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Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) is recognized as a global public health disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. It is suggested that the main underlying causes of HF in developing countries differ from those identified in well-resourced countries. This study therefore presents the cardiovascular risk factors and the underlying aetiology of HF among admitted patients in a teaching Hospital in Ghana. Method The study prospectively recruited 140 consecutive patients admitted for heart failure at the Medical department of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital from March to October, 2014. The study evaluated the cardiovascular risk factors and the aetiologies of heart failure, and compared the risk factors and aetiologies with patient’s age and gender. Results The mean age of the study participants was 51.3 ± 16.8 years. The commonest cardiovascular risk factors observed were hypertension (46.5%), history of previous HF (40.7%), excessive alcohol use (38.6%), and family history of heart disease (29.3%); predominantly hypertension (68.3%). The major underlying aetiology of HF were dilated cardiomyopathy (38.6%), hypertensive heart disease (21.4%), ischaemic heart disease (13.6%) and valvular heart disease (12.9%). These underlying aetiology of HF were more common in patients aged 40 years and above (p = 0.004) and those presenting with multiple risk factors (p = 0.001). Conclusion The major underlying aetiology of heart failure in adults were dilated cardiomyopathy, hypertensive heart disease, ischaemic heart disease and valvular heart disease, which were significantly high among patients aged 40 years and above and those presenting multiple risk factors. Hypertension, excessive alcohol use, family history of heart disease and personal history of previous heart failure diagnosis are noted as the main cardiovascular risk factors among heart failure patients.