Medical Treatment for Rheumatic Heart Disease: A Narrative Review.
Heart Lung Circ
; 31(11): 1463-1470, 2022 Nov.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35987720
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are rare in high-income countries; however, in Aotearoa New Zealand ARF and RHD disproportionately affect Indigenous Maori and Pacific Peoples. This narrative review explores the evidence regarding non-surgical management of patients with clinically significant valve disease or heart failure due to RHD.METHODS:
Medline, EMBASE and Scopus databases were searched, and additional publications were identified through cross-referencing. Included were 28 publications from 1980 onwards.RESULTS:
Of the available interventions, improved anticoagulation management and a national RHD register could improve RHD outcomes in New Zealand. Where community pharmacy anticoagulant management services (CPAMS) are available good anticoagulation control can be achieved with a time in the therapeutic range (TTR) of more than 70%, which is above the internationally recommended level of 60%. The use of pharmacists in anticoagulation control is cost-effective, acceptable to patients, pharmacists, and primary care practitioners. There is a lack of local data available to fully assess other interventions; including optimal therapy for heart failure, equitable access to specialist RHD care, prevention, and management of endocarditis.CONCLUSION:
As RHD continues to disproportionately affect Indigenous and minority groups, pro-equity tertiary prevention interventions should be fully evaluated to ensure they are reducing disease burden and improving outcomes in patients with RHD.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Rheumatic Fever
/
Rheumatic Heart Disease
/
Heart Failure
Type of study:
Systematic_reviews
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Heart Lung Circ
Journal subject:
ANGIOLOGIA
/
CARDIOLOGIA
Year:
2022
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
New Zealand