Journal
INTERNAL AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Volume 11, Issue 3, Pages 299-305Publisher
SPRINGER-VERLAG ITALIA SRL
DOI: 10.1007/s11739-016-1423-9
Keywords
Sub-Saharan Africa; Cardiovascular disease; Hypertension; Salt reduction; Drug therapy
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart failure and kidney disease, has been common in sub-Saharan Africa for many years, and rapid urbanization is causing an upsurge of ischaemic heart disease and metabolic disorders. At least two-thirds of cardiovascular deaths now occur in low- and middle-income countries, bringing a double burden of disease to poor and developing world economies. High blood pressure (or hypertension) is by far the commonest underlying risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Its prevention, detection, treatment and control in sub-Saharan Africa are haphazard and suboptimal. This is due to a combination of lack of resources and health-care systems, non-existent effective preventive strategies at a population level, lack of sustainable drug therapy, and barriers to complete compliance with prescribed medications. The economic impact for loss of productive years of life and the need to divert scarce resources to tertiary care are substantial.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available