The purpose of this study was to determine the role of body composition and fat distribution on C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6); determine the differences in CRP and IL-6 among HT users and non-users; determine the effect of 12-months of resistance training and resulting body composition changes on IL-6 and CRP; determine the relationship between BMD and IL-6, CRP and creatine kinase (CK). Sedentary women (N=208, age 44-66, 3-10 years postmenopausal) taking HT (N=106) or not taking HT (N=102) were randomly assigned to resistance training: HTexercise (N=55), HT-no exercise (N=45), no HT-exercise (N=53), and no HT-no exercise (N=49). The program included three weekly 60-75 minute sessions of 8 exercises performed in 2 sets of 6-8 repetitions at 70-80% of 1RM. Total fat mass (TFM), lean soft tissue mass (LSTM) and BMD were assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Abdominal fat mass (AFM) was assessed using DXA region of interest. For each subject, baseline and 1- year IL-6, CRP and CK were measured. High TFM, high IL-6 and HT use were independently associated with high CRP levels. A stronger relationship between IL-6 and AFM compared to TFM was found in HT users. High TFM and LSTM were significantly related to higher IL-6 levels. A stronger relationship between CRP and AFM compared to TFM was found in HT non-users. CRP was higher in HT users (5.47±5.40 mg/L) compared to non-users (2.70±3.05 mg/L) and was higher in oral (5.76±5.29 mg/L opposed; 6.14±5.97 mg/L unopposed) compared to transdermal HT users (2.65±4.44 mg/L). CRP increased slightly (p=0.077) in exercisers (0.54 ± 0.34 mg/L) not taking HT compared to controls (-0.39 ± 0.35 mg/L). Reductions in TFM were associated with reductions in IL-6 and CRP in HT users. CK was positively associated to all BMD sites at baseline. IL-6 change was positively associated with change in femur neck BMD. CRP change was inversely correlated with change in lumbar spine BMD. CK change was directly related to change in total body and femur trochanter BMD. In conclusion, reductions in TFM were accompanied by reductions in IL-6 and CRP; AFM was more strongly correlated with inflammation than TFM; 12-months of resistance training did not decrease IL-6 or CRP; IL-6 and CK were positively related to BMD, and CRP was inversely associated with BMD.

The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically in the past decade. This foreshadows an increase in the rates of morbidity and mortality from obesity related diseases. The high prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is a problem throughout the world as well as in South Africa The process of urbanisation of Africans from rural to urban areas is exposing the African population to Western lifestyles, with an increase in the incidence of CHD being reported. Research is more frequently proposing that obesity may be seen as a factor linking elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and atherosclerosis. CRP is an acute phase reactant and a sensitive marker for acute and chronic inflammation of diverse causes. This poses the question of whether the increased risk of diabetes, CHD and many other chronic diseases in the obese might be explained by a state of chronic systemic inflammation. The purpose of this study was, therefore, firstly to determine whether there is an association between CRP concentrations and body composition in 19 to 60 year old black women. Partial Pearson correlations coefficients were used to determine associations between CRP and several body composition variables. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, percentage body fat and waist-hip-ratio (WHR) were all significantly correlated with CRP throughout the anthropometric spectrum. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a Games-Howell post hoc test was done to determine statistically significant differences among the different categories within each of the body composition variables. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found within the categories of all the measured body composition variables, except for the various WHR categories. During a signal detection analysis, BMI was identified as the best predictor of increased CRP concentrations at a cut-off point of 27.68 kg/m2. The second purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of CRP to traditional cardiovascular risk factors in the study's population sample of 19 to 60 year old black women. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyse log-normalized CRP concentrations as the dependent variable in relation to several variables which form part of the traditional risk factors for CHD. All of the variables were significantly correlated with CRP at the level of p ≤ 0.05, except for total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. BMI, percentage body fat and fibrinogen levels were associated with InCRP at a practically significant level of r ≥ 0.5. BMI and fibrinogen were also found to be independently associated with InCRP with p ≤ 0.05 during a forward stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. Within this study's population sample, it was found that those women who presented with six traditional risk factors had a three to five-fold increase in CRF' concentrations compared to women with three or less risk factors. Further research is required to determine appropriate intervention programmes which could prevent or reduce the incidence of CHD among the obese by means of weight-loss, therefore, potentially lowering elevated CRP concentrations. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

No description available.

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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri / mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin / mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri / mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin / mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman" / mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi / mso-ansi-language:EN-US / mso-fareast-language:EN-US / } </style> <![endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB">Background</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: Malnutrition is a risk factor for the development of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and may be responsible for the premature deaths of patients with active disease. An adequate nutritional status may therefore be protective in delaying the onset from latent infection to active disease. In South Africa, very little data is available on the nutritional status of adults who present with tuberculosis. This study therefore aims to compare the nutritional status of newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients with TB-free controls.</span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB">Study population &amp / Design</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: This is a community based case-control study. Forty-three newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients were recruited as cases and matched according to age, gender and race to 43 TB-free close contacts. HIV positive subjects were excluded from the study.</span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB">Methods</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: Each participant was interviewed and completed a structured questionnaire to obtain demographic information. Weight was measured to the nearest 0.1kg and height to the nearest 1mm. A 24-hr dietary recall method was used to obtain dietary information. Biochemical analysis was carried out to measure&nbsp / concentrations of transferrin, albumin, CRP, ferritin, zinc, copper, vitamin A and E.</span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB">Results</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: The median Body Mass Index (BMI) for cases was 18.80kg/m&sup2 / (IQR 14.35, 32.11) and TB-free contacts 21.17 kg/m&sup2 / (IQR 16.75, 34.98) with a significant difference between the groups of p=0.001. There was significant difference in weight (p=0.002) and MUAC (p=0.000) between groups. No significant difference in dietary intake of energy (KJ) (p=0.695), protein (p=0.804), CHO (p=0.801) and fat ( p=0.796) was found between groups. There was a statistically significant increase in ferritin (p=0.000) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (p=0.000) in TB patients, while albumin (p=0.000), serum zinc (p=0.000) and serum vitamin A (p=0.000) were statistically significantly lower among cases.</span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB">Conclusion</span></b><span lang="EN-GB">: There was no significant difference in the macronutrient intake of TB cases and TB-free contacts, although a significant difference was seen in BMI, MUAC and weight between groups, with all these parameters being lower in TB patients. Ferritin and CRP levels were markedly increased in TB cases while serum zinc, vitamin A and albumin are all significantly lower in&nbsp / TB patients than TB free contacts.</span> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB">&nbsp / </span></b></p> <p>&nbsp / </p>

The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically in the past decade. This foreshadows an increase in the rates of morbidity and mortality from obesity related diseases. The high prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) is a problem throughout the world as well as in South Africa The process of urbanisation of Africans from rural to urban areas is exposing the African population to Western lifestyles, with an increase in the incidence of CHD being reported. Research is more frequently proposing that obesity may be seen as a factor linking elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations and atherosclerosis. CRP is an acute phase reactant and a sensitive marker for acute and chronic inflammation of diverse causes. This poses the question of whether the increased risk of diabetes, CHD and many other chronic diseases in the obese might be explained by a state of chronic systemic inflammation. The purpose of this study was, therefore, firstly to determine whether there is an association between CRP concentrations and body composition in 19 to 60 year old black women. Partial Pearson correlations coefficients were used to determine associations between CRP and several body composition variables. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, percentage body fat and waist-hip-ratio (WHR) were all significantly correlated with CRP throughout the anthropometric spectrum. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a Games-Howell post hoc test was done to determine statistically significant differences among the different categories within each of the body composition variables. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found within the categories of all the measured body composition variables, except for the various WHR categories. During a signal detection analysis, BMI was identified as the best predictor of increased CRP concentrations at a cut-off point of 27.68 kg/m2. The second purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of CRP to traditional cardiovascular risk factors in the study's population sample of 19 to 60 year old black women. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to analyse log-normalized CRP concentrations as the dependent variable in relation to several variables which form part of the traditional risk factors for CHD. All of the variables were significantly correlated with CRP at the level of p ≤ 0.05, except for total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. BMI, percentage body fat and fibrinogen levels were associated with InCRP at a practically significant level of r ≥ 0.5. BMI and fibrinogen were also found to be independently associated with InCRP with p ≤ 0.05 during a forward stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. Within this study's population sample, it was found that those women who presented with six traditional risk factors had a three to five-fold increase in CRF' concentrations compared to women with three or less risk factors. Further research is required to determine appropriate intervention programmes which could prevent or reduce the incidence of CHD among the obese by means of weight-loss, therefore, potentially lowering elevated CRP concentrations. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Human Movement Science))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Obesity is currently the most common and costly nutritional problem in developed countries and ten percent of the world's school-aged children are estimated to be overweight to some extent. Low-grade systemic inflammation is increasingly emerging as a significant component of the metabolic syndrome. Youth in lower income families are particularly vulnerable because of poor diet and limited opportunities for physical activity. In developing countries obesity among youth is rising among the urban poor, possibly due to their exposure to Westernised diets coinciding with a history of under-nutrition. The aim of this study was to assess the association between serum CRP and physical activity and to assess the association between serum CRP and body composition in black high-school children from a township in the North West Province (NWP), South Africa. Methods and results: The study group consisted of 193 school children between the ages 13 to 18 years (78 boys and 115 girls) residing in lkageng, the township outside of Potchefstroom in the North West Province, South Africa. Children were from a black ethnic group, living in a poor socioeconomic setting. Demographic and body composition measurements were taken and fasting blood samples were drawn for serum C-reactive protein (CRP) measurements. The difference between serum CRP of overfat versus girls with a normal fat percentage was non-significant (p = 0.46). Boys with body fat percentage >20% (n=16) had .a mean serum CRP of 1.42 2.16 mg/L and for boys with a normal fat percentage (n=53) mean serum CRP was 0.89 k 1.62 mg/L. The Mann-Whitney U-test for the difference between mean CRP of the two groups of boys was Z=1.39, p=0.16 (no significant difference), but with a trend of higher serum CRP concentration in the boys with higher % body fat. For the boys, the only positive partial correlation was between serum CRP and triceps skinfold (r=0.327, p=0.045). In the girls' group no statistically significant partial correlations were found between CRP and body composition variables. There was no significant difference between serum CRP concentrations of the three physical activity categories of girls. Interestingly, there was an inverse correlation between percentage body fat and fitness in the boys' group (r=-0.509 and p= 0.008). The difference in log CRP between activity groups showed a trend of lower serum CRP with higher physical activity in the girls. Conclusion: This study showed no statistically significant associations between serum CRP and body composition, except for the positive correlation between triceps skin fold and serum CRP in boys, or CRP and physical activity, but clear trends were noted of an inverse association between CRP and physical activity in the girls. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Nutrition))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Motivation: Ischemic heart disease is the eighth leading cause of death in an African population. Silent ischemia can be defined as an ischemic episode without associated pain. The clinical significance of silent ischemia is growing and can now be considered as a risk factor in the development of coronary disease. Hypertension and associated risk factors, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes are associated with silent ischemia. Other factors such as higher pulse pressure, double product, heart rate and higher carotid intima-media thickness are also associated with silent ischemia. Urbanisation is rising in South-Africa. This new lifestyle is associated with several risk factors including: poor diets, lower physical activity levels, hypertension and increased smoking and alcohol abuse. The prevalence of stroke is high among Africans, which can be due to a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between silent ischemia and cardiovascular function in African men. The focus fell on hypertension and associated risk factors, higher total cholesterol levels, and increased pulse pressure, heart rate and sub-clinical atherosclerosis. vi Methodology: This study constituted a population study in the North-West province carried out on urbanized African male teachers aged between 20-60 years. The SABPA (Sympathetic activity and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Africans) sub-study consisted of a total of 80 African male volunteers. The Cardiotens apparatus was placed on each participant on the first morning. This apparatus took ambulatory blood pressure measurements as well as Electrocardiogram measurements. Hereafter, participants continued with their normal work day until 1700. After an overnight stay at the Metabolic unit of the North-West University Potchefstroom campus, the apparatus was removed at 0600. During statistical analyses, the African males were divided into groups of participants with silent ischemia (SI) and those without silent ischemia (nSI), as determined by the ambulatory electrocardiogram. Statistical analyses were performed by means of the Statistica version 10 software program. Results: In comparison with the nSI men, the SI showed the following: above normal high sensitivity C-reactive protein and glucose, higher ambulatory blood pressure, heart rate, pulse pressure, resting ST-segment depression and carotid intima-media thickness. Multiple regression analyses indicated that ambulatory silent ischemia is associated with sub-clinical atherosclerosis, possibly increasing their stroke risk. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Physiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Motivation: Ischemic heart disease is the eighth leading cause of death in an African population. Silent ischemia can be defined as an ischemic episode without associated pain. The clinical significance of silent ischemia is growing and can now be considered as a risk factor in the development of coronary disease. Hypertension and associated risk factors, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes are associated with silent ischemia. Other factors such as higher pulse pressure, double product, heart rate and higher carotid intima-media thickness are also associated with silent ischemia. Urbanisation is rising in South-Africa. This new lifestyle is associated with several risk factors including: poor diets, lower physical activity levels, hypertension and increased smoking and alcohol abuse. The prevalence of stroke is high among Africans, which can be due to a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes and obesity. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the associations between silent ischemia and cardiovascular function in African men. The focus fell on hypertension and associated risk factors, higher total cholesterol levels, and increased pulse pressure, heart rate and sub-clinical atherosclerosis. vi Methodology: This study constituted a population study in the North-West province carried out on urbanized African male teachers aged between 20-60 years. The SABPA (Sympathetic activity and Ambulatory Blood Pressure in Africans) sub-study consisted of a total of 80 African male volunteers. The Cardiotens apparatus was placed on each participant on the first morning. This apparatus took ambulatory blood pressure measurements as well as Electrocardiogram measurements. Hereafter, participants continued with their normal work day until 1700. After an overnight stay at the Metabolic unit of the North-West University Potchefstroom campus, the apparatus was removed at 0600. During statistical analyses, the African males were divided into groups of participants with silent ischemia (SI) and those without silent ischemia (nSI), as determined by the ambulatory electrocardiogram. Statistical analyses were performed by means of the Statistica version 10 software program. Results: In comparison with the nSI men, the SI showed the following: above normal high sensitivity C-reactive protein and glucose, higher ambulatory blood pressure, heart rate, pulse pressure, resting ST-segment depression and carotid intima-media thickness. Multiple regression analyses indicated that ambulatory silent ischemia is associated with sub-clinical atherosclerosis, possibly increasing their stroke risk. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Physiology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Thesis (M.S.)--Springfield College, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.S.)--Springfield College, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-164).