Morbidity pattern in a sample of elderly Nigerians resident in Idikan community, Ibadan

We documented the pattern of medical illnesses in 613 elderly Nigerians (398 females and 215 males) resident in Idikan community in Ibadan city. Their ages ranged from 65 to 110 years with a mean of 76.2 years. Medical disorders diagnosed either singly or in combinations were diagnosed in 364 (59.4%) subjects and there was no gender association. Cardiovascular problems were the commonest and high blood pressure (27.8%) was the most frequent diagnosis. Only 5 of the hypertensive subjects were aware of that diagnosis and were on regular medications. The complications presented with included heart failure and stroke. Visual impairment (12.1%) mainly due to cataracts and osteoarthritis (6.7%) in that order were next in frequency. The most frequent neurological disorders were hearing impairment and movement disorders. The other conditions encountered were similar to the findings in previous studies in this environment, and the usual findings in studies focusing on this age-group in other countries. The presence of morbidity was significantly associated with increasing age and poor performance on screening. The latter increased the probability of being selected for clinical examination with detection of medical problems or could suggest associated cognitive impairment. The prevalence of systemic hypertension was not different from findings in other communities in people of similar age groups. This study emphasises the role of hypertension as a major cause of morbidity in this community and stresses the need for increased health awareness especially with regards to regular checking of blood pressure so as to avoid complications.