Influence of systolic blood pressure on outcomes in Nigerians with peripartum cardiomyopathy.

Background: The relationship between blood pressure (BP) trajectories and outcomes in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is not clear. Aim: The study aimed to assess the clinical features and outcomes (all-cause mortality and unrecovered left ventricular [LV] systolic function) of PPCM patients grouped according to their baseline systolic BP (SBP). Patients and Methods: PPCM patients presenting to 14 tertiary hospitals in Nigeria were consecutively recruited between June 2017 and March 2018 and then followed up till March 2019. SBP at first presentation was used to categorize the patients into seven groups: <90, 90-99, 100-109, 110-119, 120-129, 130-139, and ≥140 mmHg. Unrecovered LV systolic function was defined as echocardiographic LV ejection fraction (LVEF) below 55% at the last profiling. Results: Two hundred and twenty-seven patients were recruited and followed up for a median of 18 months. Of these, 4.0% had <90 mmHg, 16.3% had 90-99 mmHg, 24.7% had 100-109 mmHg, 24.7% had 110-119 mmHg, 18.5% had 120-129 mmHg, 7.5% had 130-139 mmHg, and 4.4% had ≥140 mmHg of SBP at presentation. The highest frequency of all-cause mortality was recorded among patients with SBP ≤90 mmHg (30.8%) followed by those with 90-99 mmHg (20.5%) (P = 0.076), while unrecovered LV systolic function did not differ significantly between the groups (P = 0.659). In a Cox proportional regression model for all-cause mortality, SBP <90 mmHg had a hazard ratio (HR) of 4.00 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.49-10.78, P = 0.006), LVEF had an HR of 0.94 (95% CI 0.91-0.98, P = 0.003, B = 0.06%), and use of angiotensin-converting enzyme or angiotensin receptor and/or ß-receptor blockers had an HR of 1.71 (95% CI 0.93-3.16, P = 0.085). However, SBP was not associated with LV function recovery. Conclusion: In our cohort of PPCM patients, one-fifth was hypotensive at presentation. SBP <90 mmHg at presentation was associated with a four-fold higher risk of all-cause mortality during a median follow-up of 18 months.

Incidence, clinical characteristics, and risk factors of peripartum cardiomyopathy in Nigeria: results from the PEACE Registry.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to describe the incidence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) in Nigeria. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study was conducted in 22 hospitals in Nigeria, and PPCM patients were consecutively recruited between June 2017 and March 2018. To determine factors associated with PPCM, the patients were compared with apparently healthy women who recently delivered, as controls. Four hundred six patients were compared with 99 controls. The incidence and disease burden (based on the rate of consecutive recruitment of subjects) varied widely between the six geographical zones of Nigeria. From the North-West zone, 72.3% of the patients was recruited, where an incidence as high as 1 per 96 live births was obtained in a centre, while the disease was uncommon (7.6% of all recruited patients) in the South. Majority of the patients (76.6%) and controls (74.8%) (p = 0.694) were of Hausa-Fulani ethnic group. Atrial fibrillation, intracardiac thrombus, stroke, and right ventricular systolic dysfunction were found in 1.7%, 6.4%, 2.2%, and 54.9% of the patients, respectively. Lack of formal education (odds ratio [OR] 3.08, 95% confidence interval [1.71, 5.53]; P < 0.001), unemployment (OR: 3.28 [2.05, 5.24]; P < 0.001), underweight (OR: 13.43 [4.17, 43.21]; P < 0.001) and history of pre-eclampsia (OR: 9.01 [2.18, 37.75]; P = 0.002) emerged as independent PPCM risk factors using regression models. Customary hot baths (OR: 1.24 [0.80, 1.93]; P = 0.344), pap enriched with dried lake salt (OR: 1.20 [0.74, 1.94]; P = 0.451), and Hausa-Fulani ethnicity (OR: 1.11 [0.67, 1.84]; P = 0.698) did not achieve significance as PPCM risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: In Nigeria, the burden of PPCM was greatest in the North-West zone, which has the highest known incidence. PPCM was predicted by sociodemographic factors and pre-eclampsia, which should be considered in its control at population level. Postpartum customary birth practices and Hausa-Fulani ethnicity were not associated with PPCM in Nigeria.

Determination of lower extremity peripheral artery disease: the role for automated Oscillometric measurement of ankle brachial index in Nigerians.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of LEAD and compare the accuracy of ABI obtained by automated oscillometric method with Doppler ultrasonography. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study compared the accuracy of ABI obtained by automated oscillometric method versus that by Doppler among 153 hypertensive patients aged 18 years and above, attending the hypertension clinic of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin-City. RESULTS: Of the 153 patients studied, 64 (41.8%) and 48 (31.4%) had ABI <0.9 using hand held Doppler ultrasound and automated oscillometric method respectively, while 39 (25.5%) had LEAD detected by both methods. Assuming the gold standard for diagnosis of LEAD was by Doppler ABI < 0.9, ABI obtained by automated oscillometric method had a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios of 60.9%, 89.9%, 6.03 and 0.43 respectively while the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.787. There was good and positive correlation between ABI obtained by automated oscillometric method and Doppler ultrasound with a Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.73 and 0.74 for left and right lower limbs respectively (p<0.001) CONCLUSION: ABI obtained using automated oscillometric method is a good alternative to Doppler ultrasonography when screening for LEAD.

Looking for a More Useful Atherogenic Index for Nigerians

Researchers have divided opinion as to which lipid fraction or cholesterol ratio can effectively be used to predict the chances of an individual developing heart disease or can best describe the atherogenic index of an individual. In this study the atherogenic risk of Nigerian hypertensives and normotensives was examined by different parameters in an attempt to find out which one best separates the high risk individual from the one with low risk of atherogenicity. Lipid profile and lipid ratios were examined by standard methods in 330 untreated hypertensives and 110 age snd sex matched normotensives in Nigerian hypertensives and normotensives respectively in UBTH; Benin City; Nigeria. Statistical analysis was used to determine which lipid parameter(s) gave a better reflection of the atherogenic index. The mean of serum lipids and lipid ratios were significantly higher in the hypertensives than in the normotensives. The mean of the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP); log (Tg/HDL-C) was significantly positive for the hypertensives but significantly negative for the study population and for the normotensives; p