(University of the Western Cape, 2022) Mabhida, Sihle Ephraim; Benjeddou, Mongi
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death globally, accounting for 18.6 million deaths. Hypertension (HTN) drives the global burden of CVD and is a leading cause of cardiovascular-related mortality with 1.4 billion affected adults and 10.4 million deaths globally. This public health condition has been escalating alarmingly in low and middle-income countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa, HTN is a major public health concern with South Africa having the highest prevalence between 27-58%. Accumulative evidence shows that HTN is driven by both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors.