Abstract

Fifty (50) Non-diabetic Hypertensive Patients in the medical out-patient (MOP) department of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku Ozalla, Enugu, Nigeria aged 40-78 years comprising 25 males and 25 females were investigated. Also fifty age and sex-matched apparently healthy subjects served as the control group. The following variables were determined using standard methods: prothrombin Time, Activated partial Thromboplastin Time, Fibrinogen Assay, platelet Count, Fasting Blood Glucose, sodium ion, Potassium ion, Chloride ion, Bicarbonate ion, urea, creatinine, Alkaline phosphatase, Total Bilirubin, conjugated Bilirubin, SGOT and SGPT. When Hypertensive test results were compared with the control group, there was significant increase in prothrombin time, fibrinogen concentration, GOT, Direct Bilirubin and urea while Bicarbonate and creatinine were significantly decreased. APTT and platelet count did not show any difference with their mean control values. Also, Fibrinogen concentration revealed significant increase of P < 0.05 when mean male control values were compared with the male subjects. In addition, when the mean values of the male and female subjects were compared, all the coagulation variables (prothrombin time, APTT, Fibrinogen concentration and platelet count) revealed no significant difference. Furthermore, prothrombin time and fibrinogen concentration showed significant increases when the female subjects were compared with the female control while APTT and platelet count did not show any difference. In general, there was significant increase in prothrombin time, Fibrinogen concentration, GOT, Direct Bilirubin and Urea while bicarbonate and creatinine were significantly decreased when Hypertensive subjects were compared with the control group strongly suggesting that Hypertension may have an effect on these variables. In conclusion, the research findings show that hypertension appeared to induce hyperfibrinogenaemia and also increased the prothrombin time in the non-diabetic hypertensive patients recruited for this study