PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Hussein A Kassam

Publications and source records attributed to Hussein A Kassam.

2 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Pulmonary function of herdsmen.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the pulmonary function deficit documented previously in Fulani children is also present in adult Fulani herdsmen in northern Nigeria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The subjects for this study consisted of adult Fulani men from the hamlet of Magama Gumau and adult non-Fulani men from the city of Jos. Age, height, weight, mid-arm circumference (MAC), triceps skin-fold thickness, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced expiratory flow during the middle half of the FVC maneuver (FEF25-75%), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEF) were measured. Body mass index (BMI) and FEV1/FVC were calculated for all subjects. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify correlations between pulmonary function parameters and anthropometric variables. RESULTS: The 44 Fulani subjects and 28 urban subjects were well-matched for age and height. The Fulani men weighed significantly less than the urban men (58.5+/-9.4 versus 67.4+/-11.3 kg, p <0.001) and consequently had significantly lower BMI, MAC, and triceps skin-fold thickness. The only significant difference in pulmonary function parameters between the two groups was in FEV1/FVC (0.93+/-0.1 versus 0.85+/-0.1, p <0.001). Small but significant correlations were found between pulmonary function parameters and anthropometric variables for both study populations. CONCLUSIONS: The pulmonary function deficits documented previously in Fulani children and adolescents were not present in adult Fulani men. However, the observed elevation in FEV1/FVC in the rural Fulani men as compared to their urban counterparts, which is often seen in restrictive pulmonary patterns, deserves further study.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Serum lipid profiles and risk of cardiovascular disease in three different male populations in northern Nigeria.

The Fulani of northern Nigeria are indigenous semi-nomadic pastoralists whose diet consists largely of dairy products. Despite their consumption of relatively large amounts of saturated fats, an earlier study showed that their total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and serum triglyceride levels fall within the reference range of values for North Americans. Men in the cities of Jos and Abuja, two populations who also reside in northern Nigeria, differ from the Fulani with regard to diet and activity level. Males in both Jos and Abuja have diets consisting of high protein or carbohydrate and are more sedentary than the Fulani subjects. The main aims of the study were to measure the concentrations of various lipids in the blood serum of male urban dwellers in Jos and Abuja and to compare their blood lipid profiles with those of the rural Fulani (mean age 33.9 years). Blood serum samples from 118 men in Jos (mean age 37.9 years) and 77 men in Abuja (mean age 34.4 years) were analyzed for total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, HDL, homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B12. In addition to height and weight, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured. The mean total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL and LDL values for the three groups of subjects fell within or close to the accepted range of values for North Americans. However, the Fulani males had HDL values (mean, 33.9 mg/dL) below the range of values prescribed for North Americans (>40 mg/dL). Moreover, the Fulani men and the men in Abuja had a total cholesterol/ HDL ratio of 4.2 and 4.0 respectively, which exceed the accepted value (< or =3.5) prescribed by the Columbia University. In all three populations, the incidence ofhomocysteinaemia (serum homocysteine > 12.4 micromol/L) was very high. Their mean homocysteine levels ranged from 14.7 to 16.7 pmol/L and could not be accounted for by folate or vitamin B12 status. The mean blood pressures of the Abuja (127/77 mm Hg) and the Fulani (120/74 mm Hg) men were within the normotensive range (<130/85 mm Hg). However, the mean blood pressures of the Jos males (131/85 mm Hg) indicated borderline hypertension. These data indicate that, with regard to serum lipids, urban and rural adult Nigerian males have generally favourable risk factors for cardiovascular disease when compared with healthy North Americans. All three sub-populations, however, have levels of homocysteine that are cause for concern vis-à-vis their overall health status.

Adult↗