Cardiology pp 643-648 | Cite as

The Present Status of Cardiovascular Medicine in Africa

  • Oladipo O. Akinkugbe
Chapter

Abstract

The three dominant groups of cardiovascular conditions in Africa today are: Hypertension, Rheumatic Heart Disease and the Cardiomyopathies (including Endomyocardial Fibrosis). Less common are congenital heart disease, cor pulmonale, pericarditis, the arrhythmias, anaemia or beriberi heart disease, ventricular aneurysms and idiopathic aortitis. It is worthy of note that Ischaemic Heart Disease remains distinctly uncommon among indigenous African communities, although sporadic cases are now beginning to emerge in the higher socio-economic strata of certain urban populations1–3.

Keywords

Infective Endocarditis Rheumatic Heart Disease Hypertensive Heart Disease Ventricular Aneurysm Hypertensive Retinopathy 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 1984

Authors and Affiliations

  • Oladipo O. Akinkugbe
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of MedicineUniversity of IbadanIbadanNigeria

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