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Biomedical subjects

G R Cutter

Publications and source records attributed to G R Cutter.

102 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Effect of dietary change on the return of hypertension after withdrawal of prolonged antihypertensive therapy (DISH). Dietary Intervention Study of Hypertension.

The possibility exists that dietary modification may increase the number of patients who remain normotensive after drug withdrawal. In an effort to resolve this question, former Hypertension Detection and Follow-up Program Stepped Care participants (n = 496) were randomized into four major groups at the end of the programme (greater than 5 years antihypertensive therapy): controls (continue medication); discontinue medication, no dietary intervention; discontinue medication and weight loss; discontinue medication and reduce sodium. Groups 1, 2 and 4 were further divided into obese (greater than or equal to 120% ideal weight, and non-obese groups). The weight reduction group (greater than or equal to 120% ideal weight) lost 10.1 +/- 11 lbs without changing dietary sodium (n = 87). The sodium restriction group reduced urine sodium excretion from 145 to 97 mEq per day (n = 169). Sixty per cent of the weight loss group were normotensive at 56 weeks compared to 35% withdrawn from medication without dietary intervention. The highest 56 weeks success rates were in the mild non-overweight hypertensives on sodium restriction (78%), and the mild overweight hypertensives on weight reduction (72%). Randomization to either weight loss group or sodium restriction group increased the likelihood of remaining off drugs (adjusted odds ratio of 3.43 for the weight group and 2.17 for the sodium group (P less than 0.05). Age, severe hypertension greater than 5 years previous to entry into Dietary Intervention Study of Hypertension (DISH) or need for several drugs increased the chance of failure.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

An assessment of the Environmental Protection Agency's asbestos hazard evaluation algorithm.

We performed an exploratory evaluation of the Environmental Protection Agency's algorithm for assessment of risk of exposure to asbestos in buildings. Observers scored five sites using the algorithm. One group (N = 23) conducted their assessments relying only on written instructions, while another (N = 20) was trained in the use of the algorithm. Five professional industrial hygienists, experienced in risk assessment, also used the algorithm on the same sites. A wide range of highly variable results, for both untrained and trained observers coupled with poor comparability with expert's scores raise concern as to the reliability of this assessment tool. The development of a valid and reliable "lay" index of risk is still needed.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Validation of a risk function to predict mortality in a VA population with coronary artery disease.

A multivariate risk function based on the Cox model was developed in the VA Study of Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery to predict the survival of patients with stable angina pectoris. The methods used in developing and evaluating the performance of the risk function (validation) are described. Performance was evaluated internally by the methods of resubstitution, half-sample replication, and jackknifing, and externally by use of an independent patient population.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1982

Epidemiologic study of candidates for coronary artery bypass surgery.

Simplified estimates of the potential patients eligible for coronary artery bypass surgery are presented. Various means of identification are discussed, as well as effects of two levels of stenosis. Although ultimate operability is not directly considered, the results demonstrate a substantial and growing pool of eligible patients. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics characterizes the trend toward more arteriograms and bypass procedures and more procedures being performed in smaller hospitals. Unexplained patterns exist with regard to racial and geographic differences. Factors that contribute to the increase of bypass procedures include more catheterizations being performed, declining mortality, the aging of the U.S. population, less reluctance to perform surgery, repeat operations, and increased availability of surgical teams and facilities. Factors discouraging an increase in the number of procedures include cost, equivocal results relative to increased survival in certain stages of disease, and improved alternative therapies.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMed1981

Increasing utilization of a rural cervical cancer detection program.

The Alabama Department of Public Health established, in 1973, a Cancer Screening Program (CSP). Although 66,000 women have been screened, many rural females had never used the program. After a community health organization education effort was introduced into a target rural county, an examination of CSP new user data for two intervention quarters revealed 345 and 150 per cent increases, respectively, in the pattern of use.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Training and certification of blood pressure observers.

Accurate, reproducible measurements of blood pressure (BP) were central to the goals and objectives of the Hypertension Detection and Follow-Up Program (HDFP), a multicenter clinical trial on the efficacy of pharmacological treatment of individuals with elevated BP. All potential BP observers with or without previous experience in measuring BP were required to undergo a defined training program and meet set performance criteria to be certified to take HDFP BP. Recertification was required twice a year. Originally an audiotape test was used to measure accuracy of BP readings. This approach was later replaced by a videotape test, which proved more realistic and an equally effective tool for long-term quality control. With this technique of certifications, 75% of the individuals taking the test passed on the first attempt and more than 95% passed with one or two attempts. Although agreement for blinded BP duplicates was generally good, the appearance of sound (systolic BP) was identified with greater reproducibility than was the disappearance (diastolic BP). These recertification procedures were of great value in assuring the continued high quality of our BP data.

Allied Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of very low birth weights on fetal and neonatal mortality rates in Alabama.

The relationship of births weighing less than 1,000 grams (g) to fetal and neonatal mortality rates, including changes over time, was studied. In Alabama during the period 1974-84, the percentage of reported births that weighed less than 500 g doubled, and the percentage of reported births weighing 500 to 999 g increased by about 10 percent. By the end of the study, while only 0.13 percent of reported births weighed less than 500 g, 24 percent of all stillbirths and 14 percent of all neonatal deaths were in this birth weight group. Similarly, in 1984, while only 0.62 percent of all births weighed 500 to 999 g, 23 percent of stillbirths and 42 percent of neonatal deaths were in this birth weight group. The data suggest that Alabama neonatal and fetal mortality rates declined more than was apparent in vital statistics data because of changes in reporting practices for very low birth weight newborns during the study period. Changes in vital statistics reporting are suggested to improve data reliability.

Alabama↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Efficacy of a premixed semisynthetic human insulin regimen.

Sixty-one insulin-requiring non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetic patients who had been transferred from a regimen of mixed intermediate and short-acting insulin to a fixed regimen of premixed insulin (70% neutral protamine Hagedorn and 30% regular, human semisynthetic insulin) given twice daily were studied retrospectively. The average age was 65 years (range, 35 to 84) and the average duration of their diabetes was 13.8 years (range, 1.5 to 33 years). Thirty-one percent were men, 69% women. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) dropped significantly after transfer from a mean of 12.3% to a mean of 9.2% (P less than 0.001). After an average of 14.1 months, 40 patients still had a lower HbA1c (P less than 0.01), showing sustained improvement. The mean HbA1c at the last visit was 10.2% (normal range, 5.5% to 8.5%) with the average reduction in HbA1c being 2.1%. This sustained improvement occurred without a significant gain in weight (P = 0.63) or a significant increase in total insulin doses (median, 2 units), and was independent of the type of insulin used previously. Hypoglycemic episodes actually declined from an average of 1.0 to 0.6 per month. Of those patients who had previously not reported hypoglycemia, only 28% reported hypoglycemic events, and of those reporting previous hypoglycemia, 57% experienced a reduction. This surprising improvement in glycemic control was not due to compliance with insulin injections or remote premixing of insulin but possibly due to the increased accuracy of measuring the premixed insulin dose. The convenience and stability of a premixed insulin regimen results in better glycemic control in the insulin-requiring non-insulin-dependent diabetic population.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A cost-effectiveness analysis of self-help smoking cessation methods for pregnant women.

Estimates of the cost effectiveness and cost benefit of health promotion-health education methods for pregnant smokers designed to increase birth weight are not available. This paper presents the results of a cost-effectiveness analysis from a recently completed randomized trial to evaluate the effectiveness of self-help smoking cessation methods for pregnant women in public health maternity clinics. The study population--309 pregnant smokers from 3 prenatal clinics--were randomly assigned, during their first clinic visit, to 1 of 3 groups: (a) group 1 received the standard clinic information and advice to quit smoking, (b) group 2 received the standard clinic information and advice to quit plus the manual "Freedom From Smoking in 20 Days" by the American Lung Association, and (c) group 3 received the standard clinic information and advice to quit plus the pregnancy-specific manual "A Pregnant Woman's Self-Help Guide to Quit Smoking." The quit rates by the end of pregnancy were 2 percent for group 1, 6 percent for group 2, and 14 percent for group 3. Analyses also indicated that the method used for group 3 was the most cost effective: group 3 achieved smoking cessation at less than half the cost experienced by the other two groups. Although additional studies are needed concerning the behavioral impact, cost effectiveness, and cost benefit of self-help health education methods for smoking cessation, the methods tested in this trial are promising as solutions to part of the problem of low birth weight among infants of smoking mothers in the United States.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The association of heparin exposure with intraventricular hemorrhage among very low birth weight infants.

To determine whether there is a relationship between exposure to heparin and an increased risk of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), we analyzed data from a cohort of infants who had been subjects in a randomized clinical trial of umbilical artery catheter placement. Data from 862 infants who survived the first 6 days of life were used for analysis. The incidence of IVH (grades 1 through 4) was 28.6%. The mean (SD) birth weight for infants with IVH was 954 gm (247 gm) compared with 1053 gm (253 gm) among infants without IVH (p < 0.01). The mean (SD) heparin intake among infants with an IVH was 83.5 units/kg/day (48.7) compared with 59.4 units/kg/day (48.7) among infants without an IVH (p < 0.01). With the use of logistic regression modeling to adjust for a number of potentially confounding variables, including fluid intake and birth weight, we observed an odds ratio for an IVH of 1.96 (95% confidence interval = 1.32, 2.91) for infants with second through fourth quartile intakes of heparin compared with that for infants with first quartile heparin intakes. Although we cannot rule out the possibility that the observations from this model may be confounded by factors associated with the severity of illness of the infant, these data support the findings of previous reports of an association between heparin exposure and the risk for an IVH.

Case-Control Studies↗