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CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 25, No 6, November/December 2014
AFRICA
255
From the Editor’s Desk
Food and the eating thereof is a universal part of the human
condition, and life is obviously impossible without adequate
nutrition. The fact that the composition of diets varies so
dramatically across the globe and that human populations
survive and thrive fairly successfully despite seemingly very
different nutrient intakes provides food for thought! Either
the exact composition of the diet is irrelevant or else humans
are biologically remarkably adaptable to great variation in the
composition of their diet. If either of the statements in the
previous sentence is correct then those individuals in what I
refer to as the ‘diet industry’, an industry with enormous media
appeal and reward, should feel seriously threatened.
In light of the dramatic advances in the pharmacological
and interventional management of patients with cardiovascular
diseases, it is unfortunate that apparently conflicting advice on
such a simple matter as diet is offered to patients and those at
risk of disease. Such conflicting advice surely confuses rather
than educates those at whom it is aimed. Lifestyle and diet
are the topics reviewed by Opie (page 298) in an in-depth and
scholarly review, which addresses in a balanced manner many of
the current controversies. The accompanying editorial from Raal
(page 302) is further valuable commentary.
Awad and colleagues (page 269) report on the high
prevalence rates of hypertension in the Gambia and Sierra
Leone, as has been previously reported from other parts of
Africa. The South African hypertension practice guideline
prepared by the Hypertension Guideline Working Group of
the Southern African Hypertension Society is published on
page 288. It is comprehensive and includes information on
lifestyle modification and education, in addition to detailed
advice on pharmacotherapy. An accompanying comment (page
296) addresses the value and importance of such guidelines in
clinical practice. It would be interesting to hear comment from
colleagues in other parts of Africa as to the applicability and
relevance of these guidelines to practice in their own countries.
Otaigbe and colleagues (page 265) report on the prevalence of
congenital heart disease, detected by echocardiography, among
children referred to two specialist paediatric cardiology clinics
in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Such information adds to
our increasing knowledge of patterns of cardiovascular disease
in Africa. It must be borne in mind however that this is not a
population-based study, referral bias remains possible, and the
authors’ attribution of the high prevalence to environmental
pollution is speculative.
Despite the success of percutaneous interventions, coronary
artery bypass grafting is still a very common operation and
the impact of interventions and risk factors for complications
continues to be investigated. Cingoz and colleagues (page 279)
examine the impact of co-morbidity on bleeding after the
operation, while Yildiz and co-workers (page 259) examine the
value of patient-directed education on patient anxiety after
surgery. The importance of the anxiety experienced by patients
and families of hospital survivors of major cardiac surgery is
often underestimated by healthcare professionals.
PJ Commerford
Editor-in-Chief
The management and staff of Clinics Cardive Publishing
wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season
and a healthy and peaceful 2015. May your holidays
be filled with joy, peace and good cheer!
We take this opportunity to thank you for your loyal support
during 2014 and we look forward to being of service in 2015.