Determinants of the incidence of heart failure in diabetics in Goma, North Kivu, the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Background Individuals with diabetes mellitus are at increased risk of developing heart failure due to the contributing influence of diabetes mellitus risk factors. But data on African literature are rare. The objective of this study is to evaluate the determinants of heart failure in patients with diabetes mellitus followed in Goma. Methods Asymptomatic diabetics in the city of Goma were cross-sectionally recruited at the Center of the Association of Diabetics in Congo (ADIC) in Goma, DRC during the period from February 5 to 19, 2023. The incidence of heart failure was determined using pulse pressure (PP). A PP value ≥ 65 mmHg was considered as an incidence of heart failure. The association between the incidence of HF and the independent variables was evaluated by two models using the logistic regression test at the threshold of p < 0.05. Results The incidence frequency of heart failure was 29.9%. In multivariate analysis, adjusted for all these variables in multivariate in the two whose menopause and sex were collinear, the following variables emerged as determinants of incidence of HF in diabetics: hypertension (aOR: 5.93 IC95%: 2.42–14.51), DS type 2 (aOR: 3.60 95% CI: 1.63–4.25), menopause (aOR: 5.48 95% CI: 3.03-9, 72) and eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m² (aOR: 348 95% CI: 1.94–5.30), female sex (aOR: 2.80 95% CI: 1.06–3.80) and pathological fundus (aOR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.77–5.35). Conclusion The frequency of HF is high in asymptomatic diabetics in Goma. It is determined by gender, menopause, dS type 2, pathological fundus and altered eGFR.