The Prevalence and Correlates of Non-Communicable Diseases among Rural Ghanaians

Recent studies have suggested that both hypertension and hypertension-related factors (e.g. diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, hypercholesterolemia) are common in some regions of the African sub-Sahara. Until recently, hypertension and related diseases were considered rare and were not the main focus of medical intervention in this region. Recent studies among rural Ghanaians have shown widespread levels of hypertension, yet there have been no surveys on lipid disorders and diabetes mellitus among the same population. A previous study has suggested that among urban West Africans and African-Americans with the metabolic syndrome, fasting hyperglycemia has a low prevalence. The object of this study is to explore the prevalence of lipid disorders and rates of diabetes mellitus in this population.