[Epidemiological course of cardiovascular diseases in developing countries].

Though the environmental and medical conditions are very different, similar population characteristics can be observed in the developing countries. The mean age of the population is young. Most people have a rural way of life, but migrations towards towns result in a disorganized urbanization and in habits more predisposing to cardiovascular diseases. Care access is often difficult for the patients. With respect to risk factors, smoking is increasing, hypertension is highly prevalent and severe, a trend towards obesity is frequent in medium or high economical level people. S or C hemoglobin diseases seem to be associated with coronary heart disease. In spite of very insufficient statistical data, it appears that: cardiovascular disease mortality is increasing when total mortality is decreasing: ischemic and hypertensive heart diseases are increasing when streptococcal or nutritional heart diseases are stabilizing or decreasing. The authors seem to be the different developing countries in respect to the crossing of these curves. Some countries have not reached the crossing. Subsaharan Africa for instance. Others have gone beyond the crossing, some Asian countries for instance. Other countries seem to be at the intersection (Mediterranean or Latin American countries). But many countries suffer the double burden of increasing and decreasing diseases. There is a general lack of prevention owing to other competing priorities and also to economical, social and educational difficulties. However in some developing countries feasibility and efficacy of preventive measures have been proved.