Prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in patients at Mengo Hospital

Abstract

Retrospective cross sectional descriptive study was done to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in patients who were clinically diagnosed with signs and symptoms of CVDs from January – December 2011. Archived patients records on cardiac markers were evaluated. The records were identified according to sex, age group and parameters of interest concerning cardiac markers like CK-MB and troponin. A Chi-square test was done to determine relationships between CVDs prevalence and risk factors mentioned above. The prevalence of CVDs at Mengo hospital was found to 22.9% when tested using troponin test. Males (30.4% n=24) had more cases of CVDs (P<0.05, X2 =3.9) than females (19.3% n=31). . The percentage of patients to be having CVDs was positively correlated with age (r= 0.84, P<0.01). The percentage of patients diagnosed with troponin test to be suffering from CVDs according to age could be predicted using the equation Y=0.4X-0.4 (P=0.0095). Where by Y= % of patients of specific age group clinically referred for laboratory for CVDs test; X=age of the patient. Routine checkups for cardiovascular diseases was called for more especially among the elderly. CKMB tests showed a significant relationship in performance against troponin test (P<0.001) but troponin test was demonstrated to be the best of choice for diagnosis of CVDs.