Barriers to up-titrated antihypertensive strategies in 12 sub-Saharan African countries: the Multination Evaluation of hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa Study.

BACKGROUND: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) faces the highest rate of hypertension worldwide. The high burden of elevated blood pressure (BP) in black people has been emphasized. Guidelines recommend two or more antihypertensive medications to achieve a BP control. We aimed to identify factors associated with prescription of up-titrated antihypertensive strategies in Africa. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study on outpatient consultations for hypertension across 12 SSA countries. Collected data included socioeconomic status, antihypertensive drugs classes, BP measures, cardiovascular risk factors and complication of hypertension. We used ordinal logistic regression to assess factors associated with prescription of up-titrated strategies. RESULTS: The study involved 2123 treated patients with hypertension. Patients received monotherapy in 36.3 vs. 25.9%, two-drug in 42.2 vs. 45% and three and more drugs strategies in 21.5 vs. 29.1% in low (LIC) and middle (MIC) income countries, respectively. Patients with sedentary lifestyle [OR 1.4 (1.11-1.77)], complication of hypertension [OR 2.4 (1.89-3.03)], former hypertension [OR 3.12 (2.3-4.26)], good adherence [OR 1.98 (1.47-2.66)], from MIC [OR 1.38 (1.10-1.74)] and living in urban areas [OR 1.52 (1.16-1.99)] were more likely to be treated with up-titrated strategies. Stratified analysis shows that in LIC, up-titrated strategies were less frequent in rural than in urban patients (P for trend <0.01) whereas such difference was not observed in MIC. CONCLUSION: In this African setting, in addition to expected factors, up-titrated drug strategies were associated with country-level income, patient location and finally, the interplay between both in LIC. These results highlight the importance of developing policies that seek to make multiple drug classes accessible particularly in rural and LIC.

Poor adherence to medication and salt restriction as a barrier to reaching blood pressure control in patients with hypertension: Cross-sectional study from 12 sub-Saharan countries.

BACKGROUND: Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a rising burden of hypertension. Antihypertensive medications and diet are the cornerstone of effective hypertension control. AIMS: To assess adherence to medication and salt restriction in 12 sub-Saharan countries, and to study the relationship between adherence and blood pressure control in patients with hypertension. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in urban clinics in twelve sub-Saharan countries. Data were collected on demographics, treatment and adequacy of blood pressure control in patients with hypertension attending the clinics. Adherence was assessed by questionnaires completed by the patients. Hypertension grades were defined according to European Society of Cardiology guidelines. Association between adherence and blood pressure control was investigated using multilevel logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, sex and country. RESULTS: Among the 2198 patients, 77.4% had uncontrolled blood pressure, 34.0% were poorly adherent to salt restriction, 64.4% were poorly adherent to medication and 24.6% were poorly adherent to both. Poor adherence to salt restriction (odds ratio [OR] 1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.72), medication (OR 1.56, 95% CI 1.25-1.93) or both (OR 1.91 1.39-2.66) was related to uncontrolled blood pressure. Moreover, poor adherence to both medication and salt restriction was related to a 1.52-fold (95% CI 1.04-2.22), 1.8-fold (95% CI 1.22-2.65) and 3.08-fold (95% CI 2.02-4.69) increased likelihood of hypertension grade 1, 2 and 3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of poor adherence to salt restriction and medication were noted in this urban sub-Saharan study; both were significantly associated with uncontrolled blood pressure, representing major opportunities for intervention to improve hypertension control in sub-Saharan Africa.

Epidemiology of lower extremity artery disease in a rural setting in Benin, West Africa: The TAHES study.

BACKGROUND: Data on epidemiology of lower extremity artery disease (LEAD) in general population in Sub-Saharan Africa are sparse. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of LEAD among participants of Tanve Health Study (TAHES), a cohort about cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in a rural setting in Benin. METHODS: The cohort was launched since 2015 among adults aged over 25 years in Tanve, a village in Benin. Ankle-brachial index (ABI) was measured for the first time during the third annual visit of the cohort in 2017. Risk factors data were collected using the WHO STEPS adapted questionnaire in a systematic door-to-door survey. The LEAD was defined as ABI ≤ 0.90. RESULTS: We recorded ABI among 1003 out of 1407 TAHES' participants. A predominance of females (61.4%) was observed. The mean age was 44.4 ±â€¯15.7 years and 49.9% were under 40 years. Regarding CVD risk factors, prevalences were estimated for sedentary behavior (68.2%), harmful use of alcohol (3.9%), fruit and vegetable low intake (96.0%), tobacco smoking (5.2%), Overweight or obesity (Body mass index > 25) (27.7%), raised blood pressure (36.8%) and raised blood glucose (5.4%). Prevalence of LEAD was 5.5% (95%CI: 4.2%­7.1%) in the sample, 7.0% (95%CI: 5.1%­9.4%) in women and 3.1% (95%CI: 1.7%­5.5%) in men. Five individuals (0.5%; 95%CI: 0.2%­1.2%) had incompressible arteries (ABI ≥ 1.40), including four men. In multivariate analysis, LEAD was significantly associated with age ≥ 55 years (OR: 2.17; 95%CI: 1.20­3.92; p = 0.009) and female gender (OR: 2.27; 95%CI: 1.17­4.40; p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: Prevalence of LEAD is high in rural Benin and predominates among women and people over 55 years old.

Socioeconomic Status and Hypertension Control in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Multination EIGHT Study (Evaluation of Hypertension in Sub-Saharan Africa).

Systemic hypertension is a rapidly growing epidemic in Africa. The role of socioeconomic status on blood pressure control has not been well studied in this part of the world. We, therefore, aimed to quantify the association of socioeconomic status both at the individual and at the country level with blood pressure control in Sub-Saharan Africa. We conducted a cross-sectional survey in urban clinics of 12 countries, both low income and middle income, in Sub-Saharan Africa. Standardized blood pressure measures were made among the hypertensive patients attending the clinics. Blood pressure control was defined as blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg, and hypertension grades were defined according to the European Society of Cardiology guidelines. A total of 2198 hypertensive patients (58.4±11.8 years; 39.9% men) were included. Uncontrolled hypertension was present in 1692 patients (77.4%), including 1044 (47.7%) with ≥grade 2 hypertension. The proportion of uncontrolled hypertension progressively increased with decreasing level of patient individual wealth, respectively, 72.8%, 79.3%, and 81.8% (P for trend, <0.01). Stratified analysis shows that these differences of uncontrolled hypertension according to individual wealth index were observed in low-income countries (P for trend, 0.03) and not in middle-income countries (P for trend, 0.26). In low-income countries, the odds of uncontrolled hypertension increased 1.37-fold (odds ratio, 1.37 [0.99-1.90]) and 1.88-fold (odds ratio, 1.88 [1.10-3.21]) in patients with middle and low individual wealth as compared with high individual wealth. Similarly, the grade of hypertension increased progressively with decreasing level of individual patient wealth (P for trend, <0.01). Strategies for hypertension control in Sub-Saharan Africa should especially focus on people in the lowest individual wealth groups who also reside in low-income countries.

[Isolated double-chambered right ventricle (DCRV): a case study conducted at the National University Hospital CNHU-HKM in Cotonou, Benin]. / Ventricule droit à double chambre (VDDC) isolé: à propos d'un cas au CNHU, Cotonou, Bénin.

Double-chambered right ventricle (DCRV) is a very rare cardiac defect in which the right ventricle is divided by anomalous muscle bundle into two chambers. It is associated with other malformations in 80-90% of cases. Clinical presentation varies and depends on the extent of the intraventricular obstruction. We here report the case of a 16-year old teenager with isolated DCRV revealed by recurrent syncopes. The diagnosis was made using Doppler echocardiography. The patient underwent successful surgical resection of the abnormal muscle band.

Management of arterial hypertension in Cotonou city, Benin: general practitioners' knowledge, attitudes and practice.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to assess the management of hypertensive patients by general practitioners in Cotonou city. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study based on a multicentre survey conducted from 1 May to 31 July 2011. We recruited all consenting general practitioners who worked in public and private centres in Cotonou city. We used the 7th report of the Joint National Committee to assess the management of hypertension by general practitioners. A tested and validated self-questionnaire was used to collect the data on hypertension management by general practitioners. RESULTS: In eight centres that approved the study, 41 general practitioners were included. The definition of hypertension was known by 20 (48.8%) practitioners. Only 25 (61.0%) could describe the conditions for blood pressure measurement. Ten of them were unable to list half of the minimum recommended tests for hypertension, and the majority (92.7%) did not have any idea of global cardiovascular risk. The blood pressure goal was known by only 18 (43.9%) practitioners. Lifestyle (82.9%) and monotherapy (70.7%) were the therapeutic modalities most prescribed. Antihypertensive agents commonly used by practitioners were calcium channel blockers (82.9%), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (53.7%) and diuretics (36.6%). The general practitioners referred their patients to cardiologists mainly for uncontrolled hypertension (63.4%) and the onset of acute complications (56.1%). CONCLUSION: The general practitioners' knowledge of hypertension was insufficient and their management did not reflect international guidelines.