Metabolic Syndrome among Ischaemic Stroke Patients in Ghana: The Possible Role of Renin and Aldosterone

Background: Both metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) and the Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System (RAAS) are predictors of adverse outcomes in stroke patients. This study aimed at evaluating the association between RAAS and MetSyn among ischaemic stroke subjects in a tertiary hospital of Ghana from September 2015 to June 2016. Methodology: The study purposively recruited 252 Ghanaians comprising 132 ischaemic stroke patients and 120 apparently healthy control subjects. The participants were subjected to measurements of plasma renin, serum aldosterone, lipid profile, anthropometries and blood pressure. Results: MetSyn prevalence among the stroke subjects compared to the controls were 50.0% vs 8.3% (NCEP/ATP III), 71.2% vs 9.2 (IDF) and 71.2% vs 6.7% (H_MS). Both renin and aldosterone were significantly (p 3) aldosterone (aOR = 2.7, p = 0.008), obesity (aOR = 11.7, p = 0.004) and high triglyceride (aOR = 5.3, p p = 0.742) were independently associated with increasing odds of metabolic syndrome. Moreover, there was a significant (p p