Increased lipid profile in hypertensive Nigerian males: A possible risk for atherosclerosis

Objectives: this study was aimed at evaluating the risk of atherosclerosis in hypertensive nigerians attending ebonyi state university teaching hospital, using total cholesterol/hdl ratio. methodology: a sex-adjusted assessment of the total cholesterol, high density lipoprotei, and total cholesterol/hdl was performed on 82 hypertensive (45 males; 37 females) and 55 normotensive control (29 males; 26 females) nigerians, aged between 30-70 years. analysis of the total cholesterol and high density lipoproteins were by the routinely employed enzymatic and phosphotungstate-phosphomolybdate methods respectively. results: mean total cholesterol (4.9±1.08 mmol/l) and total cholesterol/hdl (5.16±1.89) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in hypertensive males and than in the controls (4.40±0.99 mmol/ l and 3.77±1.25 respectively), while the mean hdl concentration was significantly (p < 0.05) lower (1.03±0.33 mmol/l) in the hypertensive males than in their control (1.26±0.39 mmol/l) counterparts. in females, the total cholesterol (4.98±1.02 mmhg) hdl (1.12±0.39 mmhg), and total cholesterol/hdl (4.94±1.82) were statistically not different (p > 0.05) from 4.86±1.05 mmhg, 1.29±0.44 mmhg, and 4.09±1.32, respectively obtained from the controls. also, no sex-adjusted difference was observed in either of the hypertensive or control subjects. conclusion: these data underscore the relevance of routine assessment of lipid levels in hypertensive patients, especially in males, to detect increasing risks of atherosclerosis and its sequela