Prevalence of electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy at kenyatta national hospital

Abstract

Dilated cardiomyopathy leading to heart failure is a common worldwide problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is responsible for 10,000 deaths and 46,000 hospitalizations annually in the Unites States of America where it affects 2-3 million people (1). The incidence of congestive heart failure(CHF) is 400,000 cases per year (2) and dilated cardiomyopathy contributes a significant proportion to this number. The reported annual incidence ranges between 5 and 8 cases per 100,000 population. However the exact incidence is underestimated because there are many undiagnosed cases (3). The Framingham study found that 5 years after initial presentation with CHF 42% of women and 62% of men had died (2) . After ischemic heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of heart failure in western world (4). DCM is the leading indication for heart transplantation in both adults and children in the West (5, 6).