Prevalence of ischemic heart disease among cardiac patients in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains a major global public health concern, affecting approximately 126 million individuals (1,655 per 100,000), which accounts for about 1.72% of the world’s population. In Africa, the burden of IHD is also significant, with an estimated prevalence of 880 cases per 100,000 population, ranking it as the eighth leading cause of mortality on the continent. In Ethiopia, several primary studies have investigated the prevalence of IHD among cardiac patients; however, their findings have been variable and fragmented. Importantly, there is no national-level pooled estimate of IHD prevalence among this patient population, which presents a critical gap for health policy formulation, clinical decision-making, and resource allocation. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of IHD among cardiac patients in Ethiopia through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Electronic databases, HINARI, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were systematically searched, besides free electronic search engines such as Google. We evaluated the quality of included studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for cross-sectional studies. The search initially identified 201 articles, and among these, 10 studies (6,405 participants) met the inclusion criteria for analysis. The pooled prevalence of IHD in Ethiopian hospitals among cardiac patients was (13.41, 95% CI: 9.31, 17.51); I2 = 97.62%; p-value < 0.001). This meta-analysis found a pooled prevalence of 13.41% for IHD among cardiac patients in Ethiopia, with substantial heterogeneity across studies. These findings underscore the need for improved ischemic heart disease prevention, early diagnosis, and management strategies in Ethiopian hospitals. Future prospective studies are recommended to provide more accurate prevalence estimates.