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Biomedical subjects

R Masironi

Publications and source records attributed to R Masironi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Toxic and trace elements in tobacco and tobacco smoke.

While the harmful health effects of carbon monoxide, nicotine, tar, irritants and other noxious gases that are present in tobacco smoke are well known, those due to heavy metals and other toxic mineral elements in tobacco smoke are not sufficiently emphasized. Tobacco smoking influences the concentrations of several elements in some organs. This review summarizes the known effects of some trace elements and other biochemically important elements (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Po-210, Se, and Zn) which are linked with smoking. Cigarette smoking may be a substantial source of intake of these hazardous elements not only to the smoker but also, through passive smoking, to nonsmokers. The adverse health effects of these toxic elements on the fetus through maternal smoking, and on infants through parental smoking, are of special concern.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1991

[Smoking in European physicians].

Data on the prevalence of smoking among doctors in Europe could be retrieved from 22 countries. Only in the UK, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands surveys have been carried out systematically over many years. Marked decreases in the percentage of smokers among doctors have been noted, particularly in the UK and the Scandinavian countries. Only about 13 to 15% of physicians at present smoke in these countries, down from 60 to 70% in the 1950s. The highest percentages of smokers among doctors--about 40%--are found in Italy, Greece and Spain.

Europe↗
PubMed1991

Smoke-free taxis?

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Automobiles↗
PubMed1991

Implications of the tobacco dependence syndrome for smoking control programmes.

Motivational and psychosocial treatments for tobacco dependence, while valuable, are not sufficient to solve nicotine-related problems, which usually require a pharmacological approach. There is also a need for training programmes for health workers and major educational campaigns on the nature of tobacco dependence to be directed at opinion leaders, teachers and the public at large.

Health Education↗
PubMed1988

[Trends in and effects of smoking in the world].

Smoking is undoubtedly a major cause of illness and premature death. It is responsible for as much as 90% of all cases of lung cancer, 75% of chronic bronchitis and emphysema and 25% of cases of ischaemic heart disease in men under 65 years, as well as for a number of other types of cancer, pregnancy complications and more frequent respiratory ailments in children from smoking families. In South-East Asia, tobacco chewing is estimated to cause about 90% of the deaths due to oral cancer. Worldwide, cigarette consumption per adult has increased only very slightly, by 7.1%, between 1970 and 1985. It fell in many industrial countries, e.g. by 9% in the United States of America and Canada, 6% in Australia and New Zealand, and by as much as 25% in the United Kingdom. On the contrary, in many developing countries adult per capita cigarette consumption has increased markedly, e.g. by 42% in Africa, 24% in Latin America and 22% in Asia. In many industrialized countries, the percentage of smokers has started to fall in recent years. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the percentage of male smokers fell from 65% to 45% and that of female smokers from 45% to 34%. In the United States, male prevalence decreased from 54% to 29% and female prevalence from 36% to 24%. In Norway, male smoking prevalence decreased from 53% to 42%, in Australia from 72% to 33% and in Canada from 44% to 35%. On the contrary, in developing countries prevalence of smoking is frequently higher than in the affluent countries. In Tunisia, for instance, 60% of the men smoke. Smoking-related diseases account for 7% of all deaths in Chile and Ecuador and 24% in Venezuela, 30% in Cuba, 10% in France, 17% in Canada, 15-20% in the United Kingdom, and up to 35% among white South-Africans. It has been calculated that 600,000 new cases of lung cancer occur worldwide every year, most of them due to smoking. Projections show that by the year 2000 the yearly number of new lung-cancer cases worldwide may be as high as 2 million. 500,000 deaths are attributable to smoking in Europe, at least 630,000 in India, 10,000 in South Africa, 23,000 in Australia, 30,000 in Canada, 19,000 in Venezuela and about 400,000 in the United States in 1980. The hypermorbidity of smokers causes an extra need for medical care.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Geochemistry, soils and cardiovascular diseases.

The hypothesis is presented that deficiencies or excesses in the content or availability of trace elements in rocks and soils, or in water flowing through them, may be a possible cause of certain chronic diseases, including cardiovascular ones. The geographic distribution of cardiovascular diseases is often associated with geochemical differences. This trend is particularly evident in the United States and in Europe, with higher rates for cardiovascular mortality in areas underlain by soils that are poor in most essential trace elements. Confirmation of this trend is found in connection with the degree of mineralization of local water supplies. Areas that are served by soft waters usually show higher rates of cardiovascular mortality and other forms of cardiovascular pathology, compared with the areas that are served by hard waters. Such a negative association between water hardness and cardiovascular pathology is evident in many countries, both industrialized and developing ones.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1979

Geochemistry and cardiovascular diseases.

Deficiencies or excesses in the content or availability of trace elements in rocks and soils, or in water flowing through them, is hypothesized as a possible cause of certain chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. Geographic distribution of cardiovascular diseases is often associated with geochemical differences. This trend is particularly evident in the United States and in Europe, with higher rates for cardiovascular mortalities being present in areas uunderlain by soils that are poor in most essential trace elements. Confirmation of this trend is found in connection with the degree of mineralization of local water supplies. Areas that are served by soft waters usually show higher rates of cardiovascular mortality and other forms of cardiovascular pathology, compared with the areas that are served by hard waters. Such a negative association between water hardness and cardiovascular pathology is evident in many countries, both industrialized and developing.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1979

Myocardial infarction and water hardness in the WHO myocardial infarction registry network.

The negative association between water hardness and cardiovascular disease found by several authors in different countries has also been found in the present investigation. All cases of myocardial infarction were registered in a standardized way at 15 WHO Collaborating Centres in Europe; information on the hardness of drinking water used by the population studied was also collected. Higher rates of myocardial infarction were usually found in towns served by softer water.

Aged↗
PubMed1979

[Geochemistry and cardiovascular diseases (author's transl)].

Cardiovascular diseases are often found to be associated with certain physicochemical characteristics of the environment - namely, the hardness of the water and the types of rock and soil underlying the area. Areas supplied with soft water usually have higher cardiovascular death rates than do areas supplied with hard water. Evidence linking cardiovascular diseases with the geochemistry of rocks and soils is more limited. The nature of these associations is still speculative but it is possible that certain trace elements are involved, some being beneficial and others harmful. Further epidemiological studies to identify these various trace elements are desirable.

Aged↗
PubMed1977

Zinc, copper, cadmium and chromium in polished and unpolished rice.

One hundred samples of polished and 27 of unpolished rice were collected from 22 countries and areas and analyzed for Zn and Cu by flame atomic absorption, for Cd by carbon furnace atomic absorption, and for Cr by neutron activation. Unpolished rice contains on average 16.4 mug/g Zn, 4 mug/g Cu, 0.029 mug/g Cd and 0.011 mug/g Cr. Polished rice contains 13.7 mug/g Zn, 3 mug/g Cu, 0.029 mu/g Cd and 0.012 mug/g Cr. Thus, polishing brings about a loss of the essential elements Zn and Cu, but not of Cd, a toxic pollutant. Japanese rece has high Cd content. In countries where rice is a major staple food, high Cd content in rice may cause excessive absorption of this toxic metal.

Cadmium↗
PubMed1976

Calcium content of river water, trace element concentrations in toenails, and blood pressure in village populations in New Guinea.

Several studies carried out on industrialized population groups have revealed the presence of an inverse relationship between hardness of drinking water and certain cardiovascular parameters, e.g., death rates, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, etc. In the present paper an attempt was made to see whether such an association also exists in primitive population groups who drink untreated water collected directly from rivers. Blood pressure was measured in persons living in villages along the banks of the Wogupmeri river in New Guinea. The water was analyzed for calcium content. Trace element concentrations were also determined in toenails from the same subjects to see whether a correlation existed. Calcium content of river water decreases as the river flows downstream, while blood pressure of the villagers living along this river increases. The trace element analysis of toenails revealed strong correlations between aluminium and vanadium. The concentrations of these two elements decrease with age. This association is present in both sexes, in adults and in children. A similarly strong correlation also exists between these two elements in staple food. The results of the present investigation tend to confirm the findings of other studies indicating an apparently beneficial effect of relatively hard water on cardiovascular parameters. The concentration of aluminium and vanadium in toenails show interesting trends, the biological meaning of which, if any, is still unknown.

Adolescent↗