Hepato-renal function assessments in apparently healthy undergraduate students of Edo State University Uzairue: A Pilot study

The prevalence rates of chronic hepatic and renal diseases are increasing globally. Unhealthy lifestyle is a major contributor to the increasing prevalence rates. Due to the asymptomatic nature of these diseases at the early stages, diagnosis is not made early. Most studies have focused on study participants already diagnosed of these diseases; it is therefore imperative to carry out this study on apparently healthy undergraduate students who were predominantly adolescents with the view to identifying individuals at risk of these diseases. Fifty apparently healthy undergraduate students of Edo State University Uzairue, Edo State, consisting of 24 males and 26 females were randomly recruited into this cross-sectional study. They were between 16 and 25 years old. Anthropometric indices of each study participants including body weight, height, waist and hip circumferences were determined using standard procedures, while BMI was calculated. Blood and pulse pressures were also determined using automatic blood pressure monitor. Plasma obtained from 5 millilitres of fasting venous blood was used for the determination of creatinine, uric acid, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). These biochemical parameters were also determined in 5 millilitres of fasting spot urine sample obtained from each participant. Student’s t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for comparison and association of variables, respectively and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Body height and plasma creatinine of participants were significantly higher in males compared with the females, whereas urinary uric acid was significantly higher in females compared with the males. In females, there was a positive association between diastolic blood pressure and body weight. While in males, diastolic blood pressure correlated positively with hip circumference. The differences in the body height, plasma creatinine and plasma uric acid in the study participants appears physiological. The non-statistically significant differences in the other variables could be attributed to the apparently healthy state of the study participants.