PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G O Taylor

Publications and source records attributed to G O Taylor.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Relationship between area deprivation and the anticaries benefit of an oral health programme providing free fluoride toothpaste to young children.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of providing free toothpaste containing either 1450 or 440 ppm F on caries experience in 5-year-old children living in areas with different levels of material deprivation. DESIGN: Five-year, examiner-blind, randomized, controlled, parallel-group, clinical trial. Children were randomly assigned to three groups. SETTING: Health Districts in the north-west of England with high levels of dental caries. Clinical examinations were performed in schools during the period October 1999 to April 2000 when the children were 5-6 years old. PARTICIPANTS: Children from 3-month birth cohorts resident in nine, nonfluoridated health districts. INTERVENTIONS: Toothpaste containing either 440 or 1450 ppm F and dental health literature posted at 3-month intervals and toothbrush provided annually from the age of 1-5 years. Comparison group received no intervention. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean dmft and proportion of participants with dmft > 0, dmft > or = 4, upper primary incisor caries and extraction of one or more primary teeth. Outcomes tabulated for quartiles of participants based on the distribution of the Townsend index of material deprivation. RESULTS: A total of 3467 children were included in the final data analysis. The Townsend index was found to be useful in identifying groups of children with increased caries risk. Overall, participants in the programme using the high-fluoride toothpaste had significantly (P < 0.002) less caries than the comparison group with similar absolute reductions in mean dmft for the most- and least-deprived groups. Relative to the comparison group the association between deprivation and dental caries was changed so that in the most-deprived quartile those using the low-fluoride toothpaste tended to have less dental caries than the comparison group whereas in the least deprived they tended to have more. This difference in the association (slope) was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Provision of both low- and high-fluoride toothpaste appeared to reduce the risk of extractions for participants in the most-deprived quartile (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The relative benefits of the programmes supplying the two toothpastes considered in this study are different depending on the deprivation status of the participants. For the most-deprived groups postal provision of either a low- or high-fluoride toothpaste provides similar levels of benefit. In the less deprived groups only provision of the high-fluoride toothpaste provided a benefit. The absolute caries reduction seen for provision of the high-fluoride toothpaste was not related to the deprivation status and hence the programme did not reduce deprivation-related health inequalities. Targeting the programme using the methods employed in this study is unlikely to improve the effectiveness of the programme.

Cariostatic Agents↗
PubMed2003

An assessment of the cost effectiveness of a postal toothpaste programme to prevent caries among five-year-old children in the North West of England.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the cost effectiveness of a postal toothpaste programme to prevent caries in 5-year-old children in the north west of England. PARTICIPANTS: Birth cohorts of children aged 12 months were recruited from high caries risk populations in nine health districts. DESIGN: The results of a randomised controlled trial to measure the effects of a postal toothpaste programme are used and related to the costs of running a similar programme. Children in the trial received free toothpaste on four occasions a year and a toothbrush once a year for four years from age 12 months to 5 years. When aged 5-6 years children were examined by trained, calibrated examiners using BASCD standards. Those who received toothpaste containing 1450 ppm F were found to have a significantly lower mean dmft than those who had not. The costs that would be incurred by a public dental service running such a postal toothpaste programme are identified, measured and related to the likely health improvement that could be achieved. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The cost per tooth saved and the cost per child saved from caries experience and extraction experience. RESULTS: The estimated cost per tooth saved from carious attack was pounds sterling 80.83 and the cost per child of preventing caries experience was pounds sterling 424.38 and avoiding any extractions was pounds sterling 679.01. Analysis resulted in an overestimation of costs and underestimation of benefits. CONCLUSION: The programme achieved a significant caries reduction in children who received the 1450 ppm F toothpaste and the costs are now available to those considering provision of treatment services in areas where children are at high caries risk.

Cariostatic Agents↗
PubMed2003

Selective cholesterol deposition in the kidney tissue of rats fed palm kernel oil diet.

Plasma and tissue lipids were determined in twenty-four rats fed on locally prepared 'Ogi' diet containing palm kernel oil (PKO), red palm oil (RPO) and mixture of both oils. Fasting blood sample was obtained from each animal by cardiac puncture under light ether anesthesia after feeding on different diets for twelve weeks. There were significant variations in the mean liver, kidney, spleen (p < 0.001, p < 0.03, p < 0.002) tissue weights in the different dietary groups compared with the corresponding control values. The plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride and lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations in the dietary group showed no significant changes when compared with the corresponding control values. The liver, spleen and heart total cholesterol concentrations were not significantly different from the corresponding values in the control group, but within group analysis showed significantly elevated total cholesterol in the kidney tissue of rats consuming PKO diet (p < 0.001). The total cholesterol level in rats consuming PKO diet was significantly higher than the corresponding concentration in those consuming the diet containing a mixture of PKO + RPO [p < 0.02] and control (p < 0.02) diets. There was also a significant increased in the kidney tissue cholesterol of rats fed RPO diet when compared with the corresponding control value (p < 0.05). The histological findings revealed no abnormality except in rats fed on PKO and RPO diets where nephrocalcinosis was found.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

A randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of providing free fluoride toothpaste from the age of 12 months on reducing caries in 5-6 year old children.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of regularly supplying free fluoride toothpaste regularly to children, initially aged 12 months, and living in deprived areas of the north west of England on the level of caries in the deciduous dentition at 5-6 years of age. A further aim was to compare the effectiveness of a programme using a toothpaste containing 440 ppmF (Colgate 0-6 Gel) with one containing 1,450 ppmF (Colgate Great Regular Flavour) in reducing caries. DESIGN: Randomised controlled parallel group clinical trial. Clinical data were collected from test and control groups when the children were 5-6 years old. SETTING: A programme of posting toothpaste with dental health messages to the homes of children initially aged 12 months. Clinical examinations took place in primary schools. PARTICIPANTS: 7,422 children born in 3-month birth cohorts living in high caries areas in nine health districts in north west England. Within each district children were randomly assigned to test or control groups. INTERVENTIONS: Toothpaste, containing either 440 ppmF or 1450 ppmF, and dental health literature posted at three monthly intervals to children in test groups until they were aged 5-6 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The dmft index, missing teeth and the prevalence of caries experience. RESULTS: An analysis of 3,731 children who were examined and remained in the programme showed the mean dmft to be 2.15 for the group who had received 1,450 ppmF toothpaste and 2.49 for the 440 ppmF group. The mean dmft for the control group was 2.57. This 16% reduction between the 1,450 ppmF and control group was statistically significant (P<0.05). The difference between the 440 ppmF group and control was not significant. Further analyses to estimate the population effect of the programme also confirmed this relationship. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that a programme distributing free toothpaste containing 1,450 ppmF provides a significant clinical benefit for high caries risk children living in deprived, non-fluoridated districts.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1998

Influence of baseline values. I: Effects on plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride levels during doxazosin treatment for hypertension.

Forty-six African patients with essential hypertension aged 40 to 65 years had plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride levels determined at four different periods during a 12-month treatment with doxazosin. The patients were classified according to their pretreatment (baseline) values into 'low', 'medium' and 'high' baseline value groups. The mean total cholesterol levels significantly decreased in the three baseline groups while mean triglyceride levels reduced only in the patients that belonged to the medium and high baseline value groups. The baseline values of total cholesterol did not influence the beneficial cholesterol changes in all the patients, while the lack of significant favorable triglyceride changes was influenced by the low baseline values of triglyceride of the patients during doxazosin treatment. A similar study involving lipoprotein fractions and sub-fractions is also in progress.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Influence of baseline values. II: Variations in plasma lipoprotein fractions during doxazosin treatment for hypertension.

Forty-two Nigerian hypertensive men and women aged 40 to 60 years treated with doxazosin for 12 consecutive months were studied. Before the doxazosin therapy, all the patients had their baseline lipoprotein fractions determined and that was used to classify the patients into 'low', 'medium' and 'high' baseline values. The assays were repeated 4 times at every 3 months during the 12-month treatment with doxazosin. The mean high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLC) levels were significantly reduced in the patients with high baseline values, and remained unchanged for the patients with low and medium baseline values during doxazosin therapy. Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDLC) levels were apparently reduced in all the groups and this was significant for the patients with high baseline values. The mean levels of very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDLC) increased in the patients with low baseline values, and decreased in the patients with medium and high baseline values during the 12 months of doxazosin therapy. We therefore conclude that although the overall risk of developing coronary heart disease as measured by the risk predictor index LDLC/HDLC ratio was not affected by the baseline values of the patients, it is, however, important to note that adverse lipoprotein changes such as raised VLDLC and reduced HDLC may be seen in patients with low and high baseline values, respectively, during doxazosin treatment for hypertension. These observations will call for more serious monitoring of these lipoprotein fractions in patients with variable baseline values, by physicians and all health workers concerned during doxazosin treatment for hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Water fluoridation, tooth decay in 5 year olds, and social deprivation measured by the Jarman score: analysis of data from British dental surveys.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of water fluoridation, both artificial and natural, on dental decay, after socioeconomic deprivation was controlled for. DESIGN: Ecological study based on results from the NHS dental surveys in 5 year olds in 1991-2 and 1993-4 and Jarman underprivileged area scores from the 1991 census. SETTING: Electoral wards in three areas: Hartlepool (naturally fluoridated), Newcastle and North Tyneside (fluoridated), and Salford and Trafford (non-fluoridated). SUBJECTS: 5 year old children (n = 10,004). INTERVENTION: Water fluoridation (artificial and occurring naturally). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Ward tooth decay score (score on the "decayed, missing, and filled tooth index" for each electoral ward). RESULTS: Multiple linear regression showed a significant interaction between Jarman score for ward, mean number of teeth affected by decay, and both types of water fluoridation. This confirms that the more deprived an area, the greater benefit derived from fluoridation, whether natural or artificial (R2 = 0.84, P < 0.001). At a Jarman score of zero (national mean score) there was a predicted 44% reduction in decay in fluoridated areas, increasing to a 54% reduction in wards with a Jarman score of 40 (very deprived). The area with natural fluoridation (at a level of 1.2 parts per million-higher than levels in artificially fluoridated areas) had a 66% reduction in decay, with a 74% reduction in wards with a Jarman score of 40. CONCLUSION: Tooth decay is confirmed as a disease associated with social deprivation, and the more socially deprived areas benefit more from fluoridation. Widespread water fluoridation is urgently needed to reduce the "dental health divide" by improving the dental health of the poorer people in Britain.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1997

Social deprivation and tooth decay in Scottish schoolchildren.

OBJECTIVES: To quantify the association between dental decay in Scottish Schoolchildren & social deprivation as measured by the Carstairs Index from the 1991 census. DESIGN: An ecological study using data from the Scottish Health Boards Dental Epidemiology Programme and The Public Health Common Data set. SETTING: Scottish Health Boards from 1992-3 to 1994-5. SUBJECTS: Random samples of 5,920 five-year-olds, 5,344 12-year-olds and 6,007 14-year-olds across the 15 Health Boards in Scotland. RESULTS: Positive correlations were demonstrated in all age groups; 12-year-olds (r = 0.72) in 1992-3, 5-year-olds (r = 0.8) in 1993-4 and 14-year-olds (r = 0.55) in 1994-5. Dental decay in all age groups was positively and significantly associated with deprivation as measured by the Carstairs index. CONCLUSION: Tooth decay was confirmed as a disease associated with social deprivation in Scotland. The increasing polarisation of decay to socio-economically deprived groups of the population, suggests a 'whole population' approach such as water fluoridation would prevent tooth decay in these deprived groups most effectively. Nevertheless all evidence-based interventions should be used to try to narrow the "Dental Health Divide' by improving the dental health of deprived individuals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Biochemical changes during a cross-over treatment of doxazosin, moduretic and amlodipine in hypertensive patients.

A cross-over study was done to compare the effects of doxazosin, moduretic and amlodipine on biochemical values in 9 hypertensive Nigerians aged 35 to 65 years. Doxazosin therapy was characterized by significant increase in the levels of mean plasma total protein and albumin, while moduretic therapy showed significant reduction in the mean values of plasma creatinine and calcium. All other parameters did not show any significant variation during doxazosin and moduretic treatment phases; and amlodipine therapy did not have any effect on the biochemical values of the hypertensive patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need, its use in a dental epidemiology survey calibration exercise.

The Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) was included in a pre-survey calibration exercise of 18 dental epidemiologists. Nine months later 16 of the epidemiologists were re-calibrated in the IOTN. The Index was readily accepted by the experienced dental epidemiological examiners and each examination was estimated to be extended by, on average, less than two minutes. The inter-examiner agreement of the dental health component using the weighted kappa statistic improved from a mean of 0.53 (moderate agreement) for the first calibration to 0.66 (good agreement) at the second calibration. The mean inter-examiner agreement on the aesthetic component using the weighted kappa statistic reduced from 0.52 for the first calibration to 0.49 at the second. Using sensitivity and specificity to measure agreement on the dichotomous decision of those defined as having a definite treatment need, mean sensitivity rose from 0.72 to 0.79 and specificity from 0.90 to 0.97. It is concluded that dental examiners for epidemiological surveys can be trained to use the IOTN by using a pre-calibration exercise and that agreement on the dental health component improves after the index has been used for some months.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

North West Water and water fluoridation.

Campaigners for fluoridation in the north-west eagerly awaited publication of the Oral Health Strategy for England in the hope that it would include the Government's plan of action to ensure the implementation of fluoridation where most needed and most cost effective. The Government's strategy was 'in areas which do not presently enjoy fluoridated supplies, health authorities and water suppliers should now re-examine how this public health need can best be met.' This account of how health authorities in the north-west have been examining for 25 years just how this public health need can best be met, and the surprising way in which they have been treated by their water supplier over the last 7 years, calls the effectiveness of such a strategy into question.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1995

A novel school dental screening programme.

The study validated a novel school dental screening test based on the professional and public belief that regular, or asymptomatic dental attendance is beneficial to oral health. A randomly selected group of 175, 14-15-year-old boys and girls were questioned about their dental attendance which was verified either by the dentists whom they claimed to visit or by further questioning those whose behaviour was not clear. This method of separating symptomatic from asymptomatic attenders had a sensitivity of 1.00 and a specificity of 0.72. The method was inexpensive and acceptable to both the school staff and the pupils. The preventive dental knowledge of both groups was high. Although the dental attitudes of the asymptomatic attenders were significantly better than those who attended symptomatically it was not possible to demonstrate with confidence that they had better dental health.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Automated cycle sequencing of PCR templates: relationships between fragment size, concentration and strand renaturation rates on sequencing efficiency.

With the Applied Biosystems 373A automated DNA sequencer, we have systematically investigated the amounts of double-stranded PCR fragments of varying size (200, 564, and 1126 bp) required to give sequence of defined lengths, up to the maximum possible. Sequencing was performed on purified double-stranded PCR products using the dye-terminator chemistry and a thermal cycling procedure. The minimal template concentrations allowing determination of short sequences (< or = 160 bases) were essentially identical for the fragments studied. Maximal possible sequence determination from the 200 bp fragment was achieved over a wide concentration range, despite the fact that within this range a significant fraction of the template renatured by the mid-point of the sequencing reaction time-course. We conclude that the cyclic sequencing process overcomes competitive strand reannealing of double-stranded PCR products. The sequencing concentration-response curves for the 564 bp and 1126 bp fragments were similar to each other, although the minimal template concentrations required to read > 300 bases were slightly increased for the 564 bp fragment. Excess template is undesirable for optimal sequence length determination, but this is unlikely to be solely due to strand reannealing as single-stranded M13 templates in super-optimal concentrations also showed marked reduction in sequencing efficiency.

Automation↗
PubMed1994

Changes in lipid and lipoprotein values during a cross-over treatment of doxazosin, moduretic and amlodipine in hypertensive patients.

A cross-over study, comparing the effects of doxazosin, moduretic and amlodipine on plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels in 9 hypertensive Nigerians aged 35 to 65 years is presented. Doxazosin therapy had favourable lipid changes characterized by a statistically significant reduction in total cholesterol (TC) at 6 months. Though consistent reduction was observed in total triglycerides (TG) low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDLC) upto 6 months, no effect was seen on high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC). This is against unfavourable increments in the mean values of TC, VLDLC, LDLC/HDLC and decrease in HDLC/TC during moduretic treatment phase. Amlodipine therapy did not alter the lipid and lipoprotein levels. The non-significant variation in the mean high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDLC) level observed with these agents, seem to suggest that HDL-cholesterol metabolism may be maintained during antihypertensive pharmacotherapy.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Biochemical changes during amlodipine treatment in hypertensive patients.

Twenty adult hypertensive patients mean age (52 (1.73) y) were treated with amlodipine 5 mg (8 patients) and 10 mg (12 patients) once daily for 12 weeks. There was a reduction in sitting and standing diastolic and systolic blood pressures in male and female patients. Plasma calcium, sodium, potassium, total proteins, albumin, globulins, phosphate, chloride, urea and haematological parameters were not significantly altered by amlodipine therapy in any patient. An increase in creatinine level was noted, which was not related to kidney dysfunction. We conclude that amlodipine 5 mg or 10 mg once daily is effective in male and female patients, and it does not alter biochemical and haematological values in hypertensive African patients.

Amlodipine↗
PubMed1993

Problems associated with plasma albumin estimation in nephrotic syndrome using the bromocresol green method.

Evaluation of albumin estimation by bromocresol green (BCG) method was carried out in sixty nephrotics and twenty control subjects. In nephrotic syndrome, varies; is directly proportional, to 2-globulin and total cholesterol concentrations were significantly increased, while the mean albumin level was significantly reduced when compared with the corresponding control values. In both control and nephrotics, the determination of serum albumin by the BCG method showed good correlations with values obtained by cellulose acetate electrophoresis using the biuret method to determine the total protein, but the mean value for the nephrotics was higher by an average of 0.4g/100ml. Interference with the BCG reaction by an increased varies; is directly proportional, to 2-globulin level was suggested as a possible explanation for the higher mean albumin level obtained by the BCG method in the nephrotics. Inclusion of 0.8M NaCl in the BCG assay system did not prevent the interference by other proteins. However, this interference could to a large extent, be offset by calibrating with a pool of fresh sera previously determined by electrophoresis.

Bias↗
PubMed1993

Effects of moduretic on plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels in hypertensive African patients.

Twenty patients with essential hypertension aged 39-70 years, underwent 20 weeks (short-term) and 30 weeks (long-term) lipid and lipoprotein assessment following moduretic (combination of hydrochlorothiazide and amloride) therapy. Moduretic caused adverse alterations in plasma lipid and lipoprotein concentrations at 20 weeks, characterized by increases in total cholesterol (TC) (9-23%), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) (18-42%), Triglycerides (TG) (12-26%) and LDL-C/HDL-C (36-92%), as well as decreases in high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) (-14 to -26%) and HDL-C/TC (-23 to -39%). For 12 patients who were continued on the same therapy for the longer period of 30 weeks, the adverse effects were less pronounced when compared with the short-term effects. The increases in TC (9.6%), in LDL-C (21%), and in LDL-C/HDL-C (48%), and the decreases in the mean HDL-C (-20%), and in HDL-C/TC (-25%), were all significant. In contrast, the slight increase in TG noted during the long-term moduretic therapy was not significant. Our data suggest that moduretic therapy induces altered lipid-lipoprotein patterns in hypertensive patients. However, the possible influence of baseline cholesterol concentration and the duration of therapy, may be important factors in the lipid response to moduretic therapy.

Aged↗