Phenotyping of Cardiac Pathologies in Afro-Caribbeans: A Systematic Identification of Evidence Gaps using a Scoping Review

Structured summary Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) claim 18.6 million lives annually. Afro-Caribbean nations are particularly vulnerable, yet there is little data on the cardiomyopathy phenotypes in patients from these nations. Purpose: To map existing cardiomyopathy phenotype research across twelve Caribbean nations with largely Black populations, summarizing existing data, identifying knowledge gaps, and setting the stage to better prioritize future high impact studies on cardiovascular disease in the region. Methods: We utilized the PRISMA-ScR and PCC framework to query PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Bireme, and Google Scholar for articles in English between 1990–2025. Participants were Afro-Caribbeans from twelve nations or the diaspora (USA, UK, EU, Canada) with morphological data on heart disease derived from ECG, imaging, or autopsy. Expected Outcomes: Summary of relevant studies with cardiomyopathy phenotypical data (including study designs), the populations reviewed in each study, and the country of origin of the study (especially if authors are from different country than the study participants). This will serve to summarize what data exists, and secondly identify existing gaps, before finally allowing for proposition of future areas of research focus to improve .