Patterns of Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Ghana: A 5-Year Review of Autopsy Cases at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

Olutobi A. Sanuade, University of Ghana and Pennsylvania State University
Kwadwo Koram, University of Ghana
John Anarfi, University of Ghana
Ama de-Graft Aikins, University of Ghana

This study examined patterns of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality among autopsy cases at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Accra, Ghana. All cardiovascular deaths diagnosed at autopsy during the 5-year period beginning January 2006 and ending December 2010 noted in the autopsy logbooks of the Department of Pathology, KBTH, were analyzed for the study. A total of 19,289 complete autopsy cases were used in the analysis. The results show that CVD constituted about one-fifth (22.5%) of all causes of deaths at KBTH within the 5-year period. Also, the proportionate mortality ratio (PMR) for CVD increased with age, rising steeply in the mid-life to peak in the very old, accounting for almost 50% of deaths examined by age 85 years. Further studies on the risk factors of CVD are important for reducing the burden of the disease in Ghana.