Background: Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, a product of triglyceride and fasting plasma glucose, is a novel tool that can identify people with metabolic syndrome (MS). It is unknown if TyG index can identify MS among Nigerians. Methods: Cross-sectional health screening conducted between August and December 2018, among staff and students of Ekiti State University/Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, Ado-Ekiti. The analysis included 473 participants, aged ≥18 years. Anthropometric indices and blood pressure were measured by standard protocol. Fasting lipid profile and blood glucose were determined. TyG index and product of TyG and anthropometric indices were calculated, and MS defined according to the harmonized criteria. The diagnostic ability of TyG index and related parameters to identify people with MS was determined with the area under curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic curves. Stepwise logistic regression analyses were used to generate odd ratios (ORs) for prediction of MS. Results: The mean age of the participants was 39.2 (11.4) years and there were 173 (36.6%) men. In all participants, TyG-waist to height ratio (TyG-WHtR) shows the largest AUC for MS detection (0.863, 95% confidence interval, CI: 0.828–0.892) followed by TyG-waist circumference (TyG-WC) (0.858, 95% CI: 0.823–0.888), TyG-body mass index (TyG-BMI) (0.838, 95% CI: 0.802–0.870), TyG index (0.796, 95% CI: 0.757–0.831), WHtR (0.791, 95% CI: 0.752–0.827), and TyG-waist-to-hip ratio (TyG-WHpR) (0.771, 95% CI: 0.730–0.808) in that order. Gender analysis revealed that TyG-WC and TyG-WHtR have largest AUC in both genders. Before and after adjustment, TyG-WHtR (OR: 6.86, 95% CI: 3.94–11.93) and TyG index (OR: 5.91, 95% CI: 3.01–11.59) presented the highest OR in all participants, respectively. Conclusions: TyG index is effective in identifying MS in this cross-sectional study, and the product of TyG index and anthropometric indices improved identification and prediction of MS.

Introduction There has been an increase in the global prevalence of diabetic polyneuropathy and research evidence suggests that insulin resistance plays an important role in its development and prognosis. However, there seem to be a dearth of information in understanding the likely interplay between beta endorphin, insulin resistance and pain perception especially in the setting of painful diabetic neuropathy. Method This study recruited 120 volunteers divided into four groups (30 per group): group 1 healthy volunteer (control); group 2 DM type 2 without neuropathy (DM group); group 3 DM type 2 with painful neuropathy (DPN group); group 4 DM type 2 without painful neuropathy (DN). All subjects were evaluated for pain threshold and neuropathy using an ischemia-induced pain model and biothesiometer respectively. Their beta-endorphin, glycated hemoglobin, fasting plasma insulin, and HOMA values were determined and means compared using ANOVA. Result Serum beta-endorphin is significantly reduced in DN and DPN (∗p < 0.001) compared with the control and DM group. Also, DPN and DN patients have significantly increased insulin resistance compared to those without neuropathy (∗p < 0.001; ∗p < 0.0001 respectively). There is a significant positive correlation between the pain threshold and beta-endorphin in all the groups except DN group. The correlation between beta-endorphin and insulin resistance was negative and significant in control and DM groups only. Suggestive that the fact that insulin resistance plays an important role in diabetes polyneuropathy, does not alone explain the chronic pain perception noticed in the DPN patients. Conclusion The present study demonstrates that diabetic neuropathy patients have a poor endogenous opioid peptide system which is associated with increased pain perception and high insulin resistance. However, insulin resistance alone does not explain the chronic pain perception noticed in the DPN patients. Thus, further study is required.

Background: The heightened cardiovascular risk associated with metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been documented by several researchers. The Framingham risk score (FRS) provides a simple and efficient method for identifying individuals at cardiovascular risk. The objective was to describe the prevalence of MetS and its association with FRS in predicting cardiovascular disease among a cohort of semi-urban women; Method: Clinical and laboratory parameters were evaluated among 189 healthy women. The International Diabetes Federation definition was used to diagnose metabolic syndrome. FRS was calculated for each participant; Result: About two thirds of the participant make less than $US 90 per month. The mean systolic blood pressure was 131.80 ± 30. Eighty (42.3%) participants were overweight with a mean waist circumference of 91.64 ± 11.19 cm. MetS was present in 46 (24.3%). Individuals with MetS were more likely to have increased FRS, p = 0.012. One hundred and eighty seven (98.9%) were in the low risk category according to FRS. There was a significant difference in the mean FRS between participants with and without MetS (13.52 versus 10.29 p = 0.025); Conclusion: Prevalence of MetS in this study was comparable to the global rate, despite a low economic status. Individuals with MetS were more likely to have cardiovascular disease than persons without MetS, thus emphasizing the need for risk stratification and prompt management.

Objective: Neck circumference (NC) is a novel tool for diagnosing cardiometabolic disorders. We aimed to determine the NC cut-off for obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) prediction in Nigeria.Methods: The current study was based on data analysis of 557 staff and students of Ekiti State University/Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, who took part in a cross-sectional health screen­ing (August-December 2018). Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), WHpR (waist-to-hip ratio), WHtR (waist-to-height ratio), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) values were determined by standard protocol. Fasting glucose and lipid profile were assayed for, and MS was defined by the harmonized criteria. The predictive ability of NC to identify people with obesity and MS was determined with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.Results: In both men and women, NC had positive correlation (P<.001) with age, weight, BMI, WC, WHpR, WHtR, SBP and DBP. In men and women, the AUC of NC for all the anthropometric indices were sig­nificant (P<.0001). In men, the NC cut-off was 37cm for WHpR, 37.5cm for both BMI and WHtR, 38.3cm for WC, and 40.0cm for MS. In women, the NC cut-off for all the anthropometric indices (except WHpR) and MS was 33cm. In men, NC was as good as other obesity indices in predicting MS (P>.05 for differences in the AUC), but was inferior to BMI, WC and WHtR in women.Conclusion: NC correlates with indices of adiposity and can serve as an alternate index for obesity and MS detection in Nigerians Ethn Dis. 2021;31(4):501-508; doi:10.18865/ed.31.4.501

Background Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of mortality worldwide. Hence, awareness of cardiovascular risk factors is an essential step towards effective reduction of the disease burden. This study determined the knowledge and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among Staff of Ekiti State University. Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. Methods A cross-sectional study which comprised of 223 members of staff. Results There were 103 males (46.2%). Low knowledge of heart disease risk factors was found in 68.6% of the respondents. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, overweight, obesity, physical inactivity was 35.4%, 12.1%, 31.8%, 23.3%, and 83% respectively. Family history of hypertension was a predictor of a high level of knowledge. Conclusion A low level of knowledge and increasing prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors existed among staff of Ekiti State University, Nigeria. Hence, there should be a step-up of awareness campaigns and promotion of healthy lifestyle among this category of people.