Aetiologies of heart failure in Nepal: a scoping review

Heart failure is a global health challenge, with over half of the world's cases occurring in Asia. Despite increasing cardiovascular mortality in Nepal, data on heart failure aetiology in this context is limited. This scoping review aimed to map the literature on heart failure aetiology in Nepal. A literature search was conducted across PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, Directory of Open Access Journal and Google Scholar, along with reference searches. A total of 11 studies were included in the final review. Descriptive statistics and a narrative approach were used to analyse the findings. Observational cross-sectional studies, mainly from Province 3 of Nepal, dominated the literature. There were also some studies from Provinces 1 and 4, but none from other regions. Most data were hospital-based, primarily involving inpatients, with two studies including outpatients. The most common aetiologies documented were dilated cardiomyopathy, rheumatic heart disease, ischaemic heart disease and hypertension. Regional variations in aetiologies were noted. Generally, national data on heart failure was scarce, with research focusing on urban areas. Findings indicated a dual burden of disease, with rheumatic heart disease remaining a significant contributor to heart failure in Nepal. Regional variations highlight the need for comprehensive, nation-wide research on heart failure epidemiology in Nepal.