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Biomedical subjects

S M Hunter

Publications and source records attributed to S M Hunter.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Cardiovascular intervention for high-risk families: the Heart Smart Program.

The Heart Smart Family Health Promotion Program is a multidisciplinary, school-based program for cardiovascular risk reduction among high-risk children and their families. As a program that includes young adults at high risk, it is adaptable to a clinical practice. Nineteen fourth and fifth graders were selected as probands for elevated risk factors after a general screening to identify families for an intervention program. Twenty-three parents participated in a 12-week program focused on eating, exercise, and smoking behavior changes enhanced by behavicral support strategies. Weekly sessions were held in the auditorium/cafeteria of the elementary school and consisted of orientation and presentations, cardiovascular (CV) screening with medical feedback, activities, self-monitoring, counseling, and contingency contracting. Information gathered before and after the program included medical history, CV health knowledge and relevant behavior, blood pressure, serum lipid and lipoprotein values, anthropometric measurements, and urine electrolyte excretion. Both children and parents showed positive changes in eating habits and physical activity and significant changes in knowledge and blood pressure levels, while the children halted their weight gain. We believe this multidisciplinary, behavior-oriented, school-based program can be an effective cardiovascular risk intervention adaptable for a clinical office practice.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Cardiovascular health promotion for elementary school children. The Heart Smart Program.

Models of health promotion directed to cardiovascular disease prevention are becoming increasingly important, based on the wealth of behavioral and physiologic data that examine the determinants, distributions, and interrelationships and trends over time of cardiovascular risk factors in children. The epidemiologic studies of children of cardiovascular risk factors and of life-styles provide the foundation to address intervention strategies beginning at the school age. Cardiovascular health promotion programs in elementary schools have tremendous potential for the prevention of adult cardiovascular diseases in our nation.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1991

Cardiovascular disease in women: an update.

Between the years 1979 and 1981, Louisiana ranked 7th in average annual coronary heart disease (CHD) death rate among white women and 6th among black women, age 35 to 74 years. Nationally, death in women due to CHD is 250,000 deaths per year, mainly in women over 50 years of age. That is approximately one half of all deaths due to heart disease in the United States. Risk factors for CHD in women are those which are shared with men, eg, smoking, hypertension, plasma lipoprotein concentrations, obesity, diabetes, and family history, and those which apply solely to women, eg, contraceptive use, menopause, and postmenopausal hormones. The purpose of this manuscript is to review current knowledge regarding CHD in women.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Argyrophil carcinoma of the breast: a cytologic, histochemical, and ultrastructural study of a case.

Aspirate from an argyrophil carcinoma ("carcinoid") of the breast showed malignant dispersed epithelial cells. With Diff-Quik, the cytoplasm was seen to be abundant, with prominent eosinophilic granularity. The nuclei were fairly uniform, round or oval, and eccentric and had a finely stippled chromatin pattern. On histology, the tumor appeared typical for argyrophil carcinoma, and staining with Grimelius for argyrophilic granules was positive. Membrane-bound neurosecretory granules were seen on electron microscopy.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Cytodiagnosis and other methods of biopsy in the modern management of breast cancer.

Since 1970 fine-needle aspiration cytology for breast tumours has grown in popularity and is now routinely used in the initial diagnosis of palpable breast masses in the United States and other parts of the world. Fast staining methods of the aspirate enables reporting within 10 minutes of the aspirate being performed. Training and experience is important in obtaining satisfactory smears for diagnosis, and pitfalls are false-negative and false-positive findings, which may have dire consequences for the patient if cytological diagnosis is the final arbiter. Conditions such as benign mammary dysplasia and sclerosing adenosis are the most common sources of highly cellular smears and often show marked atypia, which makes distinction from carcinoma difficult. Also, atypical papillary formations present a diagnostic problem, and biopsy is indicated to exclude a papillary carcinoma. Fine-needle aspirations very seldom cause traumatic complications, and these are usually of a minor degree. Seeding along the needle track has occurred, but in most cases with a larger-caliber (18 s.e.g.) needle. Aspiration itself has been shown to have no effect on the survival rates in breast carcinoma. Contemporary reports show that around 90% of cases of breast cancer can be detected with confidence by means of this procedure. The reduction in scar formation facilitates future evaluation of the patient as scar tissue often interferes with the interpretation of mammograms. Cost effectiveness is evident in terms of decreased use of anaesthetics and operating time and a reduction in the use of frozen section histology by about 80%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1989

Cigarette smoking, alcohol, and oral contraceptive use by type A adolescent--the Bogalusa Heart Study.

Type A behavior pattern (TABP) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular (CV) disease and is characterized by hostile, aggressive, competitive behavior. TABP characteristics and CV risk factors have been found in children and adolescents. TABP has been correlated with adult alcohol consumption, but studies associating Type A and smoking are mixed. The purpose of this study is to investigate the smoking, alcohol use, and oral contraceptive use of Type A children and adolescents. The Hunter-Wolf Type A scale and a health habits questionnaire were evaluated for 2092 children, ages 8-17 years, within the context of a comprehensive biracial epidemiological CV screening in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Global Type A and factor components were evaluated: hostility, eagergy, desire for control, drive, and competitiveness. Correlation coefficients reflected the strongest associations between hostility and smoking and between hostility and drinking for white males. The age at menarche appeared to be correlated with the drive component.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Risk factors in early life as predictors of adult heart disease: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

The adult heart diseases, coronary artery disease and essential hypertension, are now clearly recognized to begin in childhood. The evidence comes from autopsy studies of cardiovascular-renal changes in the first two decades of life. Cardiovascular risk factors can be identified in children just as in adults and these have a high correlation with the anatomic disease. This relationship underscores the importance of risk factor screening of children. Of interest is that clinical risk factors tend to persist within a rank (track) so that studies in childhood can be predictive of future levels. Behavior and lifestyle of eating, cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and use of oral contraceptive pills influence risk factors in children. Familial aggregation of risk factors are also noted. Studies of apolipoproteins, B and A-I, have identified subsets of children that have a greater frequency of paternal myocardial infarction. The findings from the Bogalusa Heart Study and other epidemiological studies of children show the need to begin prevention of adult heart disease in early life. Approaches to prevention should include high risk families and children and a public health or population approach. Cardiovascular health education for elementary school children should be directed to children in the general population in an effort to encourage them to adopt healthy life styles.

Aging↗
PubMed1988

The interaction of alcohol and tobacco use in adolescents and young adults: Bogalusa Heart Study.

Alcohol and tobacco usage patterns were assessed in 1,811 children and young adults, 12-24 years of age. The prevalence of cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption increased with age in all race and sex groups. Smokeless tobacco use (chewing tobacco and snuff) was primarily seen in white males with the highest prevalence rates in 12-15 year olds. Among white males who reported smokeless tobacco usage, 44% of the 12-17 year olds and 80% of the 18-24 year olds reported concurrent alcohol use. There was a significant interaction between alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking in all four race-sex groups (p less than 0.001). Given the potential synergistic relationship between ethanol and tobacco products on oral and upper gastrointestinal tract cancer, as well as between smoking and cardiovascular disease, the long term effects from these behaviors could be troublesome. Since healthy lifestyles are established in youth, early intervention on alcohol and tobacco use is needed to prevent the future morbidity and mortality from cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Heart Smart: a school health program meeting the 1990 Objectives for the Nation.

The importance of health promotion is recognized throughout the nation. The Surgeon General's report of 1980, Promoting Health/Preventing Disease, delineates objectives for intervention in 15 health priority areas. Approximately one-third of the objectives relate directly to the health of children, and many are addressed by a comprehensive cardiovascular (CV) health promotion program for elementary school children--Heart Smart. Priority areas addressed by this program are high blood pressure control, nutrition, fluoridation and dental health, smoking, misuse of alcohol and drugs, physical fitness and exercise, and control of stress and violence. Heart Smart is a cognitive behavioral intervention designed to address health enabling and reinforcing factors within the school environment. It is based on data from the Bogalusa Heart Study which clearly document the need for CV health intervention beginning early in life. Heart Smart includes a longitudinal classroom curriculum, an aerobic fitness program taught within physical education classes, a school lunch program offering CV healthy foods, and a teacher staff development program. The goal is to reduce CV risk factors in children. With health-enhancing behavior change of the students, family, and elementary school staff, objectives for CV risk reduction in our nation can be achieved.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Quantification of proteins in the low nanogram range by staining with the colloidal gold stain AuroDye.

A simple assay for proteins in the low nanogram range is described. Proteins are bound to nitrocellulose paper in a band, stained with the commercially available colloidal gold stain AuroDye (a registered trademark of Jansen Life Sciences Products), and quantified by scanning densitometry: 1.25 to 20 ng of protein can be consistently measured. Variation in the staining intensity of different proteins is discussed. DNA, RNA, polyvinylpyrrolidone, Ficoll, and 6 M urea do not affect the assays, and samples from cellular material in a simple lysis buffer containing 0.1% of sodium dodecyl sulfate can be assayed.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Characterization of a comprehensive type A measure for children in a biracial community: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

To evaluate the development of Type A-like behavior in children, responses to the Hunter-Wolf Instrument were studied in 2128 children in Bogalusa, Louisiana, a biracial community. Test-retest reliability measures were generated by retesting a random subsample of 387 children 2 weeks after the initial testing. Norms were tabulated for each of the age, race, and sex groups. Increases in total and subscale scores with age were noted except for the Hostility subscale, which decreased dramatically in the older groups. White males had higher average scores during the entire period than other groups and scored significantly higher than other groups on subscales, created from principal-components analysis, measuring Eagerness and Hostility. Low test-retest correlations were observed in children younger than 13 years of age. Of the four race-sex groups studied, white males appear to accrue the highest risk for coronary heart disease from type A-like behavior.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Comparison of the prevalence of type A behavior in boys and girls from two contrasting socioeconomic status groups.

The prevalence of Type A behavior in children from lower-class rural and upper-class urban backgrounds was compared using the Hunter-Wolf A-B Self-Rating Scale (H-W A-B). Analyses of variance were performed for two levels of socioeconomic status (SES), two levels of race (black and white), two levels of gender, and two levels of age (9-11 and 13-14). A significant difference for SES was found in the predicted direction with a greater prevalence of Type A being found among upper-urban children (p less than .001). There was also a significant effect for race (p less than .0001). Although there was a significant effect for gender with boys scoring higher (p less than .001), there was no difference between boys and girls within either SES group, and both boys and girls in the upper-urban group were more Type A than boys and girls in the lower-rural group (p less than .001). The possibility that the lack of sex differences within groups may reflect changing lifestyles for young women is discussed as a topic worthy of further epidemiological investigation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Adverse influences of alcohol, tobacco, and oral contraceptive use on cardiovascular risk factors during transition to adulthood.

Risk factors for cardiovascular disease were measured in 990 young adults, aged 17-24 years, in a 1982-1983 survey of the biracial (black-white) community of Bogalusa, Louisiana. Even after controlling for age and obesity, several lifestyle factors (cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and oral contraceptive use) were independently related (p less than 0.05) to levels of serum lipids, lipoprotein cholesterol fractions, and blood pressure. Oral contraceptive use was associated with increased levels of both serum triglycerides (20 mg/dl, blacks; 25 mg/dl, whites) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (19 mg/dl, whites), and decreased levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (-6 mg/dl, whites). Linear regression analyses also showed that cigarette smoking was associated with elevated levels of serum triglycerides (ranging from 15 to 26 mg/dl) and decreased levels of HDL cholesterol (ranging from -9 to -11 mg/dl) in white males and females. Although persons who smoked cigarettes were also likely to consume alcohol, alcohol intake in nonsmokers was positively associated with levels of serum triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol in white males, and with blood pressure levels in black males. A statistically significant association between alcohol intake and HDL cholesterol levels (r = 0.24) was observed only in white females who did not smoke. These adverse influences of lifestyle factors on cardiovascular disease risk may provide a rational basis for intervention during adolescence and early adulthood.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Transitions of cardiovascular risk from adolescence to young adulthood--the Bogalusa Heart Study: I. Effects of alterations in lifestyle.

Adolescence and young adulthood represents a transition period for biologic and lifestyle characteristics. In a preliminary investigation of young adults (ages 18-20 years), the Bogalusa Heart Study documented patterns of alcohol, tobacco, and oral contraceptive use, as well as changes in education, occupational, marital and parenting status. Such behaviors accelerate the cardiovascular disease process and may differentially influence risk factor patterns of race and sex groups. Adverse levels of systolic blood pressure and alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol were more frequent in married vs single men; elevated triglyceride levels were more frequent in married vs single whites. However adverse levels of beta- and alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol were more frequent in nonparents than in parents. Cigarette smoking and oral contraceptive use were independently related to elevated beta-lipoprotein cholesterol and decreased alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol levels of young white women. Alcohol consumption was highest among white males, with 32% reporting daily consumption of the equivalent of two or more beers or one mixed drink. Alcohol consumption was negatively correlated with blood pressure in white males and positively correlated with alpha-lipoprotein cholesterol in black males. Since such lifestyle factors are related to physiologic risk factors that result in heart disease and adult cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the older ages, early targeting during adolescence and young adulthood is important.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Cigarette smoking initiation and longitudinal changes in serum lipids and lipoproteins in early adulthood: the Bogalusa Heart Study.

To examine the influence of cigarette smoking initiation on serum lipid and lipoprotein changes in early life, 747 nonsmoking 9- to 17-year-olds from the biracial community of Bogalusa, Louisiana were reexamined five to six years following an initial screening. Upon reexamination in 1981-1983, 147 reported smoking cigarettes (mean duration, 3.5 years; median number of weekly cigarettes, 20). Compared with nonsmokers, persons who began smoking had more unfavorable changes in serum triglycerides and lipoprotein cholesterol levels during follow-up, independently of age, sexual maturation, obesity, alcohol consumption, and oral contraceptive use in females. Smoking initiation was not associated with increases in serum total cholesterol levels, but compared with nonsmokers, white males and white females smoking three or more packs weekly showed additional mean increases of 13.2 and 11.6 mg/dl in low density lipoprotein cholesterol, additional 5.9 and 2.4 mg/dl increases in very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and additional decreases of 15.6 and 9.2 mg/dl in high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, respectively. Black smokers showed larger increases in serum triglycerides and VLDL-C levels than did black nonsmokers. These findings indicate that the start of even modest cigarette smoking may have potentially long-term atherogenic effects. Prevention of smoking in early life should therefore be an important aspect of cardiovascular disease intervention.

Adolescent↗