Abstract
BACKGROUND: Heart rate is a significant modifiable factor in lowering mortality in heart failure patients. The heart rate, often known as the pulse rate, is the number of times the heart beats in a given amount of time. Irregular pulse rate or heart block are all measured using heart rate data. A higher heart rate has been associated with worse clinical outcomes. The main purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with the longitudinal pulse rate of congestive heart failure patients. METHODS: Hospital-based retrospective studies were conducted among 249 congestive heart failure patients who were 18 years old or older and who were on treatment follow-up from first February 2016 to thirty-one December 2017 in Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. RESULTS: Data were explored using descriptive statistics, individual and mean profile plots, and analyzed using linear mixed models. Out of the total 249 patients, 139 (55.8%) were females. The majority 179 (71.9%) of the CHF patients were rural residents. 65 (26.1%) patients had Hypertension, 30 (12.5%) patients had Diabetes Mellitus, 58 (23.3%) patients had Pneumonia. Thus age, LVEF, follow-up time in a month had a negative significant effect whereas NYHA class, male gender, pneumonia had a positive significant effect on the average evaluation of pulse rate of patients. The time interaction effect of NYHA Class (Time* NYHA Class), and LVEF (Time*LVEF) had a significant effect on average pulse rate evolution. CONCLUSION: The variables age, LVEF, and follow-up time were negatively associated whereas, male gender, NYHA class, and presence of pneumonia were positively associated with the progression change of pulse rate of patients rate of progression of pulse rate decreases over time. Furthermore, health professionals give more attention to patients who are NYHA class IV, had low LVEF, pneumonic patients to reduce pulse rate during the follow-up time.