فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is increasingly recognized as a significant cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor, but its burden in Africa is poorly characterized. We performed a review synthesizing literature on clinical evidence, public health impacts, health system gaps, and socio-behavioral factors related to OSA and CVD in Africa. We searched PubMed, Embase, and regional databases through 2025 for studies of OSA prevalence, risk factors, and CVD outcomes in African populations, as well as health system and policy reports. Findings revealed a high but underdiagnosed OSA prevalence across African populations. Hospital cohorts report that roughly one-third to two-thirds of referred patients have OSA, often with concomitant obesity, hypertension or diabetes. Surveys showed that primary care physicians in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa have only modest OSA knowledge and low confidence in management, and that continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is largely unaffordable for most patients. Cultural factors such as stigma around snoring or using a CPAP machine, and gender inequities further complicate care. This multidimensional analysis highlights OSA as an underappreciated contributor to Africa’s CVD burden. We recommend integrating OSA screening into noncommunicable disease programs such as hypertension and diabetes clinics, expanding training and diagnostic capacity for sleep disorders, subsidizing therapy, and increasing public awareness. Such interdisciplinary strategies are critical to improving cardiovascular health equity in Africa.