A Comparison Between Selected Noncommunicable Disease Mortality Rates Between 2010 and 2016 Among Selected Southern African Countries.

Researchers have identified cancer, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases as being the principal pathologies of increased aged standardized death rates (ASDRs) among noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). The objective of this study was to compare the change in the ASDR of these principal NCDs between the years 2010 and 2016 in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. ASDR data were collected from the 2016 Global Health Estimate. Among the selected Southern African countries for both 2010 and 2016, the order of prevalence of NCDs linked to increased ASDR was cardiovascular diseases (both cardiac and stroke), cancer, diabetes mellitus, and chronic respiratory diseases. The percentage of the total number of NCDs linked to increased ASDR in relation to total deaths increased from 43.8% (in 2010) to 51.0% (in 2016) from (p < .0001). The percentage of principal NCDs in relation to total ASDR increased from 33.0% (in 2010) to 38.2% (in 2016; p < .0001).

Relationship of adiposity and cardiorespiratory fitness with resting blood pressure of South African adolescents: the PAHL Study.

Obesity and low level of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with high blood pressure in both adolescents and adults. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship of adiposity and cardiorespiratory fitness with resting blood pressure in 14-year-old male and female adolescents. Cross-sectional data on 310 adolescents (31.8% boys) from six high schools, who were participating in the on-going Physical Activity and Health Longitudinal Study, were collected. Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), percentage of body fat, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio, predicted and resting systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were assessed according to standard procedures. The prevalence of elevated SBP and DBP were 4.9% and 6.5%, respectively. The highest prevalence of elevated blood pressure (SBP=10% and DBP=15%) were measured in overweight adolescents, who also performed poorly for predicted VO(2max)(M=26.66 ml kg(-1 )min(-1)±6.44) compared with underweight and normal-weight adolescents. Multiple regression showed that BMI was positively associated with SBP (ß=0.77, P=0.005) and VO(2max) was negatively associated with DBP (ß=-0.43, P=0.001). Overweight adolescents presented with a relatively high prevalence of elevated blood pressure and poor health-related fitness. Fatness and poor cardiorespiratory fitness were positively associated with elevated SBP and DBP, respectively. In view of the health implications of these findings, strategic interventions are needed to promote obesity-reduction programmes and physical activities in adolescents.

Epidemiological reference ranges for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B for identification of increased risk of ischaemic heart disease.

Although there is widespread acceptance that total cholesterol (TC) value reference ranges should be based on epidemiological rather than statistical considerations, the epidemiological action limits for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) are still incomplete and only statistical reference ranges for apolipoprotein B (Apo-B) levels are available. The combined use of epidemiological reference ranges for TC and incomplete or statistical reference ranges for LDL-C and Apo-B is illogical, since these parameters may fall into discordant risk categories that will hamper and complicate the management of hypercholesterolaemia. Based on a study of lipograms obtained from +/- 3,000 inhabitants of two industrialised Transvaal towns, the age-related epidemiological reference ranges for LDL-C and Apo-B were established. A comparison with published observational studies of other populations, in which comparable lipid, lipoprotein and apolipoprotein methodologies were used, reflected the severity of these lipid-related abnormalities in white South Africans, especially after the age of 30 years. In addition, the serum TC values found in this survey were not significantly different from those obtained 10 years ago.