Socio-Economic Inequalities in Access to Drinking Water among Inhabitants of Informal Settlements in South Africa.

While evidence from several developing countries suggests the existence of socio-economic inequalities in the access to safe drinking water, a limited number of studies have been conducted on this topic in informal settlements. This study assessed socio-economic inequalities in the use of drinking water among inhabitants of informal settlements in South Africa. The study used data from "The baseline study for future impact evaluation for informal settlements targeted for upgrading in South Africa.

Sex differences in cardiometabolic risk factors, pharmacological treatment and risk factor control in type 2 diabetes: findings from the Dutch Diabetes Pearl cohort.

Introduction: Sex differences in cardiometabolic risk factors and their management in type 2 diabetes (T2D) have not been fully identified. Therefore, we aimed to examine differences in cardiometabolic risk factor levels, pharmacological treatment and achievement of risk factor control between women and men with T2D.

Research Design And Methods: Cross-sectional data from the Dutch Diabetes Pearl cohort were used (n=6637, 40% women).

Trajectory of body mass and skeletal muscle indices and disease progression in metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

Background: Knowledge of the evolution of BMI and skeletal muscle index (SMI) measurements during advanced cancer and their relationships with disease progression (PD) is relevant to improve the timing of interventions that may improve cachexia-associated outcomes.

Objectives: We investigated BMI and SMI trajectories and their associations with PD in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients during consecutive palliative systemic regimens.

Methods: In a secondary analysis of the primary CAIRO3 trial, we included 533 mCRC patients with BMI measurements repeated every 3 wk and 95 randomly selected patients with SMI measurements repeated every 9 wk.

Factors Contributing to Cancer-Related Muscle Wasting During First-Line Systemic Treatment for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Background: Increasing evidence indicates that loss of muscle mass is associated with adverse outcomes in metastatic colorectal cancer. Here, we investigate which demographic, lifestyle- (smoking), tumor-, and treatment-related factors are associated with muscle loss in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer during first-line palliative systemic treatment.

Methods: Data from 300 patients with computed tomography scans both at start and after six initial cycles of capecitabine plus oxaliplatin and bevacizumab was used (CAIRO3).