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Ocular Manifestations of Non-Communicable Diseases in Nigeria

AI overview

Ocular manifestations of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria refer to eye-related complications arising from prevalent NCDs such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, which are significant causes of morbidity, mortality, and disability in the country.

Key points
  • Non-communicable diseases are a major cause of morbidity, mortality and disability in Nigeria and are priority diseases for intervention.
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    Non-communicable disease are responsible for significant morbidity, mortality and disability in Nigeria , and are marked top diseases for intervention.
  • Prevalent NCDs in Nigeria include cardiovascular disease, cancers, diabetes mellitus, sickle cell disease, and bronchial asthma.
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    The prevalent Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD's) include the following: cardiovascular disease ( hypertension , rheumatic heart disease , stroke ), cancers , diabetes mellitus , sickle cell disease , bronchial asthma .
  • Diabetic retinopathy accounts for approximately 5% of all blindness globally and affects about 2 million people.
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    Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of visual impairment worldwide, accounting for approximately 5% of all blindness and affecting about 2 million people globally.
  • Hypertension is the most commonly diagnosed cardiovascular risk factor in Nigeria, with complications accounting for about 25% of emergency admissions in urban hospitals.
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    hypertension is the most commonly diagnosed cardiovascular risk factor, and its complications account for about 25% of emergency admissions in urban hospitals.
Symptoms
  • Proliferative diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema are sight-threatening forms that can lead to severe visual impairment or blindness.
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    PDR and diabetic macular edema (DME ) representing the sight-threatening forms that can lead to severe visual impairment or blindness.
  • Poorly controlled hypertension can lead to complications including vision loss, heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, sexual dysfunction, and atherosclerosis.
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    hypertension can damage blood vessels and vital organs throughout the body, leading to serious complications such as heart attack , stroke , heart failure , kidney disease , vision loss, sexual dysfunction , and atherosclerosis .
Diagnosis
  • A 2014 national survey in Nigeria reported a diabetes prevalence of 3.25% with 10% of 40-year-old individuals with DR having increased complications.
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    a national survey conducted in 2014 reported a diabetes prevalence of 3.25% (95% CI: 2.5–4.3%) with 10% of 40 year old individuals with DR have in increased complications.
  • The Nigerian National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey found that about 10% of Nigerians aged 40 years and above with diabetes may have sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy.
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    about 10% of Nigerians aged 40 years and above with diabetes may have sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy
  • A hospital-based survey of 381 hypertensive patients in southeastern Nigeria showed 83.2% prevalence of hypertensive retinopathy, with 79.3% unaware of the condition.
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    83.2% prevalence ,20.7% were aware while 79.3% were unaware of hypertensive retinopathy
Treatment
  • Early detection and treatment of PDR and DME can preserve vision, making DR-related vision loss largely preventable.
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    early detection and treatment of PDR and DME can preserve vision
  • Up to 90% of DR-related blindness could be avoided through standardized diabetic care and adherence to established treatment protocols.
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    up to 90% of DR-related blindness could be avoided through standardized diabetic care and adherence to established treatment protocols
Red flags
  • Nearly 46% of adults living with hypertension are unaware of their condition.
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    nearly 46% of adults living with hypertension are unaware of their condition
  • One out of four Nigerians is hypertensive, making hypertension a major contributor to CVD-related death due to unawareness.
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    one out four Nigerian is hypertensive,which makes hypertension a major contributor to Cardiovascular disease (CVD) related death in the country due to unawareness
  • Public health policies and strategies to address the growing diabetes epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa remain inadequate or entirely lacking.
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    public health policies and strategies to address the growing diabetes epidemic in the region remain inadequate or are entirely lacking
  • Key risk factors for diabetic retinopathy include long-standing diabetes, poor glycaemic control, and hypertension.
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    Key risk factors include long-standing diabetes, poor glycaemic control, and hypertension
Prognosis

Vision loss due to diabetic retinopathy is largely preventable with early detection, standardized diabetic care, and adherence to treatment protocols.

AI-synthesized from the Wikipedia article “Ocular Manifestations of Non-Communicable Diseases in Nigeria”. Not medical advice. Verify source →

Non-communicable disease are responsible for significant morbidity, mortality and disability in Nigeria, and are marked top diseases for intervention. The prevalent Non-Communicable Diseases(NCD's) include the following: cardiovascular disease(hypertension, rheumatic heart disease, stroke), cancers, diabetes mellitus, sickle cell disease, bronchial asthma.[1]

The global burden of diabetes is expected to rise substantially, with the number of adults aged 20–79 years living with the disease projected to increase from 382 million in 2013 to 592 million by 2035. Although India and other Asian countries are anticipated to record the highest absolute numbers of diabetes cases by 2035, the most rapid growth is expected in the Middle Eastern Crescent (+96%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (+109%).[2] In Sub-Saharan Africa specifically, the number of people living with diabetes is projected to more than double, increasing from 19.8 million in 2013 to 41.4 million in 2035.[2] Despite these alarming projections, public health policies and strategies to address the growing diabetes epidemic in the region remain inadequate or are entirely lacking.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a major cause of visual impairment worldwide, accounting for approximately 5% of all blindness and affecting about 2 million people globally. It is the leading cause of blindness among individuals aged 15–64 years in industrialized countries. DR is broadly classified into Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (NPDR) and Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR), with PDR and diabetic macular edema (DME) representing the sight-threatening forms that can lead to severe visual impairment or blindness. Key risk factors include long-standing diabetes, poor glycaemic control, and hypertension.[3] However, evidence from clinical trials indicates that early detection and treatment of PDR and DME can preserve vision. Consequently, vision loss due to DR is largely preventable, with estimates suggesting that up to 90% of DR-related blindness could be avoided through standardized diabetic care and adherence to established treatment protocols

In Nigeria, a national survey conducted in 2014 reported a diabetes prevalence of 3.25% (95% CI: 2.5–4.3%) with 10% of 40 year old individuals with DR have in increased complications.[4] Subsequent studies revealed considerable regional variation, with prevalence estimates ranging from 1.6% to 12.7% in the same age group [7–12]. In an urban population in southern Nigeria, the prevalence was reported at 6.8% (95% CI: 4.6–9.0%) among adults aged 40 years and above.[5]

In a cross-sectional research conducted during the Nigerian National Blindeness and Visual Impairment Survey ,it was concluded that about 10% of Nigerians aged 40 years and above with diabetes may have sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy, underscoring the urgent need for improved diabetes screening, early diagnosis, and integrated eye-care services.[4]

Hypertension (HTN) is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) globally.[6] The burden of the disease is particularly high in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Nigeria, where the prevalence of hypertension continues to rise amid low levels of awareness, inadequate treatment, and poor blood pressure control compared with high-income countries.[7] Alarmingly, it is estimated that nearly 46% of adults living with hypertension are unaware of their condition.[8] If left undiagnosed or poorly controlled, hypertension can damage blood vessels and vital organs throughout the body, leading to serious complications such as heart attack, stroke, heart failure, kidney disease, vision loss, sexual dysfunction, and atherosclerosis.[9] In Nigeria, hypertension is the most commonly diagnosed cardiovascular risk factor, and its complications account for about 25% of emergency admissions in urban hospitals.[10] A report shows that one out four Nigerian is hypertensive,which makes hypertension a major contributor to Cardiovascular disease (CVD) related death in the country due to unawareness.[11]

A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional survey, whose aim was to determine the level of awareness and prevalence of hypertensive retinopathy amongst 381 hypertensive patients(aged 40 and above) across 21 healthcare facilities in a southeastern state of Nigeria shows 83.2% prevalence ,20.7% were aware while 79.3% were unaware of hypertensive retinopathy.[12]

Ocular manifestations of non-communicable diseases in Rwanda

  1. ↑ Professor C.O. Onyebuchi, Chukwu (2013). "National Policy and Strategic Plan of Action on Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)" (PDF). ICCP Portal: 1–135.
  2. 1 2 Guariguata, L.; Whiting, D. R.; Hambleton, I.; Beagley, J.; Linnenkamp, U.; Shaw, J. E. (February 2014). "Global estimates of diabetes prevalence for 2013 and projections for 2035". Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice. 103 (2): 137–149. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2013.11.002. ISSN 1872-8227. PMID 24630390.
  3. ↑ Yau, Joanne W. Y.; Rogers, Sophie L.; Kawasaki, Ryo; Lamoureux, Ecosse L.; Kowalski, Jonathan W.; Bek, Toke; Chen, Shih-Jen; Dekker, Jacqueline M.; Fletcher, Astrid; Grauslund, Jakob; Haffner, Steven; Hamman, Richard F.; Ikram, M. Kamran; Kayama, Takamasa; Klein, Barbara E. K. (March 2012). "Global prevalence and major risk factors of diabetic retinopathy". Diabetes Care. 35 (3): 556–564. doi:10.2337/dc11-1909. ISSN 1935-5548. PMC 3322721. PMID 22301125.
  4. 1 2 Kyari, Fatima; Tafida, Abubakar; Sivasubramaniam, Selvaraj; Murthy, Gudlavalleti V. S.; Peto, Tunde; Gilbert, Clare E.; Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Study Group (2014-12-18). "Prevalence and risk factors for diabetes and diabetic retinopathy: results from the Nigeria national blindness and visual impairment survey". BMC Public Health. 14 1299. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-1299. ISSN 1471-2458. PMC 4301086. PMID 25523434.
  5. ↑ Nyenwe, Ebenezer A., et al. "Type 2 diabetes in adult Nigerians: a study of its prevalence and risk factors in Port Harcourt, Nigeria." Diabetes research and clinical practice 62.3 (2003): 177-185.
  6. ↑ Danaei, Goodarz; Finucane, Mariel M.; Lin, John K.; Singh, Gitanjali M.; Paciorek, Christopher J.; Cowan, Melanie J.; Farzadfar, Farshad; Stevens, Gretchen A.; Lim, Stephen S.; Riley, Leanne M.; Ezzati, Majid; Global Burden of Metabolic Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases Collaborating Group (Blood Pressure) (2011-02-12). "National, regional, and global trends in systolic blood pressure since 1980: systematic analysis of health examination surveys and epidemiological studies with 786 country-years and 5·4 million participants". Lancet (London, England). 377 (9765): 568–577. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62036-3. ISSN 1474-547X. PMID 21295844.
  7. ↑ "A global brief on hypertension : silent killer, global public health crisis: World Health Day 2013". www.who.int. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
  8. ↑ "World Hypertension Day 2024: Measure Your Blood Pressure Accurately, Control It, Live Longer". www.who.int. Retrieved 2026-06-25.
  9. ↑ American heart association. Health Threats from High Blood Pressure. 2024. www.heart.org
  10. ↑ Ekere AU, Yellowe BE, Umune S. Mortality patterns in the accident and emergency department of an urban hospital in Nigeria. Niger J Clin Pract. 2005; 8: 14‐18
  11. ↑ Ogah OS, Okpechi I, Chukwuonye II, et al. Blood pressure, prevalence of hypertension and hypertension related complications in Nigerian Africans: a review. World J Cardiol. 2012; 4: 327‐340
  12. ↑ Jideuma Eqwim. "Prevalence, Awareness and Risk Factors for Hypertension in Adults Attending a Tertiary Hospital in South-East Nigeria". ResearchGate.