Promotion of Cardiovascular Health In Africa: The Alliance for Medical Research in Africa (AMedRA) Expert Panel

This proposed scientific statement is focused on providing new insights regarding challenges and opportunities for cardiovascular health (CVH) promotion in Africa. The statement includes an overview of the current state of CVH in Africa, with a particular interest in the cardiometabolic risk factors and their evaluation through metrics. The statement also explains the main principles of primordial prevention, its relevance in reducing noncommunicable disease and the different strategies that have been effective worldwide. Also, the statement addresses challenges for implementing primordial prevention strategies in Africa, such as socioeconomic, cultural, lifestyle, and environmental factors, and highlights the importance of adapting strategies to the context. Finally, the statement recommends fundamental approaches for promoting CVH with the help of various partnerships and the involvement of communities.

Citing Articles

Bridging Global Gaps in Cardiovascular Health: Catalyzing Action.

Al-Kindi S, Vedanthan R, Itchhaporia D JACC Adv. 2025; 3(12):101436.

PMID: 39817091 PMC: 11734031. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2024.101436.

References

Fernandez-Jimenez R, Jaslow R, Bansilal S, Santana M, Diaz-Munoz R, Latina J . Child Health Promotion in Underserved Communities: The FAMILIA Trial. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019; 73(16):2011-2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2019.01.057. View

Yusuf S, Joseph P, Rangarajan S, Islam S, Mente A, Hystad P . Modifiable risk factors, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in 155 722 individuals from 21 high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study. Lancet. 2019; 395(10226):795-808. PMC: 8006904. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)32008-2. View

Gaziano T, Abrahams-Gessel S, Surka S, Sy S, Pandya A, Denman C . Cardiovascular Disease Screening By Community Health Workers Can Be Cost-Effective In Low-Resource Countries. Health Aff (Millwood). 2015; 34(9):1538-45. PMC: 4795815. DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2015.0349. View

Owino V . Challenges and opportunities to tackle the rising prevalence of diet-related non-communicable diseases in Africa. Proc Nutr Soc. 2019; 78(4):506-512. DOI: 10.1017/S0029665118002823. View

Olowoyo P, Barango P, Moran A, Williams B, Whelton P, Owolabi M . Priorities to reduce the burden of hypertension in Africa through ACHIEVE. Lancet Glob Health. 2024; 12(2):e192-e193. PMC: 11874929. DOI: 10.1016/S2214-109X(23)00540-5. View

Faduyile F, Soyemi S, Emiogun F, Obafunwa J . A 10 years autopsy-based study of maternal mortality in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. Niger J Clin Pract. 2017; 20(2):131-135. DOI: 10.4103/1119-3077.180076. View

Parati G, Lackland D, Campbell N, Owolabi M, Bavuma C, Beheiry H . How to Improve Awareness, Treatment, and Control of Hypertension in Africa, and How to Reduce Its Consequences: A Call to Action From the World Hypertension League. Hypertension. 2022; 79(9):1949-1961. DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.121.18884. View

Nguyen V, Ferdinand K . Primordial prevention: Reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in racial/ethnic populations. Am Heart J Plus. 2024; 27:100278. PMC: 10946006. DOI: 10.1016/j.ahjo.2023.100278. View

Bourdillon M, Gaye B, Song R, Vasan R, Xanthakis V . Notable paradoxical phenomena in associations between cardiovascular health score, subclinical and clinical cardiovascular disease in the community: The Framingham Heart Study. PLoS One. 2022; 17(5):e0267267. PMC: 9070900. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0267267. View

10.

Sanusi A, Elsey H, Golder S, Sanusi O, Oluyase A . Cardiovascular health promotion: A systematic review involving effectiveness of faith-based institutions in facilitating maintenance of normal blood pressure. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2023; 3(1):e0001496. PMC: 10022319. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001496. View

11.

Gaye B, Naji N, Sims M, Cuffee Y, Ogungbe O, Michos E . Deep Diving Into the Cardiovascular Health Paradox: A Journey Towards Personalized Prevention. Public Health Rev. 2024; 45:1606879. PMC: 11322578. DOI: 10.3389/phrs.2024.1606879. View

12.

Nakie G, Takelle G, Rtbey G, Andualem F, Tinsae T, Kassa M . Sleep quality and associated factors among university students in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis study. Front Psychiatry. 2024; 15:1370757. PMC: 10979362. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1370757. View

13.

Visseren F, Mach F, Smulders Y, Carballo D, Koskinas K, Back M . 2021 ESC Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention in clinical practice. Eur Heart J. 2021; 42(34):3227-3337. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehab484. View

14.

Cederlof E, Lundgren M, Lindahl B, Christersson C . Pregnancy Complications and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Later in Life: A Nationwide Cohort Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2022; 11(2):e023079. PMC: 9238523. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.121.023079. View

15.

Ataklte F, Erqou S, Kaptoge S, Taye B, Echouffo-Tcheugui J, Kengne A . Burden of undiagnosed hypertension in sub-saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hypertension. 2014; 65(2):291-8. DOI: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.114.04394. View

16.

Alwan A, Maclean D, Riley L, Tursan dEspaignet E, Mathers C, Stevens G . Monitoring and surveillance of chronic non-communicable diseases: progress and capacity in high-burden countries. Lancet. 2010; 376(9755):1861-8. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61853-3. View

17.

Juma P, Mohamed S, Matanje Mwagomba B, Ndinda C, Mapa-Tassou C, Oluwasanu M . Non-communicable disease prevention policy process in five African countries. BMC Public Health. 2018; 18(Suppl 1):961. PMC: 6117619. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5825-7. View

18.

Gaye B, Tafflet M, Arveiler D, Montaye M, Wagner A, Ruidavets J . Ideal Cardiovascular Health and Incident Cardiovascular Disease: Heterogeneity Across Event Subtypes and Mediating Effect of Blood Biomarkers: The PRIME Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017; 6(10). PMC: 5721848. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.117.006389. View

19.

Lassale C, Cene C, Asselin A, Sims M, Jouven X, Gaye B . Sociodemographic determinants of change in cardiovascular health in middle adulthood in a bi-racial cohort. Atherosclerosis. 2022; 346:98-108. DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2022.01.006. View

20.

Isiozor N, Kunutsor S, Voutilainen A, Isiozor I, Gaye B, Kauhanen J . Cardiovascular health metrics and risk of heart failure in a Finnish population: a prospective cohort study. ESC Heart Fail. 2023; 10(2):1222-1230. PMC: 10053268. DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.14283. View