Paying more attention to arterial hypertension, dyslipidaemia, women and the rural environment in our ongoing fight against cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors.

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic and therapeutic efforts instituted by the state of Senegal since the results of the STEPwise survey in 2015 could and should be reinforced with an effective and targeted preventative approach against cardiovascular accidents. This study aimed to (1) identify the pathological population that contains the most incidents of stroke in Senegal, (2) identify the prevalence, and geographical and gender distribution of biological co-morbidities with hypertension, stroke and advice for a change in behaviour, and (3) research the factors associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular accidents specific to the Senegalese context.

METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of the STEPwise WHO Senegal 2015 survey: a descriptive quantitative epidemiological study with an analytical aim.

RESULTS: Biological co-morbidities with arterial hypertension as well as cardiovascular accidents affected more women than men. Biological co-morbidities with arterial hypertension predominated in urban areas, while cardiovascular accidents were more common in rural areas. The population with arterial hypertension and total hypercholesterolaemia simultaneously was at the top of a list of 25 pathological populations in terms of the proportion of cardiovascular accidents within them. In addition, total hypercholesterolaemia was found in the first three populations with the most cardiovascular accidents. Regarding advice for behavioural change, advice for smoking cessation was the most widespread. All advice was given mostly to the gender most affected by the health problem, but some advice was mostly addressed to the environment least affected by the problem. Therefore, despite being the most affected, the rural environment received the least advice for a change in behaviour with regard to the practice of any of the forms of the physical activities described, the consumption of oil of palm, the consumption of cubed sugar or sugary drinks, smoked and non-smoked tobacco and attempted smoking cessation. In multivariate analysis, it was found that arterial hypertension produced a 2.74 times greater risk of having a cardiovascular accident (adjusted odds ratio = 2.74; 95% confidence interval = 1.88-3.99; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION: In Senegal, we need to pay more attention to arterial hypertension, dyslipidaemia, women and the rural environment in our ongoing fight against cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors.