title: Descriptive epidemiology of cardiovascular risk factors and diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa.
abstract: Reliable data on risk factor levels, exposure history, and population distribution can help inform policies and programs for disease prevention and control. With rare exception however, ideal local data on major risk factors and causes of death and disease burden have been scarce in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Basic community surveys in some countries and recent systematic analysis of disease burden attributable to 67 risk factors and risk factor clusters in 21 regions of the world provide an opportunity to examine and relate diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors to mortality and burden in SSA. Rising body mass index, especially in women in Southern Africa; and rising systolic blood pressure in East Africa for both sexes, and in West Africa for women are the major cardiometabolic risk factors. Harmful use of alcohol, especially in Southern SSA, tobacco use, and physical inactivity are also important. Improving vital registration and risk factor surveillance remain major challenges.
authors.affiliation: Office of the Director, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Electronic address: george.mensah@nih.gov.
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Mensah
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D009017:Morbidity / Q000639:trends; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: BMI; BP; CHD; CVD; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular risk factors; Coronary heart disease; DALY; FPG; GBD; Global Burden of Diseases; SSA; STEPS; Stepwise approach to chronic non-communicable disease surveillance; Sub-Saharan Africa; TC; Total cholesterol; WHO; World Health Organization; blood pressure; body mass index; disability-adjusted life year; fasting plasma glucose; sub-Saharan Africa