Risk Factors and Prescription Pattern among Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is considered a condition that impairs the ventricle’s ability to fill or eject blood due to a structural or functional disorder of the heart, having a prevalence rate of 0.3%–2%.[1,2] Left-sided heart failure is most commonly caused by ischemic heart disease and hypertension (HTN), whereas right-sided heart failure is generally caused by the later stage of left-sided heart failure. These cardiac conditions may lead to mental complications, including stress and depression.[3] In India, there is less data regarding the exact prevalence and incidence of CHF.[4] Availability of these data may lead to the planning of safe and effective therapy. Drug utilization studies help in identifying the trends of the therapy for the disease.[5,6] A prescription pattern study provides an insight into the treatment compliance with hospital formulary and other guidelines.[7] Deviation and irrationality in the standard therapy will help in amending the prescribing guidelines in the hospital.[8] The clinical pharmacist plays an essential role in assessing the risk factors and drug prescription patterns.[9] Hence, this study is carried out to identify the risk factors associated with CHF and pharmacotherapy in patients diagnosed with CHF.