Impact of Successful Weight Loss Maintenance on Serum Lipids and Glucose Concentrations of Previous Participants of a Weight Loss Programme in Accra, Ghana

Effects of Ramadan fasting on anthropometric measures, blood pressure, and lipid profile among hypertensive patients in the Kurdistan region of Iraq

Objective

This study was employed to assess the effects of Ramadan fasting on anthropometric measures, blood pressure, and lipid profile among hypertensive patients.

Method

This cross-sectional study was conducted among a representative sample, which was selected using a census survey of hypertensive patients (both gender, aged 25-50 years, on regular antihypertensive drugs (atenolol: 50 mg orally once a day)), during Ramadan month that was falling in April to May 2020. The patients were receiving care at Halabja hospital in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. All patients were assessed in two phase's baseline (a week before Ramadan) and end stage (a week after Ramadan), using anthropometric indices, physical examination, biochemical tests, and a structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 21.

Results

A total of 120 hypertensive patients were included in the study (50% females and 50% males), with a mean age of 37.5 ± 6.6 years. The major finding of our study was the significant decrease in blood pressure (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference of the participants decreased after Ramadan fasting in a significant approach (P < 0.001 for all). However, for the lipid profile components, the total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol change persisted not statistically significant (P > 0.05), while only triglyceride decreased drastically after Ramadan fasting (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Ramadan fasting could contribute in the improvement of blood pressure and lowers triglyceride levels, body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference of adult hypertensive patients.

Determinants favoring weight regain after weight-loss therapy among postmenopausal women

Little is known about the factors affecting body weight-loss maintenance among postmenopausal women. We thus performed an analysis to identify some sociodemographic, physiological, and behavioral predictors of weight regain in a targeted subpopulation of women who had lost weight 1 year earlier. We also measured how eating behaviors and habits as well as physical activity pattern differ among successful and unsuccessful weight-loss maintainers over the trial. Sixty-four postmenopausal women were followed up for a year after dieting, and the successful and unsuccessful maintainers were identified. The regainers had regained an average of 4.9 kg of their lost body weight, while the maintainers had regained only 1.5 kg. Regainers had fewer years of education and lower initial body weight loss than maintainers. They also showed poor dietary adherence during dieting, and had unhealthy patterns of eating involving the avoidance of breakfast and a lower intake of nuts, seeds, and pulses, and a higher intake of sweets, biscuits, cakes, and pastries over time (excluding the dieting period). All the significant sociodemographic, physiological and behavioral variables differentiating regainers and maintainers before and after dieting were then examined as independent variables in a logistic regression model. The model showed that less weight reduction during dieting, higher disinhibition scores after dieting, and avoidance of breakfast before dieting were significant predictors of body weight regain in postmenopausal women. From a practical point of view, early identification of postmenopausal women who are at risk of regaining lost weight can allow health professionals to create behavioral and dietary supports to help prevent this. A regular schedule of follow-ups over at least the first year should be considered for them—including psychological and dietary intervention, if necessary. Since this sample study included only postmenopausal women, our findings are not generalizable to other populations.

Prevalence of non-communicable diseases and its risk factors among Ijegun-Isheri Osun residents in Lagos State, Nigeria: a community based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The rapid epidemiologic transition of diseases has adverse implications for low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) like Nigeria due to their limited healthcare, weaker health systems and the westernization of lifestyle. There is a need to evaluate the enormity or otherwise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) burden in such low resource settings. We performed this survey to determine the prevalence of NCDs and its risk factors among the Ijegun- Isheri Osun community residents of Lagos, Nigeria.

METHODS

A community-based cross-sectional survey was performed on 215 respondents recruited consecutively during a population preventive health campaign. Prevalence of three NCDs (hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia) were calculated. Associations between each of these NCDs and selected risk factors were determined using chi square test. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the risk factors of each of the three NCDs.

RESULTS

The prevalence of hypertension was 35.3% (95% CI 29.0-42.1), diabetes 4.6% (95% CI 2.2-8.4) and dyslipidaemia 47.1% (95% CI 41.1-54.8). Among the NCD risk factors, the prevalence of smoking was 41.3% (95% CI 34.2-48.6), alcohol consumption 72.5% (95% CI 65.5-78.7), and physical activity 52.9 (95% CI 45.5-60.2). The independent significant predictors of hypertension were age ≥ 60 years (aOR 4.56; 95% CI: 1.72-12.09) and dyslipidaemia (aOR 5.01; 95% CI: 2.26-11.13). Age ≥ 60 years (aOR 8.83; 95% CI: 1.88-41.55) was an independent predictor of diabetes. Age ≥ 60 years (aOR 29.32; 95% CI: 4.78-179.84), being employed (aOR 11.12; 95% CI: 3.10-39.92), smoking (aOR 2.34; 95% CI: 1.03-5.33) and physical activity (aOR 0.34; 95% CI: 0.15-0.76) were independent predictors of having dyslipidaemia.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidaemia and their associated risk factors are high among the respondents of Ijegun-Isheri Osun community of Lagos state, Nigeria. This highlights the need for further implementation research and policy directions to tackle NCD burden in urban communities in Nigeria. These strategies must be community specific, prioritizing the various risk factors and addressing them accordingly.