Screening for Atrial Fibrillation in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Health Economic Evaluation to Assess the Feasibility in Nigeria.

Background: Cardiovascular disease reflects a major burden of non-communicable disease in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Early detection and treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF), as a preventive measure against stroke, is currently not in the scope of the World Health Organization recommendation to reduce cardiovascular disease. Objective: We hypothesized that screening for AF would be an important approach to determine the true AF prevalence in the general population in African countries and to identify asymptomatic AF patients at risk for stroke to optimize prevention. Methods: A decision analytic model was developed to study the health-economic impact of AF screening in Nigeria over a life-time horizon. The patient population explored in the model was a population of newly detected AF cases that would be diagnosed with a one-time systematic screening for AF with a single lead ECG device in community health centres across Nigeria. Conclusions: The health gain per newly detected AF patient (N = 31,687) was 0.41 QALY at a cost of $5,205 per patient with 100% NOAC use, leading to an ICER of $12,587 per QALY gained. The intervention was cost-effective with a 99.9% warfarin use with an ICER of $1,363 per QALY gained. The total cost of a single screening session was $7.3 million for the total screened population in Nigeria or $1.60 per patient screened. Screening for AF to detect AF patients in need for stroke prevention can be a cost-effective intervention in the Sub-Saharan region, depending on type of anticoagulant used and drug costs.

Genetic Epidemiology and Associated Diseases of APOL1: A Narrative Review.

BACKGROUND: The Apolipoprotein 1 (APOL1) protein is a product of the human APOL1 gene located on chromosome 22q13.1 and performs functions including lipid transport and metabolism, programmed cell death, autophagy and innate immunity against intracellular pathogens. It is unique among its gene family in its possession of a signal peptide that confers on it the ability for export out of the cell and into the blood stream. The aim of this review is to explore the genetic epidemiology and biology of the APOL1 gene, describe its association with different renal and extra-renal disorders and highlight the timelines of the discoveries of the various associations. METHODS: A literature search was carried out using combination of terms including "apolipoproteins", "apolipoprotein L", "APOL1", "genetics of APOL1", "Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and APOL1"," APOL1 and associated diseases" covering the period January 1990 to April 2020. RESULTS: High frequency of the APOL1 gene arose as a result of natural selection in East and West Africa, regions endemic for Trypanosoma brucei infection. High frequencies are also reported among individuals of African ancestry in North America. APOL1 G1 and G2 variants protect against Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense having overcome their virulence through the serum trypanolytic factor. Although protective against infection from trypanosomes, these alleles have also been shown to increase the risk of several disorders including various forms of chronic kidney diseases, schizophrenia, stroke, cancer, and pre - eclampsia. CONCLUSION: The elucidation of the APOL1 gene has deepened understanding of racial disparities in health and disease. Growing understanding of the genetics and functions of APOL1 has potential to enhance translational benefits for development of new biomarkers, preventive and therapeutic interventions in the context of precision medicine.

RÉSUMÉ: La protéine Apolipoprotéine 1 (APOL1) est un produit du gène humain APOL1 situé sur le chromosome 22q13.1 et remplit des fonctions telles que le transport et le métabolisme des lipides, la mort cellulaire programmée, l'autophagie et l'immunité innée contre les agents pathogènes intracellulaires. Il est unique parmi sa famille de gènes en ce qu'il possède un peptide signal qui lui confère la capacité de s'exporter hors de la cellule et dans la circulation sanguine. L'objectif de cette revue est d'explorer l'épidémiologie génétique et la biologie du gène APOL1, de décrire son association avec différentes maladies rénales et extra-rénales et de mettre en évidence la chronologie des découvertes des différentes associations. MÉTHODES: Une recherche bibliographique a été effectuée en utilisant une combinaison de termes comprenant « apolipoprotéines ¼, « apolipoprotéine L ¼, « APOL1 ¼, « génétique d'APOL1 ¼, « Maladie rénale chronique (CKD) et APOL1 ¼, « APOL1 et maladies associées ¼ période de janvier 1990 à avril 2020. RÉSULTATS: La fréquence élevée du gène APOL1 est apparue à la suite de la sélection naturelle en Afrique de l'Est et de l'Ouest, régions endémiques pour l'infection à Trypanosoma brucei. Des fréquences élevées sont également signalées chez les individus d'ascendance africaine en Amérique du Nord. Les variants APOL1 G1 et G2 protègent contre Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense après avoir surmonté leur virulence grâce au facteur trypanolytique sérique. Bien qu'ils protègent contre l'infection par les trypanosomes, il a également été démontré que ces allèles augmentent le risque de plusieurs troubles, notamment diverses formes de maladies rénales chroniques, la schizophrénie, les accidents vasculaires cérébraux, le cancer et la pré-éclampsie. CONCLUSION: L'élucidation du gène APOL1 a approfondi la compréhension des disparités raciales en matière de santé et de maladie. La compréhension croissante de la génétique et des fonctions d'APOL1 a le potentiel d'améliorer les avantages translationnels pour le développement de nouveaux biomarqueurs, d'interventions préventives et thérapeutiques dans le contexte de la médecine de précision. MOTS-CLÉS: APOL1 ; La génétique; Épidémiologie; La biologie; Maladies associées.

Atypical Diabetes Presentations in Sub-Saharan Africa Classification Puzzle and Possible Role of Precision Medicine.

Precision in the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus, a complex heterogeneous disease is increasingly required to achieve treatment goals and prevent complications. Several reviews over decades have not completely solved the diabetes classification puzzle. African clinicians are sometimes confronted with the difficulty of classifying a newly diagnosed diabetes patient presenting atypically. These unusual presentations fall into those with diagnosis of either clinical type 1 or 2 diabetes but having some diagnostic and/or therapeutic features at variance with what are seen in the Western nations, those with tropical diabetes and those known as ketosis-prone type 2 diabetes (KPD). Reports from many African countries indicate that patients do not fit the classic pattern seen in the Western nations. In recent times, there has been groundswell of pressures and proposed models to evolve a more accurate classification of diabetes and the recent 2019 WHO diabetes classification seems to have acknowledged and accommodated these concerns. Perhaps advances in genomic knowledge could help with precision in diabetes classification, especially in Africa. This review seeks to highlight the challenges often encountered with classifying diabetes patients in Africa, and proffer suggestions on the way forward including possible benefit from advances in molecular genomics.

Critical review of multimorbidity outcome measures suitable for low-income and middle-income country settings: perspectives from the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD) researchers.

OBJECTIVES: There is growing recognition around the importance of multimorbidity in low-income and middle-income country (LMIC) settings, and specifically the need for pragmatic intervention studies to reduce the risk of developing multimorbidity, and of mitigating the complications and progression of multimorbidity in LMICs. One of many challenges in completing such research has been the selection of appropriate outcomes measures. A 2018 Delphi exercise to develop a core-outcome set for multimorbidity research did not specifically address the challenges of multimorbidity in LMICs where the global burden is greatest, patterns of disease often differ and health systems are frequently fragmented. We, therefore, aimed to summarise and critically review outcome measures suitable for studies investigating mitigation of multimorbidity in LMIC settings. SETTING: LMIC. PARTICIPANTS: People with multimorbidity. OUTCOME MEASURES: Identification of all outcome measures. RESULTS: We present a critical review of outcome measures across eight domains: mortality, quality of life, function, health economics, healthcare access and utilisation, treatment burden, measures of 'Healthy Living' and self-efficacy and social functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Studies in multimorbidity are necessarily diverse and thus different outcome measures will be appropriate for different study designs. Presenting the diversity of outcome measures across domains should provide a useful summary for researchers, encourage the use of multiple domains in multimorbidity research, and provoke debate and progress in the field.

Changes in mediators of inflammation and pro-thrombosis after 12 months of dietary modification in adults with metabolic syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effects of a 12-month dietary modification on indices of inflammation and pro-thrombosis in adults with metabolic syndrome (MS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This longitudinal study involved 252 adults with MS recruited from the Bodija market, Ibadan and its environs. Participants were placed on 20%, 30% and 50% calories obtained from protein, total fat and carbohydrate respectively and were followed up monthly for 12 months. Anthropometry and blood pressure were measured using standard methods. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)], interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were measured using spectrophotometric methods and ELISA as appropriate. Data was analysed using ANCOVA, Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. P-values less than 0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: After 6 months of dietary modification, there was a significant reduction in waist circumference (WC), while the levels of HDL-C, fibrinogen and PAI-1 were significantly increased when compared with the corresponding baseline values. However, WC and fibrinogen reduced significantly, while HDL-C and IL-10 significantly increased after 12 months of dietary modification as compared with the respective baseline values. CONCLUSION: Long-term regular dietary modification may be beneficial in ameliorating inflammation and pro-thrombosis in metabolic syndrome.

Stroke Investigative Research and Education Network: Public Outreach and Engagement.

Stroke is becoming a leading cause of disability and death, and a major public health concern in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The Stroke Investigative Research and Education Network (SIREN) seeks to comprehensively characterize the genomic, sociocultural, economic, and behavioral risk factors for stroke and to build effective teams for research to address and decrease the burden of stroke and other non-communicable diseases in SSA. One of the first steps to address this goal was to effectively engage the communities that suffer high burdens of disease in SSA. This paper describes the process of SIREN project's community engagement activities in Ghana and Nigeria. The aims of community engagement (CE) within SIREN are to: i) elucidate information about knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices (KABP) about stroke and its risk factors from individuals of African ancestry in SSA; ii) educate the community about stroke and ways to decrease disabilities and deaths from stroke; and iii) recruit 3000 control research subjects to participate in a case-control stroke study. CE focused on three-pronged activities-constitution and interaction with Community Advisory Board (CABs), Focus Group Discussions (n=27) and community education and outreach programs (n=88). FGDs and outreach programs indicate that knowledge of stroke, as well as risk factors and follow-up evidence-based care is limited and often late. Almost all indicated that genetic testing could help health provider's better treat stroke and help scientists better understand the causes of stroke. Over 7000 individuals have received education on cardiovascular risk factors and about 5,000 have been screened for cardiovascular risk factors during the outreaches. The CE core within SIREN is a first of its kind public outreach engagement initiative to evaluate and address perceptions about stroke and genomics by patients, caregivers, and local leaders in SSA and has implications as a model for assessment in other high stroke risk populations.

ASSESSMENT OF MEASURES OF ADIPOSITY THAT CORRELATE WITH BLOOD PRESSURE AMONG HYPERTENSIVE AFRICANS.

BACKGROUND: Studies differ on which anthropometric measure of adiposity shows good correlation with cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we evaluated the effects of common epidemiological measures of adiposity as a correlate of elevated blood pressure in an African population. METHODOLOGY: The study was carried out between June 2009 and December 2011 at the medical out-patient department of a tertiary healthcare center in Nigeria. Correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between blood pressure and body mass index (BMI), waist to height ratio (WHtR), and waist circumference (WC). RESULTS: A total of 1,416 Hypertensives comprising 1090 (77%) adult females recruited over two and half years. Women were significantly older (49.2±8.1 vs. 48.0±10.0 years, p=0.039) and shorter (1.6±6.3 vs 1.7±6.8 meters, p<0.0001) when compared with men. Blood pressure parameters were comparable between women and men. Approximately 1 out of 5 participants had good blood pressure control with no gender difference. Anthropometric measurements showed that 446(32%) were overweight, 404(29%) obese and 40(3%) were morbidly obese. Compared with their male counterparts, females were significantly more likely to be obese (P<0.0001). Similarly, 51.6% of the subjects had abdominal obesity, with female preponderance (P<0.0001). Likewise, a greater proportion of women had substantially higher measured waist circumference risk. Compared with other measures of adiposity, body mass index correlated best with diastolic blood pressure in both gender (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study adds to the evidence that obesity is a major cardiovascular risk factor. BMI, as a measure of adiposity, was found to correlate best with blood pressure. These findings support other observations in other populations that BMI rather than waist to height ratio (WHtR), and waist circumference (WC) is a better correlate of hypertension.

Short term stroke outcome is worse among indiv1iduals with sickle cell trait.

BACKGROUND: Most (86%) of the global stroke mortality are from low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) including African countries which have the highest prevalence of the sickle cell trait (Hb AS). The effects of this trait on stroke occurrence and outcome are poorly understood. We aimed to investigate the effects of the sickle cell trait on the 30-day stroke mortality in Nigerian-Africans. METHOD: This was a prospective study of 35 stroke patients with sickle cell trait (Haemoglobin AS) and 35 age and sex-matched controls without haemoglobinopathy (Haemoglobin AA). Haemoglobin electrophoresis was performed for all before recruitment and they all had neuroimaging done. Patients with haemoglobin AS were used as cases and those with haemoglobin AA as controls. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) was used to assess the severity of stroke at presentation and the Modified Rankin Scale for 30-day stroke outcome. RESULT: There was no significant difference in the baseline stroke severity between the two groups (p = 0.21). Univariate analysis of the factors predicting the 30-day stroke outcome revealed that NIHSS score > 20 (p < 0.001), haemorrhagic stroke (p = 0.01) and the presence of Hb AS (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with 30-day mortality. Haemorrhagic stroke type was strongly associated with HbAS (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.10-7.99, p-value = 0.02). With multiple logistic regression model, the presence of Hb AS (p = 0.01) and NIHSS score > 20 (p = 0.05) emerged as independent risk factors for 30-day mortality. The cases had worse stroke outcome at 30 days. CONCLUSION: Stroke had1 a worse 30-day mortality and outcome in patients with sickle cell trait (HbAS) than in patients with normal adult haemoglobin (HbAA).

Carotid IMT is more associated with stroke than risk calculators.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear whether a natural marker of atherosclerosis (carotid intima-media thickness: CIMT) or calculated risk score is more associated with stroke. We therefore comparatively examined the relationship between CIMT as well as two cardiovascular risk calculators (Omnibus Risk Score -ORS and Framingham Risk Score- FRS) and the occurrence of stroke among hypertensive African patients. METHODS: CIMT was measured in 555 consecutive consenting hypertensive adults (377 stroke patients and 178 stroke-free subjects). The 10-year cardiovascular risk was calculated for each participant with the FRS and ORS. The strengths of association between FRS, ORS, CIMT, and stroke occurrence were examined using logistic regression. The discriminative capacity of FRS, ORS, and CIMT for stroke occurrence was assessed with c-statistics. RESULTS: Higher average CIMT (OR 11.71; 95% CI 1.65-83.07; P = 0.01) was strongly associated with stroke after adjusting for age, sex, blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and blood sugar. Neither the FRS (OR: 1.03; CI: 0.89-1.19, P = 0.68) nor the ORS (OR: 1.08; CI: 0.90-1.30; P = 0.41) was significantly associated with stroke. CIMT had a higher c-statistic for differentiating stroke patients from hypertensive controls (right: c = 0.63, P < 0.001; left: c = 0.67, P < 0.001; average: c = 0.66, P < 0.001) than some conventional risk factors. Neither FRS (P = 0.39) nor ORS (P = 0.55) was able to independently differentiate between stroke and hypertensive patients. CONCLUSION: CIMT, but neither FRS nor ORS, is independently associated with stroke among Nigerian African hypertensive patients. CIMT may be a better tool for estimating the overall risk of stroke than FRS or ORS in this population.

Stroke genomics in people of African ancestry: charting new paths.

One in six people worldwide will experience a stroke in his/her lifetime. While people in Africa carry a disproportionately higher burden of poor stroke outcomes, compared to the rest of the world, the exact contribution of genomic factors to this disparity is unknown. Despite noteworthy research into stroke genomics, studies exploring the genetic contribution to stroke among populations of African ancestry in the United States are few. Furthermore, genomics data in populations living in Africa are lacking. The wide genomic variation of African populations offers a unique opportunity to identify genomic variants with causal relationships to stroke across different ethnic groups. The Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network (SIREN), a component of the Human Health and Heredity in Africa (H3Africa) Consortium, aims to explore genomic and environmental risk factors for stroke in populations of African ancestry in West Africa and the United States. In this article, we review the literature on the genomics of stroke with particular emphasis on populations of African origin.

Can common carotid intima media thickness serve as an indicator of both cardiovascular phenotype and risk among black Africans?

BACKGROUND: It is not known whether common carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) can serve as a surrogate marker of cardiovascular risk among black Africans. Therefore, we examined whether CIMT differed significantly among individuals with distinct cardiovascular phenotype and correlated significantly with traditional cardiovascular risk factors in a black African population. METHODS: CIMT was measured in 456 subjects with three distinct cardiovascular phenotypes - 175 consecutive Nigerian African stroke patients, 161 hypertensive patients without stroke and 120 normotensive non-smoking adults. For each pair of cardiovascular phenotypes, c-statistics were obtained for CIMT and traditional vascular risk factors (including age, gender, weight, waist circumference, smoking, alcohol, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, fasting plasma glucose, fasting total cholesterol). Pearson's correlation coefficients were calculated to quantify bivariate relationships. FINDINGS: Bilaterally, CIMT was significantly different among the three cardiovascular phenotypes (right: p < 0.001, F = 33.8; left: p < 0.001, F = 48.6). CIMT had a higher c-statistic for differentiating stroke versus normotension (c = 0.78 right; 0.82 left, p < 0.001) and hypertension versus normotension (c = 0.65 right; 0.71 left, p < 0.001) than several traditional vascular risk factors. Bilaterally, combining all subjects, CIMT was the only factor that correlated significantly (right: 0.12 ≤ r ≤ 0.41, 0.018 ≤ p < 0.0001; left: 0.18 ≤ r ≤ 0.41, 0.005 ≤ p < 0.0001) to all the traditional cardiovascular risk factors assessed. CONCLUSION: Our findings support CIMT as a significant indicator of both cardiovascular risk and phenotype among adult black Africans. However, specific thresholds need to be defined based on prospective studies.

TIME OF PRESENTATION OF STROKE PATIENTS FOR CT IMAGING IN A NIGERIAN TERTIARY HOSPITAL.

BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging is the cornerstone for guiding thrombolytic and interventional therapy for stroke. Beneficial outcome can only be obtained within a rather short time of less than 3-4.5 hours of symptom onset. Challenges in developing countries like Nigeria often lead to delayed presentation of stroke patients in hospitals. We sought to study the time and pattern of presentation of stroke patients for CT imaging in a Nigerian tertiary hospital. METHODS: Of the 271 stroke patients who had cranial CT between 2008 and 2010, eighty-three (30.6%) with full retrievable CT records, were included in this study. They were categorized into six time groups cross-tabulated with their CT findings. RESULTS: Forty-two patients (50.6%) had cerebral infarction while 23 (27.7%) had haemorrhagic stroke. However, 18 (21.7%) patients had apparently normal CT findings. The mean presentation time for CT imaging was 70 hours (SD ±94 hours). Only 31% of all stroke patients presented for CT imaging within 12 hours, and none, within 3 hours. Forty-six percent did not present within 24 hours of symptom onset. Significantly more patients with ischemic stroke (72.3%) than hemorrhagic stroke (27.7%) presented after 12 hours of ictus (X(2) = 4.027 d=1, P =0.045). Age (X(2)=0.008, P =0.931) and gender (X(2)1.742, d=1,P =0.187) had no statistically significant relationship with the time of presentation for CT imaging. CONCLUSION: None of our patients met the time criteria for thrombolytic therapy. Ischemic stroke patients presented for imaging later than patients with intracerebral haemorrhage. There is a need to increase the awareness regarding early recognition, presentation and diagnosis of stroke for timely intervention in Nigeria.

Metabolic alterations in different stages of hypertension in an apparently healthy nigerian population.

Metabolic syndrome (MS) amplifies hypertension (HTN) associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). MS components and other CVD risk measures were investigated in different stages of hypertension. 534 apparently healthy Nigerian traders aged 18-105 years were participants of a cohort study. The International Diabetes Federation (2005) and the National High Blood Pressure Education Program Coordinating Committee criteria were used for MS and HTN classifications, respectively. Anthropometric indices were obtained by standard methods. Levels of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) were determined by enzymatic methods, while low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) was calculated. Data analysed statistically were significant at P < 0.05. 143 (26.8%), 197 (36.9%), and 194 (36.3%) of the traders had normotension, pre-HTN and HTN (stages 1 and 2), respectively. All indices tested except HDLC were significantly different among BP groups (P < 0.05). Waist to hip (WHR) and waist to height (WHT) ratios were significantly different between HTN groups (P < 0.05). HTN was associated with MS and female gender (P < 0.05). Metabolic alterations and significant HTN were observed. Treatment of the individual components of the syndrome and improvement of modifiable metabolic factors may be necessary to reduce MS and high BP.

Prevalence and pattern of neurocognitive impairment in nigerians with stages 3 to 5 chronic kidney disease.

Background. Cognitive impairment with its negative effect on quality of life has been reported in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The paucity of the literature on cognitive impairment in Africans with CKD prompted this study. Objectives. To determine the frequency and pattern of cognitive impairment in patients with stages 3 to 5 CKD. Methods. We studied 79 consecutive consenting adults with a National Kidney Foundation (NKF) stage 3 to 5 CKD based on their estimated glomerular filtration rate using the Cockcroft-Gault formula. The controls consisted of healthy demographically matched subjects. Community screening instrument for dementia (CSI'D), trail making test A (TMTA), and trail making test B (TMTB) were used for cognitive assessment. Results. More CKD patients had cognitive impairment compared with controls using CSI'D (51.9% versus 2.5%, P < 0.001); TMTA (53.2% versus 0%, P < 0.001); and TMTB (40% versus 0%, P < 0.001). The odds of having cognitive impairment increased in the presence of CKD when assessed using CSI'D (OR = 2.026; CI = 1.607-2.555); TMTA (OR = 3.13; CI = 2.40-4.09) and TMTB (OR = 3.22; CI = 2.42-4.25). CKD patients performed poorer on tests of executive function TMTA (P < 0.001) and TMTB (P < 0.001) while CSI'D showed significantly lower scores on multiple cognitive domains. Conclusions. Significant cognitive impairment in multiple domains exists among Nigerians with CKD.

Consistent determinants of post-stroke health-related quality of life across diverse cultures: Berlin-Ibadan study.

OBJECTIVE: Discovery of consistent determinants of post-stroke health-related quality of life (HRQOL) across different cultures is essential for the development of widely applicable therapeutic models for maximizing HRQOL in stroke patients. The objective of this study was to identify variables with consistent effect on post-stroke HRQOL across disparate cultures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Detailed socio-demographic and clinical data were obtained from successive stroke patients (≥1 month post-stroke) from Ibadan, Nigeria (n = 100) and Berlin, Germany (n = 103). Stroke severity was assessed using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale and stroke levity score, while disability was graded with modified Rankin Scale. HRQOL was measured with the psychometrically robust holistic HRQOL in stroke patients (HRQOLISP) instrument. Variables with significant univariate or bivariate relationships to HRQOL were included in the multiple forward stepwise regression analysis at P = 0.05. RESULTS: In disparate cultures, marital status (0.091 < P < 0.902) and stroke type (0.357 < P < 0.975) had no significant relationship to HRQOL. In regression models explaining up to 86% of the HRQOL variance in Ibadan and 70% of the HRQOL variance in Berlin; stroke severity, disability, emotional disorder, and sense of purpose in life were the key predictors of HRQOL after stroke (P < 0.0001 to P < 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Based on these consistent determinants, the stroke recovery cycle, a novel therapeutic model aimed at improving sense of purpose and meaning in life after stroke while promoting emotional and physical well-being, is proposed for further exploration.

Risk factors for stroke among patients with hypertension: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: In some African countries, more than half of the adult population are estimated to be hypertensive leading to an escalated burden of stroke in the continent. We conducted the first study to unravel the major risk factors for stroke among hypertensive patients (Nigerian-Africans) using a case-control design while also exploring the relative contributions of carotid intima medial thickness (CIMT) and carotid diameter as risk markers for stroke. METHODS: Using conventional techniques, stroke-related demographic, clinical and laboratory data were obtained from 135 consecutive volunteering hypertensive stroke patients and compared with 117 age and gender-matched hypertensive patients with no clinical evidence of stroke, TIA or coronary artery disease. Common carotid IMT and diameters were measured in all participants. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted at p=0.05. RESULTS: 13.2% of the stroke patients were first diagnosed as hypertensive at presentation with stroke. Among hypertensive patients, the modifiable factors significantly (p<0.00001 to p<0.037) associated with stroke occurrence included higher maximum and minimum blood pressures in the preceding 3months, higher fasting plasma glucose, greater alcohol consumption, lesser physical activity and increased CIMT. Using a multivariate model which predicted 84.6% of stroke occurrence, only fasting total cholesterol of >150mg/dl (p=0.021) and common carotid diameter of ≥5.9mm (p=0.008) independently multiplied the risk of stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Particularly in resource-limited settings, aside from BP control, stroke prevention efforts should be targeted towards these identified risk factors for stroke among hypertensive patients. Carotid diameter should be further explored as an intermediate risk marker for stroke.

Taming the burgeoning stroke epidemic in Africa: stroke quadrangle to the rescue.

OBJECTIVES: Globally, stroke is the second leading cause of death. This is a systematic review of the existing literature to examine the burden and profile of stroke in the World Health Organization (WHO) African region and proffer coordinated and responsive means to tackle the epidemic. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination Guidelines using Pubmed, African Journals On-Line and Google Scholar databases. Over 1300 articles were obtained. All abstracts were screened, and every article that might have contained relevant information was read in full. Their heterogeneity made meta-analysis impossible. So a critical assessment of the data with a narrative review was conducted. RESULTS: Stroke has an annual incidence rate of up to 316 per 100 000, a prevalence rate of up to 315 per 100 000 and a three-year fatality of up to 84% in Africa. In 2002, model-based estimated age-adjusted stroke mortality rates ranged between 168 and 179 per 100 000 population for countries in the African region. There is severe scarcity of facilities and human resources for prevention, investigations, acute care and rehabilitation of stroke patients in Africa. CONCLUSIONS: Africa bears a heavy burden of stroke. This author proposes a stroke quadrangle comprising a concerted network of four pillars: demographic surveillance and stroke research network, integrated community-based primary and secondary prevention programmes, easily accessible and well-equipped acute stroke care services, and neuro-rehabilitation centres and services. This network could be reinforced using information and communication technologies, telemedicine facilities and linked health information systems.

Bell's palsy in pregnancy and the puerperium: a report of five cases.

The incidence of idiopathic facial nerve palsy is higher during pregnancy and the puerperium than in nonpregnant women of childbearing age. An important association also exists between Bell's palsy and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. We describe three patients with idiopathic facial nerve palsy in pregnancy and two in the puerperium. Two of these were associated with hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. This case report illustrates the fact that Bell's palsy is common in pregnancy and in the peurperium and often associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

Frontotemporal dementia in a Nigerian woman: case report and brief review of the literature.

Frontotemporal lobal degeneration (FTLD) is a clinically heterogeneous group of sporadic and familial neurodegenerative diseases characterized by dementia, alteration in language and/or behaviour, loss of executive skills and sometimes Parkinsonian features resulting from degeneration predominantly affecting the anterior frontal and temporal regions of the brain. Three main clinical subtypes including frontotemporal dementia (FTD), semantic dementia (SD) and progressive non-fluent aphasia (PNFA) have been described depending on the clinical phenomenology, the areas of the brain where the disorder begins and where the most extensive degeneration occurs. We describe a case of frontotemporal dementia in a 58 year old Nigerian woman and also review the current literature. Recent genetic studies have expanded the frontiers of knowledge about FTD while the search for appropriate drug treatments continues.