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Biomedical subjects

M Ferry

Publications and source records attributed to M Ferry.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Low-cost measurement of body composition with 18O-enriched water.

Total body water (TBW) and body composition are crucial for the estimation of nutritional status in many clinical circumstances. While the measurement of TBW with 18O-enriched water is technically easier than with 2H2O, the cost of 10% 18O-enriched water can be regarded as prohibitive. The aim of this study was to prove that less enriched (i.e. 2%) and cheaper (about 25 ECU per dose per subject, i.e. $30) 18O water can be used to measure TBW. In the 41 subjects studied, isotopic equilibrium was achieved 4 hours after the isotope was administered. Plateau enrichments in urine, saliva, and plasma samples did not differ significantly between 5 and 8 hours after the dose. TBW measurements in 8 of these subjects showed no significant differences, regardless of whether 2% or 10% water was used. We conclude that accurate estimates of TBW and body composition can be obtained with low-cost, 2% 18O-enriched water.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Life-style: marital status, education, living situation, social contacts, personal habits (smoking, drinking). Euronut SENECA investigators.

Data on marital status, living conditions and social contacts of 2586 elderly persons living in 19 towns from 12 European countries, who were born between 1913 and 1918, and who participated in the Euronut SENECA study on Nutrition of the Elderly in Europe, reflect on the whole a high quality of life in the elderly population of these small traditional European towns. Housing offers adequate comfort in general and many elderly people have access to gardens. In most survey towns the majority of men and women of this age group have at least one child within the town or nearer. In some of the southern and eastern towns 40% or more live with their children. In most survey towns 30-50% of the women live alone (more than 50% in the Danish and Norwegian towns Roskilde and Elverum) but in general social nets are strong enough to prevent the danger of acute isolation. But in four towns (Roskilde/Denmark, Chateau Renault-Amboise/France, Elverum/Norway and Padua/Italy) 10-13% of all women lived alone and did not know a neighbour well enough to call on for help. In three towns (Monor/Hungary, Vila Franca de Xira/Portugal and Marki/Poland) social contacts were distinctly less frequent than in all other towns and participation in community activities virtually non-existent. These were the same towns in which substantial groups reported food budgeting problems. Danger of isolation, however, seemed to be rather low. A high intensity of social contacts and no danger of acute isolation in spite of relatively few available children was noted in the German-speaking town of Switzerland (Burgdorf). Further analyses will have to test whether food consumption or nutritional status is related to any of the studied life-style factors.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Assessment of health: self-perceived health, chronic diseases, use of medicine. Euronut SENECA investigators.

In 17 towns in 11 countries across Europe, 10 questions on health were asked as part of a general standardized interview regarding self-perceived global and relative health, quality of life, chronic diseases, use of medicine and specific ailments. 2544 men and women born between 1913 and 1918 participated in the survey. No age-related health differences were found within this 5-year age group. Self-perceived global health was better in men than in women, and more men than women judged their health to be better than that of other persons of their age. The gender difference in prevalence of chronic diseases and use of medicine was less pronounced. Most people judged their health to be good (20-82%) despite a high prevalence of chronic disease (59-92%) and symptoms from different organ systems (leg problems: 16-60%). There were large variations in all measures of health between towns, even between towns within the same country. The trend was in the direction of better health in northern industrial towns than in southern rural towns. The differences were still significant after correction for differences in non-participation rate. The findings are consistent with findings in other health surveys. The findings about self-rated health, chronic diseases and specific ailments will be used in further cross-sectional analyses of the role of differences in diet habits and nutrition for health in Europeans, controlled for living conditions and life-style.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Nutritional status: blood vitamins A, E, B6, B12, folic acid and carotene. Euronut SENECA investigators.

This chapter describes the vitamin plasma concentration data collection, preliminary analysis and results of the Euronut SENECA study. Blood plasma was collected from approximately 2500 elderly subjects born in 1913-1918 living in 17 small towns in 11 European countries, and the plasma levels of carotene, retinol, alpha-tocopherol, vitamin B12, folic acid and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate were determined. There were very large within- and between-centre differences in vitamin levels with no definite geographical pattern emerging. The vitamin status for retinol and folic acid was adequate in all centres. The prevalence of biochemical vitamin B6 deficiency was widespread and reached over 50% in some centres. Vitamin B12 biochemical deficiency was limited to ten centres and its prevalence was 1.6%-10%. Vitamin E biochemical deficiency was found in seven centres and varied from 0.5% to 25%.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Value of echocardiography in aged patients with presumed idiopathic auricular fibrillation].

Thirty seven patients (mean age = 80.2 years with extremes from 66 to 98 years), presenting atrial fibrillation (AF), presumably idiopathic (non known heart disease, completely normal cardiac auscultation, good quality chest X-ray and electrocardiogram, no laboratory test anomaly), and paroxystic (n = 7: 19 p. cent) or permanent (n = 30: 81 p. cent), were given an electrocardiogram TM and bidimensional. In only 9 of them (24.3 p. cent), this examination is completely normal. Three other patients (8.1 p. cent) present an isolated dilatation of the left atrium. The 25 remaining patients present various cardiopericardic anomalies: valvular pathologies (n = 2: 59.4 p. cent): mitral (n = 15: 40.5 p. cent) more often than aortic (n = 7: 18.9 p. cent); myocardiopathies (n = 8: 21.6 p. cent), hypertrophic (n = 2), dilated (n = 4) or hypertrophic and dilated (n = 2); moderate pericardial effusion (n = 1: 2.7 p. cent). The mean left and right ventricular diameters, measured in TM mode, are normal as well as the mean contractility indexes (percentage of shortening of the small axis, stroke volume) and the mean filling index (mitral gradient EF) of the LV. Overall, the transverse diameter of the LA is moderately increased (41.9 +/- 9.7 mm); it is not significantly different from the AF, either paroxystic (41.5 +/- 4.9 mm) or permanent (42 +/- 9.93 mm) and whether it is (40.5 +/- 9.9 mm =) or not (42.5 +/- 8.8 mm) complicated by a systemic embolism, especially cerebral. Therefore, the sonocardiogram demonstrates a latent cardiopathy in two-thirds of the patients over 65 presenting a presumably idiopathic AF.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Denutrition of elderly patients].

Undernutrition is common in elderly people being often underestimated and always dangerous, mostly in hospitalized patients. Such symptom is related to a decrease in protein-energy stores with age and due to different physiopathologic major causes, either a decrease in energy intake and/or endogenous denutrition. Diagnosis is always difficult and needs several criteria from food intake, anthropometric and biological measurements. Recent progress have been made in nutritional protein evaluation (albumin, prealbumin) with additional help of inflammatory proteins (AGR and CRP). In spite of the limits of the measurements of each parameter, simultaneous evaluation of such protein profile reduces interpretation mistakes and not only leads to precise diagnosis of denutrition symptom, but also permits a valuable follow-up.

Aged↗
PubMed1987

[Bilateral kidney cancer in a patient with Von Hippel-Lindau disease].

A case of bilateral renal carcinoma in a female patient presenting with Von-Hippel-Lindau disease is reported. Many different lesions may be associated in this autosomal dominant disease and the presence of renal involvement must be investigated in every patient. Renal carcinoma, often bilateral, is now frequently treated by conservative methods. It is always necessary to conduct an epidemiological survey in the entire family.

Angiomatosis↗
PubMed1985

[Diagnosis of renal, peri- and para-renal infections. Contribution of ultrasonics and x-ray computed tomography. Apropos of 10 cases].

Principal signs and symptoms of renal parenchyma infections are discussed in relation to findings in 10 cases. Disorders studied were acute pyelonephritis and focal and bacterial acute nephritis, renal abscess and perinephritic phlegmon. Intravenous urography was only moderately sensitive (4/7) and of little specificity. Ultrasound imaging showed much greater sensitivity (8/10), undetected lesions being the earliest cases of severe acute pyelonephritis. The scanner was the most sensitive investigatory method since it associated anatomical and functional aspects in data obtained, justifying its initial use for certain authors.

Abscess↗
PubMed1985

[Diagnostic contribution of computer tomography in muscular pathology].

CT analysis in 26 patients with well-identified muscle diseases, and 4 normal controls was performed to evaluate its diagnostic interest. Scans were obtained through pelvis, thigh and calves at comparable levels in all subjects. Results showed that elementary changes were devoid of specificity and density measurements did not significantly increase the diagnostic significance of images. A good correlation was found between the degrees of CT changes and clinical evaluation of the muscles. However, CT allowed a more precise study of abnormalities in muscles difficult to assess clinically and, in all pathological cases, led to a clear analysis of the topography and the selectivity of the pathological process. If safety criteria are fulfilled, CT would allow a precise follow-up study of muscle atrophies.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease↗
PubMed1985

[X-ray computed tomographic detection of foraminal neurinoma. Apropos of a case].

About the case of the vertebral neurilemmoma diagnosed at the very beginning, purely inside the foramen, precursor of the classical "hourglass Tumor", the authors remain the clinical evolution and the anatomy of the intervertebral foramen's neurilemmoma. They insist on the insufficiency of the conventional radiology in early diagnosis. They also exposed the C.T. technic and his results; the neurilemmoma can be diagnosed before his extension over the limits of the intervertebral foramen, but only if a precis neurological level is known.

Female↗
PubMed1984

[Comparative study of computed x-ray tomography and saccoradiculography in the diagnosis of early lumbar disk herniation. Apropos of 50 surgically-proven cases].

Comparison of diagnostic accuracy using the two methods showed scanner imaging to provide superior results, with confirmation of herniated disc in 90 p. 100 cases based on purely discal semiological features. Limitations of the method result from the absence of epidural fat (narrow lumbar canals). A new hierarchy of radiological explorations in resistant lumbosciatica is proposed.

Back Pain↗