Tracing the Risk Factors of Heart Diseases at Al-Nasiriyah Heart Center in Iraq

Journal of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Vol 10, Issue 1, Jan-Mar, 2019 31 ABSTRACT Background: Heart diseases are one of the major causes for death especially in developing countries across the world. According to WHO, the deaths due to heart diseases in Iraq has reached 18.50% of total death in 2017 and Iraq has been identified as 19th rank at the international level. In our study, the heart diseases are categorized as electrical, circulatory and structural diseases. Method and Results: A Cross-sectional study was conceded out in a center for heart diseases at Al-Nasiriyah city, Thi-Qar governorate, Iraq, from 1st April to 31st May 2018. The patients who were diagnosed with heart diseases in the center were administered with a self-structured questionnaire, which explore the risk factors of heart diseases among them. A total of 80 patients (48 male and 32 female) who responded to questionnaire were included. Those who did not respond to the questionnaire were excluded. More than half of the patients (57.5%) were aged ≥ 60 and 37.5% of them were illiterate. About 65% of patients with circulatory heart diseases consumed red meat more than two times a week, however 81% of them consumed it rarely. Also, 40% of heart disease cases do not perform exercise daily. Conclusion: This study reveals that the risk of heart diseases increases with the factors such as increasing age, having fried food, avoiding fruits daily, eating red meat more than 2 times per week, physical inactivity and being a passive smoker.