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Biomedical subjects

B Schersten

Publications and source records attributed to B Schersten.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Smoking habits, sales of fat and antihypertensives fail to explain the high coronary mortality in cold regions of Sweden.

A previous study has shown a strong regional association between cold climate and coronary mortality in Sweden. The present study intended to elucidate further this association, in particular whether or not it could be attributed to smoking, hypertension and fat consumption. The 284 Swedish municipalities were used as units. The outcome was mortality (SMR) from acute myocardial infarction in men aged 40-64. Prevalence of smoking and use of snuff was estimated by interviews. Sales of antihypertensive drugs were used to estimate prevalence of hypertension. Sales of butter and estimates of consumption of saturated fat by interviews were used to estimate the consumption of fat. Weighted determination coefficients (D) were calculated. Apart from the strong association between cold climate and coronary mortality (D = 0.39), an association was shown between fat consumption and coronary mortality (D = 0.22). A weaker association was found between prevalency of snuffing and coronary mortality (D = 0.15) and between sales of butter and coronary mortality (D = 0.10) and the weakest between sales of antihypertensives and coronary mortality (D = 0.06). No association was found between prevalence of smoking and coronary mortality. When the other explanatory factors were added to cold climate in the model no substantial enhancement of the association was achieved. Cold exposure was correlated to the other explanatory factors. To conclude, this study showed that the strong association between cold exposure and coronary mortality was not affected by the regional variation in the estimates of fat consumption, hypertension or tobacco use.

Antihypertensive Agents↗
PubMed1988

Detection of suspected inflammatory joint disease with a new simple self-administered hand test.

A self-administered hand test was used to screen 5262 persons aged 40-70 living in a rural district in southern Sweden. It revealed evidence of hand impairment in 13%. The prevalence of RA was 1.1%. At the screening procedure a subgroup of 48 previously unrecognized individuals with inflammatory joint disease was identified. They were assessed by a rheumatologist, who established the following diagnoses: four definite RA, eight probable RA, three psoriatic arthritis, one unclassifiable arthritis, 10 osteoarthritis and 22 non-specific arthralgia. No advanced RA was detected. Two were seropositive and another was erosive. One with RA, one with psoriatic arthritis and three with arthralgic symptoms were unable to work. Most had only a minor need for further medical aid. The test was thus able to identify persons with hand impairment. Follow-up studies will address the practical implications of the screening procedure.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1987

STOP-Hypertension--preliminary communication from the pilot study of the Swedish Trial in Old Patients with Hypertension.

The Swedish trial in old patients with hypertension (STOP-Hypertension) is a multicentre, randomized, double-blind study of beta-blockers/diuretics versus placebo in old hypertensives. Primary end-points are stroke and myocardial infarction (fatal and non-fatal) as well as other cardiovascular mortality. To evaluate the logistics of STOP-Hypertension, a pilot study was carried out. All patients aged 70-84 years in 31 centres were consecutively registered in a log-book. Altogether 4668 patients were screened: 41.5% had previously been treated for hypertension and 13.5% had blood pressures greater than or equal to 180/105 mmHg. Thus, 55% were 'hypertensive'. In all, 465 patients (18% of the 'hypertensive' patients) started a 3-month washout period (previously treated, n = 396) or a 4-week run-in period (previously untreated, n = 69) period. The most frequent reasons for not starting the run-in/washout were other indications for treatment with beta-blockers/diuretics (13%), unwillingness to participate (8%) or isolated systolic hypertension (4%). The pilot study was evaluated after 1 year: 89 patients (1.9%) had been randomized, 66 patients (1.4%) were still in the run-in/washout period and the majority of the remaining patients were not randomized because they had not reached the inclusion blood pressure (greater than or equal to 180 mmHg systolic and/or greater than or equal to 105 mmHg diastolic) following withdrawal of their antihypertensive medication. During the run-in/washout period there were few serious clinical events: one case of myocardial infarction, three patients had strokes (two fatal), 10 developed congestive heart failure, three tachyarrhythmia and two pneumonia (one fatal).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1979

Long-term treatment of subjects with borderline glucose tolerance.

Subjects with borderline glucose tolerance are at a higher risk of suffering and dying from cardiovascular disease than subjects with normal glucose tolerance. Our data on the progression to overt diabetes and our data on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality suggests that tolbutamide treatment reduces these risks. In any case, we have no data supporting the theory that tolbutamide promotes cardiovascular damage.

Blood Pressure↗