Introduction Hypertension (HTN) in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common problem that increases the risk of mortality and morbidity, and lowers the quality of life. Despite the disproportionately high burden of HTN in DM patients, determinants for the comorbidity have not been sufficiently explored. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the determinants of HTN among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus on follow-up at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. Methods and materials We conducted a hospital-based unmatched case-control study at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital on 386 randomly selected patients with type 2 diabetes on follow-up (200 cases and 186 controls). We collected data by using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and data extraction form. To identify determinants of hypertension, a multivariable binary logistic regression was fitted, and the findings are presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results The mean reported age (±SD) of the cases and the controls was 60.3 (±9.9) and 55.3 (±11.3) years, respectively. The eight identified independent determinants of hypertension with AOR [95% CI] were obesity: 2.82 [1.43, 5.57], sedentary activity of ≥4hrs/day: 1.75 [1.10, 2.79], higher stress score: 1.05 [1.01, 1.10], serum creatinine above 1.1 mg/dl: 2.35 [1.13, 4.91], age: 1.05 [1.02, 1.08], being government employee as compared to private workers: 2.18 [1.06, 4.50] and family history of hypertension: 2.11 [1.26, 3.54]. Further, interaction of diabetes duration with insulin use: 1.03 [1.01, 1.07] was also a significant predictor of HTN among DM patients. Conclusion The finding calls for interventions for mitigating these determinants. Further research is needed to examine the interaction between diabetes duration and insulin use.

A cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2013 to determine the prevalence of fasciolosis in cattle and sheep in areas adjacent to the upper Awash River basin, South Western Shoa, Ethiopia. A total of 399 (308 bovine and 91 ovine) faecal samples were collected from Illu and Sebeta Hawas districts and microscopically examined using sedimentation techniques. Eggs of Fasciola species were identified based on their characteristic morphology and colour. Besides, a gross pathological examination was conducted on a total of 237 livers of slaughtered animals at Sebeta municipal abattoir to identify Fasciola species and assess the extent of infection. Coprological examinations revealed that, significantly higher prevalence (48.4%) in sheep than in cattle (36.7%). Similarly, a prevalence rate recorded in Illu district (45.6%) was significantly higher than that of Sebeta Hawas district (34.7%). Out of a total of 237 livers examined, 38.4% (91) were infected by one or more Fasciola species. The majority (54.9%) of the infection was caused by F. hepatica followed by F. gigantica (28.6%) and mixed species (16.5%). This study showed that, fasciolosis is exerting a significant impact on livestock production and productivity in the study areas. Therefore, proper control scheme should be designed and implemented in areas adjacent to the upper Awash River basin to minimize the burden of fasciolosis.

BACKGROUND: Stroke is the leading cause of neurological disability and the second commonest cause of death globally. Despite the fact that renal dysfunction is a common comorbidity of stroke, there is no data on the prevalence of renal dysfunction among patients with acute stroke in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to determine the magnitude of renal dysfunction, factors associated with renal dysfunction and risk of in-hospital mortality. METHODS: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College among consecutive 192 patients, who were admitted with acute stroke from September 2020 to September 2021. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire after pilot survey was done. A Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was fitted to identify determinants of renal function abnormalities. Renal dysfunction was defined as serum creatinine >1.2mg/dl. RESULT: The mean age (SD) of study participants was 62.2 (15.9) years. Hundred-one (52.6%) participants were males. Thirty-four (17.7%) of the participants had renal dysfunction. Among patients with renal dysfunction, more than half of them were ≥70 years old and two-thirds were males. Male gender and hypertension increased the risk of renal dysfunction among hospitalized stroke patients. The mortality rate was higher in stroke patients with renal dysfunction (35.3%) as compared with patients having normal renal function (15.2%), but it was not a statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Renal dysfunction was a frequent comorbidity among acute stroke patients who were hospitalized. Male gender and hypertension were statistically significant predictors of renal dysfunction. Mortality rate was higher in stroke patients with renal dysfunction, but not a statistically significant predictor of post stroke in-hospital mortality.

BACKGROUND: A comprehensive cardiovascular risk control reduces diabetes-associated complications but achieving the triplet goals (blood glucose, blood pressure (BP), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C)) remains a clinical challenge. Patients’ knowledge of these diabetes therapeutic goals has been shown to improve glycemic control. However, this is not well studied in Ethiopia.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2020 in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital among randomly selected 419 patients with type 2 diabetes. Data was collected using a pretested, structured questionnaire. A multivariable binary logistic regression was fitted to identify determinants of knowledge.RESULTS: The mean age (±SD) of study participants was 57.4 (±10.8) years and the median duration (IQR) of diabetes was 12 (7, 20) years. A quarter of them achieved fasting glycemic control, a fifth of them attained the A1c goal and only 3% achieved the  triple targets. Patients who reported knowing their target goals for BP, fasting blood sugar (FBS), A1C, and LDL-C were 79.5, 77.3, 11.7, and 7.2% respectively. The factors associated with knowledge of the therapeutic goals were longer diabetes duration, increased household income, age, being divorced as compared to married, having no formal education, and primary education.CONCLUSION: The majority of participants knew their BP and FBS targets while only a minority understood their A1c and LDLC targets. It highlighted the need for the provision of patientcentered diabetes education to improve knowledge of the therapeutic targets.