Hadiza Saidu

Prevalence, clinical characteristics and outcome of pulmonary hypertension among admitted heart failure patients.

BACKGROUND There is paucity of data in Africa on the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PHT) and its impact on morbidity and short-term mortality in heart failure (HF) patients. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of PHT, its clinical characteristics and in-hospital mortality among HF patients admitted to a referral hospital in Nigeria. METHODS The study was carried out on serially-admitted HF patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria, in a Nigerian tertiary health center. PHT was defined as the presence of mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) of ≥25 mmHg, assessed using Doppler echocardiography and Chemla formula. RESULTS A total of 80 admitted HF patients were studied serially. 53 of them (66.25%) had PHT while the remaining 27 (33.75%) had normal mPAP. mPAP was 38.31 ± 12.23 mmHg and 16.39 ± 5.48 mmHg (P < 0.001) for subjects with and without PHT, respectively. The most common cause of HF was hypertensive heart disease (HHD) (28 patients; 35%). Subjects with PHT had relatively lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) (P = 0.044), and larger left atrium (P = 0.036) and left ventricle (LV) at both end-diastole and end-systole (P = 0.036 and P = 0.008, respectively), and a trend toward lower LV ejection fraction (LVEF) (P = 0.053). There was no relationship between mPAP and N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide (P > 0.05). A total of 12 HF patients (15.0%) died, out of whom 8 (66.7%) had PHT. Cardiogenic shock (P = 0.044) and trans-mitral flow velocities ratio (P = 0.023) were the independent determinants of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSION PHT was common among the admitted HF patients, and was associated with worse morbidity indices, and a trend toward higher mortality. We recommend that HF patients be screened for PHT, and its presence should be taken into consideration in the management and prognostication of affected patients.

Right ventricular dysfunction in a hypertensive population stratified by patterns of left ventricular geometry.

Introduction The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, determinants and correlates of right ventricular (RV) systolic and diastolic dysfunction (RVSD and RVDD, respectively) in hypertensives, stratified by left ventricular (LV) geometric patterns. Methods The study was carried out in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano, Nigeria, and was cross-sectional in design. Hypertensive subjects referred for echocardiography were consecutively recruited after satisfying the inclusion criteria. RVSD was defined as either tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) of < 16 mm, or peak velocity of the systolic wave (Sm) in tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) of the RV lateral tricuspid annulus of < 10 cm/s, or both. RVDD was defined as the ratio of < 1.0 of the peak velocities of the early (Em) to late (Am) diastolic waves in the TDI of the RV lateral tricuspid annulus. Subjects with normal LV geometry (NG) served as controls, and were compared with those who had eccentric (EH) or concentric (CH) LV hypertrophy or concentric LV remodelling. Results A total of 128 subjects were recruited. Overall, the prevalence of RVDD almost doubled that of RVSD in the studied subjects (61.72 vs 32.03%, respectively). Subjects with EH had the highest prevalence of RVSD (52.63%), while those with CH had the lowest prevalence (20.69%) (p < 0.01). By contrast, the prevalence of RVDD was high across the four groups without significant statistical difference; as high as 68.52% in subjects with NG and as low as 42.86% in those with CR. LVEF was the only independent determinant of RVSD after controlling for confounding variables, while age was the only determinant of RVDD. Likewise, age was the only correlate for Em:Am ratio, while the best correlate for both TAPSE and Sm was LVEF. Conclusion The study has revealed that about two-thirds of the hypertensives had RVDD while about one-third had RVSD. Subjects with EH had the highest prevalence of RVSD, while RVDD was common across all the groups. LVEF and age were the only independent determinants of RVSD and RVDD, respectively.

Plasma lipid profile in Nigerians with high - normal blood pressure

BackgroundHigh blood pressure levels have been associated with elevated atherogenic blood lipid fraction, but epidemiological surveys often give inconsistent results across population sub-groups. To determine the extent to which there are differences in lipid profile based on blood pressure levels, we assessed lipid profile of subjects with high-normal blood pressure and compared with those of hypertensives and optimally normal blood pressure.MethodsThe study was a cross–sectional comparative study conducted at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. Fasting lipid levels were examined among randomly selected patients with optimally normal blood pressure (group 1), high – normal blood pressure (group 2) and those with hypertension (group 3). Optimal blood pressure was defined as systolic blood pressure (SBP) of < 120 mmHg/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of < 80 mmHg; and high- normal blood pressure as SBP of 130 – 139 mmHg and/or DBP of 85 – 89 mmHg.ResultsA total of 300 subjects were studied, 100 in each group. The mean age of subjects in group 1 was 27.32 ± 8.20 years and 60% were female, while that of group 2 was 34.04 ± 6.25 years, and 53% were female, and that for group 3 was 52.81 ± 13.3 years and 56% were female. The mean total cholesterol (TC) for subjects in group1 (3.96 ± 0.40 mmol/L) was significantly lower than levels in group2 (4.55 ± 1.01 mmol/L); P = <0.001. Subjects in group 3 (5.20 ± 1.88 mmol/L), however had statistically significant higher mean TC when compared with group 2; (P = 0.03). The difference between the groups for low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and triglycerides (TG) followed the same pattern as that of TC, with statistically significant increasing trend across the blood pressure categories. Levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were however similar across the three groups (group 2 versus group 1; P = 0.49, group 2 versus group 3; P = 0.9). Increased TC (>5.2 mmol/L) was absent in group1, but found among 11% of group2 subjects and 40% of those in group 3 (P-value for trend <0.001). Mean fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was 3.8 ± 0.4 mmol/L, 4.7 ± 1.1 mmol/L, 5.1 ± 1.9 mmol/L and for subjects in groups 1, 2 and 3 respectively (p > 0.05 for groups 2 Vs 1 and p <0.001 for groups 2 Vs 3). The differences in mean body mass index (BMI) between the groups followed a similar trend as that of FPG. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that FPG, TG and BMI were the strongest predictors of prehypertension [odds ratio (OR) 10.14, 95% CI (confidence interval) 3.63 – 28.33, P = 0.000; OR 5.75, 95% CI 2.20 – 15.05, P = 0.000; and OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.57 – 2.62, P = 0.000 respectively].ConclusionThe study has shown a significant increase in plasma TC, LDL-C and TG values as blood pressure levels increased from optimally normal, across high-normal to hypertensive levels. There was a similar trend for FPG and BMI, demonstrating the central role that blood pressure plays in these metabolic disorders in Nigerians. These findings are relevant in terms of both prevention and treatment of cardiovascular morbidities and mortality.

Prevalence and Characteristics of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy among Women with Cadiac Failure Referred for Echocardiography in a Tertiary Hospital in Northern Nigeria

Introduction: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a common clinical condition in northern Nigeria. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and characteristics of PPCM among women with heart failure referred for echocardiography. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study of 401 women managed for heart failure referred for echocardiography between October 2016 and September 2017. Their reports were analyzed for demographic and echocardiographic parameters. Results: The mean age of the 401 individuals studied was 41.28 ± 16.25 years. The commonest cause of heart failure was PPCM, accounting for 256 (69.5%), followed by hypertension 79 (19.7%) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) 24 (5.9%). Conclusion: PPCM is a common and important cause of heart failure among women in Northern Nigeria.

Lower than expected elevated tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity in adults with sickle cell disease in Nigeria

Background Cardiopulmonary disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in persons with sickle cell disease (SCD). Tricuspid regurgitant jet velocity (TRJV) and predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1%) predicted are independently associated with death in SCD. The goal of this study was to determine the prevalence of elevated TRJV and the association, if any, between TRJV and FEV1% predicted among persons with sickle cell anaemia (SCA) in Nigeria. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, we enrolled 100 adult Nigerians (≥15 y) with SCA. We screened participants using Doppler echocardiogram to determine their TRJV and assessed their lung function with spirometry. Results The prevalence of elevated TRJV was 6%, with 74% of participants having low FEV1% predicted (<70%). TRJV was negatively correlated with FEV1%, but this finding was not statistically significant (Spearmans ρ=-0.0263, p=0.8058). Conclusions We found a low prevalence of elevated TRJV and a trend in association between TRJV and FEV1% predicted in Nigerian adults with SCA. Our findings underscore the need to explore further the relationship between SCD and cardiopulmonary disease in adults.

Cardiovascular disease risk factors among subjects with high-normal blood pressure in a Nigerian tertiary health institution

Background: There is a paucity of data on the relationship between high-normal blood pressure (BP) and cardiovascular events in Sub-Saharan African countries including Nigeria. This study, therefore, primarily aimed to assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among subjects with high-normal BP in comparison with hypertensives and subjects with optimal BP. Materials and Methods: The study was cross-sectional, and comparative conducted at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano on eligible subjects aged 18 years and above. Three groups of randomly selected subjects (high-normal, hypertensives and optimal BP) each 100 in number were studied. High-normal BP was defined as systolic BP of 130–139 mmHg and/diastolic BP 85–89 mmHg. CVD risk factors including increased age, male gender, increased body weight, history of excess alcohol intake, cigarette smoking, sedentary lifestyle, family history of premature CVD, hypertension and diabetes mellitus (DM) were assessed and compared between the groups. Results: The most prevalent CVD risk factor was increased body weight found among 58% of subjects with high-normal BP, 63% of hypertensives and 16% of subjects with optimal BP. The study found a significant progressive increase in age, body weight, DM, dyslipidemia and sedentary lifestyle as BP increased across the groups (P < 0.05 for each variable). Conclusions: Subjects with high-normal BP had significantly higher CVD risk factors than those with optimal BP but significantly lower than for hypertensives. Age, body mass index and FBG were independent predictors of high-normal BP.

Echocardiographic pattern of heart diseases in a North - Western Nigerian tertiary health institution

Background: Transthoracic Echocardiography is an important non-invasive technique which provides information about cardiac structure and function, thus useful in the evaluation and management of cardiac diseases. Previous studies on echocardiography findings in our environment documented Hypertensive heart disease, Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Rheumatic Heart Disease as the commonest findings in patients with cardiac diseases. This study aimed to provide an update on the common echocardiography findings in this part of the country since previous studies were done over a decade ago. Materials and Methods: We reviewed echocardiographic reports of 1012 consecutive patients aged ≥15 years from September 2011 to August 2014 (3 years). The reports were reviewed for demographic parameters, indications for the procedure and main echocardiography diagnoses. Results: The mean age of the 1,012 individuals studied was 41.28 ± 16.25 years. There were 330 males and 682 females. The commonest clinical indication for echocardiography was Systemic hypertension/Hypertensive heart disease (41%) followed by Peripartum cardiomyopathy (20%) and Congestive cardiac failure (12%) of unknown cause. The most prevalent echocardiographic diagnoses was Hypertensive heart disease seen in 40.3%, followed by Peripartum cardiomyopathy (32%), Dilated cardiomyopathy (5.9%), and Rheumatic heart disease 4.6%. Normal echocardiographic findings were seen in 14.9% of the subjects. Conclusion: Hypertensive heart disease remains the most common echocardiographic indication and diagnosis. Peripartum cardiomyopathy was frequent in our centre and this may be related to the increased availability and accessibility to echocardiographic facility as well as the low socioeconomic status of the category of patients that attend the centre.