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Biomedical subjects

H M Mather

Publications and source records attributed to H M Mather.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Alcohol-related admissions to a psychiatric hospital: a comparison of Asians and Europeans.

The prevalence of alcohol-related problems in the British Asian community is unknown. We obtained details of all patients living in Southall who had been admitted with a primary alcohol-related diagnosis to a psychiatric hospital from 1980 to 1987. We used 1981 census data to calculate overall and age-specific incidence rates for Asian and European men and woman, expressed per 10,000 subjects over the 7-year period. The overall incidence in Asian men (105.8) was markedly higher than in European men (54.3) (p less than 0.001). The overall incidence in Asian women was markedly lower than in European women (4.1 versus 18.6, p less than 0.001). Proportionately more Asian than European men were married (82% versus 34%, p less than 0.001). This pilot study suggests that alcohol-related problems severe enough to warrant inpatient treatment are unduly common in Southall Asian men, especially in married subjects. Further community-based studies are needed to ascertain the prevalence of alcoholism in this and other British Asian communities.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Microalbuminuria in non-insulin-dependent diabetes: its prevalence in Indian compared with Europid patients.

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is strikingly common in British Indians, but their susceptibility to diabetic complications is unknown. The ratio of albumin to creatinine concentrations was measured in samples of the first urine voided in the morning in 154 Indian and 82 Europid patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes and in a control group of 129 non-diabetic Indians. The ratio was significantly higher in the Indian patients than in the Europid patients and the Indian controls. There were no significant correlations between the logarithm of the albumin: creatinine ratio and age, known duration of diabetes, haemoglobin A1 concentration, or body mass index within either diabetic group. Hypertension and raised albumin:creatinine ratio were significantly associated, and significant correlations were seen between the logarithm of the albumin:creatinine ratio and systolic and diastolic blood pressures in the Indian but not the Europid diabetics. Because of the high prevalence of diabetes at a relatively early age in Indians, nephropathy may emerge as an important clinical problem.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Variability in vibration perception threshold among sites: a potential source of error in biothesiometry.

Vibration perception threshold was measured with a biothesiometer by a single observer at both medial malleoli and both big toes in 110 diabetic patients aged 15-65 selected at random and in 64 non-diabetic subjects aged 20-65. The vibration perception threshold showed appreciable individual variation both between contralateral sites and between ipsilateral sites, differing by at least 30% between the big toes in 26 (24%) of the diabetic patients and 16 (25%) of the non-diabetic group. Variability between sites was significantly greater in the diabetics than the normal subjects. The vibration perception threshold exceeded published normal values at one or more sites in 22 of the diabetic patients but at all four sites in only four. The wide variability in vibration perception threshold among sites may be due to the tissue characteristics locally and, in diabetic patients, possibly to asymmetric neuropathy. Biothesiometer readings at single or unilateral sites may be unrepresentative or misleading.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Evaluation of a non-mydriatic camera in Indian and European diabetic patients.

The value of the Canon CR3-45NM non-mydriatic fundus camera in screening for diabetic retinopathy has been assessed in two ethnic groups, namely, 45 Indian and 40 European diabetic patients. There was 72% agreement between ophthalmoscopy by an ophthalmologist and the photographic assessment, and 100% agreement on clinically important lesions requiring treatment. However, peripheral retinal lesions, seen on ophthalmoscopy but lying outside the photographic field, occurred in 4% of eyes. 6% of photographs were totally unassessable and an additional 12% were only partially assessable. The prevalence and severity of retinopathy was similar in Indian and European patients. The advantages and disadvantages of the non-mydriatic camera in screening for diabetic retinopathy are discussed.

Diabetic Retinopathy↗
PubMed1988

Aspects of diabetes care in Britain, 1987.

The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes in Britain is rising rapidly. Hospital clinics are overcrowded and may only provide a rudimentary service. Various schemes have been devised to improve community care by involving hospital physicians and nurses. Trends towards increasing usage of human insulin, fixed ratio insulin mixtures and the Novopen, the declining popularity of CSII, and current attitudes towards diet are briefly summarised. Diabetic care in Britain has improved markedly over the past decade due particularly to improved patient education and the appointment of diabetes specialist nurses, but enormous logistical problems remain.

Community Health Services↗
PubMed1987

Insulin resistance in maturity onset diabetes of the young.

Insulin resistance was assessed by euglycaemic clamp studies in matched groups of MODY, classical NIDDM patients and non-diabetic control subjects. The MODY patients metabolised less glucose (4.8 +/- 0.3 mg/Kg/min) than the classical NIDDM patients (7.0 +/- 0.5 mg/Kg/min) at an insulin infusion rate of 1.0 mU/Kg/min (p less than 0.05). At an insulin infusion rate 10 mU/Kg/min the differences between the MODY and the classical NIDDM patients were not significant. At both infusion rates the two diabetic groups metabolised less glucose than the control subjects. The results indicate that despite their younger age, the patients with MODY are more insulin resistant than the patients with classical NIDDM.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Asian diabetes in Britain: a clinical profile.

The clinical features of large unselected groups of Asian (401) and European (491) patients attending a diabetic clinic were compared. The prevalences of symptomatic ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, retinopathy, and lens opacities were similar in the two groups, despite the shorter known duration and the relative youth of the Asian patients. Pedal pulses were more often absent in Europeans, whereas in the age-group 20-64 years, ankle and knee reflexes were more often unobtainable in Asians. The degree of adiposity was similar in the two groups, but was less in Asian males than females. A first-degree diabetic relative was reported more commonly in Asians than in Europeans. These findings are important in relation to the exceptionally high prevalence of diabetes recently described in the Southall Asian community.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

The Southall Diabetes Survey: prevalence of known diabetes in Asians and Europeans.

A house to house inquiry for patients with known diabetes was carried out in a defined area of Southall, west London, which contained over 34 000 Asians and 27 000 Europeans in the 1981 Census: 1143 diabetic patients were ascertained, of whom 761 were Asian and 324 European. The prevalence adjusted for age of known diabetes in Asians was at least 3.8 times higher than that in Europeans. For patients aged between 40 and 64 years it was at least five times higher, was over 12% in Asians aged 60-69, and over 8% in those aged 50-59. These data are important in planning for the care of diabetic patients in health districts with large Asian communities. The causes and later consequences of this exceptionally high prevalence require further study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Diurnal profiles of plasma magnesium and blood glucose in diabetes.

In order to study the relation between plasma magnesium and blood glucose concentrations in diabetes, diurnal profiles were obtained in nine diabetic patients and five healthy subjects. A significant inverse relationship between the two variables was found in seven of the nine diabetic patients and in one healthy subject. This could not be attributed solely to changes in plasma albumin, and its mechanism is unclear. Plasma magnesium levels in diabetes are closely dependent on blood glucose concentration.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Effect of desmopressin on normal and impaired memory.

In view of the reported influence of vasopressin on the memory process of animals, trials were carried out on normal subjects and patients with memory disorders using the vasopressin analogue desmopressin. No beneficial effects could be demonstrated.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Tissue magnesium status in diabetes mellitus.

Leucocyte and erythrocyte magnesium was assayed in 17 healthy subjects and 17 insulin dependent diabetic patients. Plasma magnesium concentration (mean +/- standard error of mean) was significantly lower in the diabetic patients (0.80 +/- 0.02 mmol/l), compared with the healthy subjects (0.90 +/- 0.02 mmol/l, p less than 0.001), but the leucocyte and erythrocyte magnesium content was not significantly different in the diabetic patients (34.5 +/- 0.8 and 6.2 +/- 0.2 mmol/kg dry solids) compared with the healthy subjects (35.5 +/- 0.8 and 6.5 +/- 0.11 mmol/kg dry solids). In a separate study skeletal muscle obtained by needle biopsy was also assayed. Plasma magnesium in 10 diabetic patients (0.74 +/- 0.01 mmol/l) was significantly lower than in 16 healthy subjects (0.85 +/- 0.02 mmol/l, p less than 0.001), but there was no significant difference in the mean muscle magnesium content (43.0 +/- 0.7 compared with 40.7 +/- 0.9 mmol/kg dry solids in the diabetic patients).

Adolescent↗