Abstract
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major risk factor to cardiovascular diseases. In this study, we investigate the prevalence and associated risky behaviour of MetS in resource-poor urban communities in Accra, Ghana. We analysed data on 111 persons with hypertension, screened and recruited for a therapeutic lifestyle intervention program in August 2015. MetS was measured using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization definitions. The prevalence of MetS was 58.4% and 16.8% by the IDF and WHO definitions respectively. More women (61.8%) compared to men (31.8%) had MetS (p = 0.011). Approximately 31% of the hypertensive patients were engaged in moderate-intensity physical activity; 9.0% were current smokers, 42.0% consumed excess alcohol over the past month prior to the interview and 41.0% discontinued taking their antihypertensive medications without consulting with a doctor. About 42.0% and 37.0% of respondents always consumed fruits and vegetables respectively at least two times a day. The binary logistic regression showed that compared to women, men had lower odds of consuming two or more servings of vegetable in a day (OR: 0.2; 95% CI; 0.1, 0.8). Increase in age was associated with higher odds of consuming fruits at least twice a day (1.0; 1.0, 1.1) but with lower odds of engaging in moderate intensity physical activity (0.9; 0.8, 1.0). Being married was associated with higher odds of engaging in moderate physical activity (2.8; 1.0, 8.2). Therapeutic methods essential for the management of patients with hypertension and MetS should include non-pharmacological remedies targeting the promotion of medication adherence, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and physical activities; these are vital to changing unhealthy lifestyle which worsens the underlying pathology.
Highlights
Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a condition characterized by a group of risk factors resulting from the malfunction of the body’s biomedical processes which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and complicates the management of other chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]
The prevalence of MetS in this population was higher than the 31.7% and 34.6% prevalence observed among urban Black adult population in both Cape Town, South Africa and in Seychelles respectively [43]
MetS is not routinely checked in the current health screening in Ghana, this study demonstrates that more than half of individuals with hypertension in resource-poor urban communities in Accra showed evidence of MetS
Summary
Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a condition characterized by a group of risk factors resulting from the malfunction of the body’s biomedical processes which increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and complicates the management of other chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Some observable lifestyle modifications such as lack of adequate physical activities, poor eating habits, high alcohol consumption, smoking and substance abuse contribute significantly to the current disease landscape [18,19,20,21,22,23]. These setting provides favorable conditions for MetS and major risk factor for hypertension and other NCDs. NCDs are major causes of disability and deaths in Ghana. Hypertension currently ranks fifth in outpatient mortality nationwide but second in the Greater Accra Region [27]
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