The prevalence of hypertension and the status of cardiovascular health in South Africa.

The population of South Africa is nearly 40 million and is growing at the rate of 2.5% per year. The population is 76.2% black, 13.3% white, 8.6% "mixed," and 2.6% Asian. The life expectancy (between 1985 and 1990) for whites was 69 years for males and 77 years for females; and for blacks, life expectancy was 61 years for males and 67 years for females. The major causes of death in blacks was accidents, poisoning and violence, which accounted for 14%. HIV/AIDS has reached epidemic proportions, and it is estimated that by the first decade of the next century between 18% and 27% of South African black adults will be infected. Diseases of the circulatory system claimed the most lives among whites (38.4%), Asians (34.1%), and the mixed group (21.8%). Coronary heart disease (CHD) was the major cause of death among whites and Asians in the circulatory system disease category and the main contributor to all causes of death. The CHD death rates of 165.3 and 101.2 per 100,000 population for whites and Asians, respectively, surpassed that of the "mixed" group (55.1 per 100,000); blacks had the lowest rate (5.3 per 100,000). Cerebrovascular disease is first among the "mixed" group, followed by whites and Asians, and then blacks (73.6, 62.5, and 36.5 per 100,000, respectively).