Abdin A, Barakat A, Alsaadi AR, Katbeh A, Bani Marjeh Y, Bekfani T, Alachkar MN. Application of recommended therapies among patients with heart failure during the Syrian conflict: reality and barriers.
ESC Heart Fail 2022;
9:4003-4009. [PMID:
35996985 PMCID:
PMC9773769 DOI:
10.1002/ehf2.14119]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS
Lower socio-economic status may delay and even prevent the application of guideline-directed heart failure (HF) therapy for most patients. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and possible difficulties facing the application of this treatment during the current Syrian conflict.
METHODS AND RESULTS
A questionnaire on HF management and feasibility of recommended HF therapy was addressed to physicians practising cardiology in Syria. The questionnaire consisted of 30 questions and focused on the quality of HF management and awareness of recommended drug and device therapy for HF among physicians practising cardiology in Syria. A total of 228 physicians participated in the survey. Awareness of recommended medical and device therapy of HF was very high among participants (98% and 95%, respectively). The majority of participants (>75%) believe that more than half of HF patients do not receive optimal medical HF therapy. Ninety per cent of participants believe that <10% of patients with an appropriate indication for device therapy receive it. More than 75% of participants believe that the cost of medications, alone or in combination with other medical causes, represents the major problem facing the application of optimal HF medical therapy. More than 95% of participants reported that cost alone, or in combination with unavailability, is the primary reason why patients with appropriate indications are not offered device therapy.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite the high level of awareness of recommended HF therapies among Syrian cardiologists, the majority of HF patients are still undertreated. Financial difficulties and lack of resources are the main causes of this problem.
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