Epidemiology of heart failure in Türkiye

Background/aim: The epidemiological data on heart failure (HF) vary between regions within the same country. We aimed to investigate the epidemiological data on HF in Türkiye across all age groups regarding seven geographical regions. Materials and methods: We included all patients from the Turkish population who received a first diagnosis of HF between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022, using ICD-10 codes from the National Electronic Healthcare Database. The data were categorized by seven geographical regions of Türkiye. Results: The median age of index diagnosis of HF was 70 (60-78) years in all age groups and 4 (1-12) years in pediatric population. The prevalence rate of HF was the highest in the Black Sea Region at 3.103%, while the Southeastern Anatolia Region exhibited the lowest at 1.436%. In all age groups, female patients with HF were older and had a higher prevalence rate across all geographical regions than male patients. From 2017 to 2021, incidence rates of HF declined to 3.0 per 1000 person years, with a consistent decrease for each geographical region. The highest incidence rates of HF were seen in the Black Sea Region, while the Southeastern Anatolia Region had the lowest. Evaluating pediatric population with HF, prevalence of HF was 0.81 per 1000 people (female children: 0.77 per 1000 people, male children: 0.84 per 1000 people). Female children with HF demonstrated the highest prevalence in the Central Anatolia Region with a rate of 1.04 per 1000 people, while male pediatric population with HF exhibited the greatest prevalence of HF in the Mediterranean Region, reaching 0.89 per 1000 people. The lowest prevalence of children with HF in both sexes was observed in the Eastern Anatolia Region (female children: 0.62 per 1000 people, male children: 0.48 per 1000 people). Conclusion: Despite regional variations, prevalence of HF in Türkiye's regions aligns with global trends. Sex-based differences in HF prevalence were evident across all age groups, including pediatric population. Incidence rates of HF in each region exhibited a substantial decline by 2021.