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Background: Pre-eclampsia contributes significantly to both maternal and perinatal morbidities and mortalities. One of the identified pathophysiologies of pre-eclampsia is the deranged serum lipid profile of which some components have been found to be elevated early in pregnancy in women destined to develop pre-eclampsia. Objectives: To compare the serum fasting lipid profiles of pre-eclamptic primigravidas with normal primigravidas at week 20, 28, and 34. Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife between November 2016 and April 2018. A cohort of ..read more

Background: Increased arterial stiffness is an independent predictor of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. It is unknown whether low BMI has any detrimental effect on the arterial wall during young age. Objectives: The present study was aimed to determine if low BMI can increase arterial stiffness in young, healthy individuals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on young, healthy subjects (n=100) with low BMI Results: A significantly increased pulse pressure (p=0.014), baPWV (1059.2 ± 140.26 cm/s vs 994.66 ± 129.23 cm/s; p=0.019) and cfPWV (641.03 ± 113.83 cm/s vs 583.96 ± 120 ..read more

Background: Azilsartan medoxomil (AZM) is the newest representative in the class of angiotensin receptor blockers. Azilsartan medoxomil in combination with the older diuretic chlorthalidone (CLD) in fixed-doses of AZM/CLD 40/12.5 mg and 40/25 mg has been approved by the FDA for use in patients with essential hypertension. We sought to evaluate the safety and tolerability of AZL-M alone and in combination with CLD. Methods: We conducted a search in PubMed using the keywords ‘azilsartan’, ‘azilsartan medoxomil’, ‘chlorthalidone, ‘safety’, ‘tolerability’ in order to find scientific studies evalua ..read more

Background: Epidemiological studies have suggested that elevated serum uric acid may contribute to the progression of chronic kidney disease. However, no large prospective study has examined whether hyperuricemia is an independent risk factor for the progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). Methods: We measured uric acid in stored serum samples from the 2-year study visit of 671 participants from the HALT PKD multicenter trials. Participants were categorized according to uric acid tertiles. For Study A (participants aged 15-49 years with preserved kidney function, n ..read more

The new pandemic Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes a wide range of clinical consequences, from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory failure, and it is very heterogeneous. The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is well recognized as a key regulating system in circulatory homeostasis that plays prominent roles in pathophysiological processes in abnormal activation, for instance, renal and cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and stroke. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2(ACE2) is a component of the RAS system. However, unlike the ACE, its activity is not inhibited by the ACE inhibitors. Th ..read more

Approximately half a century has passed since the discovery of beta-blockers. Then, their prime therapeutic purpose was to treat angina and cardiac arrhythmias; nowadays, beta-blockers’ usage and effectiveness are extended to treat other cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease. Safety concerns were raised about beta- blockers and their use for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients with concurrent cardiovascular disease. After thorough research of the literature, this review summarizes the evidence proving that beta-bl ..read more

Lifestyle modifications in the form of diet and exercise are generally the first-line approach to reduce hypertensive risk and overall cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Accumulating research evidence has revealed that consumption of non- and low-fat dairy products incorporated into the routine diet is an effective means to reduce elevated blood pressure and improve vascular functions. However, the idea of incorporating whole-fat or full-fat dairy products in the normal routine diet as a strategy to reduce CVD risk has been met with controversy. The aim of this review was to evaluate both side ..read more

Background: Renin angiotensin system (RAS) is a critical pathway involved in blood pressure regulation. Octapeptide, angiotensin II (Ang II), is a biologically active compound of RAS pathway which mediates its action by binding to either angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) or angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R). Binding of Ang II to AT1R facilitates blood pressure regulation, whereas AT2R is primarily involved in wound healing and tissue remodeling. Objectives: Recent studies have highlighted the additional role of AT2R to counterbalance the detrimental effects of AT1R. Activation of angio ..read more

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