Emerging Epidemic of Cardiovascular Disease in Developing Countries

Management of hypertension at the community level in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA): towards a rational use of available resources

“…The current findings, in line with other reports from developing countries (38,39), show that hypertension is emerging as a cardiovascular leading cause of mortality, morbidity and disability in adults in many developing nations. They illustrate also the economic consequences of hypertension in low-and middle income countries of SSA.…”

Hypertension and stroke in Asia: prevalence, control and strategies in developing countries for prevention

“…It is now also considered important in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in developing countries. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] While prevalence and mortality due to CVD is rapidly declining in most developed countries, it is in sharp contrast rising in the developing countries. Hypertension is the major cause of stroke which may be associated with cerebral infarction or haemorrhage.…”

“…Cardiovascular diseases were on average already becoming a significant cause of death in developing countries between 1970 and 1975, whereas the corresponding period in developed countries was 50 years earlier, in the 1920s. Recent studies [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] indicate that CVD has become a major cause of morbidity and mortality by the year 2000.…”

“…The emergence of the CVD epidemic in the developing nations of Asia during the past 2-3 decades has attracted least attention and poor public health response even within these countries. 21,22 It is not widely realised that the developing Asian countries contribute a greater share to the global burden of CVD than the developed countries of the world (Table 3). It has been estimated that 5.3 million deaths attributable to CVD occurred in the developed countries in 1990, whereas the corresponding figure for the developing nations of Asia was 6.3 million.…”

Gender differences in prevalence and socioeconomic determinants of hypertension: findings from the WHO STEPs survey in a rural community of Vietnam

“…5 As countries at different levels of development have been progressing through different stages of health transition at different rates, the socioeconomic gradients with hypertension vary. Blood pressure levels and hypertension have been proven to be inversely related to socioeconomic status in developed countries, [6][7][8] but in the developing world such correlations have not always been evident. [7][8][9][10][11][12] Vietnam, a developing country in Southeast Asia, is undergoing an early stage of health transition where the population is suffering from the 'double burden' of old communicable diseases and emerging noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).…”