A Comparative Study of Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Concentration in Hypertensive and Non Hypertensive Adults With Type-2 Diabetes in South South Nigeria
Abstract
Hypertension is the commonest cardiovascular co-morbidity of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Obesity and dyslipidaemia contribute to increased peripheral resistance in obese hypertensive diabetic patients. The rising prevalence of hypertension among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Nigeria calls for the evaluation of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) as blood pressure regulator. The aim is to measure and compare the serum concentration of ACE in a group of hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients with type 2 diabetes. A cross-sectional comparative study conducted in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital using confirmed adult type 2 diabetic hypertensive and non-hypertensive patients, selected by simple random sampling technique. Information obtained with a structured questionnaire. One hundred and twenty (120) adult type 2 diabetic patients were used for the study, of which 58 (48.3%) were males and 62 (51.7%) females. Of the 120 diabetics, the hypertensive and the non - hypertensive patients were 55 (45.8%), and 65 (54.2%), respectively. The reference interval of ACE is 22.85- 24.53IU/L. The mean ACE concentration for the hypertensive and the non-hypertensive diabetic patients were 26.8IU/L and 24.6IU/L respectively. There was no significant statistical difference in ACE concentration between both groups, (p ³ 0.05). Similarly, no positive association between the serum ACE concentration with the renal indices in both groups was observed. Rather, there were significant statistical differences in blood pressure Body mass Index and renal indices between both groups. There was no difference in the ACE concentration between the hypertensive and non- hypertensive diabetic patients. Also, no correlation between the concentration of ACE and other biochemical variables in both groups was observed, but the physical and biochemical variables showed significant differences.