Changing trends in Rheumatic heart disease: A retrospective tertiary care hospital-based study in the western region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Rheumatic heart disease is a signicant public health concern. Thirty million people are currently thought to be affected by rheumatic heart disease globally. Despite the decreasing trend, there is still a signicant disease burden, especially in developing nations. Objective: To determine trends in rheumatic heart disease in the western region of Saudi Arabia, in one decade. (2010-2020) Methods: A retrospective study was done in a hospital in Taif region, Saudi Arabia, where 81 patients randomly selected from a population of over 688,693 were included. Data was collected from patients’ les, laboratory results data, and echocardiographic results. Results: The mean age of patients was 47 ± 18 years. The most commonlyreported chronic diseases or surgery were; hypertension 30 (16.4%) and cardiac diseases 24 (13.1%). Almost one-third of the participants presented with a cardiac complication of rheumatic fever in a form of shortness of breath 46 (26.9%). The most common echo nding was mitral valve regurgitation 28 (33.3%). Conclusion: Mitral regurgitation (33.3%) and mitral stenosis (33.3%) were echocardiographic ndings accounting for more than half of cases. The most commonly reported signs of rheumatic heart disease were murmur and atrial fibrillation which goes with international study findings. We recommend raising the level of public awareness about rheumatic heart disease in order to lower the incidence of the disease. Keywords: Heart, Rheumatic Heart Disease, Tertiary Care Centers, Saudi Arabia.