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Background: Genetic modifications in the renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) have been suggested to play a key role in the pathophysiology of hypertension. The insertion/deletion polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene phenomenon and its relationship with essential hypertension has not been explored within the Ghanaian population. This study aims to determine the relationship between the ACE I/D polymorphism and the risk of essential hypertension among patients seeking medical attention. Methods: This case-control study was conducted at the Tamale Central Hospital in Ghana. A total of 144 study participants comprising 72 hypertensive patients and 72 normotensive individuals were recruited from May to July 2022. The modified WHO step questionnaire for chronic diseases was used to collect ACE concentrations and electrolytes were estimated and molecular testing conducted using to identify genotypes. To compare continuous variables between two groups and among multiple groups, the Student's t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used respectively. Genotype and allele frequencies were determined through direct counts, while differences in the distribution of alleles and genotypes between groups were estimated using chi-squared test. Results: The distribution of DD genotype and D allele respectively was 26.4% and 54% in hypertensives and 50% and 72% in normotensives. DD genotype significantly increased the risk of hypertension after adjusting for age and BMI (aOR = 8.52, 95% C.I = 1.22–59.6). In the recessive model, the risk of hypertension increased four times in subjects with the DD genotype (aOR = 4.09, 95% CI = 1.28–13.05). ACE levels were significantly elevated among hypertensives compared to controls, but did not significantly differ between the DD genotype and II+ID genotypes among hypertensives and normotensive subjects. Conclusion: The study shows that the presence of the DD genotype is strongly associated with an increased risk of hypertension in the Ghanaian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection of X‐ or Y‐bearing spermatozoa during fertilization may depend on maternal circulating sex hormones. The zona pellucida of the developing oocyte is adapted to be selective for the Y‐bearing spermatozoa when maternal circulating androgens are relatively high. This study sought to determine whether maternal postpartum testosterone and estradiol can retrospectively predict the offspring sex at birth. The study was cross‐sectional from December 2020 to April 2021 at the Reproductive and Child Health unit in Tamale. The participants were part of a previous study and comprised 178 mother–offspring dyads (mother–daughter = 90, mother–son = 88). The mothers were between the ages of 18 and 35 years and had a median (interquartile range‐IQR) postpartum interval of 111 (60–187) days. A single venous blood sample was drawn from the mothers between 8.00 am and 12.00 pm local time on each day to reduce diurnal variation. Postpartum serum estradiol, testosterone, and sex hormone‐binding globulin were assayed using the ELISA technique. The serum total testosterone and the testosterone‐to‐estradiol ratio (TT: E2) were higher in mothers with sons while estradiol was higher in mothers with daughters (p < 0.050). The total testosterone and TT: E2 did not markedly differ by their area under the curve (AUC: 0.91 and 0.99, respectively) but both were higher than the AUC of estradiol (0.72). The Sensitivity was 97.7%, 97.7%, and 94.5% and specificity, 88.9%, 40.0%, and 95.5% at cutoff points of >1.659 nmol/L, ≤141.862 pmol/L, and > 31.5, respectively for total testosterone, estradiol, and TT: E2. The maternal testosterone‐to‐estradiol ratio may be more predictive of offspring sex at birth than either testosterone or estradiol alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]