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The Burden of Chronic Heart Failure in Primary Care in Italy

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Abstract

Introduction

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a major public health concern. From a public health perspective, the epidemiology of CHF needs to be distinguished from that of its related acute form. Data stemming from primary care are crucial to better know and update the prevalence and incidence rates of CHF.

Aim

To update the epidemiology of CHF in an Italian primary care setting and to describe socio-demographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics of these patients.

Methods

A population-based study was conducted among 800 Italian general practitioners collecting data in a dedicated database. Information was extracted from adult subjects with a diagnosis of CHF from 2002 to 2013, and the prevalence and incidence rate of CHF were calculated. The study population was described in terms of socio-demographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics.

Results

A total of 13,633 patients with CHF were identified. Overall, the prevalence of CHF was 1.25% (95% CI 1.23–1.27), and the incidence rate was 1.99 per 1000 person-years (95% CI 1.81–2.08). In this population, smoking, alcohol use, and obesity were present in 2.93, 0.45, and 10.80% of cases, respectively. Hypertension (58.40%), chronic kidney disease (51.36%), dyslipidaemia (44.62%), ischaemic heart disease (25.75%), and atrial fibrillation (25.32%) were the most represented comorbidities.

Conclusion

This study provides an updated epidemiological scenario of CHF in a primary care setting in Italy. These data may be useful to weight the social and economic impact of CHF and to plan strategies for improving the clinical care of CHF in general practice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pharmacology Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Irnerio 48, 40126, Bologna, Italy

    Carlo Piccinni & Ippazio Cosimo Antonazzo

  2. Health Search, Italian College of General Practitioners and Primary Care, Florence, Italy

    Carlo Piccinni, Monica Simonetti, Iacopo Cricelli & Francesco Lapi

  3. Cardiovascular Department, Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy

    Marco Giovanni Mennuni

  4. Italian College of General Practitioners and Primary Care, Florence, Italy

    Damiano Parretti & Claudio Cricelli

  5. Patient Access Department, Novartis Farma, Origgio, Milan, Italy

    Delia Colombo & Mihaela Nica

Authors
  1. Carlo Piccinni
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  2. Ippazio Cosimo Antonazzo
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  3. Monica Simonetti
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  4. Marco Giovanni Mennuni
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  5. Damiano Parretti
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  7. Delia Colombo
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  8. Mihaela Nica
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  9. Iacopo Cricelli
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  10. Francesco Lapi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlo Piccinni.

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Source of funding

This study was supported by Novartis Farma Italy.

Conflict of interest

F Lapi and I. Cricelli provided consultancies in protocol preparation for epidemiological studies and data analyses for Novartis and Abbvie. D. Parretti and C. Cricelli provided clinical consultancies for Novartis and Abbvie. D. Colombo and M. Nica are employers at Novartis. C. Piccinni, I.C. Antonazzo, M. Simonetti, and M.G. Mennuni declare no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Piccinni, C., Antonazzo, I.C., Simonetti, M. et al. The Burden of Chronic Heart Failure in Primary Care in Italy. High Blood Press Cardiovasc Prev 24, 171–178 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-017-0193-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40292-017-0193-4

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