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Abstract Background and Aim Goiter is a major source of morbidity in the world, especially in the developing world, where dietary iodine deficiency, a known cause of this condition, is endemic. The diagnosis is mostly by ultrasonography (USG) scan, which can give anatomical, pathological, and functional information for the management of goiter. This study aimed to determine the commonest ultrasound findings of goiter in Ghana. Method The records of all 213 patients with goiter diagnosed by USG scan over a 5‐year period were retrieved. Data collected were sociodemographics, ultrasound features, thyroid nodules diameter, and Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI‐RADS) scores, which were analyzed using GNU PSPP, version 1.2.0‐3. χ2 and two‐tailed independent samples t‐test were also employed, with p ≤ 0.05. Results A total of 213 patients with goiter diagnosed by USG scan were obtained over the study period. The mean age of the participants was 50.01 ± 17.27 years, with an age range of 16−92 years and females constituting the majority (82.16%). The commonest ultrasound features were well‐defined solid nodules. The lesion sites for most patients were the whole thyroid (28.17%), both lobes (24.41%), and the right lobe (20.19%). The mean difference in sizes of cysts and solid nodules among genders was 0.26 (CI: −0.14 to 0.67, p = 0.20) and 0.12 (CI: −0.43 to 0.66, p = 0.67), respectively. The TI‐RADS score featured TI‐RADS 4 (36.62%), TI‐RADS 1 (28.17%), TI‐RADS 3 (25.82%), TI‐RADS 5 (5.16%), and TI‐RADS 2 (4.23%). Solid nodules (49.32%, p = 0.001) and cysts (35.71%, p = 0.003) were more common within 41−60 years and less frequent in those

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a global health concern, especially for low and middle-income countries with limited resources and information. The study's objective was to assess the prevalence of MetS in Freetown, Sierra Leone, using the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III), International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and Harmonize ATP III. Additionally, we aimed to establish the concordance between these three different criteria used. Methods: This community-based health screening survey was conducted from October 2019 to October 2022. A multistage stratified random design was used to select adults aged 20 years and above. Mean, interquartile range (IQR), and logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. The kappa coefficient statistics resolved the agreement between these defined criteria. Results: The prevalence for NCEP ATP III, Harmonize ATP III and IDF criteria was 11.8 % (95 % CI: 9.0–15.15), 14.3 % (95 % CI: 11.3–18.0), and 8.5 % (95 % CI: 6.2–11.2), respectively for the 2394 selected adults. The kappa coefficient (κ) agreement between the MetS is: Harmonized ATP III and IDF criteria = [(208 (60.8 %); (κ = 0.62)]; Harmonized ATP III and NCEP ATP III = [(201 (58.7 %); (κ = 0.71)]; while IDF and NCEP ATP III was [(132 (38.6 %); (κ = 0.52)]. In the multivariable regression analysis, waist circumference correlated with all three MetS criteria: ATP III [AOR = 0.85; C.I 95 %: (0.40–1.78), p = 0.032], Harmonized ATP III [AOR = 1.14; C.I 95 %: (0.62–2.11), p = 0.024], IDF [AOR = 1.06; C.I 95 % (0.52–2.16), p = 0.018] Conclusion: We reported a high prevalence of MetS in Freetown, Sierra Leone and identified waist circumference as a major risk factor for MetS. This underscores the crucial role of health education and effective management of MetS in Sierra Leone.

Objective To investigate the prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs), target organ damage (TOD) and its associated factors among adults in Freetown, Sierra Leone.Design This community-based cross-sectional study used a stratified multistage random sampling method to recruit adult participants.Setting The health screening study was conducted between October 2019 and October 2021 in Western Area Urban, Sierra Leone.Participants A total of 2394 adult Sierra Leoneans aged 20 years or older were enrolled.Outcome measure Anthropometric data, fasting lipid profiles, fasting plasma glucose, TOD, clinical profiles and demographic characteristics of participants were described. The cardiometabolic risks were further related to TOD.Results The prevalence of known CMRFs was 35.3% for hypertension, 8.3% for diabetes mellitus, 21.1% for dyslipidaemia, 10.0% for obesity, 13.4% for smoking and 37.9% for alcohol. Additionally, 16.1% had left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) by ECG, 14.2% had LVH by two-dimensional echo and 11.4% had chronic kidney disease (CKD). The odds of developing ECG-LVH were higher with diabetes (OR=1.255, 95% CI (0.822 to 1.916) and dyslipidaemia (OR=1.449, 95% CI (0.834 to 2.518). Associated factors for higher odds of Left Ventricular Mass Index by echo were dyslipidaemia (OR=1.844, 95% CI (1.006 to 3.380)) and diabetes mellitus (OR=1.176, 95% CI (0.759 to 1.823)). The odds of having CKD were associated with diabetes mellitus (OR=1.212, 95% CI (0.741 to 1.983)) and hypertension (OR=1.163, 95% CI (0.887 to 1.525)). A low optimal cut-off point for ECG-LVH (male 24.5 mm vs female 27.5 mm) was required to maximise sensitivity and specificity by a receiver operating characteristics curve since the odds for LVH by ECG were low.Conclusions This study provides novel data-driven information on the burden of CMRF and its association with preclinical TOD in a resource-limited setting. It illustrates the need for interventions in improving cardiometabolic health screening and management in Sierra Leonean.