Cardiomyopathy is a ris heart muscle disease over the -world, but not in Africa -where it is one of the major causes of heart failure, according to experts that revie-wed all available cardiomyopathy studies performed in Africa, along -with all the information about the causes and types of heart muscle disease in Africa, -where 10 per cent of the -world's population lives.

A 10 per cent to 17 per cent of cardiac problems found through autopsies in South Africa and Uganda, and 17 per cent to 48 per cent of heart failure diagnoses in many parts of Africa is due to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), -which is an enlargement of the entire heart, explain researchers.

In the United States, 4 to 8 per 100,000 people is affected by DCM, but African overall incidence is unkno-wn, because the corresponding studies have not been made yet.

Researchers' findings sho-w that Peripartum cardiomyopathy has a very high incidence throughout Africa and Nigeria. This illness can cause heart failure and it develops bet-ween the last month of pregnancy and the first five months after childbirth.
Peripartum cardiomyopathy incidence in the US is 1 in 15,000 deliveries; mean-while the incidence in South Africa is 1 in 1,000 cases.

DCM is caused by various factors, under generally accepted African theory. These include untreated high blood pressure, infective and toxic agents, inappropriate immunologic reactions, nutritional deficiencies, and genetic factors.

According to experts, it is important to do more research to understand the underlying reasons for Africa's high cardiomyopathy rate, and prevent or reduce it.