Objectively measured medication adherence using assays for carvedilol and enalaprilat in patients with heart failure in Mozambique and Nigeria.

Background: Poor medication adherence leads to poor health outcomes and increased healthcare costs among patients with heart failure (HF). This study aimed to objectively assess medication adherence by measuring carvedilol and enalaprilat plasma concentrations among patients with HF. Methods: The present sub-study of the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Rapid Optimization, helped by NT-proBNP testing, of Heart Failure therapies (STRONG-HF) study involved adult patients with acute HF admitted in two Mozambican and two Nigerian hospitals who were not optimally treated with oral enalapril and carvedilol. Patients in the high-intensity arm of the STRONG-HF study, and those not meeting the biomarker criteria for persistent congestion, were included in the "frequent visit" (FV) arm. In the FV arm, blood for bioanalysis of plasma enalaprilat or/and carvedilol was drawn at the 2,6,12th week post-discharge. Patients in the usual care arm of STRONG-HF were included in the "standard visit" (SV) arm, which followed the usual local practice with blood sampling in week 12. Results: The study involved 113 (79 FV and 34 SV) participants with a mean age of 48.6 years and a mean left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction of 33.1%. Theenalaprilat below the lower level of quantification (LLOQ) was documented in 7.7%, 11.9%, and 15.6% of participants in FV during the 2,6 and 12th weeks. Carvedilol concentration below LLOQ was documented in 37%, 30%, and 44.4% of participants in the FV arm during the 2,6 and 12th weeks, respectively. For the SV arm, enalaprilat and carvedilol concentrations below LLOQ in the twelfth week were documented in 37.3% and 42.9% of patients, respectively. Conclusion: Up to a third of patients using enalapril and carvedilol did not take any medication during the 12 weeks of follow-up. Non adherence was more common in patients who had less follow up, emphasizing the importance of close follow up to adherence. No adherence was also more common in medications know to have more side effects such as carvedilol.

Prevalence and clinical profile of heart failure patients with atrial fibrillation in a tertiary hospital in Kano, Nigeria.

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of the most prevalent sustained arrhythmias that is seen in clinical practice. AF commonly coexists with heart failure (HF) and there is growing evidence that it confers an adverse prognostic impact on the natural course of the disease. We set out to describe the prevalence and clinical profile of HF patients with AF in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of all adults aged 18 years and above, who presented at the AKTH, Kano, and were hospitalised for HF. Those who consented were consecutively recruited into the study. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients at presentation were documented. Thromboembolic risk was assessed using CHA2DS2-VASc scoring system. A 12-lead electrocardiogram recording was obtained from each of the recruited patients to confirm the presence of AF. The prevalence of AF was determined amongst the admitted HF patients. Those with AF were compared with those without AF in terms of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Results: A total of 240 Nigerians were recruited. Sixty per cent were female and the whole group had a mean age of 50.85 ± 18.90 years. The prevalence of AF was found to be 12.5% amongst the recruited HF patients. The HF patients with AF had a significantly higher mean age (58 ± 16.7 years vs. 49.8 ± 19.0 years) (P = 0.021), and they also had a higher prevalence of palpitation and body swelling. The mean CHA2DS2-VASc score of the AF patients was 3.4 ± 1.0. Conclusion: AF is prevalent amongst HF patients in our environment with high thrombotic risk. More studies are needed to fully study the prevalence of AF and its clinical profile amongst HF patients in our country.

Development and evaluation of a package to improve hypertension control in Nigeria [DEPIHCON]: a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Nigeria's healthcare system capacity to stem the increasing trend in hypertension is limited in coverage, scope and manpower. Use of trained community-based care providers demonstrated to be an effective complement in improving access to, and supporting healthcare delivery has not been adequately examined for hypertension care in Nigeria. This study is proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of using trained community-oriented resource persons (CORPs) to improve hypertension control in Nigeria. METHODS: An intervention study will be conducted in three states using a mixed method design. First is a baseline survey using a semi-structured pre-tested questionnaire to collect information on demographics, clinical data, knowledge, occurrence and risk factors of hypertension among 1704 adults ≥18 years. Focus group discussions (FGD) and key informant interviews (KII) will be conducted to explore a community's experience of hypertension, challenges with hypertension management and support required to improve control in 10 selected communities in each state. The second is a cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate effect of a package on reduction of blood pressure (BP) and prevention of cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors among 200 hypertensive patients to be followed up in intervention and control arms over a 6-month period in each state. The package will include trained CORPs conducting community-based screening of BP and referral, diagnosis confirmation and initial treatment in the health facility, followed by monthly home-based follow-up care and provision of health education on hypertension control and healthy lifestyle enhanced by phone voice message reminders. In the control arm, the usual care (diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care in hospital of a patient's choice) will continue. Third, an endline survey will be conducted in both intervention and control communities to evaluate changes in mean BP, control, knowledge and proportion of other CVD risk factors. In addition, FGD and KII will be used to assess participants' perceived quality and acceptability of the interventions as delivered by CORPs. DISCUSSION: This research is expected to create awareness, improve knowledge, perception, behaviours, attitude and practices that will reduce hypertension in Nigeria. Advocacy for buy-in and scale up of using CORPs in hypertension care by the government is key if found to be effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PACTR Registry PACTR202107530985857 . Registered on 26 July 2021.

Registry for Acute Coronary Events in Nigeria (RACE-Nigeria): Clinical Characterization, Management, and Outcome.

Background Coronary artery disease was hitherto a rarity in Africa. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) accounts for coronary artery disease-related morbidity and mortality. Reports on ACS in Africa are few. Methods and Results We enrolled 1072 indigenous Nigerian people 59.2±12.4 years old (men, 66.8%) with ACS in an observational multicentered national registry (2013-2018). Outcome measures included incidence, intervention times, reperfusion rates, and 1-year mortality. The incidence of ACS was 59.1 people per 100 000 hospitalized adults per year, and comprised ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (48.7%), non-ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (24.5%), and unstable angina (26.8%). ACS frequency peaked 10 years earlier in men than women. Patients were predominantly from urban settings (87.3%). Median time from onset of symptoms to first medical contact (patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction) was 6 hours (interquartile range, 20.1 hours), and only 11.9% presented within a 12-hour time window. Traditional risk factors of coronary artery disease were observed. The coronary angiography rate was 42.4%. Reperfusion therapies included thrombolysis (17.1%), percutaneous coronary intervention (28.6%), and coronary artery bypass graft (11.2%). Guideline-based pharmacotherapy was adequate. Major adverse cardiac events were 30.8%, and in-hospital mortality was 8.1%. Mortality rates at 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year were 8.7%, 9.9%, 10.9%, and 13.3%, respectively. Predictors of mortality included resuscitated cardiac arrest (odds ratio [OR], 50.0; 95% CI, 0.010-0.081), nonreperfusion (OR, 34.5; 95% CI, 0.004-0.221), pulmonary edema (OR, 11.1; 95% CI, 0.020-0.363), left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (OR, 4.1; 95% CI, 0.091-0.570), and left ventricular systolic dysfunction (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.302-3.367). Conclusions ACS burden is rising in Nigeria, and patients are relatively young and from an urban setting. The system of care is evolving and is characterized by lack of capacity and low patient eligibility for reperfusion. We recommend preventive strategies and health care infrastructure-appropriate management guidelines.

Equivalence in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient of Generic Antihypertensive Medicines Available in Nigeria (EQUIMEDS): A Case for Further Surveillance.

BACKGROUND: Widespread access to good quality antihypertensive medicines is a critical component for reducing premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Poor-quality medicines pose serious health concerns; however, there remains a knowledge gap about the quality of cardiovascular medicines available in low- and middle-income countries. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the quality of generic antihypertensive medicines available in the retail market of a developing country. METHODS: Samples of the 2 most commonly prescribed classes of antihypertensive medicines were collected from 3 states in 3 different geopolitical zones in Nigeria following a semirandom sampling framework. Medicine samples were purchased by mystery shoppers from 22 pharmacy outlets from 6 local government areas across the 3 states. Medicine quality was determined by measuring the amount of stated active pharmaceutical ingredient using high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection and classified according to their compliance to the specified pharmacopeia tolerance limits for each antihypertensive drug. RESULTS: Amlodipine and lisinopril were identified as the most commonly prescribed antihypertensive drugs in Nigeria. In total, 361 samples from 22 pharmacies were collected and tested. In total, 24.6% of amlodipine and 31.9% of lisinopril samples were of substandard quality and significantly more samples purchased in rural (59 of 161, 36.7%) compared with urban (32 of 200, 16%) outlets were found to be of substandard quality (p < 0.001). No falsified samples of either amlodipine or lisinopril were detected. There was large variation in price paid for the antihypertensive medicines (range ₦150 to ₦9,750). Of the 24 pharmacy outlets surveyed, 46% stated that patients did not always require a prescription and 21% had previously reported a medicine as falsified or substandard. CONCLUSIONS: More than one-quarter of some commonly prescribed antihypertensive medicines available in Nigeria may be of substandard quality. Enhanced quality assurance processes in low- and middle-income countries, such as Nigeria, are needed to support optimum management.

Safety, Tolerability and efficacy of Rapid Optimization, helped by NT-proBNP and GDF-15, of Heart Failure therapies (STRONG-HF): rationale and design for a multicentre, randomized, parallel-group study.

AIMS: Patients admitted for acute heart failure (HF) are at high risk of readmission and death, especially in the 90 days following discharge. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of early optimization of oral HF therapy with beta-blockers (BB), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) or angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors (ARNi), and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRA) on 90-day clinical outcomes in patients admitted for acute HF. METHODS: In a multicentre, randomized, open-label, parallel-group study, a total of 900 patients will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either 'usual care' or 'high-intensity care'. Patients enrolled in the usual care arm will be discharged and managed according to usual clinical practice at the site. In the high-intensity care arm, doses of oral HF medications - including a BB, ACEi or ARB, and MRA - will be up-titrated to 50% of recommended doses before discharge and to 100% of recommended doses within 2 weeks of discharge. Up-titration will be delayed if the patients develop worsening symptoms and signs of congestion, hyperkalaemia, hypotension, bradycardia, worsening of renal function or significant increase in N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide between visits. The primary endpoint is 90-day all-cause mortality or HF readmission. CONCLUSIONS: STRONG-HF is the first study to assess whether rapid up-titration of evidence-based guideline-recommended therapies with close follow-up in a large cohort of patients discharged from an acute HF admission is safe and can affect adverse outcomes during the first 90 days after discharge. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT03412201.

May Measurement Month 2017: screening for hypertension in Nigeria-Sub-Saharan Africa.

Hypertension and its complications are now responsible for about a quarter of emergency medical admissions in urban hospitals in Nigeria. It is the commonest risk factor for stroke, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and dementia. Furthermore, high blood pressure is the commonest cause of sudden unexpected natural death in the country. Regrettably, the rate of awareness, treatment, and control is abysmally low in the country and in many parts of the world. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative of the International Society of Hypertension aimed at raising awareness of high blood pressure (BP) and to act as a temporary solution to the lack of screening programs worldwide. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 years was carried out in May 2017. Blood pressure measurement, the definition of hypertension and statistical analysis followed the standard MMM protocol. A total of 19 904 individuals with a mean age of 40.9 years, were screened during MMM17. After multiple imputation, 6709 (36.2%) had hypertension. Of individuals not receiving anti-hypertensive medication, 4140 (25.9%) were found to have hypertension. Of individuals receiving anti-hypertensive medication, 1449 (58.8%) had uncontrolled BP. MMM17 was one of the largest BP screening campaigns undertaken in Nigeria. A significant number of the participants were identified with hypertension (but not on any treatment) and uncontrolled BP despite being treated. These results suggest that opportunistic screening can identify significant numbers with raised BP.

Cardiovascular disease risk factors among HIV-infected Nigerians receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy.

BACKGROUND: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has become more accessible to Human immunodeficiency virus infection/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients worldwide. There is growing concern that the metabolic complications associated with HIV and HAART may increase cardiovascular risk and lead to cardiovascular diseases. We, therefore, set out to describe the cardiovascular risk profile of HIV/AIDS patients receiving HAART at a health facility in northern part of Nigeria. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. Consenting patients, who had been receiving HAART, were compared with age and sex matched HAART-naive subjects. Questionnaire interview, electrocardiography, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were conducted under standard conditions. Blood samples were obtained for the determination of plasma glucose, uric acid and lipid levels. RESULTS: Two hundred subjects were studied, 100 were on HAART (group 1) and the other 100 (group 2) were HAART-naive. Subjects' mean age for all the participants was 32.5 (7.6) years. The prevalence of hypertension was 17% in group 1 and 2% in group 2 (P < 0.001). Similarly, 11% and 21% of group 1 subjects were obese or had metabolic syndrome compared with 2% and 9% of group 2 patients (P < 0.05 for both). CONCLUSION: HAART treatment was associated with significantly higher prevalences of hypertension, obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Recent advances in HIV-associated cardiovascular diseases in Africa.

The last decade has witnessed major advances in our understanding of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of HIV-related cardiovascular disease in sub-Saharan Africa. In this review, we summarise these and discuss clinically relevant advances in diagnosis and treatment. In the Heart of Soweto Study, 10% of patients with newly diagnosed cardiovascular disease were HIV positive, and the most common HIV-related presentations were cardiomyopathy (38%), pericardial disease (13%) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (8%). HIV-related cardiomyopathy is more common with increased immunosuppression and HIV viraemia. With adequate antiretroviral therapy, the prevalence is low. Contributing factors such as malnutrition and genetic predisposition are under investigation. In other settings, pericardial disease is the most common presentation of HIV-related cardiovascular disease (over 40%), and over 90% of pericardial effusions are due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) pericarditis. HIV-associated TB pericarditis is associated with a greater prevalence of myopericarditis, a lower rate of progression to constriction, and markedly increased mortality. The role of steroids is currently under investigation in the form of a randomised controlled trial. HIV-associated pulmonary hypertension is significantly more common in sub-Saharan Africa than in developed countries, possibly as a result of interactions between HIV and other infectious agents, with very limited treatment options. It has recently been recognised that patients with HIV are at increased risk of sudden death. Infection with HIV is independently associated with QT prolongation, which is more marked with hepatitis C co-infection and associated with a 4.5-fold higher than expected rate of sudden death. The contribution of coronary disease to the overall burden of HIV-associated cardiovascular disease is still low in sub-Saharan Africa.

Myocardial disease in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection: a review.

Heart muscle disease is the most important cardiovascular manifestation of HIV infection and is likely to become even more prevalent as HIV infected patients live longer. This may present as myocarditis, dilated cardiomyopathy or isolated left or right ventricular dysfunction. Myocardial involvement in HIV infection is multifactorial and may arise as a result of myocardial invasion with HIV itself, opportunistic infections, viral infections, autoimmune response to viral infection, drug-related cardiac toxicity, nutritional deficiencies, and prolonged immunosuppression. Both adults and children are affected with severity ranging from incidental microscopic inflammatory findings at autopsy to clinically significant cardiac disease with chronic cardiac dysfunction. It is associated with a poor prognosis, and results in symptomatic heart failure in up to 5% of HIV patients. Clinical pathological studies from the pre-HAART era show a 30% prevalence of cardiomyopathy in patients with AIDS. The introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens has substantially modified the course of HIV disease by lengthening survival and improving quality of life of HIV-infected patients. There is also good evidence that HAART significantly reduces the incidence of cardiovascular manifestations of HIV infection. By preventing opportunistic infections and reducing the incidence of myocarditis, HAART regimens have reduced the prevalence of HIV-associated cardiomyopathy by almost 7-fold from the pre-HAART era. HAART is however only available to a minority of HIV infected individuals in most areas of the world and studies from the pre-HAART period still apply. In this review, the aetiopathogenesis and presentation of HIV related myocardial disease were reviewed and measures taken to improve survival discussed.