Myo-inositol increases the plating efficiency of protoplast derived from cotyledon of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)

Abstract

Introduction: High blood pressure (HBP) defined as ≥ 140/90 mmHg, if uncontrolled could lead to several health problems such as coronary heart disease, heart and kidney failure. In Uganda, the prevalence of HBP is not readily available, particularly for the rural setting. The Medical Research Council Research/Uganda Virus Research Institute, Uganda Research Unit on AIDS has a General Population Cohort (GPC) in rural south west Uganda which provides an ideal setting for quantifying HBP in a rural setting. Objectives: We aim to establish the state of blood pressure in a rural population in south west Uganda. Methods: The GPC has been followed for 22 years through annual medical surveys conducted by trained field staff. This year's survey is ongoing; data on 5931 people aged 13 years or more have been collected. Lifestyle and anthropometric data are being collected; BP is being measured and history of treatment for HBP recorded. BP was measured three times with resting intervals of 3-5 minutes, using the Omron M6. BP was taken as the mean of the second and third reading. We report the distribution of BP and estimate the prevalence of HBP by age and gender. We also assess the association between BP and tobacco and alcohol intake and body mass index (BMI). Results: We report preliminary results on 5931 participants (43% men, 57% women) who had BP measurement. Systolic and diastolic BP respectively ranged between 74.5-232 and 45-150.5 mmHg, with respective means (SD) of 122.6 (17.15) and 74.1 (10.38) mmHg. The prevalence of reported current treatment for HBP was 4%, majority being women. There was a 16% prevalence of HBP for both sexes. HBP prevalence varied by age: 6% among the 13-24 year olds, 10.5% for 25-40 and 34.5% among those over 40 years. There was a significant difference in BP by gender among the 25-40 year olds with men having a higher HBP prevalence (13.4%) compared to women (8.8%) (P=0.004). Tobacco and alcohol intake and BMI were significantly associated with BP (all P<0.01). Conclusion: Results indicated a high prevalence of HBP in this population, especially among those aged above 40 years (34%) but also with a substantial prevalence among the 25-40 year olds (10%). These results highlight that this is a potentially hidden public health problem. It is therefore important to design appropriate health education targeting rural populations, addressing both the treatment seeking behaviours as well as risk factors.