RESUMEN
A study of 209 consecutive cases of hypertension, seen at the cardiac unit of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria, showed that heart failure occurred more commonly in patients who were in the low socio-economic class. All those who had a haematocrit below 30% had heart failure. The lower the serum albumin, the greater the likelihood of developing heart failure. Hypertensives who were heavy alcohol drinkers were very prone to heart failure while a significant proportion of those who had cardiomegaly or cardiomegaly with aortic unfolding on chest x-ray had heart failure. Age, sex, Hb genotype, obesity and retinal changes had no influence on the development of heart failure. It is concluded that there are other factors, besides hypertension, which precipitate heart failure in Nigerian hypertensives. This may be responsible for the high incidence of heart failure among Nigerian with hypertension.
Asunto(s)
Insuficiencia Cardíaca/etiología , Hipertensión/complicaciones , Adulto , Anciano , Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas , Femenino , Insuficiencia Cardíaca/epidemiología , Hematócrito , Humanos , Hipertensión/epidemiología , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Nigeria , Ocupaciones , Albúmina Sérica/metabolismoRESUMEN
Over a period of 6 years, only twelve cases of dilated cardiomyopathy were clinically diagnosed in Nigerians between the ages of 11-30 years at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Eleven presented with heart failure, while the twelfth patient presented with a cerebrovascular accident. Two other patients also had a cerebrovascular accident. A history of febrile illness was obtained in seven, but in only three was fever unresponsive to antimalarials, documented on admission. Antistreptolysin-O titre was normal and erythrocyte sedimentation rates elevated in each of the patients. Leucocytosis was present in six, three had a four-fold rise or fall in antibody titres against Coxsackie-B viruses and one, a four-fold rise or fall against Toxoplasma gondii. Histological evidences of myopericarditis were found in three of the six patients who died. It is concluded that dilated cardiomyopathy is rare in young adult Nigerians, and that constitutional upset is common, as in children, but prognosis is poorer. Infections by Coxsackie-B viruses, T. gondii and possibly other viruses appear to be of major aetiological factors