Lipid Levels and Disorders in Hospital Attendants in Banjul, The Gambia

Abstract

Background: One of the major risk factors for cardiovascular diseases is lipid abnormalities. Objective: To determine the mean lipid levels and the prevalence of lipid disorders among patients attending outpatient clinics in Banjul, The Gambia. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Outpatient clinics of Royal Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital and Medical Research Council Laboratories in Banjul, The Gambia. Methods: Two hundred and eight consecutive patients with systemic hypertension on treatment and 108 non-hypertensive patients aged over 25 years were enrolled. A questionnaire was filled and anthropometric measurements were taken. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was done as well as blood investigations including total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and triglycerides (TG). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) was calculated using the Friedwald formula. There were 305 participants with complete lipid results and these were included in the analysis. Results: The mean (standard deviation) TC was 4.92 (1.78) mmol/L; mean TG was 0.94 (0.56) mmol/L; mean HDL was 1.28 (0.48) mmol/L and mean LDL was 3.20 (1.41) mmol/L. The prevalence of lipid abnormalities was 41% for high TC, 9% for high TG, 36% for low HDL, 49% for high LDL and 6% for atherogenic dyslipidaemia. Conclusion: The mean lipid level and the prevalence of lipid disorders in patients attending clinics in Banjul were high.

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“…CVDs result from malfunctioning of the heart and blood vessels at both micro- and macrolevels [ 11 , 12 ]. They include hypertension, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular accidents (stroke), and rheumatic heart disease [ 14 ], and it is prevalent among the Ghanaian population [ 15 ].…”

“…Most studies have reported that increasing age, high body mass index, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, high blood pressure (hypertension), dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, overweight or obesity, oxidative stress, and family history are associated with the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases [ 18 – 20 ]. Also, a study by Nkum and Micah [ 15 ] revealed that obesity, physical inactivity, smoking, and reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables were common risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases among the Ghanaian population. According to Addo et al [ 17 ], being either a hypertensive or a prehypertensive diabetic patient, with concurrent dyslipidemia, highly increased the risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the Ghanaian population.…”

“…The contributing risk factors for CVDs in the study were age, sex, systolic blood pressure, high total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and diabetes mellitus diagnosis [ 22 ]. Even though cross-sectional studies in Ghana had revealed some CVD risk factors [ 15 , 17 ], no data exist on intervention studies, targeting how to reduce the risk factors associated with CVDs.…”