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Hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa; prevalence, prescriptions, pitfalls and paradigms

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 30, pages 221–222 (2016)Cite this article

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Hypertension causes considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide, contributing 57 million (3.7% total) disability adjusted life years, and 7.5 million (12.8%) premature deaths annually.1 It is the most powerful modifiable risk factor for stroke,2 which is itself a significant and growing public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with an incidence similar to that in African-Americans3 and higher than in Caucasian populations.4

There are a number of barriers that need to be overcome in order to develop an effective population-based approach to the identification, investigation and management of hypertension and the prevention of sequelae. Each comes with its own potential pitfalls, some of which are exacerbated by poor infrastructure in low and middle income countries.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, UK

    M J Dewhurst

  2. Department of Medicine, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, UK

    R W Walker

  3. Institute of Health and Society, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    R W Walker

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  1. M J Dewhurst
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  2. R W Walker
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Correspondence to M J Dewhurst.

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Dewhurst, M., Walker, R. Hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa; prevalence, prescriptions, pitfalls and paradigms. J Hum Hypertens 30, 221–222 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/jhh.2015.93

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