African health sciences
-
African health sciences · Mar 2013
Seasonal disease activity and serum vitamin D levels in rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and osteoarthritis.
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone that plays essential roles in calcium and phosphorus metabolism, bone formation and mineralization homeostasis, also has a role in the maintenance of immune-homeostasis. ⋯ These results suggest that vitamin D does not have an important role in the seasonal disease activity of these diseases and that seasonal changes in disease activity may play an important role in evaluating Ankylosing Spondylitis patients rather than Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis patients and should be taken into account when examining these patients. These conclusions need to be validated in multicenter studies with high number of patients.
-
African health sciences · Mar 2013
Acute organo-phosphorus pesticide poisoning in North Karnataka, India: oxidative damage, haemoglobin level and total leukocyte.
Pesticide poisoning is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in India. ⋯ Organophosphorus compounds inhibit cholinesterase action leading to cholinergic hyperactivity. Increased MDA level may lead to peroxidative damages deteriorating the structural and functional integrity of neuronal membrane. Increased erythrocyte SOD, CAT and GPx activities suggest an adaptive measure to tackle the pesticide accumulation. Hence it is concluded that cholinesterase inhibition may initiate cellular dysfunction leading to acetylcholine induced oxidative damage.
-
African health sciences · Mar 2013
Renal insufficiency in Ghanaian HIV infected patients: need for dose adjustment.
Antiretrovirals (ARVs) could lead to clinically significant nephrotoxicity and as such will require dose adjustments in the presence of renal insufficiency. ⋯ Renal insufficiency is not uncommon among HIV infected Ghanaian patients. A significant proportion (10 to 11%) will require ARV dose adjustment at the time of initiating therapy or sometime during on-going therapy.
-
African health sciences · Mar 2013
Factors associated with depression and suicide among patients with diabetes mellitus and essential hypertension in a Nigerian teaching hospital.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) and essential hypertension are chronic medical conditions that place a lot of burden on patients. The presence of depression and suicidal behaviour may worsen the prognosis. ⋯ Depression and suicidal behaviour occur with DM and essential hypertension.
-
African health sciences · Mar 2013
Non communicable disease and risky behaviour in an urban university community Nigeria.
Most developing countries have only limited information on the burden of Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) even though rapid transitions in these NCDs have been predicted. ⋯ The high burden of NCDs and risk behaviours in the face of limited self-perceived risk has been demonstrated and calls for urgent intervention.