Correlation between Hyperlipidemia and Hypertension, Mean Arterial Pressure, Pulse Pressure among Africans
Year: 2017
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Objective: Cholesterol is an important substance in intermediary metabolism.The correlation between hyperlipidemia and hypertension, mean arterial pressure, pulse pressure is not well characterised in Africans.This paper aim to address this.Methods: This is a pilot study involving 36 hypertensives and 35 normotensives as controls.The blood pressure of each participants was measured using a mercurial sphygmomanometer at heart level in the sitting position.The fasting plasma cholesterol for the hypertensives and control were taken using a cholesterol meter.The JNC 7TH sustained by JNC 8TH Classification of hypertension was used to define hypertension as blood pressure equal to or greater than 140/90mmHg.Hypercholesterolemia (hyperlipidemia) was defined as fasting plasma cholesterol above 200mg/dl.The mean arterial pressure was computed by adding diastolic blood pressure to one third of pulse pressure.The pulse pressure was computed by subtracting diastolic from systolic blood pressure.All measurements were taken during a free medical screening programme in Surulere Lagos, Nigeria, West Africa.Results: The age range among hypertensives was 30 to 81years while it was 18 to 88years among normotensive controls.Hyperlipidemia was present in 33.3% of the hypertensives while it was present in only 17.1% of the control.We can therefore infer that in this African cohort sample studied though small in size, hyperlipidemia is twice as common in hypertensives in Africa compared to the general African population.Genderwise, hyperlipidemia was commoner among Hypertensives that are female.Further analysis showed that of the 18 subjects (25.35%) in the study with hyperlipidemia, 66.6% had hypertension while 33.3% were normotensive.Discussion: Routine screening of hypertensives for hyperlipidemia is supported by this study as 1 out of 3 hypertensives in Africa have hyperlipidemia.This paper finding also support the routine screening for hypertension among subjects with hyperlipidemia as 2 out of 3 with hyperlipidemia had hypertension.There is no correlation between hyperlipidemia and mean arterial pressure in hypertensive Africans according to this study.Non hypertensive Africans with hyperlipidemia tend to have lower mean arterial pressure than the other non hypertensive general population without hyperlipidemia.Hyperlipidemia occurs commonly at low pulse pressure in hypertensives and at wide pulse pressure in non hypertensive Africans.Conclusion: There is correlation between hyperlipidemia and hypertension and pulse pressure but none between hyperlipidemia and mean arterial blood pressure in African hypertensives according to this pilot study.
Author: Adegbenga Ademolu
Institution: Lagos State University Teaching Hospital
Language: English
Subfield: Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W2772602012