Are behavioural risk factors to be blamed for the conversion from optimal blood pressure to hypertensive status in Black South Africans? A 5-year prospective study

Abstract

During the 5 years, 24% of Africans with optimal BP developed hypertension. The surge in hypertension in Africa is largely explained by modifiable risk factors. Public health strategies should focus aggressively on lifestyle to prevent a catastrophic burden on the national health system.

Feasibility of a cardiovascular cohort in a Sub-Saharan Africa community: preliminary report of the pilot project TAHES (Tanvè Health Study) in Benin

“…This proportion is important and needs to be confirmed by further results. However, this result does not seem to be specific to our study; a high proportion of cardiovascular deaths was previously reported in a South African cohort [39]. …”

Inflammation as Possible Mediator for the Relationship Between Lung and Arterial Function

“…p values B0.05 regarded as significant SE standard error Lung than those used in our study and could have a greater contribution to arterial stiffening and CV risk [4]. In a population already afflicted by a significant burden of hypertension [16,48] and a low percentage of anti-hypertensive medication usage-which is indicative of poor diagnosis and control-it is important to investigate and understand all of the factors that may lead to the development of CVD. Arterial stiffness is one of the risk factors of CVD and an independent predictor of cardiovascular risk [53][54][55].…”

“…The lack of association between inflammation, BP and arterial stiffness in our study may be due to the variety of conventional and behavioural risk factors for CVD that have been identified in Africans and may have a confounding effect on this association. These factors include insufficient physical activity [45], dietary factors [46], smoking [47] and alcohol abuse [48], all of whom are known to play a role in arterial stiffening [49][50][51][52]. Furthermore, other inflammation-sensitive plasma proteins may be more sensitive markers of inflammation Covariates included in all models: age, sex, height, physical activity, systolic blood pressure, tobacco use, GGT (log), HbA1c (log), TC and anti-hypertensive medication usage.…”

A comparison of the cardiometabolic profile of black South Africans with suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and excessive alcohol use

“…This is a sub-study of the international PURE (Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology) study and the detailed methodology has been described elsewhere (Schutte et al, 2012;Teo, Chow, Vaz, Rangarajan, & Yusuf, 2009). This South African leg of the PURE study is based in the North West Province, where data was collected in 2005 from 2021 participants.…”

“…South Africa experiences a rapid rate of urbanization which leads to lifestyle changes that contributes to the high prevalence of hypertension and type 2 diabetes (Stewart et al, 2011;Van Rooyen et al, 2000). The levels of alcohol intake and abuse have increased in Africans over the last decade and is considered one of the main contributors to hypertension (Schutte et al, 2012) and liver injury (Nguyen & Thuluvath, 2008) in this ethnic group.…”