Cardiovascular Journal of Africa: Vol 28 No 2 (March/April 2017)

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CARDIOVASCULAR JOURNAL OF AFRICA • Volume 28, No 2, March/April 2017 76 AFRICA
commonness of the condition in primary care (one in every
four patients seen in this study), and the attendant morbidity
and mortality rates, the performance of the cohort in in
this study, irrespective of their guideline-awareness status, was
unsatisfactory and poses significant challenges to hypertension
care in Nigeria. The findings of this study suggest inadequate
assessment of target-organ damage and patient risk stratification,
with consequent poor global cardiovascular risk management,
contrary to guideline recommendations.7,10,20
However, the fact that awareness of hypertension guidelines
by PCPs is associated with improved hypertension care, as shown
in this study, makes continuing professional education of general
practitioners in evidence-based hypertension care, as expounded
in hypertension guidelines, imperative in bridging the gap
between the current reality and the desired in hypertension care.
We thank all the participating physicians.
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