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Biomedical subjects

M Gellman

Publications and source records attributed to M Gellman.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Cardiovascular responsivity to stress in adolescents with and without persistently elevated blood pressure.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to compare the cardiovascular responses to behavioural stressors of three groups of adolescents who differed in blood pressure status across assessments. DESIGN: Casual blood pressure of adolescents who were identified as having elevated blood pressure during a school screen was re-evaluated in the laboratory. The adolescents were classified into two groups: (i) those with consistently elevated blood pressure across school and laboratory assessments and (i) those with labile blood pressure whose blood pressure in the laboratory was below 130/80 mmHg. A comparison group of adolescents with consistently normal blood pressure was also included. METHODS: Cardiovascular parameters were assessed during rest and during two behavioural stressors, the evaluated speaking task and the mirror tracing task. RESULTS: Adolescents with elevated blood pressure were more vascularly responsive across stressors than adolescents with labile blood pressure, who, in turn, were more reactive than adolescents with normal blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that vascular reactivity to behavioural stressors may be useful in predicting risk of hypertension because of its sensitivity in distinguishing adolescents with consistently elevated blood pressure from those with labile blood pressure and those with normal blood pressure.

Adolescent↗

Posture, place, and mood effects on ambulatory blood pressure.

Ambulatory blood pressure was studied as a function of posture, place, and mood in 131 subjects classified according to race, gender, and hypertensive status. The effect of posture was significant and explained a substantial proportion of within-subject variability. After controlling for posture, significant place and mood effects were observed when subjects were sitting but not when they were standing. Home vs. work differences in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly greater in Whites than in Blacks. Similar differences in systolic blood pressure were greater in mild hypertensive than in normotensive subjects. The results of this study underscore the need to control for effects of posture when interpreting ambulatory blood pressure readings.

Adult↗

Pulmonary functions during peritoneal dialysis.

Lung volumes, flows, flow volume loop, diffusing capacity and closing volume were studied in 7 patients (Group I) before, with 2 liter dialyzate in the peritoneal cavity and after 8 hours of peritoneal dialysis. The functional residual capacity, residual volume and the total lung capacity decreased (P less than 0.01, less than 0.05, and less than 0.05 respectively) with 2 liter dialyzate in the peritoneal cavity and returned to baseline after the dialyzate was removed. Arterial blood gas analysis was performed in another 8 patients (Group II) before, with 2 liter dialyzate in the peritoneal cavity, and after the dialyzate had been drained. No significant difference was observed in PaO2, PaCO2 or pHa during any phase of the study. It is concluded that except for a minor decrease in FRC, RV and TLC, there were no deleterious effects with the use of 2 liter dialyzate volume on gas exchange or pulmonary functions during peritoneal dialysis.

Adult↗

Comparison of soflens contact lenses (polymacon) with hard contact lenses and spectacles.

A study, comparing Soflens TM contact lenses (polymacon) with hard contact lenses and spectacles, and using 150 male and female patients, has been done. Volunteers qualified for the study if they had healthy eyes and had worn one type of corrective lenses for six months before they were interviewed and examined. During each patient's examination, his type of correction was not known. Such matters as visual acuity, corneal measurements and average wearing time were considered. (Soflens contact lenses were felt to be safer than hard contact lenses.)

Adolescent↗

History of gestational diabetes, insulin resistance and coronary risk.

The purpose of this study was to examine characteristics associated with the insulin metabolic syndrome, including insulin resistance, abnormal glucose tolerance, dyslipidemia, obesity, and elevated blood pressure, among women who have experienced gestational diabetes. 39 nondiabetic, young (20-42 years), postpartum (3-18 months) white women were recruited from obstetrical clinics. Twenty-one women had a history of gestational diabetes; 18 had uncomplicated pregnancies. Multivariate analyses revealed a significant difference between groups in insulin resistance (M, measured by euglycemic clamp) and insulin levels (from an oral glucose tolerance test), with insulin resistance showing a statistically stronger difference than insulin levels. Groups also differed significantly when compared on a set of variables associated with insulin metabolic syndrome: glucose tolerance, triglycerides, blood pressure, and body-mass index. Using insulin resistance as a covariate eliminated these group differences, suggesting that insulin resistance is the key factor underlying insulin metabolic syndrome. The higher risk of later developing type 2 diabetes and hypertension in women who have a history of gestational diabetes is explicable by their poorer profile on variables associated with insulin metabolic syndrome, and appears to be attributable to insulin resistance. Thus, insulin resistance appears to distinguish young women at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Adult↗