bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quality of life in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia
Authors: HOLLMAN G. , GULLBERG M. , EK A.‐C. , ERIKSSON M. , OLSSON A. G. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract. Hollman G, Gullberg M, Ek A.‐C, Eriksson M, Olsson AG (University of Linköping, Linköping; Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden). Quality of life in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia. J Intern Med 2002; 251: 331–337. Objectives. The primary aim of this study was to analyse quality of life in adult patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), a genetic disorder with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). Secondary aims were to find explanatory factors for quality of life and anxiety. Design. A descriptive cross‐sectional design was used. Setting. Outpatients from lipid clinics at two university hospitals in Sweden were included. Patients with heterozygous FH and a randomly selected control group participated by filling out questionnaires. Subjects. Two hundred and eighty patients with heterozygous FH above 18 years of age were asked, and 212 of whom 185 were free of overt CHD, participated. Of a control group of 2980 persons 1485 were included for comparison. Methods. We used Likert‐type questionnaires: the Quality of Life Index (QLI) consisting of four subscales, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD), the Mastery Scale measuring coping and a questionnaire on health and lipids constructed for FH patients. Results. Patients with FH were significantly more satisfied with overall quality of life 21.8 ± 0.3 (SEM) vs. controls 21.1 ± 0.1 and this was also the case in three of four subscales, all differences P < 0.05. Anxiety about getting CHD was expressed amongst 86% of the patients with FH. Conclusions. Quality of life amongst patients with FH was at least as good as in controls but they were worried about getting CHD.
Left ventricular diastolic function is related to glucose in a middle‐aged population
Authors: HOLZMANN M. , OLSSON A. , JOHANSSON J. , JENSEN‐URSTAD M. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract. Holzmann M, Olsson A, Johansson J, Jensen‐Urstad M (Karolinska Institute, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden). Left ventricular diastolic function is related to glucose in a middle‐aged population. J Intern Med 2002; 251: 415–420. Objectives. To examine the relation between left ventricular (LV) diastolic function and glucose metabolism in individuals without previously diagnosed diabetes mellitus. Design. A cross‐sectional population‐based study. Setting. A university hospital. Subjects. Thirty‐five men and women 56–58 years of age without previously diagnosed diabetes or heart disease. Main outcome measures. Left ventricular diastolic function assessed by pulsed Doppler tissue imaging and its relation to fasting plasma glucose, glucose postload and glycated haemoglobin. LV diastolic function was determined by measuring early diastolic filling peak velocity (Em wave cm s−1), late diastolic filling peak velocity (Am wave cm s−1) and their ratio Em/Am. Results. Peak Em velocity, peak Am velocity and their ratio Em/Am correlated with fasting plasma glucose (r=–0.42, P=0.01; r=0.47, P=0.04 and r=−0.53, P=0.001, respectively). There was a correlation between peak Em velocity, the ratio of Em/Am and glycated haemoglobin. LV diastolic function was also related to glucose postload. Conclusions. Left ventricular diastolic function is related to concentrations of fasting plasma glucose, glucose postload and glycated haemoglobin even below the threshold of diabetes. This indicates that glucose concentrations already in the upper end of the normal range has negative impact on cardiac function.
Effects of micronized fenofibrate versus atorvastatin in the treatment of dyslipidaemic patients with low plasma HDL‐cholesterol levels: a 12‐week randomized trial
Authors: Després J.‐P. , Lemieux I. , Salomon H. , Delaval D. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract. Després J‐P, Lemieux I, Salomon H, Delaval D (CHUL Research Center, Ste‐Foy, Québec, Laval Hospital Research Center, Ste‐Foy, Québec, Canada and Laboratoires Fournier, Garches, France). Effects of micronized fenofibrate versus atorvastatin in the treatment of dyslipidaemic patients with low plasma HDL‐cholesterol levels: a 12‐week randomized trial. J Intern Med 2002; 251: 490–499. Background. Studies have suggested that raising low levels of high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C) may be an important target for the prevention of coronary heart disease. Objective. To compare the ability of micronized fenofibrate and atorvastatin to increase plasma HDL‐C levels. Design. Multicentre, randomized open‐label study. Settings. The study was conducted in 19 centres across the UK and Canada. Subjects. One hundred and eighty‐one patients were randomized and the full analysis set included 165 nondiabetic patients with low HDL‐C (women <46 mg dL−1, i.e. 1.2 mmol L−1 and men <43 mg dL−1, i.e. 1.1 mmol L−1): 86 patients in the atorvastatin group and 79 patients in the micronized fenofibrate group. Interventions. Micronized fenofibrate (200 mg day−1, 87 patients) or atorvastatin (10 mg day−1, 94 patients) for a period of 12 weeks. Main outcome measures. Percent change in HDL‐C levels. Results. After 12 weeks of treatment, the mean percent change from baseline in HDL‐C was significantly higher in the micronized fenofibrate group (13.3%) compared with the atorvastatin group (5.3%, P=0.0003). The magnitude of such relative change was inversely related to the baseline HDL‐C levels only in the micronized fenofibrate group. Furthermore, in the fenofibrate treatment group, 50.9% of the patients (29 of 57 patients) with a baseline HDL‐C <40 mg dL−1 achieved a plasma HDL‐C level above 40 mg dL−1 after 12 weeks of treatment versus 27.9% of the patients (19 of 68 patients) in the atorvastatin group (P=0.01). Conclusions. On the basis of (1) the greater impact of fenofibrate than atorvastatin on HDL‐C levels and (2) the greater proportion of dyslipidemic patients achieving HDL‐C levels above 40 mg dL−1 with fenofibrate than atorvastatin, it is suggested that micronized fenofibrate should be considered as a good therapeutic option to treat dyslipidemic patients with low HDL‐C and moderately elevated LDL‐C concentrations.
Atrial fibrillation or flutter and stroke: a Danish population‐based study of the effectiveness of oral anticoagulation in clinical practice
Authors: FROST L. , JOHNSEN S. P. , PEDERSEN L. , TOFT E. , HUSTED S. , SØRENSEN H. T. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract. Frost L, Johnsen SP, Pedersen L, Toft E, Husted S, Sørensen HT (Aarhus University Hospital and Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark).J Intern Med2002;252:64–69.Objectives. A pooled analysis of randomized trials has shown that oral anticoagulation therapy reduces the risk of ischaemic stroke with 68% in patients with atrial fibrillation. We examined the effectiveness of oral anticoagulation on risk of stroke of any nature (fatal and nonfatal ischaemic and/or haemorrhagic stroke) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation or flutter living in the County of North Jutland, Denmark.Design. Cohort study.Subjects and methods. We used the Hospital Discharge Registry covering the county (490 000 inhabitants) from 1991 to 1998 to identify 2699 men and 2425 women with atrial fibrillation or flutter, aged 60–89 years. Data on prescriptions of anticoagulation were obtained from the National Health Service. We defined use of oral anticoagulation as date of prescription or reiteration plus 90 days. Patients were followed in the County Hospital Discharge Registry until a diagnosis of stroke (fatal and nonfatal ischaemic and/or haemorrhagic stroke), emigration, death or the end of 1998. We used Cox regression analyses to estimate the relative risk of stroke associated with use of oral anticoagulation compared with no use, adjusted for age, diabetes and underlying cardiovascular diseases.Results. Eight hundred and thirty‐eight of 2699 men (31%) and 552 of 2425 women (23%) with atrial fibrillation had one or more recorded prescriptions of oral anticoagulation. The incidence rates of stroke were 31 per 1000 person‐years of follow‐up in men, and 30 per 1000 person‐years of follow‐up in women. The adjusted relative risks of stroke during anticoagulation were 0.6 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.4–1.0] in men, and 1.0 (95% CI 0.7–1.6) in women compared with nonuse periods.Conclusions. The effectiveness of oral anticoagulation in clinical practice may be lesser than the efficacy of oral anticoagulation reported from randomized trials.
Individual variations of platelet inhibition after loading doses of clopidogrel
Authors: Järemo P. , Lindahl T. L. , Fransson S. G. , Richter A. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract. Järemo P, Lindahl TL, Fransson SG, Richter A (Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden). Individual variations of platelet inhibition after loading doses of clopidogrel. J Intern Med 2002; 252: 233–238.Objective.  To investigate individual variations of platelet inhibition after clopidogrel‐loading doses.Setting.  Department of Cardiology, Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden.Subjects.  Individuals with stable angina pectoris (n = 18) subject to percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and subsequent stenting were investigated.Methods and experimental protocol.  A 300‐mg clopidogrel loading dose was administrated immediately after stenting (day 1) followed by an additional 75 mg clopidogrel after 24 h (day 2). The ADP‐evoked platelet fibrinogen binding was analysed to estimate platelet reactivity immediately before angiography and on day 2. A flow cytometry technique was used with two ADP solutions (final concentrations 0.6 and 1.7 μmol L−1) employed as platelet activating agents. Soluble P‐selectin was used as a marker of platelet activity.Results.  When using 1.7 μmol L−1 ADP to activate platelets four individuals had a strong inhibition (i.e. platelet reactivity <10% of the day 1‐value day 2). In contrast, five patients demonstrated a weak inhibition (i.e. platelet reactivity >60% of the day 1‐value day 2). Similar results were obtained when using 0.6 μmol L−1 ADP as a platelet‐activating agent. Clopidogrel, however, fails to suppress platelet activity as estimated from soluble P‐selectin.Conclusions.  Clopidogrel evoked platelet inhibition exhibits a considerable individual heterogeneity. Some individuals only had weak responses whereas others displayed strong platelet inhibition. The present flow cytometry technique appears suitable for identifying patients with abnormal reactions after clopidogrel exposure.
Heritability of death from coronary heart disease: a 36‐year follow‐up of 20 966 Swedish twins
Authors: Zdravkovic S. , Wienke A. , Pedersen N. L. , Marenberg M. E. , Yashin A. I. , De Faire U. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract. Zdravkovic S, Wienke A, Pedersen NL, Marenberg ME, Yashin AI, de Faire U (Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Max‐Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany; University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA). Heritability of death from coronary heart disease: a 36‐year follow‐up of 20 966 Swedish twins.J Intern Med2002;252:247–254.Objective. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and distinguish between environmental and genetic effects for death from coronary heart disease (CHD) as well as to determine whether the importance of genetic influences is changing with age.Design. A cohort study with a follow‐up time of 36 years.Subjects. The cohort drawn for the present study includes 20 966 twins born in Sweden between 1886 and 1925 where both twins within a pair still lived within the country in 1961.Methods. Concordances and correlated γ‐frailty model were used to assess and distinguish between genetic and environmental influences as well as to evaluateage‐relatedchanges in genetic influences.Results. A total number of 4007 CHD‐deaths (2208 males, and 1799 females) was observed. The probability of dying from CHD given that one's twin partner already has died from CHD decreased with increasing age, particularly amongst males. The genetic variation in susceptibility to death from CHD was moderately large, and decreased slightly across time, particularly amongst males. The heritability was 0.57 (95% CI, 0.45–0.69) amongst male twins, and 0.38 (0.26–0.50) amongst female twins.Conclusions. The genetic contribution to the variation in CHD‐mortality was moderate both in females and males. Furthermore, although genetic effects appeared to be greater at younger ages of death, our findings clearly suggest that genetic factors are in operation throughout the entire life span.
The Swedish Twin Registry: a unique resource for clinical, epidemiological and genetic studies
Authors: Lichtenstein P. , De faire U. , Floderus B. , Svartengren M. , Svedberg P. , Pedersen N. L. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract.  Lichtenstein P, de Faire U, Floderus B, Svartengren M, Svedberg P, Pedersen NL (Karolinska Institutet; Karolinska Hospital; Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, National Institute for Working life, Stockholm, Sweden; and University of Southern California, CA, USA) The Swedish Twin Registry: a unique resource for clinical, epidemiological and genetic studies (Review). J Intern Med 2002; 252: 184–205.The Swedish Twin Registry (STR), which today hasdeveloped into a unique resource, was first established in the late 1950s to study the importance of smoking and alcohol consumption on cancer and cardiovascular diseases whilst controlling for genetic propensity to disease. Since that time, the Registry has been expanded and updated on several occasions, and the focus has similarly broadened to most common complex diseases. In the following, we will summarize the content of the database, describe for the first time recent data collection efforts and review some of the principal findings that have come from the Registry.
Phospholipid and cholesteryl ester transfer are increased in lipoprotein lipase deficiency
Authors: Kaser S. , Sandhofer A. , Hölzl B. , Gander R. , Ebenbichler C. F. , Paulweber B. , Patsch J. R. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract.  Kaser S, Sandhofer A, Hölzl B, Gander R, Ebenbichler CF, Paulweber B, Patsch JR (University Hospital Innsbruck, Innsbruck; and General Hospital Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria). Phospholipid and cholesteryl ester transfer are increased in lipoprotein lipase deficiency. J Intern Med 2003; 253: 208–216.Objectives.  Phospholipid transfer protein (PLTP) and cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) are key enzymes in lipoprotein metabolism by mediating the transfer and exchange of phospholipids (PL) and neutral lipids between lipoproteins. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) deficiency is associated with low HDL‐cholesterol (HDL‐C) levels in both, the homozygous and heterozygous state. In the present study we set out to investigate the role of lipid transfer proteins, which are known to strongly determine HDL‐C levels, in LPL deficiency.Design/subjects.  Phospholipid acceptor and donor properties of lipoproteins, PLTP activity, CETP mass, activity and cholesteryl ester (CE) transfer were determined in two homozygous and six heterozygous LPL‐deficient subjects and in 10 healthy, normolipidaemic controls, respectively.Results.  The HDL isolated from LPL‐deficient subjects showed strongly increased PL‐acceptance when compared with controls (homozygotes versus heterozygotes versus control: 26.46 ± 15.26 vs. 3.41 ± 1.61 vs. 1.89 ± 0.33 μmol mL−1 h−1/μmol mL−1 PL; all P < 0.05). Phospholipid transfer from apolipoprotein B containing lipoproteins was increased in heterozygotes when compared with controls (46.66 ± 23.3 vs. 28.91 ± 18.05 μmol mL−1 h−1/μmol mL−1 PL, P = 0.05). PLTP activity, however, was similar in LPL‐deficient subjects and controls. CETP mass was highest in homozygotes, whilst enzyme activity was similar in LPL‐deficient subjects and controls. CE transfer was highest in homozygotes (72.5 ± 8.8%) and lowest in controls (28.7 ± 5.2%, P < 0.01).Conclusions.  In conclusion, PL and CE transfer are increased in LPL deficiency and thus, partly explain low HDL‐levels in LPL‐deficient subjects. Enhanced transfer seems rather to be the result of altered lipoprotein composition and concentration than altered enzyme activity. Our findings on mechanisms leading to low HDL‐C levels might show another aspect in atherogenesis in LPL deficiency.
Association of alcohol consumption with white blood cell count: a study of Japanese male office workers
Authors: Nakanishi N. , Yoshida H. , Okamoto M. , Matsuo Y. , Suzuki K. , Tatara K. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract.  Nakanishi N, Yoshida H, Okamoto M, Matsuo Y, Suzuki K, Tatara K (Course of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine F2, Osaka, Japan; Japan Labor and Welfare Association, Tokyo, Japan). Association of alcohol consumption with white blood cell count; a study of Japanese male office workers. J Intern Med 2003; 253: 367–374.Objectives.  To investigate the association of alcohol consumption with white blood cell (WBC) count.Design.  Cross‐sectional study.Setting.  A work site in Japan.Subjects.  A total of 5218 Japanese male office workers aged 23–59 years who participated in annual health examinations.Main outcome measures.  Subjects were classified as nondrinkers, or current drinkers who averaged <12, 12–22, 23–34, 35–45, 46–68 or ≥ 69 g day−1 of ethanol. The association between alcohol consumption and WBC count was examined by smoking status.Results.  After controlling for age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, and levels of total cholesterol, high‐density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and fasting plasma glucose, WBC count showed a negative dose–response relation with alcohol consumption in each smoking status. The WBC count increment per category of alcohol intake (×109 cells L‐1) was −0.07 [95% confidence interval (CI), −0.11 to −0.04] for never smokers, −0.11 (95% CI, −0.15 to −0.06) for ex‐smokers, and −0.04 (−0.08 to −0.00) for current smokers. For current smokers, additional adjustment for cigarettes smoked per day heightened the magnitude of these associations [the respective WBC count increment (×109 cells L‐1), −0.07 (95% CI, −0.11 to −0.03)]. The risk for high WBC count (fifth quintile) also showed a negative linear trend related to alcohol intake in each smoking status.Conclusions.  The WBC count was inversely associated with alcohol consumption in both nonsmokers and smokers. In view of the firm association of WBC count with the increased risk of coronary heart disease, alcohol consumption seems to have a favourable impact on the link between WBC count and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Global spatial sampling with isotropic virtual planes: estimators of length density and total length in thick, arbitrarily orientated sections
Authors: Larsen  , Gundersen  , Nielsen  
Published: March 2003

Existing design‐based direct length estimators require random rotation around at least one axis of the tissue specimen prior to sectioning to ensure isotropy of test probes. In some tissue it is, however, difficult or even impossible to define the region of interest, unless the tissue is sectioned in a specific, nonrandom orientation. Spatial uniform sampling with isotropic virtual planes circumvents the use of physically isotropic or vertical sections. The structure that is contained in a thick physical section is investigated with software‐randomized isotropic virtual planes in volume probes in systematically sampled microscope fields using computer‐assisted stereological analysis. A fixed volume of 3D space in each uniformly sampled field is probed with systematic random, isotropic virtual planes by a line that moves across the computer screen showing live video images of the microscope field when the test volume is scanned with a focal plane. The intersections between the linear structure and the virtual probes are counted with columns of two dimensional disectors.Global spatial sampling with sets of isotropic uniform random virtual planes provides a basis for length density estimates from a set of parallel physical sections of any orientation preferred by the investigator, i.e. the simplest sampling scheme in stereology. Additional virtues include optimal conditions for reducing the estimator variance, the possibility to estimate total length directly using a fractionator design and the potential to estimate efficiently the distribution of directions from a set of parallel physical sections with arbitrary orientation.Other implementations of the basic idea, systematic uniform sampling using probes that have total 3D × 4π freedom inside the section, and therefore independent of the position and the orientation of the physical section, are briefly discussed.
Probabilistic data analysis: an introductory guide
Authors: Skilling J. 
Published: March 2003

Quantitative science requires the assessment of uncertainty, and this means that measurements and inferences should be described as probability distributions. This is done by building data into a probabilistic likelihood function which produces a posterior ‘answer’ by modulating a prior ‘question’.Probability calculus is the only way of doing this consistently, so that data can be included gradually or all at once while the answer remains the same. However, probability calculus is only a language; it does not restrict the questions one can ask by setting one's prior. We discuss how to set sensible priors, in particular for a large problem like image reconstruction.We also introduce practical modern algorithms (Gibbs sampling, Metropolis algorithm, genetic algorithms, and simulated annealing) for computing probabilistic inference.
Active coatings for SiC particles to reduce the degradation by liquid aluminium during processing of aluminium matrix composites: study of interfacial reactions
Authors: Ureña A. ,   ESCALERA, Rodrigo P. , Baldonedo J. L. , Gil L. 
Published: March 2003

The application of a surface coating on SiC particles is studied as an alternative means of solving problems of reactivity between SiC reinforcements and molten aluminium and problems of low wetting which limit the application of casting routes for fabrication of Al–SiCp composites. The selected active barrier was a ceramic composed of SiO2, which was generated by controlled oxidation of the SiC particles. The coating behaves as an active barrier, preventing a direct reaction between molten aluminium and SiC to form Al4C3 as the main degradation product. At the same time, the SiO2 provokes other interfacial reactions, which are responsible for an improvement in wetting behaviour.Composites were prepared by mixing and compacting SiC particles with Al powders followed by melting in a vacuum furnace, and varying the residence time. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and field emission TEM were employed as the main characterization techniques to study the interfacial reactions occurring between the barrier and the molten aluminium. These studies showed that the SiO2 coating behaves as an active barrier which reacts with the molten Al to form a glassy phase Al–Si–O. This compound underwent partial crystallization during the composite manufacture to form mullite. The formation of an outer crystalline layer, composed mainly of Al2O3, was also detected. Participation of other secondary interface reactions inside the active barrier was also identified by HREM techniques.