Background:Hypertension in developing setting is often attributed to westernization of life style and stresses of urbanization, some of these increases have been noted in Nigeria.Aim:This is a study on rural-urban differences on the blood pressure, obesity and anthropometrics among a major ethnic group in Nigeria.Patients and Method:A total of 325 men and 242 women aged 20 to 80 years, of the Igbo ethnicity were selected for this study. The samples were selected from the rural and urban subgroups of the Igbo population. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist- hip ratio, waist-height ratio, waist circumference, triceps, subscapular, calf and sum of the three skin fold thicknesses and other anthropometric measurements were obtained using standard procedures.Result:Blood pressure correlated with age and most of the anthropometric parameters (p< 0.05 ). All adiposity and blood pressure indicators were higher in the urban than in the rural sample. Women showed higher predisposition to both general and abdominal obesities in both samples. High blood pressure occurred more often in the urban sample than the rural. Urban men had the highest mean blood pressure (p< 0.05). High blood pressure appeared much connected with the pressures of city life. Regression formulae were derived for all the adiposity measures of Igbos in both rural and urban locations.Conclusion:High rates of obesity and hypertension are noted among Igbos in both rural and urban areas. This is especially in the urban setting. The finding is indicative of a low level of attention on hypertension and obesity in the Igbos. The data reported here call for intervention programs on the risks, preventions and management of obesity and obesity related conditions.

Background:The evaluation of degree of ventricular enlargement should be based on established indices rather than on personal experience as this is highly subjective. Our aim was to establish normal values for Evans index in a Nigerian adult population as none has been found in the Nigerian medical literature.Materials and Methods:Axial computerized tomographic brain scans of 488 normal subjects were reviewed retrospectively. Of them, 319 (65.36%) of the patients were males and 169 (34.63%) were females; their ages ranged from 18 to 84 years with a mean age of 37.26 years. The images were acquired using a multi-slice GE Sigma excite scanner. Evans index was measured as the linear ratio of the total width of the frontal horns of the cerebral lateral ventricles to the maximum intracranial diameter.Results:The mean value for Evans index for the studied population was 0.252 ± 0.04. The EI increased with age and it was slightly higher among males. The difference in Evans value in males and females was not statistically significant. Individuals above 60 years old had the highest Evans values in both sexes.Conclusion:This study has established ranges of normal value for Evans index in a Nigerian population. It agrees with the diagnostic cut-off value of > 0.3 for hydrocephalus and it compares well with that of the Caucasians.

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Congenital anomalies are abnormalities of prenatal origin, and their prevalence varies worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and spectrum of overt congenital anomalies in live born neonates in selected hospitals in the Kano metropolis of North western Nigeria, as well as the associated maternal, paternal and neonatal risk factors. A descriptive study design was employed. All live born neonates in three major hospitals in Kano metropolis were prospectively studied from April 2013 to December 2013. Detailed family history and clinical data were recorded in a structured questionnaire for each child. A total of 1456 live born neonates were recruited into the study, of which 41 (28.15 per 1000 live births) had overt congenital malformations with 5 (12.20%) having multiple system involvement and 36 (87.80%) having a single system affectation. The most common system involved in neonates with isolated single system malformations were the central nervous system (10 cases) and the genitourinary system (10 cases). The consanguinity rate in the study was 17.83%. Birth weight of the neonates had a significant but negative association with the likelihood of being born with a congenital malformation [OR = 0.374; (95% CI 0.196-0.711) P = 0.003]. Given the high frequency of potentially preventable central nervous system malformations in this study, emphasis on the primary prevention of congenital malformations by encouraging periconceptional use of folic acid containing multivitamin supplements is recommended.

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