Obesity and Hypertension among Nigerians with Impaired Fasting Glucose

Background and Objective: Obesity and hypertension are two important factors associated with the development of prediabetes and overt diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of obesity and hypertension among Nigerians with impaired fasting glucose (IFG), a prediabetic state, is not still fully established. This study therefore intends to determine the prevalence of obesity and hypertension among Nigerians with IFG. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study from the available in Special Investigation Clinic of Chemical Pathology Department of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. Age, sex, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, height and weight were extracted from the record of individuals who presented with two previous IFG (5.6-6.9 mmol L–1) as indication for oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) over a period of 60 months. Results: A total of 608 subjects comprises of 208 males (34.21%) and 400 females (65.79%) who presented for OGTT on the basis of two previous IFG were recruited. One hundred and seventy six (28.95%) of the patients were found to be obese. Fifty-six (9.21%) had a combination of obesity and systolic BP ≥140 mmHg while 40 (6.58%) had a combination of obesity and diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg. Conclusion: Substantial number of patients with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) has hypertension and obesity.