Solomon Ugoya - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Solomon Ugoya
Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association, Apr 1, 2011
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided t... more License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of major disability and death worldwide. Neural stem cells (NSCs) have recently been shown to contribute to the cellular remodelling that occurs following TBI and attention has been drawn to the area of neural stem cell as possible therapy for TBI. The NSCs may play an important role in the treatment of TBI by replacing the damaged cells and eventual remyelination. This paper summarized a critical assessment of recent data and developed a view comprising of six points to possible quality translation of NSCs in TBI. 1.
The International Journal of Artificial Organs, 2008
Background The attitude of healthcare workers (HCW) towards organ donation is cardinal to the suc... more Background The attitude of healthcare workers (HCW) towards organ donation is cardinal to the successful implementation and sustainability of transplant programs. We present the outcome of a survey among HCW in a single tertiary institution in Nigeria regarding their willingness to be living-related kidney donors. Methods Self-administered questionnaires were randomly distributed to HCW evaluating their attitude towards living-related kidney donation. Results Of the 650 questionnaires distributed only 502 responded (clinical medical students 51%, physicians 31.7% and nurses 17.3%); 75.6% of respondents were willing to be living donors while 5.8% were against it, and 18.5% were undecided. Multivariate analysis identified willingness to receive, perceived risk associated with kidney donation, and attitude towards cadaveric donation as independent predictors of willingness of HCW to be living donors. Conclusion Nigerian HCW have a positive attitude toward kidney donation.
Journal of the Nigeria Medical Association, Apr 13, 2011
Background: Physicians who have the task of caring for the sick also need to be cared for when th... more Background: Physicians who have the task of caring for the sick also need to be cared for when they take ill. Healthseeking habits of physicians have been found to be poor in most developed countries. Utilization of health services by physicians in developing countries is not known. We sought to describe the health seeking habits of physicians in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among physicians at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, a tertiary referral health facility in North-central Nigeria. A pre-tested questionnaire was administered to physicians to get information on their self-reported health seeking habits. Results: Self prescription was practiced by 98.6% of the physicians, with antimalarials being the most prescribed drugs (62.5%). Only 46.9% consulted another physician when they take ill, although 78.2% felt they needed a family physician. Many (23.8%) of respondents treated their family members when last sick. The major factors considered by the respondents in choosing the physician they consulted were the specialty of the physician consulted (42.2%); the physician being in the same unit with them (38.5%), and friendship (15.6%). Four (3.7%) of the respondents would not consider any particular factor for choosing a physician if they have to. Conclusion: This study showed that a large proportion of physicians self-medicate and a few have family physicians. Guidelines need to be instituted to regulate self-prescribing among physicians in Nigeria. The role of family physicians in primary care needs to be emphasized. Keywords : Family physicians, Health seeking behaviour, Self prescribing,
Journal of the National Medical Association, 2006
Studies of frequency of occurrence of diabetic neuropathy are few, and available studies were lim... more Studies of frequency of occurrence of diabetic neuropathy are few, and available studies were limited to the southern part of Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to determine the frequency of occurrence and grades of diabetes peripheral neuropathy using clinical measures. Consecutive patients with diabetes mellitus attending the Jos University Teaching Hospital were recruited as the study population, including 120 diabetics and 60 age-matched, nondiabetic controls. A standard proforma based on the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI) was employed to screen for diabetic neuropathy. The frequency of occurrence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy was 75%. For the specific types of peripheral neuropathy, sensorimotor neuropathy was the commonest (40.4%, chi(2)=29.1; p<0.001). There was no significant difference, with severity of peripheral neuropathy among diabetics, when compared by gender. (Chi square=3.03, P value=0.081). The frequency of occurrence of peripheral ne...
West African Journal of Medicine, 2008
European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2007
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder in the Western world. Its prevalence is yet t... more Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder in the Western world. Its prevalence is yet to be fully determined in the African setting. This was a cross-sectional study of patients attending three General Outpatient clinics in Jos, Nigeria. Four hundred and eighteen randomly selected patients were interviewed using a structured questionnaire based on the Rome II diagnostic criteria for IBS. Excluded from the study were patients with established organic disease, memory problems, and pregnant women. Eighteen patients were excluded based on these criteria and 400 were analysed using Epi Info 2000 (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) statistical computer software. One hundred and thirty-two (33%) out of the 400 patients fulfilled the criteria for the diagnosis of IBS, the female to male ratio being 1.13 : 1. IBS was significantly associated with increasing age (P = 0.03) and depression (P < 0.001). The prevalence of IBS is high among patients attending primary care in the African setting with depression being the likely reason for seeking care.
Annals of African Medicine, 2009
Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major cause of chronic kidney disease. Control of hyperten... more Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major cause of chronic kidney disease. Control of hypertension and the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and/or angiotensin II receptor blockers especially in those with proteinuria have been shown to protect against chronic kidney disease and delay its progression to kidney failure. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 169 patients at 12 months with a view of auditing the screening for chronic kidney disease and the use of renoprotective measures. Results: Urinalysis was done in 49.1% and serum creatinine in 50.3%. No patient had glomerular filtration rate estimated. Seventy nine (67.6%) of the hypertensive patients were on anti-hypertensives. ACEI was used in 49 (45.8%) of these patients BP control was optimal in 29.1%. Conclusion: There is poor adherence to guidelines on chronic kidney disease screening and renoprotection in T2D.
West African journal of medicine, 2015
BACKGROUND Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) dementia is an important complication in persons wi... more BACKGROUND Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) dementia is an important complication in persons with HIV/AIDS, manifesting as neurocognitive and functional impairments which are detectable on neuropsychological testing. OBJECTIVE To determine the profile of HIV/AIDS neurocognitive impairment and associated risk factors among adults with HIV infection in our center and determine its associative factors. METHODS A total of 87 HIV-seropositive patients, aged between 18- 59 years were studied. Eighty seven (87) age, sex and education-matched HIV-seronegative individuals were recruited as controls. Clinical assessments were done using standardized questionnaires developed by the AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG A5199). The study participants were screened for HIV associated dementia using the International HIV dementia scale (IHDS) and a 5-test neuropsychological battery. The scores of the neuropsychological parameters of the control subjects provided the normative data. The scores of the ...
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 2009
Background-Different workers have reported racial disparities in the distribution of risk factors... more Background-Different workers have reported racial disparities in the distribution of risk factors for stroke and stroke subtype (ischemic vs hemorrhagic). No transcultural transnational studies have been conducted to confirm and relate these disparities to one another. Our objective was to identify differences in the distribution of risk factors for stroke and stroke subtypes among urban-dwelling stroke patients in Nigeria, a developing country, and Germany, an industrialized country. Methods-Consecutive stroke patients in Ibadan (100) and Berlin (103) were studied. Their hospital records were screened to identify documented vascular risk factors and stroke subtype. Results-The stroke patients in Ibadan were younger than those in Berlin (t = 4.940, P = 0.000). Hypertension was significantly more common in Ibadan while cigarette smoking, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and cardiac factors were significantly more frequent in Berlin. Cerebral infarction was more common in Berlin (80%) than in Ibadan (63%). Conclusion-The risk factors associated with cerebral infarction were more frequent in Berlin. We suspect that racial disparity in risk factors for stroke may account for the difference in proportions of stroke subtype in black and white populations. Larger prospective community-based multinational multiracial studies are required to confirm these disparities and identify possible underlying genetic, dietary, and socioeconomic factors.
Parkinsonism caused by adverse drug reactions: a case series
Oxford Medical Case Reports
We describe a patient who presented to hospital during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pa... more We describe a patient who presented to hospital during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD). The case demonstrates the typical clinical, radiological and laboratory features of this condition. It also highlights some of the challenges associated with diagnosis and care of patients with rare diseases such as sCJD, and how these have been intensified by COVID-19.
Hungarian Medical Journal, Mar 13, 2015
BMI = body mass index; DPN = diabetic peripheral neuropathy; MNSI = Michigan Neuropathy Screening... more BMI = body mass index; DPN = diabetic peripheral neuropathy; MNSI = Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument; HDL = high density lipoproteins PN = peripheral neuropathy A positive association exists between peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy and obesity [1]. This would be expected because studies in otherwise normal, non-diabetic obese subjects
Journal of Chinese Clinical Medicine
Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 2010
Perinatal Outcome of Macrosomic Births in Port Harcourt Colposcopy and cytodiagnosis in the preve... more Perinatal Outcome of Macrosomic Births in Port Harcourt Colposcopy and cytodiagnosis in the prevention of cervical malignancies Serum C-Reactive Protein in Nigerians With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Benign Intermittent Gastric Outlet Obstruction in an Elderly: Endoscopic Management and Brief Review Potential utility of Itraconazole as a novel enhancer and accelerator of bone healing CONTENTS NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 2008
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common abdominal malignancy, representing ... more Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common abdominal malignancy, representing 80-90% of primary liver malignancies around the world. There is a disturbing trend of increased incidence of HCC around the world. We therefore, determined the trend of HCC in Jos. Methods: A ten-year retrospective review was done of all cases of HCC which diagnoses were histologically confirmed as recorded in the Cancer Registry of Jos University Teaching Hospital. The patients' clinical case notes (including surgical and radiological findings) were also reviewed. Results: A total of 71 cases of HCC (31.3% 0f 227 liver biopsies in the same period) were diagnosed within the 10-year period. There were 46 males and 25 females with a male/female ratio of 1.8:1. The age range of the patients was 23 years to 75 years, with a mean age of 45.4±13.1 years. Seventy two percent (72%) of them were between ages 21 years and 50 years. Only 28% were between 51 years and 80 years. The highest rate of 12(17.1%) was seen in the year 2004. Conclusion: The study showed that there was a high prevalence of HCC in Jos, and that HCC was more prevalent in the younger age group compared to what obtains in developed nations.
Journal of Medicine in the Tropics, 2011
ABSTRACT Introduction Cirrhosis of the liver is the histologic end point of varied chronic insult... more ABSTRACT Introduction Cirrhosis of the liver is the histologic end point of varied chronic insults resulting in necrosis of the cell followed by fibrosis and nodular regeneration with gross distortion in liver architecture [1]. These result in interference of blood flow and function. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis result in about 35,000 deaths each year in the United States. It is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States and is responsible for 1.2% of all US deaths [1]. In Nigeria, like other developing countries there is paucity of data regarding the prevalence and burden of liver cirrhosis. The liver plays a key role in several metabolic pathways. Cardinal among these is the metabolism of plasma lipids and lipoproteins [2]. Endogenous lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins are largely produced in the liver. More than 80% of endogenous cholesterol is synthesised in the hepatocellular microsomes, Abstract Background: Liver cirrhosis is a chronic inflammatory condition associated lipid abnormalities. There are no studies documenting lipid levels among patients with liver cirrhosis in northern Nigeria. Methodology: Seventy four consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis seen at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and 88 apparently healthy controls had lipid levels estimated in the fasting state. Results: The median serum triglyceride levels were similar in both patients and controls (2.6 mmol/L versus 2.6 mmol/L, ÷2 0.09, P=0.7). The median LDL were also similar being 2.3 mmol/L and 1.9 mmol/L respectively, ÷2 =2.75 p= 0.09. However, the median total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the controls compared to the 2
Hungarian Medical Journal, 2008
n 215 n Abbreviations ADL = activities of daily living; DM = diabetes mellitus; MMSE = Mini-Menta... more n 215 n Abbreviations ADL = activities of daily living; DM = diabetes mellitus; MMSE = Mini-Mental State Examination; OHA = oral hypoglycaemic agents Cognitive dysfunction is a common source of morbidity, usually observed in late stages of diabetes complications [1-2]. Dementia is one of the commonest and most disabling late life mental disorders. Its prevalence and incidence show little variation between countries and regions. In Nigeria, studies have shown that no fewer than 2.2% of the populations are diabetics [3]. Epidemiological studies of cognitive dysfunction in diabetes are relatively few or non-existent in Nigeria [4]. The obvious need for research on dementia in developing countries cannot be
Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association, Apr 1, 2011
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided t... more License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of major disability and death worldwide. Neural stem cells (NSCs) have recently been shown to contribute to the cellular remodelling that occurs following TBI and attention has been drawn to the area of neural stem cell as possible therapy for TBI. The NSCs may play an important role in the treatment of TBI by replacing the damaged cells and eventual remyelination. This paper summarized a critical assessment of recent data and developed a view comprising of six points to possible quality translation of NSCs in TBI. 1.
The International Journal of Artificial Organs, 2008
Background The attitude of healthcare workers (HCW) towards organ donation is cardinal to the suc... more Background The attitude of healthcare workers (HCW) towards organ donation is cardinal to the successful implementation and sustainability of transplant programs. We present the outcome of a survey among HCW in a single tertiary institution in Nigeria regarding their willingness to be living-related kidney donors. Methods Self-administered questionnaires were randomly distributed to HCW evaluating their attitude towards living-related kidney donation. Results Of the 650 questionnaires distributed only 502 responded (clinical medical students 51%, physicians 31.7% and nurses 17.3%); 75.6% of respondents were willing to be living donors while 5.8% were against it, and 18.5% were undecided. Multivariate analysis identified willingness to receive, perceived risk associated with kidney donation, and attitude towards cadaveric donation as independent predictors of willingness of HCW to be living donors. Conclusion Nigerian HCW have a positive attitude toward kidney donation.
Journal of the Nigeria Medical Association, Apr 13, 2011
Background: Physicians who have the task of caring for the sick also need to be cared for when th... more Background: Physicians who have the task of caring for the sick also need to be cared for when they take ill. Healthseeking habits of physicians have been found to be poor in most developed countries. Utilization of health services by physicians in developing countries is not known. We sought to describe the health seeking habits of physicians in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among physicians at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, a tertiary referral health facility in North-central Nigeria. A pre-tested questionnaire was administered to physicians to get information on their self-reported health seeking habits. Results: Self prescription was practiced by 98.6% of the physicians, with antimalarials being the most prescribed drugs (62.5%). Only 46.9% consulted another physician when they take ill, although 78.2% felt they needed a family physician. Many (23.8%) of respondents treated their family members when last sick. The major factors considered by the respondents in choosing the physician they consulted were the specialty of the physician consulted (42.2%); the physician being in the same unit with them (38.5%), and friendship (15.6%). Four (3.7%) of the respondents would not consider any particular factor for choosing a physician if they have to. Conclusion: This study showed that a large proportion of physicians self-medicate and a few have family physicians. Guidelines need to be instituted to regulate self-prescribing among physicians in Nigeria. The role of family physicians in primary care needs to be emphasized. Keywords : Family physicians, Health seeking behaviour, Self prescribing,
Journal of the National Medical Association, 2006
Studies of frequency of occurrence of diabetic neuropathy are few, and available studies were lim... more Studies of frequency of occurrence of diabetic neuropathy are few, and available studies were limited to the southern part of Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to determine the frequency of occurrence and grades of diabetes peripheral neuropathy using clinical measures. Consecutive patients with diabetes mellitus attending the Jos University Teaching Hospital were recruited as the study population, including 120 diabetics and 60 age-matched, nondiabetic controls. A standard proforma based on the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI) was employed to screen for diabetic neuropathy. The frequency of occurrence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy was 75%. For the specific types of peripheral neuropathy, sensorimotor neuropathy was the commonest (40.4%, chi(2)=29.1; p<0.001). There was no significant difference, with severity of peripheral neuropathy among diabetics, when compared by gender. (Chi square=3.03, P value=0.081). The frequency of occurrence of peripheral ne...
West African Journal of Medicine, 2008
European Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 2007
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder in the Western world. Its prevalence is yet t... more Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder in the Western world. Its prevalence is yet to be fully determined in the African setting. This was a cross-sectional study of patients attending three General Outpatient clinics in Jos, Nigeria. Four hundred and eighteen randomly selected patients were interviewed using a structured questionnaire based on the Rome II diagnostic criteria for IBS. Excluded from the study were patients with established organic disease, memory problems, and pregnant women. Eighteen patients were excluded based on these criteria and 400 were analysed using Epi Info 2000 (Atlanta, Georgia, USA) statistical computer software. One hundred and thirty-two (33%) out of the 400 patients fulfilled the criteria for the diagnosis of IBS, the female to male ratio being 1.13 : 1. IBS was significantly associated with increasing age (P = 0.03) and depression (P < 0.001). The prevalence of IBS is high among patients attending primary care in the African setting with depression being the likely reason for seeking care.
Annals of African Medicine, 2009
Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major cause of chronic kidney disease. Control of hyperten... more Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a major cause of chronic kidney disease. Control of hypertension and the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and/or angiotensin II receptor blockers especially in those with proteinuria have been shown to protect against chronic kidney disease and delay its progression to kidney failure. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 169 patients at 12 months with a view of auditing the screening for chronic kidney disease and the use of renoprotective measures. Results: Urinalysis was done in 49.1% and serum creatinine in 50.3%. No patient had glomerular filtration rate estimated. Seventy nine (67.6%) of the hypertensive patients were on anti-hypertensives. ACEI was used in 49 (45.8%) of these patients BP control was optimal in 29.1%. Conclusion: There is poor adherence to guidelines on chronic kidney disease screening and renoprotection in T2D.
West African journal of medicine, 2015
BACKGROUND Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) dementia is an important complication in persons wi... more BACKGROUND Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) dementia is an important complication in persons with HIV/AIDS, manifesting as neurocognitive and functional impairments which are detectable on neuropsychological testing. OBJECTIVE To determine the profile of HIV/AIDS neurocognitive impairment and associated risk factors among adults with HIV infection in our center and determine its associative factors. METHODS A total of 87 HIV-seropositive patients, aged between 18- 59 years were studied. Eighty seven (87) age, sex and education-matched HIV-seronegative individuals were recruited as controls. Clinical assessments were done using standardized questionnaires developed by the AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG A5199). The study participants were screened for HIV associated dementia using the International HIV dementia scale (IHDS) and a 5-test neuropsychological battery. The scores of the neuropsychological parameters of the control subjects provided the normative data. The scores of the ...
Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, 2009
Background-Different workers have reported racial disparities in the distribution of risk factors... more Background-Different workers have reported racial disparities in the distribution of risk factors for stroke and stroke subtype (ischemic vs hemorrhagic). No transcultural transnational studies have been conducted to confirm and relate these disparities to one another. Our objective was to identify differences in the distribution of risk factors for stroke and stroke subtypes among urban-dwelling stroke patients in Nigeria, a developing country, and Germany, an industrialized country. Methods-Consecutive stroke patients in Ibadan (100) and Berlin (103) were studied. Their hospital records were screened to identify documented vascular risk factors and stroke subtype. Results-The stroke patients in Ibadan were younger than those in Berlin (t = 4.940, P = 0.000). Hypertension was significantly more common in Ibadan while cigarette smoking, dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and cardiac factors were significantly more frequent in Berlin. Cerebral infarction was more common in Berlin (80%) than in Ibadan (63%). Conclusion-The risk factors associated with cerebral infarction were more frequent in Berlin. We suspect that racial disparity in risk factors for stroke may account for the difference in proportions of stroke subtype in black and white populations. Larger prospective community-based multinational multiracial studies are required to confirm these disparities and identify possible underlying genetic, dietary, and socioeconomic factors.
Parkinsonism caused by adverse drug reactions: a case series
Oxford Medical Case Reports
We describe a patient who presented to hospital during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pa... more We describe a patient who presented to hospital during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (sCJD). The case demonstrates the typical clinical, radiological and laboratory features of this condition. It also highlights some of the challenges associated with diagnosis and care of patients with rare diseases such as sCJD, and how these have been intensified by COVID-19.
Hungarian Medical Journal, Mar 13, 2015
BMI = body mass index; DPN = diabetic peripheral neuropathy; MNSI = Michigan Neuropathy Screening... more BMI = body mass index; DPN = diabetic peripheral neuropathy; MNSI = Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument; HDL = high density lipoproteins PN = peripheral neuropathy A positive association exists between peripheral neuropathy, autonomic neuropathy and obesity [1]. This would be expected because studies in otherwise normal, non-diabetic obese subjects
Journal of Chinese Clinical Medicine
Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 2010
Perinatal Outcome of Macrosomic Births in Port Harcourt Colposcopy and cytodiagnosis in the preve... more Perinatal Outcome of Macrosomic Births in Port Harcourt Colposcopy and cytodiagnosis in the prevention of cervical malignancies Serum C-Reactive Protein in Nigerians With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Benign Intermittent Gastric Outlet Obstruction in an Elderly: Endoscopic Management and Brief Review Potential utility of Itraconazole as a novel enhancer and accelerator of bone healing CONTENTS NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
Nigerian Journal of Medicine, 2008
Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common abdominal malignancy, representing ... more Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common abdominal malignancy, representing 80-90% of primary liver malignancies around the world. There is a disturbing trend of increased incidence of HCC around the world. We therefore, determined the trend of HCC in Jos. Methods: A ten-year retrospective review was done of all cases of HCC which diagnoses were histologically confirmed as recorded in the Cancer Registry of Jos University Teaching Hospital. The patients' clinical case notes (including surgical and radiological findings) were also reviewed. Results: A total of 71 cases of HCC (31.3% 0f 227 liver biopsies in the same period) were diagnosed within the 10-year period. There were 46 males and 25 females with a male/female ratio of 1.8:1. The age range of the patients was 23 years to 75 years, with a mean age of 45.4±13.1 years. Seventy two percent (72%) of them were between ages 21 years and 50 years. Only 28% were between 51 years and 80 years. The highest rate of 12(17.1%) was seen in the year 2004. Conclusion: The study showed that there was a high prevalence of HCC in Jos, and that HCC was more prevalent in the younger age group compared to what obtains in developed nations.
Journal of Medicine in the Tropics, 2011
ABSTRACT Introduction Cirrhosis of the liver is the histologic end point of varied chronic insult... more ABSTRACT Introduction Cirrhosis of the liver is the histologic end point of varied chronic insults resulting in necrosis of the cell followed by fibrosis and nodular regeneration with gross distortion in liver architecture [1]. These result in interference of blood flow and function. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis result in about 35,000 deaths each year in the United States. It is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States and is responsible for 1.2% of all US deaths [1]. In Nigeria, like other developing countries there is paucity of data regarding the prevalence and burden of liver cirrhosis. The liver plays a key role in several metabolic pathways. Cardinal among these is the metabolism of plasma lipids and lipoproteins [2]. Endogenous lipids, lipoproteins and apolipoproteins are largely produced in the liver. More than 80% of endogenous cholesterol is synthesised in the hepatocellular microsomes, Abstract Background: Liver cirrhosis is a chronic inflammatory condition associated lipid abnormalities. There are no studies documenting lipid levels among patients with liver cirrhosis in northern Nigeria. Methodology: Seventy four consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis seen at the Jos University Teaching Hospital and 88 apparently healthy controls had lipid levels estimated in the fasting state. Results: The median serum triglyceride levels were similar in both patients and controls (2.6 mmol/L versus 2.6 mmol/L, ÷2 0.09, P=0.7). The median LDL were also similar being 2.3 mmol/L and 1.9 mmol/L respectively, ÷2 =2.75 p= 0.09. However, the median total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels were significantly higher in the controls compared to the 2
Hungarian Medical Journal, 2008
n 215 n Abbreviations ADL = activities of daily living; DM = diabetes mellitus; MMSE = Mini-Menta... more n 215 n Abbreviations ADL = activities of daily living; DM = diabetes mellitus; MMSE = Mini-Mental State Examination; OHA = oral hypoglycaemic agents Cognitive dysfunction is a common source of morbidity, usually observed in late stages of diabetes complications [1-2]. Dementia is one of the commonest and most disabling late life mental disorders. Its prevalence and incidence show little variation between countries and regions. In Nigeria, studies have shown that no fewer than 2.2% of the populations are diabetics [3]. Epidemiological studies of cognitive dysfunction in diabetes are relatively few or non-existent in Nigeria [4]. The obvious need for research on dementia in developing countries cannot be