Belief, knowledge, attitude and practices towards COVID-19 amongst residents of Abuja, Nigeria: implications for pandemic preparedness.

Introduction: coronavirus disease, (COVID-19), was a pandemic with high global morbidity and mortality, partly due to a lack of preparedness. People´s knowledge, belief, attitude, and perception of disease outbreaks may affect their response, and this may impact their health-related behavior. This study was designed to determine the pattern of belief, knowledge, attitude, and practices (BKAP) of residents of Abuja, Nigeria, towards the COVID-19 pandemic. The outcome of the study may help to make informed decisions on future pandemic preparedness. Methods: a cross-sectional study with data collected online about the local perceptions and common concerns, beliefs, misconceptions, attitudes, and conspiracy theories amongst residents of the FCT. A self-reported validated e-questionnaire prepared on Google Forms was used. The obtained data was downloaded on Excel sheet and then exported to SPSS for analysis. Results: there were one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three (1,873) respondents, 1017 (54.3%) females and 856 (45.7%) males. Participants were majorly knowledgeable, the majority (31.2%) were in the 41-50 years age group. Surprisingly, about 17% did not know that wearing a face mask could prevent COVID-19. About 25% still met in crowded places, and slightly more than 33% did not wear outdoor masks. The highest knowledge of COVID-19 was found among people in the age range 41-50 years, females, University graduates, married people, and healthcare personnel, particularly doctors. Conclusion: our study concludes that the overall population of Abuja had good knowledge and, a positive attitude, with pockets of poor attitudes and bad practices born out of misconceptions and infodemics.

Cellular mechanisms and molecular pathways linking bitter taste receptor signalling to cardiac inflammation, oxidative stress, arrhythmia and contractile dysfunction in heart diseases.

Heart diseases and related complications constitute a leading cause of death and socioeconomic threat worldwide. Despite intense efforts and research on the pathogenetic mechanisms of these diseases, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are yet to be completely understood. Several lines of evidence indicate a critical role of inflammatory and oxidative stress responses in the development and progression of heart diseases. Nevertheless, the molecular machinery that drives cardiac inflammation and oxidative stress is not completely known. Recent data suggest an important role of cardiac bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs) in the pathogenetic mechanism of heart diseases. Independent groups of researchers have demonstrated a central role of TAS2Rs in mediating inflammatory, oxidative stress responses, autophagy, impulse generation/propagation and contractile activities in the heart, suggesting that dysfunctional TAS2R signalling may predispose to cardiac inflammatory and oxidative stress disorders, characterised by contractile dysfunction and arrhythmia. Moreover, cardiac TAS2Rs act as gateway surveillance units that monitor and detect toxigenic or pathogenic molecules, including microbial components, and initiate responses that ultimately culminate in protection of the host against the aggression. Unfortunately, however, the molecular mechanisms that link TAS2R sensing of the cardiac milieu to inflammatory and oxidative stress responses are not clearly known. Therefore, we sought to review the possible role of TAS2R signalling in the pathophysiology of cardiac inflammation, oxidative stress, arrhythmia and contractile dysfunction in heart diseases. Potential therapeutic significance of targeting TAS2R or its downstream signalling molecules in cardiac inflammation, oxidative stress, arrhythmia and contractile dysfunction is also discussed.

Prevalence of Undiagnosed Dysglycaemias and their Correlates amongst Hypertensive Patients in a Tertiary Health Facility in Abuja, North Central Nigeria.

Background: Dysglycaemia, (diabetes mellitus, DM, and Prediabetes) and Hypertension (HTN) are two common non-communicable diseases that are closely linked. Cardiovascular risk profile and cardiovascular-related death rise significantly when they co-exist. A third of cases of diabetes mellitus amongst hypertensive patients are undiagnosed and most people who are newly diagnosed have a low level of awareness. This study is therefore designed to assess the prevalence of dysglycaemia and associated factors, among hypertensive patients attending our facility. Methodology: Clinical and laboratory information on 858 patients was extracted and analyzed. This includes sociodemographic variables such as age, sex, socioeconomic status, and level of physical activity. Also, family history of diabetes mellitus, the duration of hypertension as well as types of antihypertensives used by those already attending the clinic for hypertension care. Other variables were blood pressure, height, weight, waist and hip circumferences, and body mass index (BMI). Blood glucose and plasma lipid profile as well. Results: More than a quatre of the patients had prediabetes. Between 2% and 6.1% had diabetes mellitus using 2HPP and FBG respectively. Following cross-tabulation, dysglycaemia was significantly associated with age, duration of hypertension, body mass index, BMI, elevated total cholesterol, LDL as well as the use of beta blockers and thiazides. Conclusion: Dysglycaemias are common among hypertensive patients in Abuja. Age, duration of hypertension, body mass index, dyslipidemias, beta blocker, and thiazide use were positively associated with dysglycaemia. Screening for dysglycaemia is recommended for all hypertensive patients at the point of entry to care.

HIV infection and stroke in the Young in Abuja, Nigeria: a case series.

Stroke is a major cause of disability and mortality among the Nigerian general population and thought to be commoner after the fifth decade of life and usually driven by conventional risk factors which are mainly cardio metabolic. However, with the youthful population in a city such as Abuja, stroke could be a mode of presentation of HIV in young people who are also more sexually active. Methods. This is a case series, reporting four cases of HIV positive young Nigerians with stroke. Patients´ data were retrieved from ward admissions records. The patients here had their socio-demographic data taken. They had presented with documented varied clinical features including those suggestive of stroke, after which they had HIV screening done which returned positive. One thousand four hundred and eighty-seven (1487) patients, were admitted in the medical ward, over a three-year period. Female to male ratio of 1:1 in the HIV-positive group, with an age range of 32 to 42 years and an average age of 37.5 years. Stroke constituted 5.7% of all admissions, with stroke in the young accounting for 1.2%. Of all stroke cases, stroke in the young constituted 21.43%, with those who were HIV positive accounting for 4.8%. Young people with stroke should be offered an HIV screening test.

Patterns of dyslipidemia amongst hypertensive patients in Abuja, North Central Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: dyslipidemia and hypertension are independent cardiovascular risk factors that are linked by insulin resistance and commonly coexist as components of the metabolic syndrome. The consequences of dyslipidaemic patterns includes high cardiovascular risk profile and sequalae. Data on lipid patterns amongst hypertensive patients in Abuja, a city with affluent pattern of life style and rising cardiovascular risk profile is very scanty or limited to just levels of total plasma cholesterol. This study was aimed at determining the pattern and frequencies of dyslipidaemic forms among hypertensive patients in Abuja. METHODS: this was a retrospective cohort study with the following data collected; socio-demographics, anthropometric measures and certain metabolic parameters from the new and old groups and analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 23. All decisions were made using the assymp. Two-sided Pearson χ2 probability. Quantitative variables were expressed as means and standard deviations. Qualitative variables were expressed as percentages. A p-value of ≤0.05 was set as significant. RESULTS: eight hundred and fifty eight (858) cases were enrolled for this study, 704 (82.1%) olds and 154 (17.9%) news. There were 251 (29.3%) males and 607 (70.7%) females. The means of the two groups were largely comparable. The commonest dyslipidaemic type was reduced High density lipoprotein, HDL (96.1%), followed by elevated low-density lipoprotein, LDL (78.6%), then, elevated total cholesterol, (62.3%) TCHOL and elevated triglycerides, TG 43.5%. CONCLUSION: dyslipidemic forms are very common among hypertensive patients in Abuja, Nigeria, particularly reduced HDL. Some observed associations include; middle age, female gender, middle/upper socio-economic classes, low levels of physical activity, overweight/obesity, dysglycaemia and long-standing hypertension.

Experience with unoperated cleft lip and palate patients in a Nigerian teaching hospital.

A review of 31 cases of unoperated cleft lip and palate patients aged 10 years and above managed over a 6 years period at a suburban Nigeria teaching hospital is presented. There was an overall preponderance of the female gender and isolated cleft lip (58%) was the most predominant. Although clefts were very wide on presentation, there was adequate well-developed soft tissue in adults to achieve a cosmetically and functionally acceptable repair. This study also confirms the views that late primary repair of facial cleft is less likely to produce impaired growth of the maxillaas is commonly observed in early repair. However, the advantages of early repair cannot be over-emphasized.