Clinical aspects of heart failure in young adults

Abstract

Introduction: recent studies indicate that the incidence of heart failure among the young population has increased. The etiological causes of this disease are varied and differ substantially from those of older adults, and their mortality is higher compared to the latter.

Objective: to describe clinical aspects of young patients with heart failure at the Hospital General Docente “Dr. Agostinho Neto” in Guantánamo, Cuba, in the period 2022-2023.

Method: descriptive and cross-sectional study carried out at said institution, with a universe made up of 65 young patients discharged with a diagnosis of heart failure (N = 65). The variables studied were: age group, sex, risk factors and comorbidities, left ventricular ejection fraction, etiology and status at discharge.

Results: males predominated with 72.4%, age groups 45-50 years (21.54%) and 51-55 years (35.38%) were the predominant ones. Among the risk factors and comorbidities, the most frequent was arterial hypertension in 63.07%. 61.54% of the patients had heart failure with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. The main etiological cause was ischemic with 53.81%. Deaths constituted 32.39%.

Conclusions: males and older age groups predominate. The burden of risk factors and comorbidities is high. Patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction predominate and mortality is high.