonstrate a persistent burden of rheumatic disease and nonischemic cardiomyopathies.
Authors: Alice Kidder Bukhman; Vizir Jean Paul Nsengimana; Mindy C Lipsitz; Patricia C Henwood; Endale Tefera; Shada A Rouhani; Damas Dukundane; Gene Y Bukhman Journal: Curr Cardiol Rep Date: 2019-08-31 Impact factor: 2.931
Authors: Loise Ng'ang'a; Gedeon Ngoga; Symaque Dusabeyezu; Bethany L Hedt-Gauthier; Patient Ngamije; Michel Habiyaremye; Emmanuel Harerimana; Gilles Ndayisaba; Christian Rusangwa; Simon Pierre Niyonsenga; Charlotte M Bavuma; Gene Bukhman; Alma J Adler; Fredrick Kateera; Paul H Park Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2020-07-27 Impact factor: 2.692
Authors: Samson Okello; Fardous Charles Abeya; Boniface Amanee Elias Lumori; Suzan Joan Akello; Christopher Charles Moore; Brian H Annex; Andrew J Buda Journal: BMC Cardiovasc Disord Date: 2018-12-12 Impact factor: 2.298