Kolawole S. Oritogun

Physical activity among type‑2 diabetic adult Nigerians

BACKGROUND Regular participation in physical activity (PA) programs is a key concept included in current public health guidelines. Therefore, this study was aimed to determine PA level among adult with type 2 diabetes. METHODS A cross-section of 122 participants selected consecutively were categorized as physically inactive or active using International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Data was assessed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS About 31% of the respondents were physically inactive. Residential areas were significantly associated with PA. A high proportion of those who lived in the metropolitan area were physically inactive. Less likely to be physically inactive were married (odds ratios [OR] =0.29, confidence interval [CI] =0.09-0.93) and living in an urban area (OR = 0.19, CI = 0.40-0.87). The degree holders are least physically inactive while the primary school leavers are highest. The median energy expenditure for walking, moderate and vigorous PA was 280.5, 80 and 0 MET-min/week respectively. The sedentary behavior of the respondents was 288 min/day, behavior which increases with age. CONCLUSION This study suggests that the prevalence of physical inactivity was high among type 2 diabetics and their sedentary behavior is over 4 h/day. This group of people should be encouraged to participate regularly in PA.

Prevalence and impact of disability and sexual dysfunction on Health-Related Quality of Life of Nigerian stroke survivors

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the impact of disability and sexual dysfunction on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) among Nigerian stroke survivors (SSv) and to determine their association using sexual functioning (SF), Global Disability Measure and Function (GDMF), and demographic profiles. Methods: This study involved 121 consecutive SSv attending healthcare services in two tertiary health facilities in Nigeria. Demographic details were obtained through interview while HRQoL, SF, and Global Disability (GD) were assessed using Stroke-Specific Quality of Life (SS-QoL-12), Changes in Sexual Functioning Questionnaire (CSFQ-14), and World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS-2.0), respectively. Determinants of HRQoL were explored using the Poisson regression analysis. Results: Most of the SSv had moderate/severe GD (95%) and low SF (86.8%). Their HRQoL decreased with increase in their age (p = 0.005) and with increase in GD (p = 0.001). This association remained unchanged even when adjusted for SF (p = 0.001). Those with low SF but with mild GD had relatively better HRQoL than those with moderate/severe GD even when they had higher SF. Their HRQoL was negatively impacted by their GD but not by their SF despite direct correlation between SF and HRQoL. With a unit increase in level of GD, there was 8% decrease in HRQoL scores in psychosocial and 17% decrease in physical domains. Conclusion: Although sexual dysfunction and global disability are prevalent among Nigerian SSv, their low HRQoL is determined by their disability and not by SF. Hence, effort at reducing global disability should be the focus of rehabilitation after stroke. Implication for Rehabilitation Global functional and sexual deficiencies abound in stroke survivors and they impact negatively on their overall quality of life. Sexual dysfunction correlates negatively on physical and psychosocial wellbeing of stroke survivors. Rehabilitation goal(s) should focus disability reduction and improvement of sexual functioning to enhance quality of life. Rehabilitation professionals should equip themselves with tools to counsel stroke survivors on sex issue since sexual dysfunction is common post stroke.

Pharmacologic inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system did not attenuate hepatic toxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride in rats.

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) subserves vital physiological functions and also implicated in certain pathological states. Modulation of this system has been proposed in recent studies to be a promising strategy in treating liver fibrosis. We investigated the effect of the pharmacologic inhibition of RAS with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker in CCl4-induced liver injury with a view to ascertaining the chemopreventive benefit. Fifty-six Wistar albino rats were divided into eight experimental groups of seven rats/group. Groups 1–4 received normal saline (10 ml/kg), enalapril (0.6 mg/kg), losartan (1.4 mg/kg) and CCl4 (80 mg/kg), respectively. Groups 5–8 were pretreated with enalapril (0.3 mg/kg), enalapril (0.6 mg/kg), losartan (0.7 mg/kg) and losartan (1.4 mg/kg) 1 hour before CCl4 administration. Experiment lasted 11 days and dosing was via oral route. Rats were killed 24 hours after the last treatment. Serum activities of alkaline phosphatase, aspartate and alanine aminotransferases increased significantly (p < 0.05) by 46.0%, 90.6% and 122.3%, respectively, with severe hepatic centrilobular necrosis, fatty infiltration and increase in liver weight (p < 0.05) in the CCl4-treated rats. Enalapril (0.6 mg/kg) and losartan (1.4 mg/kg) significantly (p < 0.05) increased aspartate aminotransferase activity by 37.0% and 94.7% and produced mild centrilobular and periportal hepatic necrosis, respectively, with enalapril significantly (p < 0.05) increasing liver weight. Serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, albumin and total protein did not change significantly in these rats. Also, glutathione, malondialdehyde and uric acid levels were not significantly altered. Enalapril and losartan failed to attenuate liver injury associated with CCl4 treatment. Although both drugs did not significantly alter serum biochemistry in the CCl4-treated rats, they however produced slight elevations in biomarkers of liver function and appear to worsen liver histopathology. Overall, the chemopreventive benefits of RAS inhibitors in liver disease remain doubtful and should be used with caution during hepatic dysfunction.