Evaluation of drugs used in chronic heart failure at tertiary care centre: a hospital based study

Introduction: There is lack of data on pattern of use of drugs in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) from Nepalese population. This study was conducted to explore the trends of evidence based medications used for CHF in our population.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study on 200 consecutive patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II to IV symptoms of CHF who attended cardiology clinic or admitted from September 2017 to August 2018 at Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital, Biratnagar, Nepal.
Results: Mean age of patients was 54 (range 15-90) years. Ischemic cardiomyopathy, rheumatic heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertensive heart disease, peripartum cardiomyopathy were common etiologies of CHF. Analysis of drugs used in CHF revealed that 85% patients were prescribed diuretics, 58.5% angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), 53% mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), 38% beta-blockers (BBs) and 24% digoxin. Digoxin was mainly used as add on therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation (24% of all patients). Antithrombotics (warfarin or aspirin), inotropic agents (dopamine, dobutamine or noradrenaline), antiarrhythmic agent (amiodarone) and nitrates (intravenous glyceryl trinitrate or oral isosorbide dinitrate) were prescribed for 48%, 28%, 5% and 6% patients respectively. All CHF patients with preserved or mid-range ejection fraction (25% of all patients) were prescribed diuretics along with antihypertensive drugs for hypertensive patients.
Conclusion: CHF is associated with significant morbidity and mortality due to associated co-morbidities and underuse of proven therapy like BBs, ACEIs or ARBs and MRAs. Careful attention to optimization of different drugs therapy in patients with CHF may help to improve patient outcomes.