A simple, fast and cost-effective method was developed and validated for the determination of levetiracetam (LEV) in plasma/serum of patients using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet detection. The stability of LEV plasma/serum samples over time and in different blood collection tubes was evaluated. Serum/plasma samples were deproteinized by methanol spiked with the internal standard, gabapentin. HPLC was carried out on a Venusil XBP C , 250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm column, at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and with mobile phase consisting of 50 mm potassium dihydrogen phosphate-acetonitrile at a pH of 5.5. The UV detector was set at 205 nm and 10 μL was injected. Total runtime was 15 min. Calibration curves were linear (correlation coefficient = 0.999) over a concentration range of 1-60 μg/mL. Relative standard deviation values for both the inter-day and intra-day precision and accuracy were <5% for the concentration range. The influence of different collection tubes and the effect of time on the stability of LEV was investigated. These factors may cause inaccuracies owing to drug-protein binding and interference in the matrix. This method is simple, fast, cost-effective, reliable and accurate with minimal sample preparation for daily routine use in therapeutic drug monitoring.

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In this study, weak handgrip did not predict increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries/accidents.

Background: Amongst the cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors, hypertension (HT) and obesity appear to be prominent in post-menopausal women. The underlying mechanisms of HT development in menopause are not fully understood.Aim: To determine the association between HT, obesity and dietary intakes in post-menopausal women from rural Zambia.Setting: This study was conducted in Twatasha Compound of Kitwe and Ndeke Community of Ndola.Methods: Blood pressure (BP), weight, height and dietary intakes (24-h recall) were measured in 153 women ( 50 years) from households. The South African Hypertension Society (SAHS), the World Health Organization (WHO) and estimated average requirements (EARs) guidelines were followed for HT, obesity and dietary intake definitions, respectively. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was used for descriptive and inferential statistical analyses.Results: Prevalence of HT was 70%, whilst 37.25% and 28.10% of the participants were overweight and obese, respectively. The median interquartile range (IQR) dietary intakes showed inadequate intakes for most nutrients, except for carbohydrates (170 g [133; 225]). The total fat intake represented 14% of total energy intake. All median fatty acid intakes and sodium intakes (409 mg [169; 662]) were below the recommended levels. Only body mass index (BMI) correlated with HT (r = 0.268; p = 0.001).Conclusions: Despite low dietary intakes, an alarming prevalence of HT and obesity was found in our population. Hormonal changes, a high energy-dense diet and poor treatment adherence, may be possible underlying factors. We recommend measures to better manage HT as a CVR factor.Contribution: This article supplements evidence on the prevalence of obesity-related hypertension in post-menopausal women and the link to dietary intake.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between poor Fe status and overweight or obesity in elderly respondents in South Africa. Design: Cross-sectional, observational baseline survey. Setting: Sharpeville, South Africa. Subjects: A sample size calculation determined a representative sample of 104 randomly selected elderly ($60 years) respondents. Measurements included weight, height, biochemical and haematological parameters. Measured BMI was used to categorise the respondents into normal weight, overweight and obese groups. Results: The majority of the women were overweight (28?4 %) or obese (54?6 %); 58 % of the respondents had normal Fe status, 15 % were classified as Fe depleted, 9 % as Fe deficient and 13 % as Fe-deficient anaemic. Ten per cent of the respondents had low Hb levels with no other low Fe status parameters, and were thus anaemic due to other causes. A significant correlation (r 5 0?318, P , 0?001) existed between BMI and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). hs-CRP was negatively correlated to serum Fe levels (r 5 20?319, P , 0?001). No significant relationships existed between BMI and Fe status parameters. Conclusions: A coexistence of obesity and poor Fe status were observed in these elderly respondents. The positive relationship between hs-CRP and BMI indicated chronic inflammation in the higher BMI groups. The negative relationship between hs-CRP and serum Fe indicated that lower serum Fe levels were related to the inflammation linked with higher BMI. A relationship between obesity-related chronic, low-grade inflammation and poor Fe status has been found in adults, but the significance of the current study is that this relationship was also confirmed for elderly persons.