Impact of Socio-Economic Factors on Increased Risk and Progression of Rheumatic Heart Disease in Developing Nations

Abstract

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a global health concern especially in low-income settings. Morbidity and mortality data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and global burden studies emphasizes on the prioritization of RHD on a global platform. Genetic, environmental, and socio-economic factors determine the sustainability and progression of RHD in various populations. In developing countries, low socioeconomic status (SES) is a vast and inevitable challenge in combating RHD. Concurrence between low SES and RHD has been well documented by several studies, but there is a paucity of data to understand comprehensive interdependency of low SES and RHD. In this review, we have made an attempt to present the overall correlation between SES and increased risk of RHD by examining and highlighting the role of key components of SES in different populations throughout the world as reported in literature.