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Biomedical subjects

E Watts

Publications and source records attributed to E Watts.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Skin tone, hostility, and blood pressure in young normotensive African Americans.

Several studies have found a positive relationship between darkness of skin tone and blood pressure in African Americans. This has raised speculation about the relative contributions of genetic and/or psychosocial factors in the mediation of this relationship. Using a laboratory stress protocol, we performed cardiovascular reactivity testing with 42 male and 40 female African-American college students after pre-testing them on measures of hostility using four psychometric scales derived from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Skin tone measures were obtained with a reflectance spectrophotometer. In the combined sample of males and females, we found a weak but statistically significant positive relationship between darker skin tone and systolic blood pressure (p = 0.03). However, males were significantly darker than females (p = .005) suggesting that the skin tone and blood pressure relationship is an artifact of gender. No differences in patterns of cardiovascular habituation or levels of hostility were found between dark and light subjects. Discussion of these results focuses on the weak statistical relationship found in this and other studies and the specificity of previous findings based on educational and socioeconomic factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Hispanic preferences for health care providers and health care information.

In a 1994 telephone survey, only 13% of 522 adult Hispanic respondents in the Southwest used media as the main source of information for physicians, while 19% used media for information regarding health services. Family and friends were main sources. About 75% of the respondents had a family physician with the mother (68%) making health care decisions for the family. A large majority of respondents said that neither the physician's sex, nor race were factors in choosing physicians.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Determinants of success of coronary angioplasty in patients with a chronic total occlusion: a multiple logistic regression model to improve selection of patients.

OBJECTIVE: To study the determinants of success of coronary angioplasty in patients with chronic total occlusions, and to formulate a multiple logistic regression model to improve selection of patients. DESIGN: A retrospective analysis of clinical and angiographic data on a consecutive series of patients. PATIENTS: 312 patients (mean age 55, range 31 to 79 years, 86% men) who underwent coronary angioplasty procedure for a chronic total occlusion between 1981 and 1992. RESULTS: Procedural success was achieved in 191 lesions (61.2%). A major complication occurred in six patients (1.9%). Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis identified the presence of bridging collaterals (p < 0.001), the absence of a tapered entry configuration (p < 0.001), estimated duration of occlusion of greater than three months (p = 0.001), and a vessel diameter of less than 3 mm (p = 0.003) as independent predictors of procedural failure. The logistic regression model was used to classify patients into groups of high, intermediate, and low probability of procedural success with cut off points of 70% and 30%. The predictive value for procedural success (probability > or = 70%) was 91% (95% confidence intervals (95% CI) 83% to 96%) and predictive value for procedural failure (probability < 30%) was 81% (95% CI 64% to 92%). CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty of chronic total occlusions is associated with a low risk of acute complication. Procedural success is influenced by easily identifiable clinical and angiographic features and the multiple regression model described may help to improve selection of patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Near haploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia: seven new cases and a review of the literature.

Seven new cases are described of near haploid acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the findings reviewed together with updated complete remission duration and survival data for the 21 cases already published. The patients were four males and three females, with an age range 2-19 years; all had an immunophenotype consistent with common ALL. The poor prognostic outlook for patients with near haploid ALL is confirmed by the median remission duration of 14 months for these patients, which is comparable to that for the previously published cases. The pattern of chromosome loss was marked particularly by the presence of two copies of chromosomes 10, 14, 18, 21 and both sex chromosomes. Populations of hyperdiploid cells with double the near haploid number were observed in six of the patients, one of whom demonstrated further clonal evolution, and it is proposed that some cases classified as hyperdiploid ALL with greater than 50 chromosomes may also have arisen from a near haploid stem line.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Perioperative changes in complement associated with cardiopulmonary bypass.

The total haemolytic complement (CH50), the complement components C3 and C4, the complement breakdown product C3d, alternative pathway activation and transferrin, were measured before, during and after cardiopulmonary bypass. As expected, CH50 decreased after heparinization, remained low during bypass and decreased further up to 8 h after bypass. C3 and C4 decreased significantly during bypass, continued to decrease for a further 8 h after bypass (by 35% and 40% respectively) and thereafter increased gradually up to 48 h. Although the depletions observed were suggestive of complement activation, there were no demonstrable increases in C3d, and in all patients the concentration of C3d remained within the normal range. Hence it was concluded that complement depletions of this magnitude were unlikely to result from complement activation. Non-specific changes in protein concentrations during bypass, as a result of dilution, redistribution or other unidentified factors, are more probable causes of the observed reductions. The acute phase response to surgery may be a factor in the subsequent increase in C3 and C4 which is seen 24 h after bypass. As transferrin concentrations in the plasma are known to decrease during this response the observed decrease in transferrin concentration would support this view.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Bacterial endocarditis. Echocardiographic and clinical evaluation during therapy.

In two patients with bacterial endocarditis and apparent vegetations, the echocardiographic findings included thickening but normal excursion of the mitral leaflet and abnormal shaggy echoes superimposed on the mitral leaflet echogram. Both patients had had endocarditis several weeks before the study was performed. In both patients the abnormal echoes disappeared after antibiotic therapy. Whether or not the echocardiographic findings are specific to bacterial endocarditis must be determined by further studies. One patient had evidence of "immune complex disease" with vasculitis, hypocomplementemia, and renal failure which persisted for weeks after disappearance of vegetations on the echocardiogram. This sequence was unexpected, as a continued source of antigen for this reaction was not apparent.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Echocardiography in evaluation of mitral valve prostheses.

Thirty-three patients with mitral valve prostheses were studied with echocardiography in an effort to determine if this technique could be useful in detecting significant abnormalities. Recordings were obtained in the supine position with the transducer directed to record maximum excursion of the prosthesis. Echoes from the struts, poppet and sewing ring were readily recorded. Amplitude of excursion and opening and closing velocities of the poppet were measured. Fifty echocardiographic recordings were obtained from the 33 patients. Of the 33 patients studied, 22 were thought to have "normal" echo tracings while in 11, the tracings were considered "abnormal." Apparent abnormalities consisted of: 1) abnormal diastolic separation between the poppet and strut, 2) increased echoes near the poppet, strut or sewing ring and 3) a combination of both. There was only one instance of suspected "sticking" of the prosthesis. All patients who had "abnormal" studies except one developed complications associated with their prosthesis (90%) compared to only 36% in patients with "normal" tracings. Five patients in each group died. Autopsy studies are described and correlations with the echocardiographic findings are made. In low profile valves reduction in excursion of the disc may be an indication of malfunction. Echocardiography appears to be of value in the assessment of function of mitral valve prostheses.

Adolescent↗