Background: Several studies have reported profound altered serum albumin level status among patients with COVID-19 disease. Hence, the current study aimed to evaluate the plasma albumin status levels and to establish the relationship between serum albumin level status and markers of hepato-biliary dysfunction and systemic inflammation among COVID-19 patients of African origin. Methods: This was a retrospective study of pre-treatment data obtained from patients with confirmed real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction COVID-19 disease in Eleme COVID-19 treatment center, Port Harcourt, Southern Nigeria. Data were obtained from each patients' case notes, medical review charts, nurses' vital signs/medication charts, laboratory records, and archived data from the electronic medical records using trained research assistants at the treatment center. The data extraction was done using validated data collection templates. Data analysis was done using standard protocols. Results: Among the 473 studied cases, 112 (23.7%) had normal plasma albumin status while 361 (76.3%) had low plasma albumin status. Among the low plasma albumin status subgroups, 57.6% and 42.4% had clinically insignificant and clinically significant low plasma albumin status levels, respectively. No difference was observed in the mean plasma levels/activities of all the markers of hepato-biliary dysfunctions between the subjects with normal and low albumin status levels and also between the clinically insignificant and clinically significant low plasma albumin status subgroups (p>0.05). However, a statistically significant difference was observed in the mean plasma levels of all the systemic inflammatory markers between the subjects with normal and low albumin status levels as well as between the clinically insignificant and clinically significant low plasma albumin status subgroups (p<0.05). Furthermore, no statistically significant relationship existed between the plasma albumin status levels and all the markers of hepato-biliary dysfunctions (p>0.05). However, significant inverse relationships existed between plasma albumin status levels and all the systemic inflammatory markers/indices (p<0.05). Conclusion: The present study indicates that low plasma albumin level status is common among COVID-19 patients and correlates significantly with systemic inflammation. Since COVID-19 is invariably associated with systemic inflammation, albumin may have therapeutic value in COVID-19 management. However, further studies are highly recommended.

Background: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and oxidative stress among type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients in Enugu metropolis. Materials and Methods: Two hundred and forty participants aged 40-80 years attending Diabetic Clinic,

Background: Low serum vitamin D is now implicated in many disease conditions among the elderly including cognitive impairment. Cognitive impairment is a common disease among elderly people causing much financial and social burden to the elderly, their families and caregivers. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the relationship between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration and cognitive function among elderly people in Enugu State, South-eastern Nigeria. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of subjects aged ≥ 60 years with cognitive impairment in communities and old People's home in Enugu State in Nigeria and age-and sex-matched controls. The subjects were further divided into those with severe cognitive impairment and those with mild cognitive impairment using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Serum 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were assayed by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay while serum calcium, inorganic phosphate, and albumin were determined using the spectrophotometric method. Student t-test was used to compare mean values obtained, while Pearson correlation was used to determine relationships between continuous data. A p-value<0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Result: One hundred and four (104) patients comprising of 58 males and 46 females were recruited for the current study. Among the study subjects compared to those of the controls, there were significantly decreased levels of serum 25(OH)D (p=0.0001) and the adjusted calcium (p=0.0001) concentrations but significantly increased level of serum PTH (p=0.0001) and inorganic phosphate (p=0.005) concentrations. Also, the mean values of serum 25(OH)D and adjusted calcium were significantly lower, serum PTH values were significantly higher while serum inorganic phosphate concentrations showed no significant difference for those with severe cognitive impairment when compared to values of those with mild cognitive impairment and controls. Additionally, there was also significant positive correlations between serum 25(OH)D and cognitive function (r=0.504, ρ<0.05). Conclusion:The study findings suggest that decreased serum Vitamin D concentration is associated with diminished cognitive function among the elderly and vice versa. Hence, the determination of Vitamin D status among elderly patients presenting with impairment of cognitive function is highly recommended. However, further studies are needed to validate findings from the present study.

Background: Vitamin D has been known to play an important role in musculoskeletal health. As a result, it is postulated that low vitamin D status is responsible for falls in the elderly due to the genomic role of the vitamin on Vitamin-Dreceptors (VDR) in muscle cells and its non-genomic role in calcium influx into muscles. Hence, the present study aimed to establish the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and fall events in the elderly to reduce morbidity. Methods: It was a prospective, case-controlled, and cross-sectional study of 89 patients aged ≥ 60 years that had experienced at least one fall in the previous 12 months in three rural communities of Enugu State and their 124 age-matched controls. Serum 25(OH)D was assayed by enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay and the number of falls was obtained from interviewer-administered questionnaires. Acquired data were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistical methods. Result: The mean serum 25(OH)D level of patients was significantly lower than that of controls (patients 24.6±7.2 ng/mL versus controls 56.0±9.2 ng/mL; p=0.0001), and showed a significant negative correlation with the number of falls in the elderly (r=-0.347, p=0.002). Nevertheless, no significant difference in serum 25(OH)D levels of male and female patients and control groups was observed (p>0.05). There was a statistically increasing number of falls with increasing age and decreasing serum 25(OH)D levels (p=0.0001) among the patients. Conclusion: It can be concluded from this study that serum 25(OH)D level is inversely related to the number of falls experienced by the elderly irrespective of gender.