Overview of the Metabolic Syndrome; An Emerging Pandemic of Public Health Significance

A cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, which occur together have become known as the metabolic syndrome. Over the years various diagnostic criteria have been proposed by different organizations and most recently efforts have been made to unify the diagnostic criteria. This article is aimed at providing an overview of the metabolic syndrome and a rational approach to the management of this very important clinical syndrome

Food Consumption Pattern in Ogbomoso Metropolis of Oyo State, Nigeria

The study shed light on food consumption pattern in Ogbomoso Metropolis using Almost Ideal Demand System. Information on different classes of food consumed by the household was obtained using a multistage random technique. The result showed that demand for root and tubers and vegetables are elastic than demands for the other classes of food considered in this study. Also, legume has the most inelastic own-price elasticity among other food items considered in the study. This indicates that households in Ogbomoso metropolis are insensitive to changes in the price of legumes. Expenditure elasticities of all the food items were examined and were found to be less than one. All the food items are expenditure inelastic with root and tubers and fruits having the highest expenditure followed by animal protein, cereals, legumes and vegetables respectively. This implies that despite being staple foods, the consumption of each of these will decline as per capita income increases, this finding is counter intuitive. The highest expenditure elasticity is found for the fruits, suggesting that its demand will grow faster than the demand for the other products as the economy develops and income increases

Pattern of Spinal Pain Managed at the Physiotherapy Department of a Tertiary Health Institution in Nigeria

Spinal pain (SP) is one of the clinical conditions managed at the  orthopaedic unit of physiotherapy departments of hospitals all over the world. There is a dearth of information on the pattern of SP being  managed in these departments. The aim of this study was to investigate the pattern of SP managed at the physiotherapy outpatient department of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Newly referred SP cases seen at the outpatient unit of the physiotherapy department, University College Hospital, Ibadan, from January 2006 to December 2010, were identified from the departmental patients’ attendance register. Socio-demographic and clinical information were obtained from the case notes and recorded in a self-designed data recording form. These data were then analysed using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation and percentage. The results showed that the cases of SP involved patients between the ages of 13-89 years with a mean age of 53.42±15.08 years. Patients in the age group of 60 years and above had the highest  prevalence (35.23%) of spinal pain. Cases with SP constituted 59.2% of all the cases managed; and more females (62.9%) were reported to have SP. Lumbar spondylosis was the mostly recorded diagnosis while there was no record of coccydynia during the study period. Outcome measures were underutilized with no record of reported outcome measures for the majority of the patients (51.44%). Physiotherapists discharge rate of SP was 9.14%.It can be concluded that SP is a common clinical condition managed in the physiotherapy department of this tertiary health institution, accounting for about 60% of new patients seen and managed at the orthopaedic unit.It is more common in females than males. Lumbar spondylosis was the most frequently reported diagnosis. Utilization of outcome measures and the discharge pattern of these patients by physiotherapists who managedthe patients were poor. This study revealed the need for improvement in clinical documentation of cases, usage of standardized outcome  assessment and the need for improvement in the clinical reasoning skills of physiotherapists.KEYWORDS: spinal pain, physiotherapy department, university college hospital, orthopaedic unit, interventio

Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (GEP-NETs) - approach to diagnosis and managment

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Seedling growth performance of Entandrophragma angolense (Welw.) C. DC as influenced by different light intensities

The study investigated the influence of light intensities on the early growth performance of Entandrophragma angolense as an important step towards its domestication. Seedlings of E. angolense were monitored under five light intensities namely: under tree canopy (5%), 25%, 50%, 75% light intensities and control treatment was direct sunlight (100% light intensity). The study was conducted in a Completely Randomized Design and for the period of 3 months. The different light intensities did not significantly affect the height, collar diameter, leaf production and biomass accumulation of E. angolense seedlings. Chlorophyll content of leaf was significantly affected by light intensities. The result from this study has shown that E. angolense seedlings can be easily raised in the nursery under different light intensities. The result revealed that height and other growth parameters as well as biomass accumulation do not depend on the amount of light intensities received. Chlorophyll content of leaves of the seedlings however depend on the amount of light intensities received.Keywords: Environmental factors, Propagation, Domestication, Biomass, Chlorophyll, light intensit

Vaginal cytology pattern and birth features of female Wistar rats treated with graded doses of ethanolic extract of spondias mombin

Twenty-five virgin female wistar rats weighing between 120g and 200g and divided into five groups of five rats per group were treated with graded oral dosages of ethanolic extract of Spondias mombin. Dosages served were 800mg/kg, 600mg/kg, 400mg/kg and 200mg/kg for groups A, B, C, D respectively and distilled water for group E which served as control. Five untreated proven male were used for copulation, one per group. Vaginal cytology was done daily for two weeks before treatment with extract to establish an oestrous cycle pattern repeated daily for another two weeks simultaneously with extract administration. Mating, pregnancy diagnosis and determination of birth parameters followed immediately after the endof extract treatment. Vaginal smears prior treatment and during treatment contained epithelial cells consistent with the different phases of estrus in the wistar rat and provided a cyclical pattern indicating that Spondias mombin had no negative effect on the estrous cycle of the wistar rat. Pregnancy and birth rates were favoured with groups A (800mg/kg) and E (control). Average litter sizes in all the groups were not significantly different . The average live birth weight of the neonates measured was observed to be highest for Group A with average live birth weight of 6.27g, followed by Groups B and the control with average live birth weight of 5.83g and 5.50g.The Groups C and D had lower average live birth weights of 4.01g and 4.74g respectively. The group A average weight was significantly high compared with other treatment groups and control (p<0.05). It was concluded that ethanolic extract of Spondia Mombin at 800mg/kg fedorally before copulation had no anti fertility effect on female wistar rat instead appeared to potentiate gestation parameters but same could not be said for dosages as low as 200mg/kg