ASSESSMENT OF VARIOUS BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN HYPERTENSIVE AND HYPERTENSIVE-PRONE ADULT NIGERIANS IN JOS, NIGERIA

A total of 1,075 fasting Human Serum and early morning urine samples were assayed for various biochemical parameters. The parameters include: Blood lipids, Total Cholesterol, High Density lipoproteins, Low Density lipoproteins, Vitamin A, Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Bicarbonate, Urinary glucose, Protein and Blood. From the results obtained, the calculated phospholipids:cholesterol ratio was less than 1 amongst the hypertensives. This confirmed the work of Stroev and Makarova, 1986; Oforufuo and Nwanze, 1988. This also confirmed that these patients had pathological disorder – in this case, hypertension. The mean systolic pressure of the hypertensives was 167mmHg with diastolic pressure of 110mmHg. Results from the comparative urinalysis pattern of the hypertensive from two Governmental Hospital and two Missionary Hospitals, revealed some complications of hypertension which drug therapy could not control. However, such complications as proteinuria, glycosuria and haematuria were minimal where awareness and socio-economic stability were satisfactory. The results of the lipid profile of the Burukutu consumers agreed with earlier studies where this local alcoholic beverage had a lowering effect xii on serum total cholesterol of both sexes. Furthermore alcohol increased the HDL and TG concentration of the consumers. The fact that individuals who were both alcoholics and smokers develop coronary heart disease faster earlier in life than alcoholics or smokers alone was well correlated in this study. Vitamin A concentration – a lipid soluble vitamin, was estimated in children under one year of age by high performance liquid chromatography. The high point of the result was that exclusive breastfeeding still remained the best choice for babies under one year of age. From the foregoing, it was suggested that if the lipid profile of women could be controlled within the normal reference values, incidences of high blood pressure due to high lipid profile molecules (cholesterol, lipoproteins etc) as age increases could be checked: thereby checking early on set of menopause. Thus, a total of 200 adult Nigerian women, non-diabetic, non hypertensive, non-obesse and non-pregnant from three Hospitals (two Governmental and one Missionary) were assayed for lipid profile. The results obtained showed that the lipid profiles were within the normal reference range and correlated very well with published fertility hormone assay results which had hitherto been used for monitoring on set of menopause.xiii Considering such factors as cost and ease of assay, affordability by the patients and reagent availability, the use of lipid profile measurement seemed a preferred alternative method, to the reported fertility hormone assays for measuring onset of menopause in Nigerian women.