PREVALENCE OF METABOLIC SYNDROME AMONG APPARENTLY HEALTHY ADULTS IN A RURAL COMMUNITY, IN NORTH-WESTERN NIGERIA.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of multiple metabolic abnormalities that increases the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and a resultant severe economic implication. This study assessed the burden of MetS in a Nigerian rural community setting. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional, community based study on apparently healthy subjects. A multi stage cluster sampling technique was employed to recruit the study subjects. A standardized pre-tested questionnaire was used to obtain data, and blood samples from subjects were analysed using standard laboratory techniques. MetS was defined using the NCEP-ATP3 criteria. Data were analysed using STATA version II, and a p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 450 subjects completed the study, with 38% being males, and a mean age of 40.27 ± 16.41 years. MetS was found in 116 (25.78%) of the subjects. Of these, systemic hypertension was found in 91(78.45%), while all (116) had elevated cholesterol and triglycerides. Abdominal adiposity was found in 45 (38.79%) subjects and 44 (37.93%) had Type 2 diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MetS and its components in our studied population was high; hence the need for further large population based studies to determine its predictors in our environment.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 3,6-disubstituted [1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-b][1,3,4]thiadiazole derivatives as a novel class of potential anti-tumor agents.

A new series of 3,6-disubstituted triazolo[3,4-b]thiadiazole derivatives have been synthesized by simple, high yielding routes. The key step in the construction of the triazolo[3,4-d]thiadiazole nucleus involves the reaction of 4-amino-5-substituted [1,2,4]triazole-3-thiol with carbon disulphide, 4-amino benzoic acid, (2-amino[1,3]thiazole-4-one-5-yl) acetic acid, and (1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-2,4-dithione-5-yl) acetonitrile. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activity against a panel of 60 human cancer cell lines by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and some of them demonstrated inhibitory effects on the growth of a wide range of cancer cell lines generally at 10(-5)M level and in some cases at 10(-7)M concentrations. In this assay, the anti-tumor activity of the newly synthesized compounds could not be interpreted in terms of tyrosine kinase inactivation but more likely as a relatively broad specificity for the ATP-binding domain of other kinases. The pharmacological mechanism of action for these intriguing compounds has not, as yet, been successful.

Prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors among Nigerians with stroke.

UNLABELLED: Stroke is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The case fatality rates from stroke are two- to three-fold higher in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, than in the developed world, mainly because of limited healthcare facilities and untreated risk factors. The aim was to determine the prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors among Nigerians with stroke and compare the prevalence of risk factors between young and older adults with stroke. METHODS: The study was cross-sectional in design, and was carried out on stroke patients who were 15 years of age or older, in the medical wards and neurology clinic of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Data was collated consecutively over six months. RESULTS: A total of 81 patients were studied. Sixteen of them (19.8%) were under 45 years old (group 1) while the remaining 65 patients (80.2%) were 45 years or older (group 2). All patients had at least one risk factor. One-third of group 1 patients (37.5%) and 81.5% of group 2 patients had three or more cardiovascular risk factors (p = 0.0004). The most widespread risk factor in all patients, particularly in group 2 patients was systemic hypertension, while dyslipidaemia was most common among group 1 patients. Recurrent stroke was significantly more common among group 2 than group 1 patients (30.8 and 6.3% respectively) (p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: Cardiovascular risk factors, particularly hypertension and dyslipidaemia were prevalent in the studied patients with stroke. The older patients in group 2 had more multiple-risk factors than the younger ones in group 1. Secondary prevention strategies including detection and treatment of risk factors may curtail the burden of the disease.

Cardiac morbidity in subjects referred for echocardiographic assessment at a tertiary medical institution in the Nigerian savanna zone.

Cardiovascular diseases constitute a major public health problem both in the developed and developing countries. The profile of morbidity and mortality however, varies between regions and countries and even within countries. The importance of recognizing the cardiovascular conditions that prevail in a particular area is very important in health planning and for improving healthcare services. We therefore set out to describe the cardiac morbidity pattern from our echocardiographic data. Between August 2002 and September 2004 (24 months), we reviewed the echocardiographic diagnosis of all patients aged 15 years referred for echocardiography. Information obtained from the records included age, gender, names of referring hospital/physician, clinical diagnosis and echocardiogram findings. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 10.0 software. A total of 594 persons were referred for echocardiographic examination in the 2 year study period. Of these, 489 (82.3%) had an abnormal echocardiogram. We analyzed those with abnormal echocardiograms. There were 272 males and 217 females. The male to female ratio was 1.3:1. Hypertensive heart disease was the commonest echocardiographic diagnosis, present in 228 (46.6%) of the patients. This is followed by dilated cardiomyopathy seen in 82 (16.8%) and then rheumatic heart disease in 55 (11.2%). Other findings were Non dilated cardiomyopathy (6.1%), Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (5.7%), pericardial diseases (3.7%), Ischemic heart disease (4.7%), Cor pulmonale (1.4%) and Endomyocardial fibrosis (0.4%) of patients. It was noted that majority of the cases were advanced with irreversible myocardial damage. Systemic hypertension remains the most important cause of CVD morbidity in savanna region of Nigeria. Addressing the major cardiovascular risk factors especially systemic hypertension will go a long way in reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases.

Synthesis of some new quinoline derivatives: new routes to synthesize polysubstituted 2(1H)-quinolone derivatives.

Reaction of 4-hydroxyquinolines 1a,b or 1c,d with the ylidenenitriles 2b-g and 2h,c yielded pyranoquinolines 6 and 9, respectively. 4-Anilinoquinoline 10 reacted with 2a,e to give pyridoquinolines 12. Treating of 1a or 14 with SO2Cl2 gave 3-dichloroacetyl derivative 15. Compound 15 reacted with KCN/H2O and NaN3 to give furoquinoline 16 and the tetrazole 18, respectively. Reaction of 1a, b, f with a mixture of phenyl isothiocyanate and glycine gave pyranoquinoline 22. This compound reacted with chloroacetic acid to yield thiazolidinones 23. Pyranoquinolines 27 were synthesized either from the reaction of 1c,d with enamine 24 or reaction of 1e,f with hippuric acid. Condensation of 1c,d with the enamine 25 gave azlactone 28. The latter compound reacted with 4-aminoantipyrine and 2-aminopyridine to give the imidazole derivatives 30.