Effects of lipid-lowering agents on plasma lipid profile and apolipoprotein B in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objectives: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) accounts for about 90% of all cases of Diabetes Mellitus. Dyslipidaemia has been demonstrated to form a synergy with T2DM as risk factors for cardiovascular events. This study aimed to determine the plasma levels of Lipids and Apolipoprotein B-100 among Type 2 Diabetic patients, assess the effects of Lipid Lowering agents, and to study the relationship, if any, between these lipid parameters and glycemic control.Methods: One hundred and fifty participants consisting of fifty T2DM patients on a lipid-lowering agent, fifty newly diagnosed T2DM patients who are drug naïve (not on any anti-diabetic agent) and fifty apparently healthy non-diabetic controls were recruited for this study. Fasting blood samples were collected from all study participants for determination of Total Cholesterol (TC), LDL-C, Triglycerides(TG), High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL-C) and Apo B-100. Results: The results showed significant increases in plasma TC, LDL-C, TG and Apo B-100 with a remarkable reduction in plasma HDL-C level in the Type 2 Diabetic drug naïve group compared with the treatment and control groups. There was a significant positive  correlation observed between serum Apo B-100 and level of glycaemia in the T2DM drug naïve group.Conclusion: This study further confirms the therapeutic benefits of lipid-lowering agents in reducing Apo B-100 among T2DM patients. Furthermore, maintaining good glycaemic control reduces the risk for the development of dyslipidaemia. Keywords: T2DM, Dyslipidaemia, Cardiovascular Diseases, Apolipoprotein B-100, Nigeria

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.Keywords: Dietary modification, fibrinogen, interleukins, metabolic syndrome, plasminogen activator inhibito

Evaluation of Plasma Electrolytes in Patients Suffering From Depressive Illness

There are speculations that electrolyte concentrations may play a role in depressive illness but despite a number of studies, no agreement has been reached about blood electrolyte status in depression. One hundred subjects made up of sixty (60) depressed patients with mean age (40.3±12.3) and forty (40) normal controls with mean age (40.1±10.1) were recruited for this study. All patients were free from medication for a period of one month prior to the start of the study. Anthropometric indices of all subjects were also determined. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used for diagnosis and measurement of severity of depression respectively. The mean plasma sodium (p<0.05) and potassium (p<0.01) were significantly decreased in depressed patients when compared with corresponding normal controls while the mean plasma calcium (p<0.05) and urea (p<0.01) were significantly increased in depressed subjects in comparison to normal controls. There were no significant differences in blood parameters determined between male and female patients. Similarly, the mean plasma concentrations of biochemical parameters did not significantly change from mild through to severe depression (p>0.05). The results from this study suggest that plasma electrolyte levels could be altered in Nigerian Africans suffering from depressive illness and this may not be gender specific

Evaluation of Plasma Lipids and Lipoproteins in Nigerians Suffering From Depressive Illness

There are conflicting reports on the role of plasma lipids in depressive illness. Very little is known about the lipid and lipoprotein status in Nigerian adults suffering from depression. One hundred subjects consisting of sixty (60) depressed patients with mean age (40.3±12.3 yrs) and forty (40) apparently healthy controls (40.1±10.1 yrs) were selected for the study. All subjects were free from medication at least one month prior to the start of the experiment. The anthropometric indices were also determined. There was a significant increase in plasma triglyceride concentration in depressed subjects when compared to control values (p<0.01). However, the plasma total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and body mass index (BMI) did not significantly differ from control values. The mean plasma triglyceride was significantly increased in female patients in comparison to corresponding female controls. Plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels did not demonstrate any definite pattern with increasing level of depression in patients. In conclusion, plasma lipid levels could play a significant role in depressive illness in Nigerian