Changing Trend in Coronary Heart Disease in Nigeria

Background: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the greatest cause of death in Western countries but reported to be rare in sub-Saharan Africa. There are suggestions that the incidence of coronary heart disease is rising in Nigeria as a result of many factors. This review looks at the burden of CHD in Nigeria and its risk factors and determines if there is a change in the trend of this disease and what might be responsible for this change. Methods: A Medline search and search of other internet search engines for published studies on CHD in Africa and Nigeria was done. The journals were sourced online and from public libraries and the publications were studied. Results: CHD is still an uncommon cardiovascular disease in Nigeria. There is a rising trend in the incidence over the last 4 decades in urban areas. The risk factors of CHD commonly found in Nigerian patients include hypertension, diabetes mellitus(DM), hyperlipidaemia, obesity, and sedentary lifestyle. Conclusion: Coronary Heart disease is still relatively uncommon in Nigeria and does not contribute significantly to morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria. There is however substantial evidence that the incidence of CHD has increased over the last four decades. The factors responsible for this trend include, increasing prevalence of CHD risk factors, urbanization and adoption of western diet and lifestyle.