The present pattern shows that non-infectious skin diseases are predominant. Occurrences of eczemas and urticarias are increasing at similar rates, whereas infectious skin diseases are decreasing in frequency. Resources and research should be directed towards the prevention of non-infectious skin diseases at this time as the campaign for a cleaner environment continues.

Background: Iron deficiency (ID) often coexists with heart failure and has recently become a therapeutic option in its management. Multiple markers are often required to adequately estimate iron status. This study was aimed at describing the status of iron homeostasis among heart failure patients in Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study done at two tertiary centers in Nigeria. One hundred and forty patients with a diagnosis of heart failure were recruited into the study. Full blood count, total serum iron, total iron-binding capacity, and serum ferritin were measured. Anemia was defined by standardized criteria. Data analysis was done with SPSS 20.0. Results: The mean age of the study patients was 62.96 ± 16.34 years. Disordered iron homeostasis was common, often characterized by predominantly low total serum iron and low transferrin saturation in the presence of normal or high serum ferritin. ID was reported in 60.0% of all patients including 61.3% of anemic and 51.9% of nonanemic patients, P = not significant. High ferritin level was documented in fifty (35.7%) patients (36.8% anemic vs. 32.4% nonanemic patients, P = 0.40). Pulmonary hypertension was more frequent among anemic patients found in 45 patients (including 42.5% of anemic vs. 8.8% of nonanemic patients). ID was associated with poor functional status including ejection fraction, deranged renal function, and advanced disease. Conclusion: Functional ID is very common among heart failure patients in Nigeria irrespective of their anemia status. It is associated with poor functional status and may be a potential therapeutic strategy in Africans with heart failure.

The aim of this study is to estimate the frequency of undetected hypertension across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. We conducted an opportunistic screening of adults aged at least 18 years in the month of May 2019. Participants were recruited by trained volunteers using the May Measurement Month protocol. Blood pressure (BP) was measured using validated digital and mercury sphygmomanometers. We defined hypertension as BP ≥140/90 mmHg or the use of BP-lowering medication. A total of 3646 participants (52.8% females) with a mean age of 44.5 ± 15.7 years were screened. Hypertension was present in 39.2% of the participants but only 55. 4% of these were on antihypertensive medications. Only 46.8% hypertensives who were on medications had their BP controlled (<140/90 mmHg). Previous history of hypertension in pregnancy, alcohol intake and smoking were associated with increased mean systolic and diastolic BPs. The frequency of Nigerians with hypertension is high while only about half of those on antihypertensive medications are controlled. A multi-pronged approach to reduce the burden of hypertension is needed.