Heart failure in the family practice: a study of the prevalence and co-morbidity

Methods. A cross-sectional, observational descriptive study set in a health area of the Community of Madrid, Spain. The study was carried out in a population of 198 670 individuals over 14 years of age, attended to by 129 specialists in family medicine. The patient was considered to have HF when this diagnosis (ICPC code K77) appeared in his or her electronic medical record. The prevalence of HF was quantified and its association with another 25 chronic diseases was analysed. Results. The prevalence of HF was 6.9 parts per thousand, 7.9 parts per thousand among women and 5.9 parts per thousand among men. Patients with HF had a high rate of chronic co-morbidity, with an average of 5.2 + 2.1 chronic diseases. Only 3% of the patients present with isolated HF and > 60% have four or more additional chronic problems. Hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, hyperlipidaemia, obesity and diabetes mellitus are the chronic diseases most frequently detected in HF patients. Conclusion. Patients with HF frequently visit the offices of family physicians, presenting with a high rate of cardiac and non-cardiac co-morbidity that proves to be a challenge on the clinical level and in terms of the organization of health care services.