title: HEART DISEASES IN NORTH ETHIOPIA PATTERN OF ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC ABNORMALITIES AMONG ADULT CARDIAC PATIENTS - AN EXPERIENCE FROM AYDER HOSPITAL OF MEKELLE UNIVERSITY.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular diseases are leading causes of mortality worldwide. Specific etiologies vary in different regions and these variations are explained by the concept of Epidemiologic transition.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the pattern of echocardiographically detected cardiac diseases among patients who presented to Cardiac clinic of Ayder referral hospital and to analyze associations of cardiac diseases with age and economic status.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of records of adult patients who had echocardiographic study at Cardiac Clinic of Ayder referral hospital from September 2011 to June 2013 was made. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS Version 21.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Total of 1028 echocardiograms were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 50.6 (sd =18.7) years with male to female ratio of 0.93. Commonest echocardiographic abnormality was Valvular heart disease (44.6%), with rheumatic in younger and degenerative etiologies in older age groups. Diastolic heart failure accounted for 31.9% of abnormal studies, 60.4% of which were ascribed to hypertensive heart disease. Pulmonary hypertension of any etiology was diagnosed in 32.6% of the cases. Among patients with rheumatic heart diseases, co-occurrence of Mitral and Aortic valve disease was the commonest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Valvular disease was the most common echocardiographic finding among adult cardiac patients in the study area.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adem
authors.forename: Sintayehu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abebe
authors.forename: Abraha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hailu
authors.forename: Bethlehem
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Feleke
authors.forename: Meseret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berhe
authors.forename: Merhawit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Atsibeha
authors.forename: Victor G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Davilla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004452:Echocardiography; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult