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A nation's health and economic development are inextricably and synergistically connected. Stark differences exist between wealthy and developing nations in the use of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs). Cardiovascular disease is now the leading cause of death in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), with a significant burden from rhythm-related diseases. As science, technology, education, and regulatory frameworks have improved, CIED recycling for exportation and reuse in LMIC has become possible and primed for widespread adoption. In our manuscript, we outline the science and regulatory pathways regarding CIED reuse. We propose a pathway to advance this technology that includes creating a task force to establish standards for CIED reuse, leveraging professional organizations in areas of need to foster the professional skills for CIED reuse, collaborating with regulatory agencies to create more efficient regulatory expectations and bring the concept to scale, and establishing a global CIED reuse registry for quality assurance and future science.

Aims The relationship between N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐pro‐BNP) and galectin‐3 and outcomes has not been studied in African patients with acute heart failure (AHF). The current analysis sought to describe the association between plasma levels of NT‐pro‐BNP and galectin‐3 and cardiovascular (CV) death or heart failure (HF) hospitalization, as well as their associations with symptoms and echocardiography markers of left and right ventricular remodelling among AHF patientsv in sub‐Saharan Africa. Methods and results In a subset of 80 patients with complete data in a study assessing the effects of hydralazine and nitrates in patients with AHF (BAHEF trial; NCT01822808), NT‐pro‐BNP and galectin‐3 analyses were performed, and the association with various characteristics and outcome measures assessed. The mean age of the patients for whom the aforementioned biomarkers were measured was 52.6 years, with 52.5% women. Galectin‐3 at baseline predicted changes (Week 24 to baseline) in left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular end‐systolic diameter, left ventricular end‐diastolic diameter, and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion. Biomarkers and their changes were not associated with changes in 6 min walk test at 24 weeks. Baseline galectin‐3 and change in NT‐pro‐BNP were associated with improvements in dyspnoea at 24 weeks. Nine patients had an HF readmission or died of CV causes through 24 weeks (11.6%). Both biomarkers at baseline predicted combined CV death or HF hospitalization through Week 24 (P‐values = 0.0328 and 0.0001, respectively). Conclusions In a cohort of patients with AHF from sub‐Saharan Africa, NT‐pro‐BNP and galectin‐3 at baseline and their changes were associated with some changes in dyspnoea, echocardiographic remodelling, and CV death or HF hospitalization through Week 24. These tests have potential of being used for risk stratification of AHF patients in sub‐Saharan Africa where resources are scarce.

Hypertension remains the dominant cardiovascular risk factor worldwide. May Measurement Month (MMM) is an annual global programme of the International Society of Hypertension aimed at screening for undetected hypertension in the general population. We report the outcome of MMM 2018 in Nigeria. An opportunistic screening of adults aged at least 18 years was conducted in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria in the month of May, 2018. Screening for hypertension was done by trained volunteers with the use of validated digital and mercury sphygmomanometers following the MMM protocol. Hypertension was defined as blood pressure (BP) ≥140/90 mmHg or the use of BP-lowering medication. There were 6398 participants (53.0% female) with a mean (SD) age of 41.7 (15.0) years. Hypertension was present in 36.4% of the participants with 51.1% of the hypertensives aware of their status, 41.8% on medication, of whom 43.1% were controlled. Overall, only 18.0% of all hypertensive participants had their BP under control. The proportion with hypertension is high, and awareness, treatment, and control rates are low. Concerted efforts are needed to improve awareness and treatment of hypertension in Nigeria in order to reduce the high rate of complications associated with uncontrolled BP.

The field of pacing in Africa has evolved in an uncoordinated way across the continent with significant variation in local expertise, cost, and utilization. There are many countries where pacemaker services do not meet one-hundredth of the national demand. Regional, national, and institutional standards for pacemaker qualification and credentials are lacking. This paper reviews the current needs for bradycardia pacing and evaluates what standards should be set to develop pacemaker services in a resource-constrained continent, including the challenges and opportunities of capacity building and training as well as standards for training programs (training prerequisites, case volumes, program content, and evaluation).

The aim of this study is to estimate the frequency of undetected hypertension across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. We conducted an opportunistic screening of adults aged at least 18 years in the month of May 2019. Participants were recruited by trained volunteers using the May Measurement Month protocol. Blood pressure (BP) was measured using validated digital and mercury sphygmomanometers. We defined hypertension as BP ≥140/90 mmHg or the use of BP-lowering medication. A total of 3646 participants (52.8% females) with a mean age of 44.5 ± 15.7 years were screened. Hypertension was present in 39.2% of the participants but only 55. 4% of these were on antihypertensive medications. Only 46.8% hypertensives who were on medications had their BP controlled (

Background Dipping of blood pressure (BP) at night is a normal physiological phenomenon. However, a non-dipping pattern is associated with hypertension mediated organ damage, secondary forms of hypertension and poorer long-term outcome. Identifying a non-dipping pattern may be useful in assessing risk, aiding the decision to investigate for secondary causes, initiating treatment, assisting decisions on choice and timing of anti-hypertensive therapy, and intensifying salt restriction. Objectives To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with non-dipping pattern and determine the effect of three 6-months anti-hypertensive regimens on the dipping pattern among Black African hypertensive patients. Methods This was a secondary analysis of the CREOLE Study which was a randomized, single blind, three-group trial conducted in 10 sites in 6 Sub-Saharan African countries. The participants were 721 Black African patients, aged between 30 and 79 years, with uncontrolled hypertension and a baseline 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Dipping was calculated from the average day and average night systolic blood pressure measures. Results The prevalence of non-dipping pattern was 78% (564 of 721). Factors that were independently associated with non-dipping were: serum sodium >140mmol/l (OR=1.72, 95% CI: 1.17–2.51, p-value 0.005), a higher office systolic BP (OR=1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.05, p-value 0.003) and a lower office diastolic BP (OR=0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–0.99, p-value 0.03). Treatment allocation did not change dipping status at 6 months (McNemar's χ2 0.71, p-value 0.40). Conclusion There was a high prevalence of non-dipping among Black Africans with uncontrolled hypertension. ABPM should be considered more routinely in Black Africans with uncontrolled hypertension, if resources permit, to help personalise therapy. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and causes of non-dipping pattern and if targeting night-time BP improves clinical outcomes. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Fogarty International Center and the National Institutes of Health of the United States of America Figure 1

BACKGROUND: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) was found in the THESUS-HF registry to be the third most common cause of acute heart failure (AHF) in Sub-Saharan Africa. METHODS: One thousand six patients with AHF from 9 Sub-Saharan African countries were recruited in THESUS-HF, of which 143 (14.3%) had RHD-AHF. Clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with RHD-AHF and non-RHD-AHF were compared. Kaplan-Meier plots for time to all-cause death and/or HF readmission according to the presence of RHD-AHF and non-RHD-AHF were performed and survival distributions compared using the log-rank test. Cox regression was used to determine the hazard ratio of death to day 180 and death or readmission to day 60 after adjusting for confounders. RESULTS: Patients with RHD-AHF were younger, more often females, had higher rates of atrial fibrillation, had less hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes, had lower BP, and higher pulse rate and better kidney function and echocardiographic higher ejection fraction larger left atria and more diastolic dysfunction. Patients with RHD-AHF had a numerically longer mean stay in the hospital (10.5 vs. 8.8 days) and significantly higher initial hospitalization mortality (9.1% vs. 3.4%). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, patients with HF related to RHD were younger, have higher rate of atrial fibrillation and have a worse short-term outcome compared to HF related to other etiologies in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background Dipping of blood pressure (BP) at night is a normal physiological phenomenon. However, a non-dipping pattern is associated with hypertension mediated organ damage, secondary forms of hypertension and poorer long-term outcome. Identifying a non-dipping pattern may be useful in assessing risk, aiding the decision to investigate for secondary causes, initiating treatment, assisting decisions on choice and timing of antihypertensive therapy, and intensifying salt restriction. Objectives To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with non-dipping pattern and determine the effect of 6 months of three antihypertensive regimens on the dipping pattern among Black African hypertensive patients. Methods This was a secondary analysis of the CREOLE Study which was a randomized, single blind, three-group trial conducted in 10 sites in 6 Sub-Saharan African countries. The participants were 721 Black African patients, aged between 30 and 79 years, with uncontrolled hypertension and a baseline 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Dipping was calculated from the average day and average night systolic blood pressure measures. Results The prevalence of non-dipping pattern was 78% (564 of 721). Factors that were independently associated with non-dipping were: serum sodium > 140 mmol/l (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.17–2.51, p-value 0.005), a higher office systolic BP (OR = 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05, p-value 0.003) and a lower office diastolic BP (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.95–0.99, p-value 0.03). Treatment allocation did not change dipping status at 6 months (McNemar’s Chi2 0.71, p-value 0.40). Conclusion There was a high prevalence of non-dipping among Black Africans with uncontrolled hypertension. ABPM should be considered more routinely in Black Africans with uncontrolled hypertension, if resources permit, to help personalise therapy. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms and causes of non-dipping pattern and if targeting night-time BP improves clinical outcomes. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02742467).

The current pandemic of SARS-COV 2 infection (Covid-19) is challenging health systems and communities worldwide. At the individual level, the main biological system involved in Covid-19 is the respiratory system. Respiratory complications range from mild flu-like illness symptoms to a fatal respiratory distress syndrome or a severe and fulminant pneumonia. Critically, the presence of a pre-existing cardiovascular disease or its risk factors, such as hypertension or type II diabetes mellitus, increases the chance of having severe complications (including death) if infected by the virus. In addition, the infection can worsen an existing cardiovascular disease or precipitate new ones.This paper presents a contemporary review of cardiovascular complications of Covid-19. It also specifically examines the impact of the disease on those already vulnerable and on the poorly resourced health systems of Africa as well as the potential broader consequences on the socio-economic health of this region.

International audience; No abstract available

BACKGROUND In response to the call by the World Health Organisation to reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases by 25% by the year 2025 (25×25), the Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR), in partnership with several organisations, including the World Heart Federation, have developed an urgent 10-point action plan to improve detection, treatment and control of hypertension in Africa. Priority six of this action plan is to promote a task-shifting/task-sharing approach in the management of hypertension. AIM This capacity-building initiative aims to enhance the knowledge, skills and core competences of primary healthcare physicians in the management of hypertension and related complications. METHODS In a collaborative approach with the International Society of Hypertension, the British and Irish Hypertension Society, the Public Health Foundation of India and the Centre for Chronic Disease Control, the PASCAR hypertension taskforce held a continental faculty meeting in Kenya on 25 and 26 February 2018 to review and discuss a process of effective contextualisation and implementation of the Indian hypertension management course on the African continent. RESULTS A tailored African course in terms of evidence-based learning, up-to-date curriculum and on-the-job training was developed with a robust monitoring and evaluation strategy. The course will be offered on a modular basis with a judicious mix of case studies, group discussions and contact sessions, with great flexibility to accommodate participants' queries. CONCLUSIONS Hypertension affects millions of people in Africa and if left untreated is a major cause of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. CCMH-Africa will train in the next 10 years, 25 000 certified general physicians and 50 000 nurses, capable of adequately managing uncomplicated hypertension, thereby freeing the few available specialists to focus on severe or complicated cases.

Summary Background There is limited information on the availability of health services to treat cardiac arrhythmias in Africa. Methods The Pan–African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR) Sudden Cardiac Death Task Force conducted a survey of the burden of cardiac arrhythmias and related services over two months (15 October to 15 December) in 2017. An electronic questionnaire was completed by general cardiologists and electrophysiologists working in African countries. The questionnaire focused on availability of human resources, diagnostic tools and treatment modalities in each country. Results We received responses from physicians in 33 out of 55 (60%) African countries. Limited use of basic cardiovascular drugs such as anti–arrhythmics and anticoagulants prevails. Non–vitamin K–dependent oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are not widely used on the continent, even in North Africa. Six (18%) of the sub–Saharan African (SSA) countries do not have a registered cardiologist and about one–third do not have pacemaker services. The median pacemaker implantation rate was 2.66 per million population per country, which is 200–fold lower than in Europe. The density of pacemaker facilities and operators in Africa is quite low, with a median of 0.14 (0.03–6.36) centres and 0.10 (0.05–9.49) operators per million population. Less than half of the African countries have a functional catheter laboratory with only South Africa providing the full complement of services for cardiac arrhythmia in SSA. Overall, countries in North Africa have better coverage, leaving more than 110 million people in SSA without access to effective basic treatment for cardiac conduction disturbances. Conclusion The lack of diagnostic and treatment services for cardiac arrhythmias is a common scenario in the majority of SSA countries, resulting in sub–optimal care and a subsequent high burden of premature cardiac death. There is a need to improve the standard of care by providing essential services such as cardiac pacemaker implantation.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is prevalent in Africa and is still often diagnosed only at an advanced stage, therefore it is associated with poor quality of life and survival rates. In resource-limited settings, we assessed the diagnostic utility of standard 12-lead electrocardiograms (ECG) to detect abnormalities indicating PH.Methods: Sixty-five patients diagnosed with PH were compared with 285 heart disease-free subjects. The prevalence and diagnostic performance of ECG features indicative of PH and right heart strain were calculated.Results: Compared to the control group, all abnormalities were more frequent in the PH cohort where no patient had a completely normal ECG. The most prevalent (cases vs control) ECG abnormalities were: pathological Q wave in at least two contiguous peripheral leads (47.7 vs 6.7%), left ventricular hypertrophy (38.5 vs 9.8%) and p-pulmonale (36.9 vs 20.7%) (all p = 100 degrees), and highest (100%) for QRS axis >= +100 degrees combined with R/S ratio in V1 >= 1 or R in V1 > 7 mm.Conclusion: When present, signs of PH on ECG strongly indicated disease, but a normal ECG cannot rule out disease. ECG patterns focusing on the R and S amplitude in V1 and right-axis deviation had good specificity and negative predictive values for PH, and warrant further investigation with echocardiography.

Aims Cardiac arrhythmia services are a neglected field of cardiology in Africa. To provide comprehensive contemporary information on the access and use of cardiac arrhythmia services in Africa. Methods and results Data on human resources, drug availability, cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED), and ablation procedures were sought from member countries of Pan African Society of Cardiology. Data were received from 23 out of 31 countries. In most countries, healthcare services are primarily supported by household incomes. Vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), digoxin, and amiodarone were available in all countries, while the availability of other drugs varied widely. Non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were unequally present in the African markets, while International Normalized Ratio monitoring was challenging. Four countries (18%) did not provide pacemaker implantations while, where available, the implantation and operator rates were 2.79 and 0.772 per million population, respectively. The countries with the highest pacemaker implantation rate/million population in descending order were Tunisia, Mauritius, South Africa, Algeria, and Morocco. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) were performed in 15 (65%) and 12 (52%) countries, respectively. Reconditioned CIED were used in 5 (22%) countries. Electrophysiology was performed in 8 (35%) countries, but complex ablations only in countries from the Maghreb and South Africa. Marked variation in costs of CIED that severely mismatched the gross domestic product per capita was observed in Africa. From the first report, three countries have started performing simple ablations. Conclusion The access to arrhythmia treatments varied widely in Africa where hundreds of millions of people remain at risk of dying from heart block. Increased economic and human resources as well as infrastructures are the critical targets for improving arrhythmia services in Africa.

The ideal pathway of care for heart failure patients is a key feature of this consensus document. It offers a pathway of care that is the foundation from which to assess barriers that are context-specific.The roadblocks and potential solutions to patient care are offered based on key stages of the patient care pathway. They have been accumulated from previous WHF Roadmaps, built on the experience of the core writing group, and based on consensus and feedback from a wider survey process.Evidence-based solutions to specific roadblocks are offered in tables within the document. The barriers to care are offered from the highest rated barriers from the WHF Survey on the Heart Failure Roadmap and from 146 experts.

Aims Patients admitted for acute heart failure (HF) are at high risk of readmission and death, especially in the 90 days following discharge. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of early optimization of oral HF therapy with beta-blockers (BB), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNi), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) on 90-day clinical outcomes in patients admitted for acute HF. Methods In a multicentre, randomized, open-label, parallel-group study, a total of 900 patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either 'usual care' or 'high-intensity care'. Patients enrolled in the usual care arm will be discharged and managed according to usual clinical practice at the site. In the high-intensity care arm, doses of oral HF medications - including a BB, ACEi or ARB, and MRA - will be up-titrated to 50% of recommended doses before discharge and to 100% of recommended doses within 2 weeks of discharge. Up-titration will be delayed if the patients develop worsening symptoms and signs of congestion, hyperkalaemia, hypotension, bradycardia, worsening of renal function or significant increase in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide between visits. The primary endpoint is 90-day all-cause mortality or HF readmission. Conclusions STRONG-HF is the first study to assess whether rapid up-titration of evidence-based guideline-recommended therapies with close follow-up in a large cohort of patients discharged from an acute HF admission is safe and can affect adverse outcomes during the first 90 days after discharge. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03412201.

Background: There are few contemporary data on the mortality and morbidity associated with rheumatic heart disease or information on their predictors. We report the 2-year follow-up of individuals with rheumatic heart disease from 14 low- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. Methods: Between January 2010 and November 2012, we enrolled 3343 patients from 25 centers in 14 countries and followed them for 2 years to assess mortality, congestive heart failure, stroke or transient ischemic attack, recurrent acute rheumatic fever, and infective endocarditis. Results: Vital status at 24 months was known for 2960 (88.5%) patients. Two-thirds were female. Although patients were young (median age, 28 years; interquartile range, 18–40), the 2-year case fatality rate was high (500 deaths, 16.9%). Mortality rate was 116.3/1000 patient-years in the first year and 65.4/1000 patient-years in the second year. Median age at death was 28.7 years. Independent predictors of death were severe valve disease (hazard ratio [HR], 2.36; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.80–3.11), congestive heart failure (HR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.70–2.72), New York Heart Association functional class III/IV (HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.32–2.10), atrial fibrillation (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.10–1.78), and older age (HR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01–1.02 per year increase) at enrollment. Postprimary education (HR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.54–0.85) and female sex (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.52–0.80) were associated with lower risk of death. Two hundred and four (6.9%) patients had new congestive heart failure (incidence, 38.42/1000 patient-years), 46 (1.6%) had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (8.45/1000 patient-years), 19 (0.6%) had recurrent acute rheumatic fever (3.49/1000 patient-years), and 20 (0.7%) had infective endocarditis (3.65/1000 patient-years). Previous stroke and older age were independent predictors of stroke/transient ischemic attack or systemic embolism. Patients from low- and lower-middle–income countries had significantly higher age- and sex-adjusted mortality than patients from upper-middle–income countries. Valve surgery was significantly more common in upper-middle–income than in lower-middle– or low-income countries. Conclusions: Patients with clinical rheumatic heart disease have high mortality and morbidity despite being young; those from low- and lower-middle–income countries had a poorer prognosis associated with advanced disease and low education. Programs focused on early detection and the treatment of clinical rheumatic heart disease are required to improve outcomes.

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remain major causes of heart failure, stroke and death among African women and children, despite being preventable and imminently treatable. From 21 to 22 February 2015, the Social Cluster of the Africa Union Commission (AUC) hosted a consultation with RHD experts convened by the Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to develop a ‘roadmap’ of key actions that need to be taken by governments to eliminate ARF and eradicate RHD in Africa. Seven priority areas for action were adopted: (1) create prospective disease registers at sentinel sites in affected countries to measure disease burden and track progress towards the reduction of mortality by 25% by the year 2025, (2) ensure an adequate supply of high-quality benzathine penicillin for the primary and secondary prevention of ARF/RHD, (3) improve access to reproductive health services for women with RHD and other non-communicable diseases (NCD), (4) decentralise technical expertise and technology for diagnosing and managing ARF and RHD (including ultrasound of the heart), (5) establish national and regional centres of excellence for essential cardiac surgery for the treatment of affected patients and training of cardiovascular practitioners of the future, (6) initiate national multi-sectoral RHD programmes within NCD control programmes of affected countries, and (7) foster international partnerships with multinational organsations for resource mobilisation, monitoring and evaluation of the programme to end RHD in Africa. This Addis Ababa communiqué has since been endorsed by African Union heads of state, and plans are underway to implement the roadmap in order to end ARF and RHD in Africa in our lifetime.

Background: Widespread access to good quality antihypertensive medicines is a critical component for reducing premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Poor-quality medicines pose serious health concerns; however, there remains a knowledge gap about the quality of cardiovascular medicines available in low- and middle-income countries.Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the quality of generic antihypertensive medicines available in the retail market of a developing country.Methods: Samples of the 2 most commonly prescribed classes of antihypertensive medicines were collected from 3 states in 3 different geopolitical zones in Nigeria following a semirandom sampling framework. Medicine samples were purchased by mystery shoppers from 22 pharmacy outlets from 6 local government areas across the 3 states. Medicine quality was determined by measuring the amount of stated active pharmaceutical ingredient using high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and classified according to their compliance to the specified pharmacopeia tolerance limits for each antihypertensive drug.Results: Amlodipine and lisinopril were identified as the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drugs in Nigeria. In total, 361 samples from 22 pharmacies were collected and tested. In total, 24.6% of amlodipine and 31.9% of lisinopril samples were of substandard quality and significantly more samples purchased in rural (59 of 161, 36.7%) compared with urban (32 of 200, 16%) outlets were found to be of substandard quality (p < 0.001). No falsified samples of either amlodipine or lisinopril were detected. There was large variation in price paid for the antihypertensive medicines (range ₦150 to ₦9,750). Of the 24 pharmacy outlets surveyed, 46% stated that patients did not always require a prescription and 21% had previously reported a medicine as falsified or substandard.Conclusions: More than one-quarter of some commonly prescribed antihypertensive medicines available in Nigeria may be of substandard quality. Enhanced quality assurance processes in low- and middle-income countries, such as Nigeria, are needed to support optimum management.HighlightsManagement of hypertension can largely be achieved through availability of and adherence to qualitative evidence-based medicines. There is very little research examining the quality of antihypertensive medicines available in the retail market of low- and middle-income countries.In total, 361 samples of amlodipine and lisinopril were collected from 22 pharmacies and their stated active pharmaceutical ingredient was measured.More than a quarter of some commonly prescribed antihypertensive medicines available in Nigeria appear to be of substandard quality (samples had more or less stated active pharmaceutical ingredient than stated in the United States Pharmacopeia–specified tolerance limits range).However, the proportion of substandard quality was not statistically different for amlodipine and lisinopril, and significantly more samples purchased in rural compared with urban outlets were of substandard quality.No falsified samples (containing no stated active pharmaceutical ingredient) of either amlodipine or lisinopril were detected.Enhanced quality assurance processes in low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria are needed to support optimum management.

Pacemaker therapy is inaccessible to most patients with bradycardia in Africa. Use of reconditioned pacemakers has been proposed as a safe, efficacious, and ethical means of delivering this therapy. A collaboration between PASCAR, Pace4Life, and Project My Heart Your Heart is working to address this deficit in health care in Africa.

Valvular heart disease may be a pre-existing complication of pregnancy or it may be diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy. Accurate diagnosis, tailored therapy and an understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of pregnancy are necessary components of management, best achieved through the use of multidisciplinary clinics. This review outlines the management of specific lesions, with particular reference to post-rheumatic valvular heart disease.

Aims To provide comprehensive information on the access and use of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) and catheter ablation procedures in Africa. Methods and results The Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR) collected data on invasive management of cardiac arrhythmias from 2011 to 2016 from 31 African countries. A specific template was completed by physicians, and additional information obtained from industry. Information on health care systems, demographics, economics, procedure rates, and specific training programs was collected. Considerable heterogeneity in the access to arrhythmia care was observed across Africa. Eight of the 31 countries surveyed (26%) did not perform pacemaker implantations. The median pacemaker implantation rate was 2.66 per million population per country (range: 0.14–233 per million population). Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator and cardiac resynchronization therapy were performed in 12/31 (39%) and 15/31 (48%) countries respectively, mostly by visiting teams. Electrophysiological studies, including complex catheter ablations were performed in all countries from Maghreb, but only one sub-Saharan African country (South Africa). Marked variation in cost (up to 1000-fold) was observed across countries with an inverse correlation between implant rates and the procedure fees standardized to the gross domestic product per capita. Lack of economic resources and facilities, high cost of procedures, deficiency of trained physicians, and non-existent fellowship programs were the main drivers of under-utilization of interventional cardiac arrhythmia care. Conclusion There is limited access to CIED and ablation procedures in Africa. A quarter of countries did not have pacemaker implantation services, and catheter ablations were only available in one country in sub-Saharan Africa.

Aims In Western countries with typically elderly ischaemic acute heart failure patients, predictors and clinical outcome of renal dysfunction and worsening renal function are well described. However, the prevalence, predictors and clinical outcome of renal dysfunction in younger, mainly hypertensive acute heart failure patients from Africa, have not been described. Methods and results From 1006 patients enrolled in the sub-Saharan Africa Survey of Heart Failure (THESUS-HF), renal function was determined by the estimated glomerular filtration rate using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) formula. Worsening renal function was defined as an increase in creatinine ≤0.3 mg/dL (26.5 µmol/L) from baseline to day 7/discharge. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 52.4 (18.2) years, 481 (50.8%) were women and the predominant race was black African [932 of 946 (98.5%)]. Heart failure was most commonly a result of hypertension (n = 363, 39.5%) and only 7.8% had ischaemic heart failure. At hospital admission, 289 patients (30.6%) had an estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤60 ml/min.1.73m2. Worsening renal function during hospitalization was detected in 53 (9.8 %) of 543 patients with a follow-up creatinine value, and was independently associated with the Western sub-Saharan region, body mass index, and the presence of rales. Worsening renal function was an independent predictor of death or readmission over 60 days [multivariable hazard ratio = 2.06 (1.10, 3.38); P = 0.023] and all-cause death over 180 days [multivariable hazard ratio =1.92 (1.08, 3.38); P = 0.025]. Conclusions Renal dysfunction is also prevalent in younger non-ischaemic acute heart failure patients in Africa, but worsening renal function is less prevalent and has different predictors compared with Western cohorts. Nevertheless, worsening renal function is strongly and independently related with clinical outcome.

Aims Contrary to elderly patients with ischaemic-related acute heart failure (AHF) typically enrolled in North American and European registries, patients enrolled in the sub-Saharan Africa Survey of Heart Failure (THESUS-HF) were middle-aged with AHF due primarily to non-ischaemic causes. We sought to describe factors prognostic of re-admission and death in this developing population. Methods and results Prognostic models were developed from data collected on 1006 patients enrolled in THESUS-HF, a prospective registry of AHF patients in 12 hospitals in nine sub-Saharan African countries, mostly in Nigeria, Uganda, and South Africa. The main predictors of 60-day re-admission or death in a model excluding the geographic region were a history of malignancy and severe lung disease, admission systolic blood pressure, heart rate and signs of congestion (rales), kidney function (BUN), and echocardiographic ejection fraction. In a model including region, the Southern region had a higher risk. Age and admission sodium levels were not prognostic. Predictors of 180-day mortality included malignancy, severe lung disease, smoking history, systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and symptoms and signs of congestion (orthopnoea, peripheral oedema and rales) at admission, kidney dysfunction (BUN), anaemia, and HIV positivity. Discrimination was low for all models, similar to models for European and North American patients, suggesting that the main factors contributing to adverse outcomes are still unknown. Conclusion Despite the differences in age and disease characteristics, the main predictors for 6 months mortality and combined 60 days re-admission and death are largely similar in sub-Saharan Africa as in the rest of the world, with some exceptions such as the association of the HIV status with mortality.

Summary Background: The role of echocardiography in the risk stratification of acute heart failure (HF) is unknown. Some small studies and retrospective analyses have found little change in echocardiographic variables during admission for acute HF and some echocardiographic parameters were not found to be associated with outcomes. It is unknown which echocardiographic variables will predict outcomes in sub-Saharan African patients admitted with acute HF. Using echocardiograms, this study aimed to determine the predictors of death and re-admissions within 60 days and deaths up to 180 days in patients with acute heart failure. Methods: Out of the 1 006 patients in the THESUS-HF registry, 954 had had an echocardiogram performed within a few weeks of admission. Echocardiographic measurements were performed according to the American Society of Echocardiography guidelines. We examined the associations between each echocardiographic predictor and outcome using regression models. Results: Heart rate and left atrial size predicted death within 60 days or re-admission. Heart rate, left ventricular posterior wall thickness in diastole (PWTd), and presence of aortic stenosis were associated with the risk of death within 180 days. PTWd added to clinical variables in predicting 180-day mortality rates. Conclusions: Echocardiographic variables, especially those of left ventricular size and function, were not found to have additional predictive value in patients admitted for acute HF. Left atrial size, aortic stenosis, heart rate and measures of hypertrophy (LV PWTd) had some predictive value, suggesting the importance of early treatment of hypertension and severe valvular heart disease.

Introduction: Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the commonest cause of valvular heart disease and a common cause of heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Atrial fibrillation (AF) complicates RHD, precipitates and worsens heart failure and cause unfavourable outcomes. We set out to describe the prevalence, clinical characteristics and outcomes of valvular atrial fibrillation in a cohort of African patients with acute heart failure (AHF). Methods: The sub-Saharan Africa Survey of Heart Failure (THESUS-HF) was a prospective, observational survey of AHF in nine countries. We collected demographic data, medical history and signs and symptoms of HF. Electrocardiograms (ECGs) were done in a standard fashion. AF was defined as either a history of AF or AF on the admission ECG. Using Cox regression models, we examined the associations of AF with all-cause death over 180 days and a composite endpoint of all-cause death or readmission over 60 days. Results: There were 1 006 patients in the registry. The mean age was 52.3 years and 50.8% were women. AF was present in 209 (20.8%) cases. Those with AF were older (57.1 vs 51.1 years), more likely to be female (57.4 vs 49.1%), had significantly lower systolic (125 vs 132 mmHg) and diastolic (81 vs 85 mmHg) blood pressure (BP), and higher heart rates (109 vs 102 bpm). Ninety-two (44%) AF patients had valvular heart disease. The presence of AF was not associated with the primary endpoints, but having valvular AF predicted death within 180 days. Conclusion: AF was present in one-fifth of African patients with AHF. Almost half of the AF patients had valvular disease (RHD) and were significantly younger and at risk of dying within six months. It is important to identify these high-risk patients and prioritise their management, especially in SSA where resources are limited.

Aims Patients with acute heart failure in Africa are rarely being treated with a hydralazine/nitrates combination. Therefore the effect of this treatment was studied here Methods and results The study was planned to enrol 500 patients during an acute heart failure (HF) admission, from nine sub-Saharan African countries. Patients were randomized in a double-blind manner to receive 50 mg hydralazine/20 mg isosorbide dinitrate (HYIS) t.i.d. or matching placebo for 24 weeks followed by open label HYIS for all patients. The study was terminated after 147 patients were enrolled due mostly to issues with recruitment into a prospective, placebo-controlled study. Most patients were recruited from Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda. The primary endpoint of death or HF readmission through 24 weeks was neutral [hazard ratio (HR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.48–2.27, P = 0.90] in the 133 randomized patients included in the analyses. There were non-signficant effects in favour of HYIS in secondary endpoints including change in dyspnoea severity at day 7 or discharge, decrease in systolic blood pressure, greater decrease in weight, and increase in 6-min walk test distance at week 24. There were also small changes in echocardiographic indices of cardiac size and function in favour or HYIS, but none was significant. Conclusion The BA-HEF trial demonstrated challenges in recruiting the expected number of patients with acute HF in a number of African countries, which highlights the need for strategic logistic support. Trial registration: NCT01822808.

Africa is witnessing a rapid epidemiological transition with the emergence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Indeed, Mensah and colleagues have shown that in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), there has been a rise in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality since 1990, mainly due to population growth and an increase in the proportion of people older than 65 years.1 Despite the increasing prevalence of CVD in developing countries including SSA, many patients in these countries do not have access to treatment modalities like pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) that are associated with substantial reduction in morbidity and mortality due to CVD in industrialised nations. For example, in a 2009 global review of pacemaker implantation in 61 countries, there was a large gap between the developed and developing nations in the number of implants; for example, there were 782 implants per million people in France compared with four implants per million in Pakistan.2 Although the statistics on pacemaker implantation rates are not readily available in most SSA countries, cardiac pacemaker use remains dismally low at

Background There is limited information on managing cardiac arrhythmias in Africa. Methods The pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR) conducted from 2011 to 2017 several surveys on cardiac arrhythmia services across African countries. The questionnaire filled in by cardiologists focused on availability of human resources, diagnostic tools and treatment modalities in each country. Additional information came from manufacturers. Results We received responses from 33 out of 55 (60%) African countries. Limited use of basic cardiovascular drugs such as antiarrhythmics and anticoagulants prevails. Non-vitamin K dependent oral anticoagulants (NOACs) are not widely used on the continent, even in North Africa. Six (18%) of sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries do not provide basic cardiac work-up and about one-third do not have pacemaker services. The median pacemaker implantation rate was 2.66 per million population per country, which is 200-fold lower than in Europe. The density of pacemaker facilities and operators in Africa is quite low with a median of 0.14 [0.03–6.36] center and 0.10 [0.05–9.49] operator per million population. Only South Africa providing the full complement of services for cardiac arrhythmia in SSA. Overall, countries in North Africa have better coverage, leaving more than 110 million people in SSA without access to effective basic arrhythmia treatments. Conclusion The lack of human expertise, diagnostic and treatment services for cardiac arrhythmias is a common scenario in the vast majority of SSA countries, resulting in suboptimal care and subsequent high burden of premature cardiac death. There is a need to improve the standard of arrhythmia care by providing essential services such as rhythm monitoring, access to anticoagulation and to essential antiarrhythmic drugs, and cardiac pacemaker implantations.

Background Epidemiology, aetiology, management and outcome data for various forms of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in Africa are scarce. Methods A prospective, multinational cohort registry of 220 consecutive patients (97% of African descent) from 9 specialist centres in 4 African countries. The antecedents, characteristics and management of newly diagnosed PH plus 6-month survival were studied. Results There were 209 adults (median age 48years [IQR 35, 64]) and 11 children (age range 1 to 17years). Most adults had advanced disease - 66% WHO Functional Class III-IV, median 6-minute walk test distance of 252m (IQR 120, 350) and median right ventricular systolic pressure 58mmHg (IQR 49, 74). Adults comprised 16% pulmonary arterial hypertension, 69% PH due to left heart disease, 11% PH due to lung disease and/or hypoxia, 2% chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, and 2% PH with unclear multifactorial mechanism. At 6-months, 21% of adults with follow-up data had died. On an adjusted basis (independent of sub-groups) mortality was associated with increasing functional impairment ( p =0.021 overall - WHO Class IV versus I, OR 1.68 [95% CI 0.13, 4.36]) and presence of combined right atrial and ventricular hypertrophy (46% - OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.45, 5.72). Children commonly presented with dyspnoea, fatigue, cough, and palpitations with six and three children, respectively diagnosed with concurrent PH associated congenital heart disease and left heart disease. Conclusions These data provide new insights into PH from an African perspective, with clear opportunities to improve its prevention, treatment and outcomes. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02265887).

Background Symptoms and signs of heart failure (HF) are the most common reasons for admission to hospital for acute HF (AHF) and are used routinely throughout admission to assess the severity of disease and response to therapy. Methods and Results The data were collected in The Sub-Saharan Africa Survey on Heart Failure (THESUS-HF) study, a prospective, multicenter, observational survey of AHF from 9 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 1006 patients, ≥12 years of age, hospitalized for AHF were recruited. Symptoms and signs of HF and changes in dyspnea and well-being, relative to admission, were assessed at entry and on days 1, 2, and 7 (or on discharge if earlier) and included oxygen saturation, degree of edema and rales, body weight, and level of orthopnea. The patient determined dyspnea and general well-being, whereas the physician determined symptoms and signs of HF, as well as improvements in vital sign measurement, throughout the admission. After multivariable adjustment, baseline rales and changes to day 7 or discharge in general well-being predicted death or HF hospitalization through day 60, and baseline orthopnea, edema, rales, oxygen saturation, and changes to day 7 or on discharge in respiratory rate and general well-being were predictive of death through day 180. Conclusions In AHF patients in sub-Saharan Africa, symptoms and signs of HF improve throughout admission, and simple assessments, including edema, rales, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, and asking the patient about general well-being, are valuable tools in patients' clinical assessment.

Aims Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) accounts for over a million premature deaths annually; however, there is little contemporary information on presentation, complications, and treatment. Methods and results This prospective registry enrolled 3343 patients (median age 28 years, 66.2% female) presenting with RHD at 25 hospitals in 12 African countries, India, and Yemen between January 2010 and November 2012. The majority (63.9%) had moderate-to-severe multivalvular disease complicated by congestive heart failure (33.4%), pulmonary hypertension (28.8%), atrial fibrillation (AF) (21.8%), stroke (7.1%), infective endocarditis (4%), and major bleeding (2.7%). One-quarter of adults and 5.3% of children had decreased left ventricular (LV) systolic function; 23% of adults and 14.1% of children had dilated LVs. Fifty-five percent ( n = 1761) of patients were on secondary antibiotic prophylaxis. Oral anti-coagulants were prescribed in 69.5% ( n = 946) of patients with mechanical valves ( n = 501), AF ( n = 397), and high-risk mitral stenosis in sinus rhythm ( n = 48). However, only 28.3% ( n = 269) had a therapeutic international normalized ratio. Among 1825 women of childbearing age (12–51 years), only 3.6% ( n = 65) were on contraception. The utilization of valvuloplasty and valve surgery was higher in upper-middle compared with lower-income countries. Conclusion Rheumatic heart disease patients were young, predominantly female, and had high prevalence of major cardiovascular complications. There is suboptimal utilization of secondary antibiotic prophylaxis, oral anti-coagulation, and contraception, and variations in the use of percutaneous and surgical interventions by country income level.

The impact of gender on the clinical characteristics, risk factors, co-morbidities, etiology, treatment and outcome of acute heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa has not been described before. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sex differences in acute heart failure in sub-Saharan Africa using the data from The sub-Saharan Africa Survey of Heart Failure (THESUS-HF).1,006 subjects were recruited into this prospective multicenter, international observational heart failure survey. The mean age of total population was 52.4 years (54.0 years for men and 50.7 years for women). The men were significantly older (p = 0.0045). Men also presented in poorer NYHA functional class (III and IV), p = 0.0364). Cigarette smoking and high blood pressure were significantly commoner in men (17.3 vs. 2.6% and 60.0 vs. 51.0% respectively). On the other hand, atrial fibrillation and valvular heart disease were significantly more frequent in women. The mean hemoglobin concentration was lower in women compared to men (11.7 vs. 12.6 g/dl, p ≤ 0.0001), while the blood urea and creatinine levels were higher in men (p0.0001). LV systolic dysfunctional was also seen more in men. Men also had higher E/A ratio indicating higher LV filling pressure. Outcomes were similar in both sexes.Although the outcome of patients admitted for AHF in sub-Saharan regions is similar in men and women, some gender differences are apparent suggesting that in men more emphasis should be put on modifiable life risk factors, while in women prevention of rheumatic heart diseases and improved nutrition should be addressed vigorously.

R A L A B ST R A C T S Methods: We collected injection dates of benzathine penicillin G for all patients from 80 clinics from 2012 – 2014 (36 months). Injection data were matched against a database of RHD patients diagnosed through screening and commenced on SAP from 2006 – 2012. The observation period was adjusted for known migration mortality and cessation of treatment. Patients with 12 months of observation were included. We calculated the proportion of recommended injections received per individual, and the proportion of patients receiving adequate SAP to prevent disease progression (defined as 80% of injections). Risk factors for complete non-adherence (zero injections) were identified on bivariate analysis, and multivariate linear regression was used to identify factors associated with adherence in patients with 1 injection. Results: 495 patients were included (mean age 13.9 years, SD 2.89). Overall, 41.2% of the cohort received no injections, and 6.3% received adequate SAP. There were significant associations between complete non-adherence and age (p1⁄40.003) and the number of years since diagnosis (p

Background In spite of antituberculosis chemotherapy, tuberculous (TB) pericarditis causes death or disability in nearly half of those affected. Attenuation of the inflammatory response in TB pericarditis may improve outcome by reducing cardiac tamponade and pericardial constriction, but there is uncertainty as to whether adjunctive immunomodulation with corticosteroids and Mycobacterium w ( M. w ) can safely reduce mortality and morbidity. Objectives The primary objective of the IMPI Trial is to assess the effectiveness and safety of prednisolone and M. w immunotherapy in reducing the composite outcome of death, constriction, or cardiac tamponade requiring pericardial drainage in 1,400 patients with TB pericardial effusion. Design The IMPI trial is a multicenter international randomized double-blind placebo-controlled 2 × 2 factorial study. Eligible patients are randomly assigned to receive oral prednisolone or placebo for 6 weeks and M. w injection or placebo for 3 months. Patients are followed up at weeks 2, 4, and 6 and months 3 and 6 during the intervention period and 6-monthly thereafter for up to 4 years. The primary outcome is the first occurrence of death, pericardial constriction, or cardiac tamponade requiring pericardiocentesis. The secondary outcome is safety of immunomodulatory treatment measured by effect on opportunistic infections (eg, herpes zoster) and malignancy (eg, Kaposi sarcoma) and impact on measures of immunosuppression and the incidence of immune reconstitution disease. Conclusions IMPI is the largest trial yet conducted comparing adjunctive immunotherapy in pericarditis. Its results will define the role of adjunctive corticosteroids and M. w immunotherapy in patients with TB pericardial effusion.

Background Heart failure is a major and growing public health problem worldwide. The prognosis of Heart Failure (HF) is uniformly poor despite advances in treatment. The aims of the present study were to determine the causes of HF among patients admitted to a Nigerian tertiary medical centre, to determine the prevalence of factors known to be associated with poor prognosis among these patients, and to compare the factors and causes between males and females. Methods The study was cross-sectional in design, carried out on eligible patients who were consecutively admitted with HF, in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. The following established factors associated with poor prognosis of HF were assessed: low Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF) of ≤ 40%, anaemia, renal impairment, cardiac rhythm disturbances on the electrocardiogram, prolonged corrected QT interval (QTc), complete Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) and advanced age. Results A total of 79 patients were studied over a six-month period. Forty four (55.7%) of these patients were males while the remaining 35 (44.3%) were females. The most prevalent prognostic factor was low LVEF found in a total of 35 patients (44.3%), while the least prevalent was complete LBBB found in two male patients only (2.53%). The commonest cause of heart failure in all patients and males was hypertensive heart disease, found in a total of 45 patients (57.0%), comprising of 33 male (73.3%) and 12 female patients (26.7%) (p = 0.0003). Cardiomyopathies were the commonest causes in females, the predominant type being peripartum cardiomyopathy found in 11 (31.4%) female patients. Acute myocardial infarction has emerged to be an important cause of HF in males (13.6%) with a high in-hospital mortality of 66.7%. Conclusion The most prevalent factor associated with poor prognosis was low LVEF. Hypertensive heart disease and cardiomyopathies were the most common causes of HF in males and females respectively. The findings of the study should guide decision-making regarding management of HF patients.