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Objectives: In developing countries, urbanization leads to changes in behavioural lifestyle and malnutrition which may lead to higher rates of cardiovascular disease .1,2 We aimed to assess the association between low body mass index and markers of cardiovascular function like pulse wave velocity in Africans. Methods: We included 496 Africans, aged between 35–65 years, with a low socio-economic status. They were stratified into a low BMI group with BMI ≤ 20 kg/m2 and a normal BMI group with BMI ≤ 20 kg/m2 and ≤ 25 kg/m2. Blood pressure (OMRON HEM-757) and PWV (Complier SP) were recorded. Results: African men with low BMI revealed significantly higher DBP (88.0 ± 13.4 mm/Hg) compared to the normal BMI group (84.2 ± 12.2 mm/Hg) and an increased arterial stiffness with significantly higher PWV (12.6 ± 2.47 m/s) compared to the normal BMI group (11.6 ± 2.00 m/s). The significant higher DBP and PWV remained after adjusting for confounders. The BMI scatter plot illustrated a negative tendency towards PWV in Africans (r= −0.28; p

Twenty-four hour urinary albumin excretion reflects general endothelial damage, relates to arterial stiffness, and predicts adverse health outcomes. Albumin determined from easily collected spot urine samples is also predictive. No prognostic evidence for albumin excretion from any means of urine collection exists for Africans. We followed health outcomes in 1061 randomly selected non-diabetic, HIV negative Africans (mean age: 51.5 years; 62.0% women). We determined the baseline urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio from spot urine samples. Over a median follow-up of 4.52 years, 132 deaths occurred of which 47 were cardiovascular-related. The urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio averaged 0.68 (5th to 95th percentile interval; 0.13, 4.54 mg/mmol). In multivariable-adjusted analyses, albumin excretion predicted all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.07, 1.48; P=0.006), and a tendency existed for cardiovascular (1.26; 0.97, 1.63; P=0.087) mortality, which seemed driven by stroke (1.72; 1.17, 2.54; P=0.006) and not cardiac mortality (0.67; 0.41, 1.07; P=0.094). The predictive value remained in 528 hypertensives for both all-cause (1.38; 1.13, 1.69; P=0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (1.45; 1.07, 1.96; P=0.017), but again driven by stroke. Our findings remained significant after excluding participants with macroalbuminuria and those on anti-hypertensive treatment. In conclusion, in non-diabetic HIV-negative Africans, albumin excretion from spot urine samples predicts all-cause and stroke mortality.

The objective was to study the changes in vascular function of HIV-1 (subtype C) infected black Africans over three years. In a longitudinal study (2005–2008) we compared the vascular function of 140 HIV+ (newly diagnosed) black Africans from the North-West province, South Africa. Seventy seven of the same HIV+ participants, received by choice no ARV treatment while 63 received treatment. Systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, heart rate (HR) (Omron HEM 757), and the pulse wave velocity (PWV) (Complior SP device) were determined. Sonar images were obtained with the MicroMaxx sonar device. Blood was analyzed with known methods to determine total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL-c), low density lipoprotein (LDL-c), triglycerides (TG), glucose and C-reactive protein (CRP). Blood pressure increased significantly (dependent T-test) if the HIV+ (2005) were compared to the 2008 participants (received ARV’s). The PWV showed no significant changes in both groups. Although the weight stayed constant over three years, the waist circumference increased significantly in the ARV treated group. The HDL-c decreased significantly from 1.37 to 0.83mmol/L in the treatment naive group and the HDL-c showed no changes in the treatment group compared to the 2005 participants. The CRP was high in both groups. To conclude: the ARV treatment group showed lipodystrophy, an increase in blood pressure and a lower plaque score (6.5% vs 10.5%). It seems that ARV treatment stabilizes the lipids and results in a higher blood pressure, whereas in the treatment naive group a significant decrease in HDL – cholesterol over three years were encountered.