Hypertension burden and associated risk factors among people from the slums in a developing country: evidence from the COMBAT-CVD study.

Hypertension remains a public health problem worldwide, particularly in Africa, where the burden is disproportionately high. However, little is known about the burden and factors associated with hypertension among populations living in slums, particularly in Sub-Saharan African countries like Nigeria, where a significant proportion of the population in Africa lives. This study assessed the hypertension burden and risk factors among individuals residing in the slums compared to the overall sample and those from the non-slum areas in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Low vegetable consumption doubles the odds of stroke among people with hypertension: Findings from the SIREN Study in West Africa.

Background: While hypertension is a primary risk factor for higher stroke risk, adequate vegetable consumption has been linked with a lower odds of stroke. However, it is unclear whether low/inadequate vegetable consumption could aggravate the odds of stroke among people with hypertension. This study assessed the interaction of low vegetable consumption and hypertension with stroke among West Africans.

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and severity of intracerebral hemorrhage: Insights from the SIREN study.

Background: We investigated the link between LDL-C and markers of ICH severity among Indigenous West Africans in the Stroke Investigative Research and Education Network study.

Methods: ICH severity was evaluated using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Stroke Levity Scale (SLS), and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). The serum LDL-c of the study population was dichotomized into <133 mg/dl and ≥ 133 mg/dl using the optimum threshold by the Youden Index after assessing the linear relationship between the serum LDL-c measured at admission and ICH severity markers.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Survey on Primary Healthcare Workers' Knowledge.

Background: Neurodevelopmental disorders are a set of conditions that appear early in a child's development, usually before they begin school, and are likely to impair personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning. These conditions are the result of disturbances in brain development caused by genetic, environmental, or rather unknown causes. With the increasing prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders in low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria, it is imperative to understand the level of knowledge of primary healthcare workers who, by virtue of being nearest to the people in the community, are the first point of contact for individuals and families seeking healthcare in the community.

Geo-demographic and socioeconomic determinants of diagnosed hypertension among urban dwellers in Ibadan, Nigeria: a community-based study.

Background: The relationship between diagnosed high blood pressure (HBP) and proximity to health facilities and noise sources is poorly understood. We investigated the associations between the number of persons diagnosed with HBP at different distance corridors of noise-generating sources (churches, mosques, bus stops, and road networks), and blood pressure monitoring outlets (healthcare facilities and pharmaceutical shops) in Ibadan, Nigeria. In addition, we investigated the likelihood of being diagnosed with HBP using distance from noise-generating sources, distance to blood pressure monitoring outlets, socio-demographic and clinical status of the participants.

Geo-behavioural predictors of diagnosed hypertension in Igbo Ora Area, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Diagnosed hypertension stands out as a prominent global cause of mortality, prompting recent efforts to understand not only treatment options but also determinants across diverse age and occupational groups. However, the literature on the impact of environmental factors on diagnosed hypertension is limited, especially in rural areas with restricted access to health infrastructure. Geographical determinants research has often focused on spatial variations across different units, potentially masking individual environmental contributions.

Optimizing stroke prediction using gated recurrent unit and feature selection in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Stroke remains a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with African populations bearing a disproportionately high burden due to limited healthcare infrastructure. Early prediction and intervention are critical to reducing stroke outcomes. This study developed and evaluated a stroke prediction system using Gated Recurrent Units (GRU), a variant of Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN), leveraging the Afrocentric Stroke Investigative Research and Education Network (SIREN) dataset.

Sleep quality and hypertension in an indigenous African population: a cross-sectional investigation from the COMBAT-CVDs study.

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular events worldwide, and little is known about its association with sleep quality (SQ) among Africans. We evaluated the association of SQ with hypertension among adults in Ibadan, Nigeria. In Ibadan and its suburbs, we identified 3635 participants in the door-to-door Community-based Investigation of the Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases (COMBAT-CVDs) study.

Validating the factor structure and reliability of the sleep quality scale in a community-based study in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Background: The sleep quality scale (SQS) is a comprehensive multidimensional sleep assessment scale used to evaluate sleep quality (SQ) among adults in the general population. However, the scale is yet to be validated among indigenous African populations such as in Nigeria. This study validated the factor structure and evaluated the reliability of a previously developed SQS among community-based adults in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Stroke risk prediction models: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Prediction algorithms/models are viable methods for identifying individuals at high risk of stroke across diverse populations for timely intervention. However, evidence summarizing the performance of these models is limited. This study examined the performance and weaknesses of existing stroke risk-score-prediction models (SRSMs) and whether performance varied by population and region.

Stroke occurrence by hypertension treatment status in Ghana and Nigeria: A case-control study.

Background: Hypertension is preeminent among the vascular risk factors for stroke occurrence. The wide gaps in awareness, detection, treatment, and control rates of hypertension are fueling an epidemic of stroke in sub-Saharan Africa.

Purpose: To quantify the contribution of untreated, treated but uncontrolled, and controlled hypertension to stroke occurrence in Ghana and Nigeria.

Association of second-hand smoking with sleep quality among adults in Ibadan, Nigeria: a cross-sectional evaluation of data from the COMBAT-CVDs study.

Purpose: Sleep quality (SQ) is essential in the overall well-being and quality of life, but little is known about the association of secondhand smoking (SHS) with SQ. This study assessed the relationship between SHS and SQ among adults who had never smoked in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Methods: We identified 3193 respondents who had never smoked or used any form of tobacco product in the Community-based Investigation of the Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases in the Ibadan and suburbs (COMBAT-CVDs) study.

A multi-cohort genome-wide association study in African ancestry individuals reveals risk loci for primary open-angle glaucoma.

Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide, disproportionately affects individuals of African ancestry. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for POAG in 11,275 individuals of African ancestry (6,003 cases; 5,272 controls). We detected 46 risk loci associated with POAG at genome-wide significance.

Dietary patterns associated with hypertension among stroke-free indigenous Africans: insights from the Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network study.

Background: The dietary factors associated with the high burden of hypertension among indigenous Africans remain poorly understood. We assessed the relationship between dietary patterns and hypertension among indigenous Africans.

Method: In this study, 1550 participants with hypertension matched (for age: ± 5 years, sex and ethnicity) with 1550 participants without hypertension were identified from the stroke-free population in the Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network study in Ghana and Nigeria.

Factors associated with frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption among selected sub-Saharan African populations: evidence from the Cardiovascular H3Africa Innovation Resource Project.

Background: Frequent fruit and vegetable consumption is considered a promising dietary behaviour that protects health. However, most existing studies about the factors associated with this phenomenon among Africans are based on single-country reports, apart from one meta-regression combining smaller studies. This study harmonized large datasets and assessed factors associated with the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption in this population.

Risk Assessment Score and Chi-Square Automatic Interaction Detection Algorithm for Hypertension Among Africans: Models From the SIREN Study.

Background: This study aimed to develop a risk-scoring model for hypertension among Africans.

Methods: In this study, 4413 stroke-free controls were used to develop the risk-scoring model for hypertension. Logistic regression models were applied to 13 risk factors.

Patient-level and system-level determinants of stroke fatality across 16 large hospitals in Ghana and Nigeria: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Every minute, six indigenous Africans develop new strokes. Patient-level and system-level contributors to early stroke fatality in this region are yet to be delineated. We aimed to identify and quantify the contributions of patient-level and system-level determinants of inpatient stroke fatality across 16 hospitals in Ghana and Nigeria.

Secondhand smoke exposure is independently associated with stroke among non-smoking adults in West Africa.

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, but little is known about the contribution of secondhand smoke exposure (SHSE) to stroke epidemiology among indigenous Africans.

Objective: To evaluate the association of SHSE with stroke among indigenous Africans.

Methods: We analyzed the relationship of SHSE with stroke among 2990 case-control pairs of adults who had never smoked (identified in the SIREN study) using conditional logistic regression at a two-sided P < 0.

Frequent vegetable consumption is inversely associated with hypertension among indigenous Africans.

Aims: The relationship between vegetable consumption and hypertension occurrence remains poorly characterized in sub-Saharan Africa. This study assessed the association of vegetable consumption with odds of hypertension among indigenous Africans.

Methods And Results: We harmonized data on prior vegetable consumption and hypertension occurrence (defined as one of the following conditions; systolic blood pressure ≥140 or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg or previous diagnosis or use of antihypertensive medications) from 16 445 participants across five African countries (Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Burkina Faso) in the Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network and Africa Wits-INDEPTH partnership for Genomic studies.

Polygenic risk scores for CARDINAL study.

The Cardiometabolic Disorders in African-Ancestry Populations (CARDINAL) study site is a well-powered, first-of-its-kind resource for developing, refining and validating methods for research into polygenic risk scores that accounts for local ancestry, to improve risk prediction in diverse populations.

Dietary patterns associated with stroke among West Africans: A case-control study.

Background: The relationship of diet with stroke risk among Africans is not well understood.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between dietary patterns and stroke risk among West Africans.

Methods: In this multi-center case-control study, 3684 stroke patients matched (for age and sex) with 3684 healthy controls were recruited from Nigeria and Ghana.

Investigating the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in Nigeria: A SEIR modelling approach.

This study was designed to investigate the transmission dynamics of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to inform policy advisory vital for managing the spread of the virus in Nigeria. We applied the Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR)-type predictive model to discern the transmission dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 at different stages of the pandemic; incidence, during and after the lockdown from 27th March 2020 to 22nd September 2020 in Nigeria. Our model was calibrated with the COVID-19 data (obtained from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control) using the "lsqcurvefit" package in MATLAB to fit the "cumulative active cases" and "cumulative death" data.

Sociodemographic and behavioural risk factors for obesity among community-dwelling older adults in Ghana and Nigeria: A secondary analysis of data from the SIREN study.

Objectives: To explore the prevalence and risk factors of obesity among older adults from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods: This is a secondary analysis of data obtained from the SIREN study through in-person interviews and measurements from healthy stroke-free older adults (≥60 years). Overweight/obesity was defined as body mass index 25 kg/m.