PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Ardron

Publications and source records attributed to M Ardron.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

Anti-smoking advice for young diabetic smokers: is it a waste of breath?

The effect of health counselling on the smoking habits of 60 diabetic patients (aged less than 40 years) was assessed. Measurement of breath carbon monoxide (CO) and urinary cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, were used as objective markers of smoking. All patients wished to cease smoking and the impact of health counselling was reviewed in a 'Stop Smoking' clinic. In addition to routine advice on the health hazards of smoking, half the patients and their families also received further counselling during a home visit by a health visitor. After 6 months many of the 60 patients claimed to have reduced their cigarette consumption. However, the urinary cotinine concentrations did not confirm this. Only one patient actually stopped smoking and he had sustained a myocardial infarction during the study. There was a small but significant reduction of breath CO in the patients seen at home by the health visitor but the urinary cotinine concentrations were unchanged. This suggests that these patients abstained from smoking for only a few hours before attending the 'Stop Smoking' clinic.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Urinary excretion of albumin, alpha-1-microglobulin, and N-acetyl-B-D-glucosaminidase in relation to smoking habits in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects.

Smoking may be a risk factor for the development of diabetic nephropathy. Therefore, the urinary excretion of albumin, alpha-1-microglobulin, and N-acetyl-BD glucosaminidase was studied in 24 young adult diabetic patients who smoked. None of these patients had urine samples positive for albumin as determined by the Albustix method (i.e., a urinary concentration of albumin of less than 0.5 g in 24 hr). Control groups were nonsmoking diabetic patients (matched for age and duration of diabetes) and nondiabetic subjects (smokers and nonsmokers). Expired breath carbon monoxide and the urinary nicotine metabolite cotinine were measured as objective markers of smoking load. No significant differences in concentrations of urinary proteins were found among any of the four groups. Therefore, smoking is not associated with the development of an increased urinary excretion of albumin within the "microalbuminuria" range. However, further studies are required to determine whether smoking is a risk factor for the progression of established microalbuminuria to Albustix positive proteinuria in diabetic patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Educational achievements, employment and social class of insulin-dependent diabetics: a survey of a young adult clinic in Liverpool.

The educational achievements, current employment, and social class of 137 diabetic patients aged 20.9 +/- 3.0 years (mean +/- SD), attending a Young Adult Diabetic clinic in North Liverpool were surveyed. The duration of diabetes was 7.8 +/- 5.0 years. Patients who developed diabetes in childhood (age at diagnosis less than 13 years) were more likely to have achieved educational qualifications, be employed, and be of social class I or II than those developing diabetes aged 13-25 years. Compared with non-diabetic young adults from North Liverpool, diabetics achieved similar educational qualifications and were as likely to be employed after leaving full-time education. This is an encouraging finding in the present harsh economic climate. The clustering of social classes I and II in childhood diabetics found in this study requires a larger epidemiological study of social class and insulin-dependent diabetes for confirmation.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The destination and dependency of patients discharged from care of the elderly units in the West Midlands.

Between November 1988 and January 1989 a prospective survey was undertaken on patients aged 65 years and over who were discharged from the care of geriatricians in seven District General Hospitals. The survey aimed to provide a regional perspective on patient dependency by relating dependency at discharge to the discharge destination. The findings show that the majority of patients were relatively independent and most returned home. A significant number of the very dependent patients were discharged to the community with private residential and nursing homes making an important contribution to the placement of highly dependent patients.

Activities of Daily Living↗