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Criterion-related validity of a new measure of functional ability was conducted according to a causal model based on conceptual models employed in the area of rehabilitative and geriatric medicine. The criteria variables included concurrent diagnosed diseases, global self-rated health, drug consumption and general practitioner (GP) consultations. The measure of functional ability was developed with the intention of achieving a high degree of discrimination among a group of community dwelling elderly. Data were derived from a sample survey of 70-year-old men and women conducted in 1984 in the county of Copenhagen (Denmark). Altogether 366 men and 368 women participated in each of the two phases of the study--a comprehensive medical examination at the county hospital at Glostrup followed by a home visit conducted by an occupational therapist 1-2 weeks later. The analysis included four different unidimensional index scales of functional ability divided into two types, with reduced speed and tiredness as subdimensions. The two scale types were mobility function and lower limb function. Early losses of ability together with global self-rated health were treated as outcome measures of diagnosed chronic diseases. At the same time these outcome measures together with diagnosed diseases were considered to predict drug consumption and GP consultations. It was shown that functional ability as measured by the new index scales were strongly influenced by diagnosed diseases: arteriostenosis and osteoarthrosis in lower extremities, obesity, shoulder impairments and bronchitis among women, and glucose intolerance, arteriostenosis in lower extremities and shoulder impairments among men. Global self-rated health was strongly associated with the new functional ability rating system. Early losses of ability but not self-rated health was a strong predictor for drug consumption and frequent contacts with GP. It is concluded that the new measure of functional ability is suitable for health studies of community dwelling elderly, in particular as a summary statement of the individual's health status.
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PMID:Functional ability of community dwelling elderly. Criterion-related validity of a new measure of functional ability. 143 11

From a conceptual standpoint, the tests of pulmonary function can be divided into those that assess the ventilatory function of the lungs and those concerned with gas exchange. Tests of ventilatory function reflect alterations of the elastic resistance and flow resistance of the respiratory apparatus. The elastic properties of the lungs are assessed by determining the position and shape of the curve representing the relationship between the pressure across the lungs and absolute lung volume. When there is reduced distensibility of either the lungs or the chest wall, the volume-pressure curve is shifted down and to the right. The slope of the curve is reduced in the patient with pulmonary fibrosis, while it is normal in the patient with obesity. In asthma (or chronic bronchitis) and emphysema, the volume-pressure curve is shifted up and to the left. In emphysema, the slope of the curve is increased, while it is normal in patients with asthma or bronchitis. In practice, lung volume is used as an index of alterations of the volume-pressure characteristics of the lungs and/or chest wall. The vital capacity is often used as a surrogate for the TLC but it is lower than expected in both restrictive and obstructive disorders. The FEV1.0 reflects the degree of expiratory flow limitation. In a restrictive disorder, lung volume and the FEV1.0 are reduced, but the FEV1.0/FVC ratio is normal. In airflow limitation, lung volume, the FEV1.0, and the FEV1.0/FVC ratio are lower than expected. In airflow limitation, the reversibility with inhaled bronchodilator should be determined. Tests of airway responsiveness are indicated when evaluating patients with unexplained chronic cough, chest tightness, or wheezing, particularly if other lung function tests are normal. The adequacy of gas exchange is assessed by determining the arterial blood gas tensions--PaO2 and PaCO2--and the alveoloarterial pO2 gradient--P(A-a)O2. A lower-than-expected PaO2 can result from several different physiologic disturbances. When alveolar hypoventilation is the sole disturbance, the oxygen in the alveoli and in the blood perfusing them virtually comes into equilibrium, so that the P(A-a)O2 is normal. An elevated P(A-a)O2 is caused by either mismatching of ventilation and perfusion, true venous admixture, a diffusion abnormality, or a combination of these disturbances. Because dyspnea on exertion is a cardinal symptom of respiratory disease, exercise tolerance should be assessed. A reduced exercise tolerance may result from ventilatory limitation, impaired gas exchange, cardiac impairment, impaired delivery of the oxygen to the working muscles, or an inability to use the energy.
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PMID:Evaluation of respiratory function in health and disease. 160 91

Non-drinkers and heavy drinkers tend to have higher total and cardiovascular mortality rates than light or moderate drinkers. The finding is not disputed; it is the interpretation of this U-shaped curve that is controversial, and in particular the belief that light and moderate drinking protects against coronary heart disease. The British Regional Heart Study of middle-aged British men has shown that 70% of non-drinkers are ex-drinkers. Those ex-drinkers have high rates of doctor-diagnosed illnesses including heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and bronchitis as well as high prevalence rates of measured hypertension, obesity, current smoking and regular medical treatment. Over a five-year period men who were diagnosed as having heart disease, had multiple diagnoses or were put on regular medication had an increased likelihood of becoming non-drinkers or occasional drinkers. The study suggests a downward drift from heavy and moderate drinking towards non-drinking under the influence of accumulating ill health. The data strongly suggest that the observed alcohol-mortality relationships in prospective studies are produced by symptoms and disease present at the time of screening, and by the prior movement of men with such disorders into non-drinking or occasional drinking categories. The concept of a protective effect on mortality which ignores the dynamic relationship between ill health and drinking behaviour is likely to be ill-founded. A review of the major prospective studies reveals an inadequate exploration of the nature of non-drinkers, who are clearly unsuitable for use as a baseline in studies of the effects of alcohol on health.
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PMID:Alcohol and mortality: a review of prospective studies. 205 31

To contribute more comprehensive information about the characteristics of asthma, this article analyzed patients served by the University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Asthma Program. Their physicians rated one fifth of these patients as having "severe" asthma with the remainder about equally divided between "moderate" and "mild". One in two first received a diagnosis of asthma ten or more years previously. Common comorbidities were hypertension, obesity, rhinitis, bronchitis, sinusitis, and arthritis. One half had visited an emergency room or been hospitalized for asthma in the past year. Inhaled bronchodilators and continuous theophylline were the most commonly prescribed medications. Side effects, especially tachycardia and insomnia, were common and almost exclusively associated with theophylline or corticosteroid therapy. Spirometric assessment showed chronic airflow obstruction in those with more severe asthma. Prevalence of respiratory symptoms, intensity of medication regimen, incidence of side effects, and health care utilization increased as asthma severity increased.
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PMID:Characteristics and correlates of asthma in a university clinic population. 220 37

In a prospectively randomized trial polyglycolic acid (PGA) was tested against polyester for recurrence rate in Bassini hernia repair. After a median observation period of 2 years a distinct but statistically insignificant difference was found (12.0% recurrence for PGA against 7.0% for polyester). Within prospectively defined risk groups statistically significant differences were found for men (15.4% PGA, 6.4% polyester) and in the presence of at least one of the risk factors obesity, bronchitis, recurrent hernia, size of hernial sac greater than 8 cm, the last of which being the strongest unfavourable variable for PGA.
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PMID:[Bassini operation with polyglycolic acid or polyester. A prospective randomized study of 300 cases]. 254 81

Three consecutive randomized open studies have been carried out to determine the optimal dosage of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in the prevention of postoperative thrombosis in general surgery (892 patients). All patients undergoing abdominal, gynaecological, thoracic or urological surgery were over 40 years old and presented at least one of the following risk factors for thrombosis: previous thromboembolism, obesity, varicose veins, malignancy (30 per cent), pre-operative hospitalization over 5 days, oestrogen therapy, chronic cardiac disease or bronchitis. Isotopic venous thrombosis and bleeding complications were assessed after subcutaneous administration of a LMWH fragment (LMWH, Enoxaparine) or unfractionated heparin (UH). The three studies compared 3 X 5000 units UH daily with 1 X 60 mg, 1 X 40 mg, 1 X 20 mg LMWH daily. Thromboembolic events rates were not significantly different from group to group (UH: 3.8 per cent, 2.7 per cent, 7.6 per cent respectively compared with LMWH: 2.9 per cent, 2.8 per cent, 3.8 per cent). Bleeding episodes including wound haematoma formation, perioperative blood losses and systemic haemorrhage were not significantly different in patients receiving LMWH or UH. Significant decreases in haematocrit and haemoglobin were only observed in patients receiving 60 mg Enoxaparine (as compared to UH). An analysis using the 'intention to treat' approach gave results consistent with those of an analysis of good compliers. An overview of isotopic thromboses in the three studies gave no evidence of differences amongst the effects of the three doses of LMWH (P = 0.20), and pooling the results of the three studies using the Mantel-Haenszel procedure gave no evidence of a global difference between Enoxaparine and UH (P = 0.54). These results suggest that an optimal dosage of 20 mg/day of Enoxaparine is safe and effective in the prevention of postoperative thrombosis in this population.
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PMID:Low molecular weight heparin compared with unfractionated heparin in prevention of postoperative thrombosis. 283 30

16 patients of the Medical ambulatory at the University of Basel born between 1940 and 1945 were explored with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) of Spielberger for the presence of anxiety. With this self-rating inventory state anxiety as well as general trait anxiety can be recognized. The examined group was not selected on specific diagnoses. Two patients with a heavy organic disease (Aids, Friedreich's ataxia) showed an increased state anxiety and an increased general trait anxiety. Six patients with hypertension showed decreased, average as well as increased values of state anxiety and general trait anxiety. In one patient with epilepsia decreased general trait anxiety and average state anxiety were manifest. A patient with a depressive neurosis and functional abdominal pain showed increased general trait anxiety and average state anxiety. Finally, in six patients with different diseases, such as patients with different diseases, such as bronchitis, diabetes, coronary and congestive heart disease, obesity and myalgias, no deviation of their state and general trait anxiety values was evident when compared with standard values. The results are discussed.
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PMID:[The assessment of anxiety in somatic patients--a pilot study]. 291 53

To determine predictors of postoperative morbidity in elective cholecystectomy patients, the authors examined prospectively the consequences of age, sex, active and past smoking, respiratory history, obesity, type of surgical incision, and preoperative pulmonary function, upon the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications and length of hospitalization. They identified 31 (14.8%) complications in 209 patients; 21 had atelectasis, 8 purulent bronchitis, and 2 pneumonia. These patients averaged 1.5 days longer in the hospital (p less than 0.001 by analysis of variance) than control patients. Abnormal spirometry (MEFV) and the single-breath nitrogen test (SBN2) were significant predictors of postoperative pulmonary complications (p less than 0.001 by discriminant analysis method). Active smoking and history of respiratory disease were associated with abnormal small airway function (p less than 0.001 by chisquare test), but did not predict postoperative morbidity. By analysis of variance, only a reduction in preoperative FVC emerged as predictive of prolonged hospitalization (p less than 0.001). These results were used to determine if the selection of patients by preoperative pulmonary function testing permits more cost-effective administration of respiratory therapy (RT) services. Neither the MEFV nor SBN2 had sufficient specificity to enhance the cost effectiveness of postoperative RT.
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PMID:Can postoperative pulmonary complications after elective cholecystectomy be predicted? 312 67

Overweight and obesity have been examined in 7735 middle-aged men in 24 British towns. Half the men exceeded the body mass index (BMI) range associated with minimum mortality (20-25 kg/m2). Social class differences in BMI were marked and obesity was more marked in manual workers. The association of reduced BMI with cigarette smoking and of increased BMI with stopping smoking was most clearly seen in manual workers. With increasing alcohol intake, BMI increased progressively, but the effect in the heaviest drinkers was probably diminished by concurrent heavy smoking. Mean BMI decreased with increasing levels of physical activity. There was considerable variation in the rate of obesity between the towns, from 11 to 28 per cent, determined to some extent by social class. Positive associations were observed between BMI and the presence of ischaemic heart disease, high blood pressure, gout, arthritis and gallbladder disease but not with diabetes mellitus. Peptic ulcer was inversely related to BMI and bronchitis showed a curvilinear relationship. For these men, overweight or obesity is virtually 'normal', and a considerable health education effort will be needed to produce a leaner, healthier society.
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PMID:Overweight and obesity in middle-aged British men. 338 26

Men who do not drink are frequently used as a baseline against which the effects of alcohol consumption are measured. The characteristics of such men have been examined in a large-scale prospective study of cardiovascular disease involving 7735 middle-aged men drawn from general practices in 24 British towns. Non-drinkers include lifelong teetotallers and ex-drinkers, both long-term and recent. Long-term ex-drinkers have many characteristics likely to increase their morbidity and mortality; recent ex-drinkers have similar characteristics but to a less marked degree. Ex-drinkers are older than the other groups and include an increased proportion of unmarried men and men in manual occupations. They have the same high percentage of current cigarette smokers as moderate/heavy drinkers and a prevalence of hypertension and obesity similar to moderate/heavy drinkers and higher than lifelong teetotallers or occasional/light drinkers. Ex-drinkers have the highest percentage of men with multiple doctor-diagnosed disorders. In particular, they have the highest prevalence rates of angina and possible myocardial infarction on standardized questionnaire, of myocardial infarction on electrocardiogram and of recall of a doctor-diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease. They also have high prevalence rates of recall of high blood pressure, peptic ulcer, diabetes, gall bladder disease and bronchitis. They have the highest rates for regular medical treatment and the highest proportion of men who consider their health to be poor. It is abundantly clear that the general category of non-drinkers, which includes a large proportion of ex-drinkers, should not be used as a baseline against which to measure the effects of alcohol consumption. Overall, it would appear that the occasional/light drinking category (less than 15 drinks/week) provides a large and satisfactory baseline group for comparative purposes in the study of cardiovascular and other organic disorders.
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PMID:Men who do not drink: a report from the British Regional Heart Study. 340 25


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