PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Rayner

Publications and source records attributed to M Rayner.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Cost of cardiovascular diseases in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the economic burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the United Kingdom, including health and non-healthcare costs, and the proportion of total CVD cost due to coronary heart disease (CHD) and cerebrovascular disease. DESIGN AND SETTING: Prevalence-based approach to assess CVD-related costs from a societal perspective. PATIENTS: All UK residents in 2004 with CVD (International classification of diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) codes I00-I99) and subgroups with CHD (ICD-10 codes I20-I25) or cerebrovascular disease (ICD-10 codes I60-I69). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Healthcare costs were estimated from expenditure on community health and social services, accident and emergency care, hospital care, rehabilitation and drugs. Non-healthcare costs were estimated from data on informal care and from productivity losses arising from morbidity and premature death. RESULTS: CVD cost the UK economy 29.1 billion pound in 2004, with CHD and cerebrovascular disease accounting for 29% (8.5 billion pound) and 27% (8.0 billion pound) of the total, respectively. The major cost component of CVD was health care, which accounted for 60% of the cost, followed by productivity losses due to mortality and morbidity, accounting for 23%, with the remaining 17% due to informal care-related costs. CONCLUSIONS: CVD is a leading public health problem in the UK measured by the economic burden of disease. This study identified the size and main components of that burden, and will help to inform decisions about research priorities and to monitor the impact of policy initiatives.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed2005

Mapping of an autosomal dominant gene for Dupuytren's contracture to chromosome 16q in a Swedish family.

Mapping of an autosomal dominant gene for Dupuytren's contracture to chromosome 16q in a Swedish family.Dupuytren's contracture (DC) (OMIM 126900) is the most common connective tissue disease of mankind and has both heritable and sporadic forms. The inherited form is most frequently observed among the xanthochroi peoples of Northern Europe where its most common manifestations are thickening of the palmar fascia and contracture of the fingers. We ascertained a five-generation Swedish family in which DC is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner with high, but incomplete, penetrance by the end of the fifth decade. Blood was collected from all affected and informative unaffected family members for the performance of a genome-wide scan at a resolution of approximately 8 cM for all autosomes. Linkage was established to a single 6 cM region between markers D16S419 and D16S3032 on chromosome 16. A maximal two-point logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 3.18 was achieved at microsatellite marker D16S415 with four other markers in the region producing LODs of >1.5.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed2002

The economic burden of coronary heart disease in the UK.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the economic burden of coronary heart disease in the UK using both direct and indirect costs. DESIGN AND SETTING: A prevalence based approach was used to assess coronary heart disease related costs from the societal perspective. PATIENTS: All UK residents in 1999 with coronary heart disease (ICD 9 codes 410-414 and ICD10 codes I20-I25). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Direct health care costs were estimated from spending on prevention, accident and emergency care, hospital care, rehabilitation, and drug treatment. Direct non-health service costs were estimated from data on informal care. "Friction period" adjusted productivity costs were estimated using the human capital approach from lost earnings attributable to coronary heart disease related mortality and morbidity. The friction period is the period of employees' absence from work before the employer replaces them with other workers. Failure to adjust for this factor would overstate production loss. RESULTS: Coronary heart disease cost pound 1.73 billion to the UK health care system in 1999: pound 2.42 billion in informal care and pound 2.91 billion in friction period adjusted productivity loss; 24.1% of production losses were attributable to mortality and 75.9% to morbidity. The total annual cost of all coronary heart disease related burdens was pound 7.06 billion, the highest of all diseases in the UK for which comparable analyses have been done. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary heart disease is a leading public health problem in the UK in terms of the economic burden from disease. Cost estimates would be substantially understated if informal care/productivity costs were excluded.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed2001

HLA alleles and IDDM in children in Hungary: a comparison with Finland.

It has been postulated that variation in the distribution of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-encoded susceptibility alleles for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is the genetic basis for variation in the incidence of the disease between populations. The aim of this study was to characterize HLA-encoded susceptibility to IDDM in Hungary and to identify whether HLA-DRB1/DQ-encoded susceptibility could account for the five times lower incidence of disease in Hungary compared with Finland. The haplotypes DRB1*03-DQA1*05-DQB1*02 (DRB1*03-DQ2) and DRB1*04-DQA1*0301-DQB1*0302 (DRB1*04-DQ8) were significantly associated with disease in both populations. Three genotypes incorporating either or both of these haplotypes accounted for over 70% of the diabetic population in both races. The combined background frequency and the degree of risk as measured by odds ratios of these HLA-DRB1-DQ genotypes were not significantly different in the two countries. Comparison of the DRB1*0401-DQ8 haplotype between the two races suggested a role for HLA-B alleles in susceptibility. These data indicate that the susceptibility associated with high risk DRB1-DQ genotypes alone is insufficient to account for the fivefold variation in incidence of IDDM between Hungary and Finland. Other genetic and/or environmental influences must be involved.

Alleles↗
PubMed2000

Mutations in corneal carbohydrate sulfotransferase 6 gene (CHST6) cause macular corneal dystrophy in Iceland.

PURPOSE: Macular corneal dystrophy (MCD) is subdivided into three immunophenotypes (MCD types I, IA and II). Recently, mutations in the carbohydrate sulfotransferase 6 gene (CHST6) were identified to cause MCD. The purpose of this study was to examine CHST6 for mutations in Icelandic patients with MCD type I. METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from leukocytes in the peripheral blood and the coding region of CHST6 was examined for mutations by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. RESULTS: Mutation analysis of the CHST6 coding region identified three different mutations in sixteen Icelandic patients with MCD type I. Eleven patients with MCD type I were homozygous for a C1075T mutation. One patient with MCD type I was found to be a compound heterozygous for C1075T and G1189C mutations. One family with MCD type I contained a 10 base pair insertion (ATGCTGTGCG) between nucleotides 707 and 708. In this family, two affected siblings had a homozygous insertion while both their affected mother and their affected maternal aunt had a heterozygous insertion and a heterozygous C1075T mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Three different nucleotide changes were identified in the coding region of CHST6 in sixteen Icelandic patients with MCD type I. All three of these alterations are predicted to affect the translated protein and each of them corresponded to a particular disease haplotype that we had previously reported in this population.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1998

Functional foods and health claims: a public health policy perspective.

OBJECTIVE: To propose a policy framework for the regulation of functional foods and health claims within a public health context. DESIGN: This article reviews the empirical evidence and public health principles associated with functional foods and health claims to analyse the issues, challenge the assumptions that have emerged and explore options for moving forward. SETTING: Functional foods and health claims are among the more controversial and complex issues being debated by food regulators internationally. Proponents of functional foods and health claims state that functional foods may reduce health care expenditure and health claims are a legitimate nutrition education tool that will help them inform consumers of the health benefits of certain food products. Conversely, opponents of these developments respond that it is the total diet that is important for health, not so-called 'magic bullets'. Moreover, they argue that health claims will enable manufacturers to indulge in marketing hyperbole and essentially blur the distinction between food and drugs. This topic provides a valuable case study of public policy in relation to food and health. CONCLUSION: The need to maintain a general prohibition on health claims while accommodating specific exemptions supported by scientific substantiation is recommended. Nutrition education and monitoring and evaluation are integral to the proposed regulatory framework. The intention of this policy position is to encourage research and development of innovative food products while avoiding an inappropriate medicalization of the general food supply.

Food, Organic↗
PubMed1990

HIV-1 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies induced by a synthetic peptide.

We have developed a series of murine monoclonal antibodies to a region of the 120 kD envelope glycoprotein (gp120) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). This region has previously been implicated as a site for virus neutralization by antisera raised to recombinant proteins and by antibodies made to full-length gp120 purified from virus. The antigen employed was a synthetic peptide containing 15 amino acids, representing amino acid residues 308-322, RIQRGPGRAFVTIGK, of env gp120 (HTLV-IIIB isolate). Five of the monoclonal antibodies raised to this antigen have reactivity with gp120 from divergent strains of HIV-1 in Western blot assays. The two of these five which were tested with live cells infected with the divergent HIV-1 isolates IIIB, MN, and RF were specifically reactive by fluorescence analyses with cells infected with the MN and IIIB isolates. Four of the five monoclonal antibodies blocked the fusion of IIIB-infected cells with uninfected MOLT-4 target cells. The monoclonal antibody most reactive with MN-infected cells by fluorescence, #5025A, blocked the fusion of MN-infected cells with uninfected MOLT-4 cells. Four of the five monoclonal antibodies neutralized the IIIB isolate of HIV-1 in vitro, but none neutralized the MN or RF isolates at the levels of antibody tested (less than or equal to 50 micrograms/ml). Taken together these data indicate that monoclonal antibodies to the immunodominant neutralizing domain of HIV-1 gp120 display different levels of group reactivity depending on the assay system being examined.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1980

Placental transfer of aldosterone in the sheep.

To determine the percentage of the maternal secretion of aldosterone which crosses the placenta the blood clearance rate (BCR) of aldosterone was measured in pregnant sheep and in chronically cannulated fetuses by the constant infusion of [3H]aldosterone alternately into the maternal and fetal compartments. When equilibrium had been reached the concentration of [3H]aldosterone was measured in both maternal and fetal compartments. Aldosterone BCR in eight pregnant ewes was 98 +/- 5 (S.E.M.) litres/h which was not significantly different from that of ten non-pregnant ewes at 95 +/- litres/h. The BCR of aldoterone in seven fetuses was 24 +/- litres/h. A small percentage (4.4 +/- 0.3; n = 7) of the maternal production rate was transferred to the fetus, whilst 29 +/- 4% (n = 8) of the fetal production rate was transferred to the maternal compartment. Whjen aldosterone was measured in maternal and fetal blood samples collected simultaneously from sodium-replete sheep more than 80% of the aldosterone in fetal blood was of fetal origin if the actual fetal concentration of aldosterone was greater than 1.5 ng/dl.

Aldosterone↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Consumer use of health-related endorsements on food labels in the United Kingdom and Australia.

The objective of this research was to examine how consumers use health-related food endorsements on food labels. Three endorsement programs were examined: those of the two major retailers in the United Kingdom, Tesco and Sainsbury's, and the "Pick the Tick" program of the National Heart Foundation of Australia. The main methodology used was protocol analysis. This involves the subject "thinking aloud" while performing a task--in this case, (a) shopping normally and (b) shopping "healthily" for foods on a predetermined list--to generate a protocol. Each subject was also interviewed to investigate reported use of endorsements. Subjects were a quota sample (N = 44) of shoppers representative of the U.K. and Australian populations. Information about the subjects, the protocols, and interview data were analyzed quantitatively; the protocols were also analyzed qualitatively. Sainsbury's and Australian shoppers never used the endorsements when shopping but Tesco shoppers did, albeit rarely. Tesco shoppers used the endorsement in complex ways and not just as a trigger to food selection. They sometimes used the endorsement to reject endorsed foods. Subjects claimed to use the endorsements even though the protocol analysis revealed no actual use. There are features of the Tesco endorsement program that make it more helpful to consumers than the other programs.

Adolescent↗