CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 33, No 4, July/August 2022 180 AFRICA Awareness of heart failure and perception of the problem in the general population Marta Kałużna-Oleksy, Michał Wawrzyniak, Monika Klimkowska, Magdalena Dudek, Jacek Migaj, Ewa Straburzyńska-Migaj Abstract Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the understanding of heart failure (HF) by the general public and find the best way to raise people’s awareness of this issue. Methods: This prospective, survey-based registry involved 501 people over 18 years old. The survey included information on the participants’ gender, education, place of residence, medical history, involvement in any area of healthcare, and having relatives suffering from HF. The participants were divided into three age groups, young (< 40 years), middle aged (40–65 years) and elderly (> 65 years), and two groups, depending on whether the participant’s relative was a HF sufferer or not. Conclusion: Despite an increasing prevalence of heart failure, the general public still has insufficient knowledge on symptoms, causes and treatment methods of this disease. New methods of disseminating information should be considered in order to stop an escalating problem of low awareness of heart failure. Keywords: prevention, heart failure, risk factors of heart failure, healthy lifestyle, public awareness Submitted 29/6/21, accepted 16/11/21 Published online 17/1/22 Cardiovasc J Afr 2022; 33: 180–185 www.cvja.co.za DOI: 10.5830/CVJA-2021-059 Following the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) definition, heart failure (HF) can be defined as a clinical syndrome characterised by typical symptoms, such as breathlessness, ankle swelling and fatigue, which may be accompanied by signs, for example elevated jugular venous pressure, pulmonary crackles and peripheral oedema, caused by a structural and/or functional cardiac abnormality, resulting in a reduced cardiac output and/ or elevated intracardiac pressures at rest or during stress.1 HF represents the possible end stage of any cardiovascular disease, while its prevalence and clinical relevance are steadily increasing.2 It affects almost 26 million people worldwide. In Europe approximately 15 million are affected, and a lifetime risk of developing HF is one in five.2-7 Overall, it appears that chronic heart failure (CHF) affects one to 3% of the general population and approximately 10% of the very elderly.8 In developed countries, the number of patients with CHF is increasing. This trend is the result of an increasing number of elderly people and an improvement in survival rate after acute states, for example, acute myocardial infarction.9 Although HF is an important epidemiological problem, awareness of most of its features in the general population in Europe is low. There are also clear misconceptions on the nature, severity, treatment options and costs of HF.10 In addition, the majority of studies reveal lack of knowledge of HF among patients.11-13 The HF Awareness and Perception in Europe study (SHAPE), one of the most detailed European studies on HF awareness, has shown several misbeliefs, and public knowledge on HF was found to be low.10 Although as many as 86% of respondents had heard of HF, only 3% identified the typical clinical presentation and 67% thought that HF patients live longer than cancer patients.10 The majority of information concerning HF gathered from countries such as Poland and Slovenia was collected during HF Awareness Day, under the patronage of the HF Association of the ESC.14,15 The data present a significant difference between the level of declared knowledge and correctly matched symptoms, and real-life situations show insufficient awareness of HF both among patients as well as the general population.14,15 Awareness of HF is not only necessary for patients to obtain appropriate understanding of their condition, but also in order for them to apply it and make proper decisions regarding their treatment. It is also crucial for the entire population in order to apply prophylaxis or to recognise initial symptoms of the disease, so as to begin diagnosis. The aim of this study was to assess the understanding of HF by the general public and to find the best way to raise people’s awareness of this issue. Methods This was a prospective registry based on an anonymous internet survey, which was distributed for six months through various online sites, such as hospital websites, sites concerning healthy lifestyle and patient organisations. The group of respondents involved people over 18 years old. The study was approved by the Poznan University of Medical Sciences bioethical committee. The participants of the study were divided into three groups, according to age: young (< 40 years), middle aged (40–65 years) and elderly (> 65 years), and two groups, depending on whether the participant’s relative was a HF sufferer or not. Accompanying heart diseases were not a variable determining the group of respondents. Department of Cardiology I, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland Marta Kałużna-Oleksy, MD, PhD Michał Wawrzyniak, MD, michalw.47@gmail.com Monika Klimkowska, MD Magdalena Dudek, MD Jacek Migaj, MD, PhD Ewa Straburzyńska-Migaj, MD, PhD
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