PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

J Horgan

Publications and source records attributed to J Horgan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Trends in medical student use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs in an Irish university, 1973-2002.

Questionnaire surveys of medical students in an Irish university were carried out in 1973 (n=765), 1990 (n=522) and 2002 (n=537), with differentiation of western students (e.g., from the Republic of Ireland, the UK, or Australia) and non-western students (e.g., Malaysia). We report on changes in tobacco smoking, drinking and drug-taking over three decades, and we note that, among western students, estimated prevalence of being a current smoker has declined overall from 28.8% in 1973 to 15.3% in 1990 to 9.2% in 2002 (p<0.001), falling in both males (p<0.001) and females (p<0.01). Ex-smokers rose from 5.9% to 15.1% between 1990 and 2002, corresponding with the decline in current smokers. The prevalence of current drinkers has risen over the period, to 82.5% among western students in 2002 (p<0.05); female drinking has increased steadily since 1973 (p<0.001), and the overall proportion of CAGE-positive drinkers has risen since 1990 (p<0.001). The mean weekly alcohol consumption has risen in both sexes since 1990 (males 14.3 units to 19.4, p<0.01; females 6.0 to 9.5, p<0.001). There was an increase in the proportion of students ever offered drugs between 1973 and 2002 (p<0.001). Although smoking rates have fallen, our findings show a marked increase in alcohol and drug consumption between 1973 and 2002. Personal misuse of addictive substances by doctors may mean that doctors will fail to take misuse by patients seriously. A need for preventative and ameliorative action during the medical school years is clear.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Anginal headache and its basis.

A case is presented of angina manifesting itself initially solely as vertex and occipital headache, accompanied by EKG changes, provoked by exercise and relieved by rest. It was totally relieved by coronary bypass surgery and, later, by angioplasty. Its mechanism is probably a variation on the neural convergence usually invoked to explain the more typical chest pain angina.

Headache↗
PubMed1996

Right to die.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Ethics, Medical↗
PubMed1996

Long-term successful management of refractory congestive cardiac failure by intermittent ambulatory peritoneal ultrafiltration.

Despite advances in the pharmacological management of cardiac failure, some patients remain refractory to this therapy. However, improved understanding of the physiology and technique of peritoneal dialysis has recently allowed ambulatory peritoneal ultrafiltration to be applied to the treatment of patients with intractable heart failure. We report the management of three such patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class IV cardiac failure, each with a left ventricular ejection fraction < 20%. They had become unresponsive to maximum pharmacological management with inotropes, diuretics and ACE inhibitors. All patients had biochemical evidence of pre-renal azotemia. Initially, patients received aggressive ultrafiltration by continuous veno-venous haemofiltration (CVVH) or one- to two-hourly peritoneal dialysis exchanges until they achieved an optimal dry body weight. Once stabilized, they were converted to an intermittent ambulatory peritoneal ultrafiltration (IAPU) regimen of one to three exchanges per 24 h according to their individual needs. During an 18 +/- 10-month follow-up, their duration of hospital confinement was reduced by 85% and all three patients improved from class IV to class II cardiac failure. IAPU may have a useful role in the long-term management of intractable heart failure in a selected group of patients.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1996

Are butter and cheese rich in monounsaturates beneficial in hyperlipidaemic patients?

BACKGROUND: Reduction in intake of dairy products has long been recommended to reduce blood lipids. The value of monounsaturated fatty acids is increasingly recognized. METHODS: We evaluated the effects of a monounsaturate-rich butter and cheese (B) produced by modifying the bovine diet on blood lipid levels of patients with type IIa hyperlipidaemia. We compared their effects with those of normal butter and cheese (A) and polyunsaturate-rich spread and cheese (C). Using a double cross-over design, we studied 30 patients of mean age 56.4 years (23 men, one woman excluded) over 6-week periods. RESULTS: Approximately 35.5 g/day butter/cheese were consumed; no changes in serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, lipoprotein (a) or cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratio were observed. HDL levels were higher in B(1.31 mmol/l) than in C (1.22 mmol/l; P < 0.05) and similar to those in A (1.28 mmol/l). HDL2 levels were higher in patients fed diet A(0.23 mmol/l) than they were in those fed diet C (0.19 mmol/l; P < 0.05) and similar to those in patients fed diet B (0.20 mmol/l). Serum HDL3 was significantly higher in patients fed diet B (1.11 mmol/l) than in those fed diet C (1.03 mmol/l; P < 0.05) but similar to that in patients fed diet A (1.06 mmol/l). CONCLUSIONS: Moderate intake of modified dairy products may be of value and deserves further evaluation.

Butter↗