Lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors among hypertensives and the use of antihypertensive medication in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors among hypertensives and the use of antihypertensive medication in Lagos, Nigeria.Methods: Two hundred and fifty consecutive patients who were attending the outpatients' clinic cardiology unit of the medical department of Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria were recruited into the study. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants.Results: The mean age of the respondents was 53.9 +12.1 years. Forty-six percent were males and 54% females. Some of the participants indulged in unhealthy lifestyle such as daily smoking of cigarettes (5.0%) and alcohol consumption (10.8%). Some of the participants (45.3%) carry out physical exercises such as walking (71.0%). A large number of the participants (84.0%) believed that hypertension can be controlled. Half of the respondents (50%) had used medication for one to five years. Close to half of the participants (48.2%) stopped taking their medication because they experienced side effects in the past while 24.8% claimed they stopped their use of medication because they could not afford the drugs.Conclusion: There is a need for public health experts to carry out educational campaigns to increase awareness on the implications of negative lifestyle and cardiovascular risks factors of hypertension, compliance and complications of hypertension. Clinicians should also consider the financial status of their patients in prescribing antihypertensive drugs to enable affordability.Keywords: Lifestyle, cardiovascular, risk factors, hypertension, antihypertensive Lagos, Nigeria

Psychological distress and symptoms among patients attending sexually transmitted infections clinic in Lagos, Nigeria

Background: The study was carried out to investigate the manifestations of psychological distress and symptoms among individuals receiving treatment for sexually transmitted diseases and to compare them with individuals who were not suffering from sexually transmitted diseases.Methods: Patients attending the sexually transmitted disease clinic of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos were recruited for this study; while the comparison group (n=50) was made up of participants attending the outpatient clinic of the University of Lagos Medical Centre, Akoka, Lagos. The participants completed the Symptoms Distress Checklist-90 (SLC-90) and Psychophysiological Symptoms Checklist (PSC).Results: The findings showed that 80% were males. The ages of the respondents ranged from 22 to 52 years, with a mean of 31.4 years. The participants in the study group obtained higher mean scores on interpersonal sensitivity (C), depression (D), anxiety (E) and hostility (F). The participants in the study group also had higher mean score in the PSC than those in the control group. Significant differences were found in SLC-(B) obsessive-compulsive, (E) anxiety and (F) Hostility. Of the total participants, 15 (30%) of the study group had previous STI infections when compared to 3 (6%) of the comparison group.Conclusion: It is suggested that clinicians running the sexually transmitted diseases should screen their patients for psychological disturbances and also work with mental health experts to provide psychological services for identified patients suffering from psychological distress among those attending the STI clinic.Keywords: Psychological reactions, sexually transmitted infections, Lagos, Nigeri

Evaluation of the concentration of toxic metals in cosmetic products in Nigeria

It has been shown that heavy metals toxicity to humans is as a result of long term or high level exposure to pollutants common in the environment including the air, water, food and numerous consumer products such as the cosmetics and toiletries. In this study, we assessed the levels of toxic metals in different cosmetic products sold at local shops in Lagos, Nigeria. The cosmetic items included thirty creams and twenty lipsticks and lip glosses. These items were purchased from various shops at different locations in Lagos. The cosmetics were analyzed for heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel) after digestion with concentrated acids HNO3: H2SO4: HClO4 in ratio 2:2:1. The concentrations of the selected toxic heavy metals were determined in duplicate using a Buck 205 flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. All the samples analyzed contained a detectable amount of all the metals of interest. The concentration of the heavy metals in the samples ranged from 0.006 to 0.207 ppm. It is obvious from the present study that the use of some cosmetic products exposes users to low concentrations of toxic heavy metals which could constitute potential health risk to users since it has been known that heavy metals can accumulate in the biological system over time and are known to induce skin problems or diseases such as cancer. Further research to better understand the sources of heavy metals in cosmetic products is recommended.Key words: Toxic heavy metals, cosmetics, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, environment

Evaluation of the chemical constituents and the antimicrobial activity of the volatile oil of Citrus reticulata fruit(Tangerine fruit peel) from South West Nigeria

The volatile oil of tangerine fruit (Citrus reticulata) was extracted by steam distillation and assessed for antibacterial and antioxidant activity. The volatile oil was tested against some Gram-negative organisms (Escherichia coli ATCC 35218, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella paratyphi, Proteus mirabilis and Citrobacter spp); Gram-positive organisms such as Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, S. aureus, Enterococcus faecalis and a fungus (Candida albicans). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined with concentrations of oil extract ranging from 0.87 to 445 mg/ml. Result of the study showed that the oil has a broad spectrum antibacterial activity. MIC recorded were S. aureus (0.74 mg/ml), S. aureus ATTC 25923 (2.46 mg/ml), E. faecalis (1.26 mg/ml), S. typhi (2.07 mg/ml), K. pneumoniae (0.56 mg/ml), E. coli ATTC 35218 (0.19 mg/ml), E. coli (1.95 mg/ml), P. aeruginosa (0.97 mg/ml), C. albicans (0.68 mg/ml). Antioxidant screening with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) was negative. Analysis of the chemical constituent by GC-MS showed the presence of D-limonene as the major constituent. Other constituents found were a-pinene and β-pinene

Crude Oil-Degradation and Plasmid Profile of Nitrifying Bacteria Isolated from Oil-Impacted Mangrove Sediment in the Niger Delta of Nigeria

The crude oil degradability and plasmid profile of autotrophic nitrifying bacteria, Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter species, isolated from mangrove sediment in the Niger Delta of Nigeria were studied. The effects of temperature, pH and optical density on the utilization of different carbon sources by the bacteria were also investigated. Results showed that nitrifying bacteria could utilize kerosene, diesel oil, jet fuel and engine oil as carbon sources. None utilized hexane and xylene but moderate growth was observed in benzene, phenol and toluene. However, their ability to utilized crude oil varied both in rates of utilization and in growth profiles. Mixed culture of the isolates degrades 52 % of crude oil introduced into the medium followed by Nitrosomonas sp. with 40 % degradation. The least was Nitrobacter sp. with 20 % degradation. The ability of the autotrophs to degrade crude oil was found to be plasmid-mediated through curing experiment and electrophoresis. The size of the plasmid involved was estimated to be 23 kb. The high crude oil utilization of the mixed culture implies that nitrifying bacteria isolated from contaminated ecosystem are excellent crude oil degraders and can be harnessed for bioremediation purposes

Self-medication with antibiotics for the treatment of menstrual symptoms in southwest Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

Background: Self-medication with antibiotics is an important factor contributing to the development of bacterial antibiotic resistance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics for the treatment of menstrual symptoms among university women in Southwest Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to female undergraduate and graduate students (n = 706) at four universities in Southwest Nigeria in 2008. The universities were selected by convenience and the study samples within each university were randomly selected cluster samples. The survey was self-administered and included questions pertaining to menstrual symptoms, analgesic and antibiotic use patterns, and demographics. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: The response rate was 95.4%. Eighty-six percent (95% CI: 83-88%) of participants experienced menstrual symptoms, and 39% (95% CI: 36-43%) reported using analgesics to treat them. Overall, 24% (95% CI: 21-27%) of participants reported self-medicated use of antibiotics to treat the following menstrual symptoms: cramps, bloating, heavy bleeding, headaches, pimples/acne, moodiness, tender breasts, backache, joint and muscle pain. Factors associated with this usage were: lower levels of education (Odds Ratio (OR): 2.8, 95% CI: 1.1-7.1, p-value: 0.03); nonscience major (OR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.03-2.50, p-value: 0.04); usage of analgesics (OR: 3.17, 95% CI: 2.07-4.86, p-value: <0.001); and mild to extreme heavy bleeding (OR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.01-2.67, p-value: 0.05) and pimples/acne (OR: 1.57, 95% CI: 0.98-2.54, p-value: 0.06). Ampicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin and metronidazole were used to treat the most symptoms. Doctors or nurses (6%, 95% CI: 4-7%), friends (6%, 95% CI: 4-7%) and family members (7%, 95% CI: 5-8%) were most likely to recommend the use of antibiotics for menstrual symptoms, while these drugs were most often obtained from local chemists or pharmacists (10.2%, 95% CI: 8-12%). Conclusions: This is the first formal study to report that approximately 1 out of 4 university women surveyed in Southwest Nigeria self-medicate with antibiotics to treat menstrual symptoms. This practice could provide monthly, low-dose exposures to antibiotics among users. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the impacts of selfmedication on student health

Molecular inference of sources and spreading patterns of Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites in internally displaced persons settlements in Myanmar–China border area

In Myanmar, civil unrest and establishment of internally displaced persons (IDP) settlement along the Myanmar-China border have impacted malaria transmission. The growing IDP populations raise deep concerns about health impact on local communities. Microsatellite markers were used to examine the source and spreading patterns of Plasmodium falciparum between IDP settlement and surrounding villages in Myanmar along the China border. Genotypic structure of P. falciparum was compared over the past three years from the same area and the demographic history was inferred to determine the source of recent infections. In addition, we examined if border migration is a factor of P. falciparum infections in China by determining gene flow patterns across borders. Compared to local community, the IDP samples showed a reduced and consistently lower genetic diversity over the past three years. A strong signature of genetic bottleneck was detected in the IDP samples. P. falciparum infections from the border regions in China were genetically similar to Myanmar and parasite gene flow was not constrained by geographical distance. Reduced genetic diversity of P. falciparum suggested intense malaria control within the IDP settlement. Human movement was a key factor to the spread of malaria both locally in Myanmar and across the international border

Multi-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of Parkinson’s disease

\ua9 2023, This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the US; foreign copyright protection may apply. Although over 90 independent risk variants have been identified for Parkinson’s disease using genome-wide association studies, most studies have been performed in just one population at a time. Here we performed a large-scale multi-ancestry meta-analysis of Parkinson’s disease with 49,049 cases, 18,785 proxy cases and 2,458,063 controls including individuals of European, East Asian, Latin American and African ancestry. In a meta-analysis, we identified 78 independent genome-wide significant loci, including 12 potentially novel loci (MTF2, PIK3CA, ADD1, SYBU, IRS2, USP8, PIGL, FASN, MYLK2, USP25, EP300 and PPP6R2) and fine-mapped 6 putative causal variants at 6 known PD loci. By combining our results with publicly available eQTL data, we identified 25 putative risk genes in these novel loci whose expression is associated with PD risk. This work lays the groundwork for future efforts aimed at identifying PD loci in non-European populations

Socio-economic factors influencing cassava production in Kuje and Abaji Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria

This study examined socio-economic factors influencing output level of cassava production in Kuje and Abaji Area Councils of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The specific objectives were to:identify the socio-economiccharacteristics of sampled cassava farmers in the study area; determine the socio-economic factors influencing the output level of cassava in the study area; estimate costs and returns of cassava production in the study area. A total sample size of eighty (80) farmers was sampled using simple random sampling technique. Primary data were collected using structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to extract information on socio-economic characteristics, inputs, prices of outputs and inputs.  Information collected on socio-economic characteristics were age, sex, farming experience, household size, level of education, marital status. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, farm budgeting model, and multiple regression analysis. The result of the analyses shows that eighty (80) percent of sampled farmers are female. About seventy-three (73) percent of sampled cassava farmers are less than 45 years of age. Also eighty-five (85) percent are married. Econometric multiple regression  analysis revealed that age, level of education and sex were significant at 10% level of probability. The coefficient of multiple determinations implies that 58.9% of variation in output of cassava is explained by variation in the explanatory variables included in the model. Estimated costs and returns revealed a net farm income of N42, 207 per annum, which shows that cassava production in the study area is profitable. From the findings, it is suggested that extension agent should make new technology  available in the study area to enhance skills acquisition and increase in output.Key words: Cassava, socioeconomic factors, output, Federal capital territory