Clinical and demographic profile of patients of rheumatic valvular heart disease: A cross-sectional analysis of Varanasi heart valve registry

Background: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a preventable structural heart disease involving cardiac valves affecting the young population of productive age-group having considerable morbidity and mortality due to associated complications. Aims and Objectives: To evaluate the clinic-demographical characteristics and complications of RHD patients and thus to build up a RHD valvular registry. Materials and Methods: In this study, we enrolled 570 consecutive patients diagnosed with rheumatic valvular affection as defined by echocardiographic criteria, and studied their demographic, valvular pathology, symptomatology, prophylaxis and complication profile. Results: Female patients dominated the population in number, mitral being the most affected valve, mitral stenosis the commonest lesion. Newly diagnosed patients constituting 20% of study population. One-fourth of the patients gave a proper history of acute rheumatic fever and oral prophylaxis was noted to be more compliant than parenteral. Case proportionality ratio for atrial fibrillation was highest with severe MS with AR and for pulmonary hypertension with severe MR with or without MS. Conclusion: RHD is a preventable disease and health professionals and policy making institutions at all levels should strive in unison to mitigate its incidence, disease severity and complications.