Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Dietary modifications in the form of a vegetarian diet can perhaps be the key to the prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases. The aims of this review are to determine the association between a vegetarian diet and CHD, to compare the risk of CHD in different types of vegetarian diets, and to assess variability in the biochemical predictors of CHD in the various vegetarian diets. Our study inferred that adherence to a plantbased diet was inversely related to the incidence of heart failure risk. Our research further supports the idea that a vegetarian diet is advantageous for the secondary prevention of CHD since it alters lipid profiles, lowers body mass index (BMI), and increases plasma antioxidant micronutrient concentrations. Additionally, eating a plant-based diet starting in adolescence is linked to a decreased risk of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) by middle age. An increase in sensitization and education efforts is imperative to ensure that people are appropriately informed about this option to significantly improve their quality of life.

Background: The use of skin bleaching products is considered a common trend in dark-skinned women in West Africa, Surprisingly, only a few studies have been carried out on this subject in West Africa. The objectives of the study are to determine the prevalence, active component, complications, and mechanism of action of the key ingredients of skin bleaching products. Methods: This review article was conducted by searching PubMed (MEDLINE) and EMBASE using the search terms “ Use of skin bleaching products” and “West Africa” with a focus on articles from 2002 to 2022. Certain criteria were used to include or exclude articles from our study. Results: All articles reviewed revealed a rise in the prevalence of use of skin bleaching products ranging from 25% to 58.9% in women from Sub-Saharan Africa. The most common components found include hydroquinone, corticosteroids, mercury, and caustic agents. Some complications that result from the use of these products include skin atrophy, hyperpigmentation of skin around joints, Striae atrophicae, skin infection, and secondary adrenal insufficiency. Conclusion: The rise in the prevalence of the use of skin bleaching products in West African women has resulted in a corresponding rise in detrimental health conditions. Hence, Educating people concerning the harmful effects of the components of skin-lightening products should be employed and the government should put policies in place to reduce or legally prohibit the use of these products as the harm inarguably outweighs any perceived benefit.

A feared complication of ischemic cerebrovascular accident (CVA) is hemorrhagic transformation and it increases the length of hospital admissions, results in poor clinical outcomes and increases mortality. This study aims to identify risk factors of hemorrhagic transformation, discuss the pathogenesis of transformation and prognosis of the condition from original studies conducted within the past 10 years. PubMed and EMBASE are the major databases used. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria and are a mixture of retrospective and prospective studies. The sample size ranges from 32 to 1484 patients. Generally, the mechanism of hemorrhagic transformation identified involves the release of reactive oxygen species and metalloproteinase as a result of cerebral ischemia. Metalloproteinase further causes a breakdown of the extracellular matrix, thereby giving rise to the extravasation of cellular components. Some identified risk factors include: age, use of antithrombotic, the subtype of ischemic stroke, the severity of stroke and hypertension. Prognosis is linked to the type of hemorrhagic infarctions according to the European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study II (ECASS II) with patients with either hemorrhagic infarct type 2 (HI2) and parenchymal hematoma type 2 (PH2) having the worst functional outcome.