Metabolic syndrome and body shape predict differences in health parameters in farm working women.

Background: Sufficient evidence associate body shape to detrimental lifestyle diseases including the metabolic syndrome (MetS). The prevalence of the MetS, as well as effects of the MetS and body shape on body composition, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), C-reactive protein (CRP) and sex hormone parameters were investigated in a female farm worker population in the Western Cape.

Methods: Women between the ages of 20-60 years were classified according to the International Diabetes Federation's definition of the MetS.

The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in a farm worker community in the Boland district, South Africa.

Background: In South Africa, not much is known about MetS in farm working communities. This study aimed to describe the prevalence of the MetS in a farm working population from the Boland winelands district of the Western Cape, South Africa.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was followed among farm workers (aged 20-60 years) from surrounding wine estates.

Coacervate Delivery of Growth Factors Combined with a Degradable Hydrogel Preserves Heart Function after Myocardial Infarction.

Regenerative therapies to improve prognosis after heart attack and mitigate the onset of heart failure are urgently needed. To this end, we developed a bioactive therapy of sustained release of the morphogen Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) from a coacervate delivery vehicle. This is combined with a structural therapy consisting of a biodegradable polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel, harnessing the benefits of both components.

Distinct gender differences in anthropometric profiles of a peri-urban South African HIV population: a cross sectional study.

Background: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has extended life expectancy and enhanced the well-being of HIV-positive individuals. Since there are concerns regarding HAART-mediated onset of cardio-metabolic diseases in the long-term, we evaluated the anthropometric profile of black HIV-infected individuals in a peri-urban setting (Western Cape, South Africa).

Methods: A cross sectional study design was followed to describe the gender differences in different HAART treatment groups.

The inflammatory response to skeletal muscle injury: illuminating complexities.

Injury of skeletal muscle, and especially mechanically induced damage such as contusion injury, frequently occurs in contact sports, as well as in accidental contact sports, such as hockey and squash. The large variations with regard to injury severity and affected muscle group, as well as non-specificity of reported symptoms, complicate research aimed at finding suitable treatments. Therefore, in order to increase the chances of finding a successful treatment, it is important to understand the underlying mechanisms inherent to this type of skeletal muscle injury and the cellular processes involved in muscle healing following a contusion injury.

Dietary red palm oil reduces ischaemia-reperfusion injury in rats fed a hypercholesterolaemic diet.

We have previously shown that dietary red palm oil (RPO) supplementation improves functional recovery in hearts subjected to ischaemia-reperfusion. However, little knowledge exists concerning the effects of RPO supplementation of a high-cholesterol diet on ischaemia-reperfusion injury. The signalling mechanisms responsible for RPO's effects in the presence of cholesterol also remain to be elucidated.