The Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease in Apparently Healthy Retired Subjects in Asaba; Nigeria

Background: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing globally. Studies on this subject; especially in the older age groups are difficult to come by in developing countries like Nigeria. Aim: The aim of this study; therefore; is to estimate the prevalence of CKD in retired and elderly Nigerian subjects. Subjects and Methods: A total of 170 retired subjects were recruited for the study. Anthropometric measurements were carried out and blood samples taken for serum urea and creatinine estimation. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was determined using software by Kidney Health Australia. The figures obtained thereafter were multiplied by 1.21 to accommodate for the black race. Differences between subjects were tested; using Chi-squared test for categorical data; while two tailed unpaired t-test was used for comparison of means. A significant difference was defined as (P 0.05) Results: A total of 170 subjects with age ranged between 50 and 86 years; with a mean age of 68.1 (7.7) years (95 confidence interval [CI

Evaluation of blood pressure and indices of obesity in a typical rural community in eastern Nigeria

Aim: With increasing urbanization of lifestyle; cardiovascular morbidity and mortality have been on the increase in Africans. Studies on cardiovascular risk factors in rural communities in South East Nigeria are scarce. This study focused on hypertension and obesity in adult Nigerians dwelling in a rural setting in Eastern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 218 participants from the rural community were recruited into the study. A questionnaire was used to assess prior knowledge of their weight and blood pressure status as well as drug history for those found to have ypertension. Each participant's blood pressure was measured and any value =140/90 mmHg was regarded as high blood pressure (HBP). Their heights and weights were measured and their body mass indices (BMI) calculated using the standard formula of BMI = Weight in Kg/Height in m 2 ; BMI =30 Kg/m 2 was referred to as global obesity. Their waist circumferences (WC) were also measured and any value =102 cm for males and =88 cm for females was regarded as abdominal obesity. Results: The general prevalence of HBP in the rural community was 44.5. The prevalence of HBP increased as age increased and awareness about HBP was low (15.2). Females were more aware than the males. The prevalence of HBP was higher in males (49.3) compared with their female counterparts (42.3); whereas the females had a higher prevalence of all forms of obesity (abdominal: 36.2; global: 14.8) compared with the males (abdominal: 14.5; global: 10.1). Higher BMI was associated with higher systolic and diastolic BP values. Hypertensive participants had higher BMI and WC than those who had normal BP. Conclusion: The prevalence of both hypertension and obesity seems to be increasing in rural communities in Nigeria and thus; the available prevalence documented in previous studies for rural communities may no longer represent the current trend. Awareness of the participants about these major cardiovascular risk factors is still very low. Higher BMI was associated with higher values of both systolic and diastolic BP

Preventing Diabetic Foot Complications : Strategic Recommendations

The diabetic foot is the commonest cause of non-traumatic lower extremity amputation in the developed and developing nations. Several risk factors predispose the diabetic patient to foot ulceration and peripheral neuropathy; with peripheral vascular disease are the commonest risk factors. Clinical examination for these risk factors is often inadequate; reasons for the low performance often hinging on the huge patient turnouts in most diabetic units; the cumbersomeness of and time delays associated with detailed clinical assessments and the subjective and sometimes poorly reproducible results associated with these assessments. Aesthesiometry; Bio-Thesiometry and hand-held Doppler ultrasound techniques are quantitative; non-invasive; rapid; reliable and reproducible methods to detect sensory neuropathy and peripheral vasculopathy. Their objectivity and ease of performance make them ideal for mass screening programs. This article recommends a four model risk selection criteria to target diabetic patients at highest risk for foot complications; such that specific preventive programs focus on this group at highest risk and so reduce rate of loss of limbs to diabetes