Early Cardiometabolic Responses to Pharmacological Therapy in Patients with Metabolic Syndrome in Rural Southern Nigeria: A Prospective Observational Study

Abstract

Background: Metabolic syndrome is a major public health concern because the clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors, particularly hypertension and impaired glucose metabolism, substantially increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Aim: This study evaluated early clinical and biochemical responses to pharmacological therapy among patients with metabolic syndrome receiving routine care at a tertiary hospital serving rural communities in Southern Nigeria. Methods: Seventy-five patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome using the Joint Interim Statement criteria were enrolled in this prospective observational study. Baseline fasting blood glucose and blood pressure were measured before pharmacological therapy was started, and follow-up measurements were recorded after four weeks of treatment. Antihypertensive and hypoglycaemic medications were prescribed according to routine clinical practice and physician discretion. Results: Systolic and diastolic blood pressure fell significantly after treatment (p < 0.001), and fasting blood glucose also declined significantly over the four-week follow-up period (p < 0.001). A proportion of patients achieved good control of blood pressure and glycaemia during follow-up. Outcomes varied across individual drug regimens, but differences between regimens were not consistently statistically significant, and the small subgroup sizes limit comparisons between regimens. Conclusion: These findings indicate that pharmacological treatment was associated with measurable short-term improvements in cardiometabolic parameters among patients with metabolic syndrome in this resource-limited setting. Because the study had no control group and treatment was physician-directed, the results describe associations rather than the causal efficacy of specific drugs.