Prevalence of prehypertension, hypertension and high body mass index in newly presenting diabetics in sub-Saharan Africa

Hyperinsulinaemia has been hypothesized to underlie the pathophysiology of diabetes and hypertension especially as they relate to the deadly quartet or metabolic syndrome. Our aim in embarking on this study was to determine the proportion of individuals whose primary diagnosis was diabetes that also had hypertension in the Northeast zone of Nigeria. In this study we analysed the clinic records of 100 newly presenting diabetic patients and reported on their demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, blood pressures and urinalysis results. Our study population was made up of 53 male and 47 female diabetic patients whose ages ranged between 19 and 78 years old with a mean and standard deviation of 46.2 +/-13.2 years. Twenty percent of the male and 72.7 % of the female had greater than 102 and 88 cm waist circumferences respectively. The mean body mass index (BMI) for the group was 26.35 +/5.45 kg/m2 but 58.6% of the study population was either overweight or obese. Prehypertension was present in 36 % of the group but only 37% of the diabetic patients achieved the recommended BP goal of < 130/80 mmHg while hypertension stages 1&2 was seen in 37 % of the group at the first visit and 43 % at the second visit. Prehypertension, hypertension, overweight and obesity are common in the newly presenting diabetic patients in the sub-Sahara Africa. The study findings call for action at the primary health care level to reduce the burden of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors at the community level.