Cardiovascular diseases and guideline-directed medical therapy in low socio-economic status patients: A single center experience.
- 1Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, KSA.
Abstract
Patients with a low socio-economic status (SES) exhibit high cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and a high burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but they are under-recognized in clinical practice. In this study, we explored CVRFs and CVD in low-SES patients, and estimated the guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) prevalence for each CVD. Consecutive individuals with low-SES who attended the primary care and cardiology clinics within a single charitable medical center between 2024 and 2025 were retrospectively recruited. Data on SES, symptoms, CVRFs, CVDs, and treatment strategies were collected and analyzed descriptively. GDMT comprised class I medications reported by patients and documented in their medical records at the time of data collection for each CVD. Among the 2374 patients, the mean age was 58.7 ± 6 years (57.2% females). Common CVRFs included hypertension (39.5%), diabetes (28.6%), and hyperlipidemia (27.4%). Common CVDs included coronary artery disease (CAD) (12.4%), heart failure (HF) (6%), and atrial fibrillation (AF) (1.7%) (mean ages: 55.79, 63.12, and 62.4 years, respectively). CAD patients had a high prevalence of acute coronary syndrome (74.2%), with most managed noninvasively (87%), but 38.5% received GDMT. HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) exceeded HF with preserved EF (HFpEF) (63.6% vs. 32.8%). Prevalent HF causes included CAD, hypertension, and valvular disease (33.6%, 27.3%, and 26.6%, respectively). GDMT rates for HFrEF and HFpEF were 18.7% and 34%, respectively. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.5 for AF patients, with 42.8% on GDMT (78% on warfarin). Low-SES patients had a high prevalence of CVRF, where CAD, HF, and AF were most common. The patients were relatively young and managed conservatively, but GDMT rates were low. These findings may guide policymakers to improve cardiovascular care in low-SES individuals.
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BibTeX
@article{alhadramy2026cardiovascular,
title = {{Cardiovascular diseases and guideline-directed medical therapy in low socio-economic status patients: A single center experience.}},
author = {Osama M Alhadramy},
journal = {Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1016/j.jtumed.2026.10.001},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999919},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Cardiovascular diseases and guideline-directed medical therapy in low socio-economic status patients: A single center experience.
AU - Osama M Alhadramy
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences
DO - 10.1016/j.jtumed.2026.10.001
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42999919
AB - Patients with a low socio-economic status (SES) exhibit high cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) and a high burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD), but they are under-recognized in clinical practice. In this study, we explored CVRFs and CVD in low-SES patients, and estimated the guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) prevalence for each CVD. Consecutive individuals with low-SES who attended the primary care and cardiology clinics within a single charitable medical center between 2024 and 2025 were retrospectively recruited. Data on SES, symptoms, CVRFs, CVDs, and treatment strategies were collected and analyzed descriptively. GDMT comprised class I medications reported by patients and documented in their medical records at the time of data collection for each CVD. Among the 2374 patients, the mean age was 58.7 ± 6 years (57.2% females). Common CVRFs included hypertension (39.5%), diabetes (28.6%), and hyperlipidemia (27.4%). Common CVDs included coronary artery disease (CAD) (12.4%), heart failure (HF) (6%), and atrial fibrillation (AF) (1.7%) (mean ages: 55.79, 63.12, and 62.4 years, respectively). CAD patients had a high prevalence of acute coronary syndrome (74.2%), with most managed noninvasively (87%), but 38.5% received GDMT. HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) exceeded HF with preserved EF (HFpEF) (63.6% vs. 32.8%). Prevalent HF causes included CAD, hypertension, and valvular disease (33.6%, 27.3%, and 26.6%, respectively). GDMT rates for HFrEF and HFpEF were 18.7% and 34%, respectively. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score was 3.5 for AF patients, with 42.8% on GDMT (78% on warfarin). Low-SES patients had a high prevalence of CVRF, where CAD, HF, and AF were most common. The patients were relatively young and managed conservatively, but GDMT rates were low. These findings may guide policymakers to improve cardiovascular care in low-SES individuals.
SN - 1658-3612
ER -