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SUMMARY Over a two-year period, 44 patients had an eosinophil count above the 97th centile. Thirteen of these 44 had heart disease presenting within six months of the onset of symptoms. Microfilariasis was the most likely cause of the raised total eosinophil in these 13 patients. In all, the raised eosinophil count was returned to normal by the use of diethylcarbamazine (Banocide). Eleven of the 13 were followed up and eight of them (73%) developed clinical features of cardiac constriction and tricuspid regurgitation.

Introduction. Death from coronary artery disease (CAD) has been until recently considered rare in Nigeria. We present a report of a study of CAD with its predisposing cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors in South South Nigeria. Methods. We examined the autopsy reports of 747 coroner cases and 41 consecutive clinically diagnosed cases of ischemic heart disease seen in South South Nigeria. Results. CAD was diagnosed in 13 (1.6%) of 747 autopsies. They were predominantly males, urban residents, and of high social class with combination of CVD risk factors of hypertension, alcohol use, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, poor physical activities, and obesity. The mean serum cholesterol of the clinical subjects was 4.7 ± 1.57 mmol/L and 5.07 ± 1.94 mmol/L for angina and myocardial infarction, respectively, which was higher than the mean total cholesterol for locality of 3.1 mmol/L. Conclusion. CAD and its risk factors are contributing to mortality and morbidity in South South Nigeria. These risk factors include hypertension, alcohol use, diabetes mellitus, cigarette smoking, poor physical activity, and obesity. Nigerians in this locality with CAD have raised serum lipids.

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A detailed study of the coronary arteries of 111 consecutive necropsies at Ile-Ife, Nigeria is reported. Coronary occlusive disease occurred in eight (7.2%) subjects and involved less than 50% of luminal size in five, and greater than 50% of luminal size in three subjects. Previous medical history was available in four of eight subjects and all four had hypertension. All three subjects with greater than 50% luminal occlusion were hypertensive patients and professionals, one was additionally diabetic and a heavy smoker and serum cholesterol (available in one) was 250 mg/ml. The mean age of the subjects with moderate and severe disease was 54 (range 35 to 71) years. Thus coronary occlusive disease among Nigerians occurred in elderly, affluent and hypertensive patients exposed to Western diets and habits.

Urban Nigerian school children are reported to have a higher systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure than rural community school children until the age of 11-12 years when this difference tends to disappear. We evaluated 874 urban day-school children and 674 rural community school children aged 5-16 (mean 11.9) years in south-eastern Nigeria to confirm this changing pattern, and to assess the contributions of some known factors to the differences as well as the changing pattern. This study confirmed the changing pattern of urban/rural blood pressure of school children. Differences in weight, height and Body Mass Index (BMI), though important, appeared insufficient to explain this pressure difference and the changing pattern. Urban children aged 12-14 years were found to excrete more sodium and (unexpectedly) more potassium in their 24-h urine samples. The observed urban/rural blood pressure difference appears to be sustained by a multiplicity of factors, including differences in weight, BMI, height, electrolytes (especially sodium) consumption, and increased exposure to Western-type education.