Heart failure awareness in the Korean general population: Results from the nationwide survey

Public Awareness of Heart Failure Among the Population of Makkah City, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Heart failure (HF), a major public health problem worldwide, is a complex clinical syndrome caused by structural or functional heart disorders occurring when the heart cannot supply sufficient blood to the body. The most common cause of HF is impairment of the left ventricle. Public awareness of HF is critical for controlling the disease burden, recognizing disease severity, and determining its prognosis. Therefore, this study assesses the awareness and perception of HF among the population in Makkah City, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,053 participants over 18 years of age who lived in Makkah City between October 2022 and February 2023. Participants were randomly selected and recruited using a validated online questionnaire. Results Of the participants, 62.4% had heard of HF, and the majority (59.5%) correctly identified it. Regarding the etiology of the disease, about 50.6% indicated that it was related to the aging process, and 82.9% indicated it was related to high blood pressure. Only 24.1% of participants correctly recognized HF symptoms; most defined the symptoms as general heart disease. Moreover, 51.6% of participants agreed that the current HF medications can reduce deaths from HF and improve quality of life. However, most respondents disagreed that HF drugs can prevent the onset of HF. Conclusion The findings emphasize the need for more awareness programs to raise the public awareness about HF and effectively guide the population to more reliable sources that provide evidence-based information about the disease.

Heart Failure Awareness Among the General Saudi Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Heart failure (HF) continues to be a globally prevalent condition with a poor prognosis, severe morbidity, and a high mortality rate. Despite the severity of HF, relatively few studies on public awareness of the condition have been published, with the majority indicating that awareness is quite low. This study aimed to determine HF knowledge in the general Saudi community and its associated predictors. Methods An online survey was used to conduct a cross-sectional study on the Saudi population. The publicity committee of the Korean Society of Heart Failure drafted the questionnaire used in the present investigation. Three questions assessed knowledge of cardiovascular (CV) and cerebrovascular disorders; four questions assessed knowledge of HF, its etiology, and severity; and three questions assessed knowledge of readmission, mortality, and lifetime risk. Results A total of 1,124 respondents completed the questionnaire. Approximately half of the respondents (50.1%, n = 563) were unaware that HF is a pathological rather than a physiological process. Only 13.8% of the respondents were aware that the lifetime risk of developing HF is 20%, with even lower rates of correct responses for the one-year readmission rate (7.4%) and post-discharge one-year mortality from acute HF (7.3%). Female gender and lower levels of education were associated with a lack of HF awareness. A multivariate analysis revealed that income and information source were substantially associated with cardiovascular disorder knowledge. Age, education, alcohol consumption, and information source were associated with awareness of the severity of HF. Conclusion The general population in Saudi Arabia (SA) exhibited a relatively low degree of knowledge of HF. We suggest increasing public awareness of HF through an educational campaign led by medical personnel and disseminated via various social media websites. Changes should be made to national healthcare policies to provide healthcare institutions with continuous promotion and iterative campaigns about healthy lifestyles and preventive activities to reduce disease-related costs and disability. HF awareness must be raised through increased concentration and education.

Awareness of cardiovascular disease among Korean women: Results from a nationwide survey

Women underestimate the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is essential to assess and raise awareness regarding CVD among women to reduce disease burden and mortality. Therefore, we investigated the awareness regarding CVD among Korean women. We conducted a nationwide survey between December 2020 and January 2021 among a representative sample of Korean women using random-digit-dialing telephonic interviews. We sought information regarding the awareness of CVD risk; recognition of symptoms and signs; and knowledge of the cause and prevention of and appropriate response to CVD. A total of 1,050 women (mean age, 60.2 ± 11.9 years) participated in the study. Approximately 52.0% of participants were unaware of CVD, and only 26% of participants had heard of CVD. Participants considered that compared to other diseases, CVD was not an important health issue for women, and few of them thought that cerebrovascular diseases and CVD were the leading causes of death (10.9% and 7.6%, respectively). After adjustment for possible confounding factors, age >70 years, rural residence, and educational attainment below college were independently associated with a lack of awareness regarding CVD. The awareness regarding CVD being the leading cause of death in women is low, and most women do not consider it an important health issue. Therefore, special attention must be paid to educate the public regarding CVD in women.

Current status and problems regarding treating heart failure

Background: Heart failure remains a significant socioeconomic burden and leads to critical health problems due to its high mortality and hospitalization rates. Therefore, proper treatment of heart failure is very important in terms of long-term prognosis and quality of life.Current Concepts: The use of evidence-based drugs, intervention treatment, and patient education are essential recommendations to improve the prognosis of heart failure. However, these recommendations of treatment guidelines are not well implemented in actual clinical situations. A more realistic solution can be sought considering the domestic situation. First, it is necessary to improve public awareness of the disease. It is also necessary to actively educate medical personnel, including primary care doctors. Second, efforts to improve clinical inertia or neglect of treatment of medical personnel are needed. For a systematic treatment approach, developing performance indicators in heart failure management are necessary, which can be a realistic and suitable alternative to the domestic clinics.Discussion and Conclusion: Applying a well-proven treatment to patients with heart failure should be essential, which is not an option in actual clinical practice. To solve this problem, social attention and efforts, more grand decisions by academic societies, and creative concerns from public institutions should be necessary in the face of the so-called heart failure epidemic around the world and in Korea.

Factors Associated with Low Awareness of Heart Failure in the General Population of Korea

Background and Objectives

Factors associated with low heart failure (HF) awareness have not been well-evaluated. This study was conducted to find out which demographic features would be associated with low HF awareness in the general population of Korea.

Methods

A telephone interview was conducted with 1,032 adults (58 years and 50.6% were male) across the country. Based on answer to 15 questions about HF, we scored from 0 to 15 points (mean, 7.53±2.75; median, 8; interquartile range, 6–9). A score of <8 was defined as low HF awareness, and a score of ≥8 was defined as high HF awareness.

Results

A total of 478 subjects (46.3%) had low HF awareness. HF awareness scores were 5.18±1.85 and 9.55±1.50 in subjects of low and high HF awareness groups, respectively. Subjects with low HF awareness were older, more female-dominant, more diabetic, lower educational and house hold income levels, and more frequently living in rural areas, compared to those with high HF awareness (p<0.05 for each). In multivariable logistic regression analyses, older age (≥67 years: odds ratio [OR], 1.61; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16–2.19; p=0.004), female sex (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.02–1.73; p=0.034) and low educational level (high school graduate or less vs. college graduate: OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.75–3.22; p<0.001) were significantly associated with low HF awareness even after controlling for potential confounders.

Conclusions

Older age, female sex, and lower level of education were independently associated with low HF awareness in the general Korean population. More attention and education are needed for these vulnerable groups to improve HF awareness.