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Biomedical subjects

C Heckmann

Publications and source records attributed to C Heckmann.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Pretreatment with thyroxine (10-(8) parts by weight) enhances a 'curative' effect of homeopathically prepared thyroxine (10-(13)) on lowland frogs.

We studied the influence of a moderate homeopathically prepared thyroxine dilution (final concentration in the basin water 10-(13) parts by weight) on the metamorphosis of lowland Rana temporaria which had been hyperstimulated with thyroxine. Two groups of animals were pretreated by immersing them in a molecular thyroxine dilution (10-(8) parts by weight). This pretreatment speeds up development, as is well known. In accordance with the homeopathic/isopathic idea of detoxication or cure, the same hormone was then diluted and agitated in successive steps for further treatment. This homeopathically prepared dilution was administered at 24-hour intervals to one of the groups. An analogously prepared blank solution was used for the control group. Our hypothesis, which was derived from earlier studies, was that animals treated with the test solution would metamorphose more slowly than the control animals, i.e. that the homeopathically prepared thyroxine would have a 'curative' effect. In this new series of experiments this hypothesis was examined by 3 independent researchers. In the experiments carried out by 2 of the 3 researchers the number of animals that reached the four-legged stage at defined points in time was smaller in the group treated with homeopathically prepared thyroxine. In the third laboratory no difference was found between the groups. However, the overall inhibiting effect was statistically significant and more pronounced than in earlier, less promising studies and in parallel experiments in which nonprestimulated animals had been used. Other studies carried out by the 3 researchers involved animals from highland biotopes, where the natural environment probably induces a greater sensitivity towards thyroxine or higher thyroxine levels. These animals reacted to the homeopathically prepared thyroxine with a slowing down of metamorphosis, even when they had not been prestimulated with a molecular dose of the hormone. This effect was observed in all 3 laboratories and is consistent with the results of previous studies.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

[The effects of Cardiodoron on cardio-respiratory coordination--a literature review].

BACKGROUND: In healthy subjects self-regulation of the organism establishes the order of rhythmical functions. This self-regulation is altered in patients suffering from idiopathic orthostatic syndrome resulting from disturbances of functional aspects only. Thus the cardio-respiratory coordination, which may serve as the representative of the order of rhythmical functions, is modified. OBJECTIVE: In the case of idiopathic orthostatic syndrome the anthroposophic medicine offers the medicament Cardiodoron(r). Does it stimulate self-regulation in order to normalise the cardio-respiratory coordination? MATERIAL AND METHODS: This claim is analysed by a systematic review of the literature. Only those publications were considered where the cardio-respiratory coordination was analysed in studies with patients or healthy subjects. RESULTS: The methods of the studies with patients and healthy subjects vary strongly. Nevertheless, a normalisation of the cardio-respiratory coordination could be found in studies with patients suffering from idiopathic orthostatic syndrome as well as in studies with healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: The studies show that the use of the medicament results in a normalisation of the cardiorespiratory coordination. By stimulating the self-regulation the medicament leads to an improvement of the order of rhythmical functions in the human organism.

Circadian Rhythm↗
PubMed2001

Heart rate dynamics and cardiorespiratory coordination in diabetic and breast cancer patients.

Objective of this study was to evaluate cardiac autonomic function in female breast cancer patients on the basis of linear and non-linear heart rate variability (HRV) as well as on musical heart rate rhythmicity. The latter method has been recently developed and enables particularly the quantification of cardiorespiratory coordination solely on the basis of ECG recordings. To provide a broad basis of comparability, 37 breast cancer patients were compared with 37 age-matched healthy women and 40 age-matched female diabetic patients who serve as pathological controls. During night sleep, all parameters showed a tendency towards lower variability, complexity or rhythmicity of HRV in cancer patients. The most prominent alterations were found for the binary pattern predominance (PP) and for the ratio of heart rate and respiration. In particular, when comparing metastasized and non-metastasized cancer patients, the discriminatory power of binary heart rate rhythmicity emerges: the histograms of 1-h intervals during night sleep with a predominance of cyclically recurrent phase locking patterns unveiled a clear transition from higher to lower cardiorespiratory coordination ratios and to a loss of coordination capability in metastasized patients.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Development of body weight, vegetative autonomous system, and breast cancer].

In a case-control study the patterns of body mass and autonomic tone in the premorbid lifetime of breast cancer patients were analyzed retrospectively. Premenopausal breast cancer patients are remarkably thin and show patterns of an ergotropic predominance in premorbid lifetime. Their body mass index and constitution does not agree with the risk factor 'obesity' and the traditionally expected predominance of trophotropy. Furthermore, it turned out that in puberty these patients had a discontinuous change of their body weight. As reported at the time of diagnosis, in women with postmenopausal breast cancer the risk factor 'obesity' seems to be true. However, in premorbid lifespan overweight could not be detected. Therefore, the independent risk factor 'weight gain' is supposed for periclimacteric phase. These women do not show indicators of trophotropic predominance but weak signs of ergotropy and eveningness.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Effect of small doses of iodine on thyroid function in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis residing in an area of mild iodine deficiency.

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have suggested that iodine may influence thyroid hormone status, and perhaps antibody production, in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. To date, studies have been carried out using large amounts of iodine. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of small doses of iodine on thyroid function and thyroid antibody levels in euthyroid patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis who were living in an area of mild dietary iodine deficiency. METHODS: Forty patients who tested positive for anti-thyroid (TPO) antibodies or with a moderate to severe hypoechogenic pattern on ultrasound received 250 microg potassium iodide daily for 4 months (range 2-13 months). An additional 43 patients positive for TPO antibodies or with hypoechogenicity on ultrasound served as a control group. All patients were TBII negative. RESULTS: Seven patients in the iodine-treated group developed subclinical hypothyroidism and one patient became hypothyroid. Three of the seven who were subclinically hypothyroid became euthyroid again when iodine treatment was stopped. One patient developed hyperthyroidism with a concomitant increase in TBII titre to 17 U/l, but after iodine withdrawal this patient became euthyroid again. Only one patient in the control group developed subclinical hypothyroidism during the same time period. All nine patients who developed thyroid dysfunction had reduced echogenicity on ultrasound. Four of the eight patients who developed subclinical hypothyroidism had TSH concentrations greater than 3 mU/l. In 32 patients in the iodine-treated group and 42 in the control group, no significant changes in thyroid function, antibody titres or thyroid volume were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Small amounts of supplementary iodine (250 microg) cause slight but significant changes in thyroid hormone function in predisposed individuals.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Determination of respiratory frequency from respiratory sinus arrhythmia].

In the clinical setting, the observation of undisturbed spontaneous respiration and direct measurement of an "unbiased" respiratory rate is not a practical option. However, the respiratory modulation of the heart rate (respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA) offers a possibility of recording the respiratory rate indirectly. The present work introduces a novel procedure for extracting the respiratory rate from the ECG, and compares the results thus obtained with those of a previously applied method. The latter is based on the determination of dominant peaks in the amplitude spectrum of a five-minute RR interval time series. The new method presented here is based on the band pass filtering of a one-minute RR interval time series with subsequent analysis of the maxima, minima and zero crossings of the resulting RSA curve. The methods were compared by determining the respiratory rates of 16 healthy male subjects measured in 15 different experimental situations, including spontaneous and controlled breathing. The respiratory rate as determined by thermistor recording of nasal breath temperature was used as control. The mean deviation from directly measured respiratory rate was 2.9 min-1 for the new and 7.2 min-1 for the previous method. The new method proved superior under all conditions except controlled breathing at low frequencies. The present study thus demonstrates the high precision of respiratory rate determined indirectly by analysing the RSA curve. Since it requires no special instrumentation, this procedure is ideally suited for clinical application, and permits the continuous recording of respiratory rate over long periods of time.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Quality of life and circadian variation of heart rate and heart rate variability in short-term survivors and nonsurvivors after acute myocardial infarction.

The purpose of this study was the simultaneous examination of the quality of life and changes in heart rate (HR) variables of patients immediately following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Quality of life, estimated on a rating scale assessing the patients' well-being, as well as the circadian rhythm of their HR and HR variability, were determined within the first 3 days and at approximately 3 weeks after admission and the results were related to survival. The quality of life within the first 3 days post AMI was low in both the surviving (n = 42) and the nonsurviving (n = 5) patients but only the scores of the survivors increased significantly over the following three weeks. The HR of the survivors, initially lower than that of the nonsurvivors, decreased significantly at 3 weeks and a normal circadian pattern had developed. The HR variability of the survivors within the first 3 days was significantly higher than that of the nonsurvivors and had developed a clear circadian pattern after 3 weeks. It is concluded that in patients with AMI such diverse clinical aspects as quality of life and circadian patterns of HR and HR variability can be assessed meaningfully immediately post AMI and may find common expression in changes in sympathovagal balance.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Thyroid sonography in autoimmune thyroiditis. A prospective study on 123 patients.

Thyroid sonography was used to assess 2322 patients attending our clinic over a 3-year period. Sonography, in combination with clinical and laboratory findings, enabled us to detect autoimmune thyroiditis in 123 patients, 67 of whom could be classified as euthyroid, 17 as latent hypothyroid, and 39 as overtly hypothyroid. Consequently without the use of sonography (or thyroid antibody measurements) it would not have been possible to make a diagnosis in over half of our patients with autoimmune thyroiditis. Sonography was also of considerable value in establishing the absence of autoimmune thyroiditis as out of the 2322 patients we examined, autoimmune thyroiditis could be excluded on the basis of sonography alone (absence of diffuse hypoechoicity) in 1962 (84%). Thyroid volume ranged from less than 5 to 112 ml with the majority of patients having a volume of 21-30 ml and the overtly hypothyroid group showing a shift to smaller volumes. The data suggested that thyroid volume changes over the range of the disease from euthyroid to overtly hypothyroid.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Ultrastructural aspects of striated muscle fibers in health and disease.

The application of electron microscopy to skeletal muscle is pertinent to 1. cytological analysis of normal muscle fibers; 2. cytopathology of muscle fibers; 3. systematic ultrastructural analysis of classic muscle diseases; 4. ultrastructure of muscle fiber inclusions; 5. neuromuscular conditions classified by electron microscopy; 6. diagnosis of individual muscle biopsies.

Humans↗
PubMed1982

Congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) - a collagen formative disease?

Muscle biopsies of 5 patients with congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) (8 months to 3 years old) were examined by electron microscopy to determine ultrastructural abnormalities of the muscle as well as of the connective tissue cells. Two populations of muscle fibers were observed in each biopsy. Besides muscle fibers with normal or enlarged diameters there were frequently very small muscle cells indicating immaturity. The most interesting findings in each biopsy were myofibroblast-like cells exhibiting active protein synthesis. Large amounts of collagen fibrils with abnormal diameters as well as accumulation of elastic fibrils within the endomysium in CMD suggest abnormalities in collagen synthesis.

Biopsy↗