title: Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Bangladesh: A review.
abstract: Rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are the most-common cardiovascular disease in young people aged <25 years, globally. They are important contributors to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh. Classical risk factors, i.e. poverty, overcrowding, ignorance, and insufficient health care services were responsible for the high incidence and prevalence of these diseases over the last century. In concert with the progresses in socioeconomic indicators, advances in health sectors, improved public awareness, and antibiotic prophylaxis, acute RF came into control. However, chronic RHD continues to be prevalent, and the actual disease burden may be much higher. RHD predominantly affects the young adults, seriously incapacitates them, follows a protracted course, gets complicated because of delayed diagnosis and is sometimes maltreated. The treatment is often palliative and expensive. Large-scale epidemiological and clinical researches are needed to formulate evidence-based national policy to tackle this important public health issue in future.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Cardiology, Jessore Medical College, Jessore, Bangladesh. Electronic address: drmonwarbd@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: A K M Monwarul
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Director and Professor, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Dhaka, Ex-Director, National Centre for Control of Rheumatic Fever & Heart Diseases, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: A A S
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Majumder
mesh_terms: D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015995:Prevalence; D012213:Rheumatic Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Acute rheumatic fever; Bangladesh; Pharyngitis; Rheumatic heart diseases; Streptococcus