Objective:

To study the context and clinical and context characteristics of persons suffering from Cardiac Insufficiency (PCHF) in the central region of Portugal, and how they were diagnosed in 2022.

Methods:

Observational cross-sectional study in a random representative sample of PCHF in 2022, with anonymous data from conveniently invited Primary Health Units in central Portugal. For every PCHF gender, age, number of chronic health problems, Graffar Index, type of family, academic level, family income, calculating the socio-economic deprivation index (SEDI) and how they were diagnosed. Descriptive, inferential, and correlational statistics were performed.

Results:

In a sample of n=350 PCHF, 151 (42.9%) males, 84.0% in Graffar middle and low-middle classes, 61.8% with low academic level and 44,0% with economic insufficiency, SEDI mean level was of 4.3 [3 to 6], multimorbidity was present in 97.4%, with a 9±4 mean number of chronic health problems and significant differences between genders for family type (p<0.001), academic level (p=0.001), economic insufficiency (p=0.015) age (p<0.001), SEDI mean level (p<0.001), diagnostic date (p=0.007) and year of first registered echocardiogram (p=0.045), worst and older in females. Weak but significant correlations were observed between age and number of chronic health problems (ρ=0.156, p=0.003) and date of diagnosis and year of first registered echocardiogram (ρ=0.375, p<0.001).

Discussion:

Adequate knowledge and management of the context and clinical variables of PCHF, must be considered by doctors, for they influence the course of the disease, the prognostics, and the costs for PCHF, their families, and health services.

Conclusion:

PCHF from central Portugal, are old, have multimorbidity, economic unfavourable socio-economic context, and low academic level. The diagnosis was mainly confirmed by an echocardiogram.

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