Burden of comorbidities in heart failure patients hospitalized at the Abidjan Heart Institute

Objective: The aim of our work was to appreciate the importance of comorbidities of heart failure individually and globally in patients hospitalized at the Cardiology Institute of Abidjan. Patients and methods: This was a prospective cohort study of adult heart failure patients hospitalized from January to December 2015, and followed up over 12 months. Co-morbidities were analysed through their prevalence, their relationship with the etiologies, and their impact on the prognosis. Results: Three hundred and two patients (mean age: 55.5 ± 16.9 years, 61.6 % male) were recruited. High blood pressure, anaemia and kidney dysfunction were the most common co-morbidities (48 %, 43.7 % and 41.3 % respectively). There was an average of 3.4 ± 1.8 comorbidities per patient with an increase in the number of comorbidities with age (P < 0.05) and a more frequent association with hypertensive and ischemic heart disease (P < 0.001). During the one-year follow-up, 96 patients died. Apart from hepatic dysfunction (RR = 1.97, 95 % CI [1,19–3.25], P = 0.008, a high score of Charlson index appeared as a risk factor of death as much in univariate analysis (RR = 4.15 95 % CI [2.32–7.41], P < 0.001), as in multivariate analysis according to the Cox model (RR = 2.48. 95 % CI [1.08–5.09], P = 0.03) confirmed by Kaplan Meier curves (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Comorbidities are common in our heart failure patients and significantly affect their prognosis.