Urban slum dwellers are not only prone to develop communicable diseases but also to non-communicable disease (NCDs). The extent and magnitude of NCDs among slum dwellers is largely unknown in Nigeria. A total of 964 adults aged 20-81 years (male 330 and female 634) residing in the urban slum of Ajegunle in Lagos State, Nigeria were studied to determine the prevalence of hypertension and associated factors. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 38.2 %. Of the 368 respondents identified as having hypertension, only 50 (5.2 %) respondents were previously aware of their diagnosis. Of the 50 known hypertensive patients, 48(96 %) had poor control of their high blood pressure. The socio-demographic factors significantly associated with hypertension status were age, sex, education, religion, BMI, and marital status. The study concludes a high prevalence of hypertension among urban slums dwellers in Lagos. The need for government to develop policies for the control of hypertension, improve access to early diagnosis and provide an enabling socioeconomic environment while promoting healthy living.
SummaryBackgroundThe availability of numerous hypertension guidelines seems not to have impacted significantly on the burden of hypertension. We evaluated awareness of hypertension guidelines among primary-care physicians (PCPs) in Nigeria and its relationship to hypertension diagnosis and work up.MethodsAnonymous self-administered questionnaires were filled in by PCPs categorised into two groups: hypertension guideline aware (GA) and unaware (GU).ResultsThe 403 participating PCPs had a mean age and experience of 40 ± 11.34 and 14 ± 11.10 years, respectively, with 46.7% (n = 188) of them being GA. Out of the 19 questions assessed, GA and GU PCPs performed better in seven and two questions, respectively, while the two subgroups had a similar performance in 10 questions. The performance of the PCPs in government and private practice was similar.ConclusionsThere is a gap between guideline recommendations and hypertension care in Nigeria that is further widened by PCPs’ unawareness of the guidelines. Popularising hypertension guidelines among PCPs may significantly improve hypertension care and reduce the burden of disease.
Providing maintenance hemodialysis is associated with high costs and poor outcomes. In Nigeria, more than 90% of the population lives below the poverty line, and patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) pay out-of-pocket for maintenance hemodialysis. To highlight the challenges of providing maintenance hemodialysis for patients with ESRD in Nigeria, we reviewed records of all patients who joined the maintenance hemodialysis program of our dialysis unit over a 21-month period. Information regarding frequency of hemodialysis, types of vascular access for dialysis, mode of anemia treatment and frequency of blood transfusion received were retrieved. One hundred and twenty patients joined the maintenance hemodialysis program of our unit during the period under review. Seventy-two (60%) were males and the mean age of the study population was 47 + 14 years. The mean hemoglobin concentration at commencement of dialysis was 7.3 g/dL + 1.6 g/dL. The initial vascular access was femoral vein cannulation in all the patients. A total of 73.5% of the patients required blood transfusion at some point with 33% receiving five or more pints of blood. Only 3.3% of the patients had thrice weekly dialysis, 21.7% dialyzed twice weekly, 23.3% once weekly, 16.7% once in two weeks, 2.5% once in three weeks and 11.7% once monthly. At the time of review, 8.3% of the patients had died while 38.3% were lost to follow-up. Majority of patients with ESRD on maintenance hemodialysis in our unit were poorly prepared for dialysis, were under-dialyzed, and were frequently transfused with blood with resultant poor outcomes.
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