Hypertension

Background: Cellulitis is a rapidly disseminating bacterial illness that impacts the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Erythema, warmth, swelling, and pain are present in the affected area. Cellulitis is clinically diagnosed by the observation of disseminating inflammation in the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue. The study intends to investigate the incidence of cellulitis across various age groups, the length of symptoms in diabetic and non-diabetic patients, and the risk of cellulitis in individuals with comorbid diseases. Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed over an 8-month duration from November 2023 to June 2024. The requisite data was obtained from the Medical Record Department. A total of 179 patients from the Vascular Department participated in the study. The data was gathered and examined using SPSS version 29.0.1.0. Results: The study enrolled a total of 179 subjects, comprising 123 males (68.7%) and 56 females (31.3%). Of the 179 patients, 109 (60.9%) were diabetic. Seventy participants (39.9%) out of 179 belonged to the predominant age group of 60-74 years (38.0%), followed by the 45-59 age group (35.2%). According to the wound classification, 161 (89.9%) were non-purulent, whereas 18 (10.1%) were purulent. Patients exhibiting symptoms for less than one week constituted 139 (77.7%), whereas 40 (22.3%) experienced symptoms for more than one week. Patients with various comorbidities included 25.7% with Hypertension, as well as those with Hypertension accompanied by coronary artery disease (CAD) and Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA). The study finds that elderly persons aged 60 to 80 years are at an elevated risk of cellulitis. Hypertension was identified as a significant risk factor for the onset of cellulitis.

ABSTRACT NAFLD is commonly develops among 40-50 years and even with non consumption of alcohol patient with any component of metabolic syndrome may develop hepatic steatosis. Waist circumference is the cost effective clinical tool to assess the obesity and NAFLD. Cross sectional study was conducted in Vijaya Sree Hospitals Gastro and Liver care centre; in Ongole city, Prakasam District of Andhra Pradesh. Ultrasonographically confirmed fatty liver cases visiting to hospital for the purpose of gastrointestinal and liver problems were enrolled in the study from January 2016 to May 2016. Pre tested, pre structured, validated questionnaire was used to get the information from the patients: Continuous variables were presented with descriptive analysis like mean ± standard deviation (SD). Pearson's correlation analysis was carried out between waist circumference and waist to hip ratio with body mass index. Among the total 184 study participants 142 (77.1%) were males and 42 (22.9%) were females. Out of total 184 NAFLD cases 70 (42.9%) were obese patients with BMI of more than 30kg/m2, whereas 54 (33.1%) were pre obese patients with BMI between 25 to 29.9 kg/m2. Positive correlation noticed between waist circumference and Body mass index with p value <0.05 and r value of 0.466 and Waist to Hip ratio showed a negative correlation with body mass Index (P>0.05). It was found that 62 (33.69%) cases were with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Waist circumference was found to be useful indicator for obesity with NAFLD patients in comparison with the waist to hip ratio. Significant association noticed between type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Obesity of NAFLD patients. Strategies need to be planned to train health care workers and teachers about measuring the waist circumference and the body mass index and also interpretation Keywords: Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, Waist to Hip Ratio, Hypertension

Objectives: To determine the association of anthropometric indices with type 11 diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidemia in Shifa Foundation Falahi Clinic, Islamabad Pakistan. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in Shifa Foundation Falahi Clinic, Islamabad to determine the association of obesity related indices like waist circumference (WC), waist to hip ratio (WHR), & body mass index (BMI) with type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia. A total of 328 patients were included. The blood pressure, fasting blood sugar (FBS) and lipid profile was also performed. The correlation and significance was determined among dependent and independent variables. Results: The mean age of the patient was 47.14 + 11.07. There was 220 (67.1%) female and 108 male (32.9%). The frequency distribution of BMI revealed that only 37 female patients (16.8%) were normal, while 27 male patients (25%) had normal BMI. The diabetes mellitus was present in 164 (50%) of the patients. Hypertension was present in 170 (51.82%) patients. The WC, WHR & BMI has a positive correlation with hypertension and statistically significant. The WC also has a positive correlation with type 11 diabetes mellitus and TG. Conclusion: The study results concluded that the anthropometric indices (WC, WHR & BMI) has a positive correlation with hypertension and statistically significant. The WC also has a positive correlation with type 11 diabetes mellitus and triglyceride (TG). Further community based studies are required to ascertain the findings of this study.

Hypertension is believed to have a wide range of effects on body's physiology with a controversial data on the association between hypertension and elevation of liver enzymes. Liver enzymes such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) are considered as markers of liver function. To investigate the proposed association of hypertension with liver enzymes. fifty-eight hypertensive patients were enrolled in this study with a mean age of 28-76 and another age-matched group of 42 individuals selected as a control group, demographic data were collected in a predesigned form, then the liver enzymes were measured for the patients as well as the individuals of the control group. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, version 16. The means of plasma AST, ALT, ALP and GGT levels among patients were 20.79, 12.69, 81.72, and 20.48, respectively and among control group were 18.45, 9.53, 81.14 and 16.28 respectively, in spite of this obvious variations in liver enzymes among hypertensive patients when compared to the controls, this variation was found to be statistically insignificant. The study also showed that the plasma levels of AST (r=0.05, P value=0.089). and ALT (r=0.004, P value=0.972),ALP (r=0 .128,P value=0.214) were negatively correlated with BMI while the GGT(r=0.343, P value=0.000)was positively correlated with BM. The levels of liver enzymes in hypertensive patients were not significantly elevated compared to control group. While there is a correlation between BMI and plasma enzymes GGT. Levels of transaminases AST and ALT revealed significant association with the duration of hypertension.

Nurses are involved in the prevention and management of chronic diseases like hypertension in primary health care settings. However, information about the roles of nurses in prevention and managing high blood pressure in South-South Nigeria remains scarce. Therefore, this research attempts to relate the performance of nurses roles in preventing high blood pressure with their qualifications in primary health care centres in Delta State. Interviewer’s administered questionnaire was used to gather information from eighty-five nurses chosen from the twenty-nine randomly selected primary health care centres in the twenty five local government areas of Delta State. Results show that the nurses performed the roles at varying degrees judged to be poor overall. The nurses’ identified roles and level of performance bear no significant relationship to their qualifications. It was also observed that most of the nurses had no training in the management of hypertension and do not use the recommended NHA guidelines. These indicate the need for facilitators to organize training courses on hypertension management for nurses, and integrate such into the curriculum for nursing education.

The prevalence of hypertension is rapidly increasing in India, both in urban and rural areas. The increase in incidence in hypertension at a younger age is essentially due to lifestyle factors. Given the rising prevalence of hypertension among young adults in developing countries early detection and treatment of high blood pressure is essential to the reduction of cardiovascular disease and prevention of associated burden of illness. The cross sectional study was conducted in a rural area in Goa among young adults in the age group 20-39 years. The study participants were interviewed with a structured pretested questionnaire. The three sections of the questionnaire included demographic variables, behavioural risk factors and physical measurements and examination. The data was entered and analysed using the SPSS software package. Bivariate analysis was performed to establish the association between the various factors and hypertension. Odds ratio was calculated with 95% confidence interval. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of hypertension. The prevalence of hypertension was found to be 13.7% among young adults in the study area. The prevalence was higher among males (16.5%) compared to females (10.8%). On bivariate analysis; smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity, obesity, family history of hypertension were identified as significant risk factors of hypertension. Multiple logistic regression identified alcohol consumption, insufficient physical activity and abdominal obesity as the most significantly associated factors for hypertension. Hypertension to a great extent is a preventable disease hence appropriate preventive action can alter environments, protect against risk factors and change life expectations. On a population scale, relatively modest behavioural changes affecting several of the risk factors simultaneously can make dramatic changes in population health.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is presently one of the most important risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases. Several developed and developing nations including Nigeria have adopted various initiatives to prevent and/or manage hypertension. This article entails the development of guidelinesby means of integrated and collaborative approach involving experts knowledgeable in the field coupled with community actionin rural settings in Delta State Nigeria. Using the Nominal Group Technique meeting, a group of seven key stakeholders knowledgeable in the field were brought together to harmonize their ideas and experiences within a period of three days. The meeting lasted six hours each day.Each round addressing a topic lasted for an hour and 45 minutes.Major concepts addressed were: optimal diagnosis and appropriate medical evaluation for high blood pressure, principles of blood pressure measurement and different steps in blood pressure measurement. Others are management options (routine baseline investigations, pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures) and prevention of high blood pressure as well as community screening programmes. This simple guideline will not only serve as a vade mecum but will also have a strong impact on the health, quality of life and mortality rate among rural communities in Nigeria.

Hypertension is a global health challenge affecting many adults. Cultural perception has been identified to affect disease progression and management. This article describes the experiences of a typical rural community in Delta State Nigeria in terms of their various traditional and cultural practices and the influence these have on the management and prevention of high blood pressure in the community. An ethnographic study was conducted utilizing in-depth interviews method. Ten known hypertensive patients were purposively selected who had blood pressure readings of ≥140/90 mmHg observed on three separate occasions from a previous survey conducted in the same community, and who had also confirmed their use of traditional practices in the management of high blood pressure. The traditional and cultural practices identified were: medicinal plants, sacrifices, scarification and tribal marks. Anti-hypertensive drugs were used alongside with traditional practices and where these traditional practices fail, local diets served as a remedy. These cultural practices such as local foodstuffs and dietary preferences (especially the palm kernel soup, which is a high cholesterol item), may either predispose them to risk factors of certain diseases or promote their health (as do the medicinal plants and some herbal preparations). Models of community based management of hypertension in rural settings is highly recommended. This will help retain and preserve relevant cultural values and serve to maintain community wellbeing.