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Heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa
Gerald S Bloomfield1, Felix A Barasa, Jacob A Doll
1Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. gerald.bloomfield@duke.edu
Current Cardiology Reviews
|April 20, 2013
Summary
Heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa presents diverse causes, from infections to lifestyle changes. This review details common heart failure types and emphasizes the need for region-specific research.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology and Public Health in sub-Saharan Africa
- Epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a major cardiovascular disease burden in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Historically, infectious, nutritional, and idiopathic causes predominated; urbanization and lifestyle changes expand etiologies.
- The region faces challenges with co-existing HF causes, limited resources, and weak healthcare systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current state of knowledge on heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa.
- To describe the diverse forms of heart failure prevalent in the region.
- To identify knowledge gaps and propose research directions.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature and seminal reports on heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Analysis of data from the first multinational prospective registry of acute heart failure in the region.
- Synthesis of information on epidemiology, natural history, clinical characteristics, diagnostics, and therapies for various HF types.
Main Results:
- Heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa encompasses a wide range of etiologies including rheumatic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, cardiomyopathies (dilated, hypertrophic, HIV-associated), endomyocardial fibrosis, ischemic heart disease, and cor pulmonale.
- The region experiences a concurrent burden of communicable and non-communicable causes of heart failure.
- Significant gaps exist in national-level data on disease trends and research driven by regional needs.
Conclusions:
- Heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by a complex interplay of diverse etiologies.
- Addressing the heart failure burden requires tailored research and healthcare strategies responsive to regional disease patterns and resource limitations.
- Further research is crucial to fill knowledge gaps and improve patient outcomes.
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