Assessment of the skeletal health of healthy Nigerian men and women using quantitative ultrasound.

The dietary intake of calcium by African populations, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is relatively low compared to the recommended intake for US adults. However, the rate of osteoporotic fractures in West African women is reported to be less than that for Caucasian populations. Because there is little published data regarding the skeletal status of African men and women, we used quantitative ultrasound (QUS) to assess the bone density of 435 Nigerian women and 321 Nigerian men between 16 and 89 years of age. A progressive decline in bone quality was observed beginning at about 40 years of age for both men and women. The mean stiffness index (SI) for the women between 20 and 35 years of age (n = 186) in this study was 102 +/- 17. The equation that best described the age versus SI relationship for women was SI = 79.7 + 1.887 (age) + -0.043 (age)2 + 0.00020 (age)3. For Nigerian men, the peak SI of 115 +/- 17 was seen in the 20- to 29-year-old age group. For men, the SI values remained above 100 until about age 60 years when a significant decline in SI was then observed. The best-fit curve of SI versus age for men was SI = 134.9 - 1.27 (age) + 0.019 (age)2 - 0.00014 (age)3. The broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), speed of sound (SOS), and SI values for the Nigerian men and women were comparable to or higher than those reported for Caucasian and Asian populations. These data should serve as reference values for adult men and women in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nutritional status and intermediate chain-length fatty acids influence the conservation of essential fatty acids in the milk of northern Nigerian women.

The milk of 89 women in northern Nigeria was analyzed for the fatty acid composition of the total milk lipids, and assessed for the effect nutritional status has on the conservation of essential and non-essential fatty acids when the proportions of C(10)-C(14)fatty acids are increased. The women were stratified on the basis of their body mass index, and calculations were made to estimate the effects of a 3.3-fold increase in the proportion of C(10)-C(14)fatty acids on the proportion of alpha-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, linoleic acid and arachidonic in total milk lipids. In the well-nourished group (group III, body mass index >23 kg/m(2)), the critical n-3 and n-6 fatty acids were not conserved, while in poorly nourished women (group I, body mass index <19 kg/m(2)), marked conservation of alpha-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, and palmitic acid was seen. Poor nutritional status of the mother appears to promote selective retention of critical essential and non-essential fatty acids in the milk lipid fraction.