TITLE:
Cardiovascular Diseases in Senegalese Hospitals: A Multicenter Descriptive Study in Ten Cardiology Units
AUTHORS:
Papa Mouhamadou Diarra Fall, Papa Guirane Ndiaye, Khadim Sene, Arcel Ngoma, Jacques Ngayuna, Mouhamadou Bamba Tine, Serigne Mor Beye, Simon Manga, Mouhamadou Thiam, Mouhamadou Moustapha Fall, Mouhamadou Leye, Mouhamed Cherif Mboup, Aliou Alassane Ngaide, Momar Dioum
KEYWORDS:
Cardiovascular Diseases, Senegal, Hospital-Based Epidemiology, Hypertension, Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction, Acute Coronary Syndrome, Sub-Saharan Africa
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Cardiovascular Diseases,
Vol.16 No.10,
October
23,
2026
ABSTRACT: Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) represent a growing burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Hospital-based epidemiological data remain limited and geographically fragmented in Senegal. Objective: To describe the epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and in-hospital outcome profile of patients hospitalized for CVD in ten cardiology units geographically distributed across Senegal. Patients and Methods: We conducted a multicenter descriptive cross-sectional study in ten Senegalese hospitals during January 2025. The participating centers were purposively selected to include cardiology units from Dakar and several major regions of Senegal. A total of 256 consecutive patients with a confirmed cardiovascular diagnosis who provided informed consent were included. Because the study database did not systematically record the number of eligible patients who declined participation or the number screened before exclusion, these numbers could not be reliably reconstructed retrospectively. Results: The mean age was 58.86 ± 17.69 years, with a slight female predominance (51.6%). Hypertension documented on admission was present in 40.6% of patients, valvular heart disease in 28.1%, and acute coronary syndromes in 23.5%. Among the 224 patients who underwent echocardiography, 53 (23.7%) had left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVEF ≤ 50%), corresponding to 20.7% of the overall study population. Emergency admissions accounted for 70.7% of cases. Troponin was measured in only 28.5% of patients and BNP/NT-proBNP in 6.3%. In-hospital mortality was 7.8% (n = 20), while 42.2% of patients required admission to a cardiology intensive care unit. Conclusion: This multicenter hospital-based study highlights a substantial burden of hypertension, valvular heart disease and acute coronary syndromes among patients admitted to cardiology units across Senegal. The high proportion of emergency admissions and the limited availability of cardiac biomarkers underline persistent diagnostic and healthcare-access constraints. The observed left ventricular systolic dysfunction should be interpreted cautiously because etiological investigations were not systematically available.