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Biomedical subjects

S Shea

Publications and source records attributed to S Shea.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Malnutrition in elderly ambulatory medical patients.

Elderly ambulatory persons may be especially susceptible to malnutrition, particularly those who are poor and socially isolated or have comorbid chronic medical diseases. We found that 98 of 2,986 persons aged 60 years or older attending a hospital-based medical practice between 1979 and 1989 weighed less than 45.4 kg (100 lbs). All but 1 of these subjects met criteria for malnutrition as judged against age-specific norms for weight. Thus the prevalence of malnutrition in this sample was 3.25% (95% CI 2.61, 3.89%). Interviews and physical examinations of a subsample (n = 16) revealed that all 16 subjects either met anthropometric-based criteria for malnutrition or were being treated for malnutrition. Of the 98 subjects who weighed less than 45.4 kg, 62 (63.3%; 95% CI 53.8, 72.8%) had comorbid conditions that could have contributed to malnutrition. Physicians did not record a diagnosis of malnutrition or weight loss in 47.9% of subjects (95% CI 38.0, 57.8%) and did not prescribe a nutrition supplement for 76.5% of subjects (95% CI 68.1, 84.9%). Subjects treated with nutrition supplement were more likely to have cancer. These findings suggest that malnutrition, both with and without concomitant major comorbid disease, is relatively frequent among elderly ambulatory patients and that a specific nutritional diagnosis is not made in many cases. We suggest that weight under 45.4 kg in an elderly person is a useful criterion for identifying elderly patients at nutritional risk.

Aged↗
PubMed1991

Family history fails to identify many children with severe hypercholesterolemia.

Optimal strategies for identifying children with hypercholesterolemia have not been established. Several groups have advocated that testing of serum cholesterol levels be limited to those children who have family histories of hyperlipidemia or premature coronary heart disease. We studied the ability of comprehensive family histories to identify children with hyperlipidemia in a group of 114 children (mean age, 8 +/- 4 years) who were referred for treatment of hypercholesterolemia. A positive family history was defined according to guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The mean fasting total cholesterol in the children was 5.74 +/- 1.42 mmol/L (222 mg/dL). Family history was negative for hypercholesterolemia or premature coronary heart disease in 22 (22%) of 100 children with total cholesterol levels greater than the 75th percentile for their ages, in 13 (18.3%) of 71 children with total cholesterol levels greater than the 95th percentile for their ages, and in four (11.8%) of 34 children with presumed heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. Of the 78 children who had both hypercholesterolemia and positive family histories, hyperlipidemia was reported in 72 families, whereas premature heart disease was reported in only 27. We conclude that in a population of children referred because of known hypercholesterolemia, a detailed family history not only fails to identify many children with mild hypercholesterolemia, but also fails to identify a significant proportion of children with markedly elevated cholesterol levels. Additionally, in families of children with hypercholesterolemia, a history of hyperlipidemia is more common than a history of premature heart disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The status of women at one academic medical center. Breaking through the glass ceiling.

Despite recent gains in admission to medical school and in obtaining junior faculty positions, women remain underrepresented at senior academic ranks and in leadership positions in medicine. This discrepancy has been interpreted as evidence of a "glass ceiling" that prevents all but a few exceptional women from gaining access to leadership positions. We analyzed data from Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY, for all faculty hired from 1969 through 1988 and found that the likelihood of promotion on the tenure track was 0.40 for women and 0.48 for men (ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.56 to 1.20); on the clinical track the likelihood of promotion was 0.75 for women and 0.72 for men (ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.56 to 1.94). Additional analysis of current faculty showed that in the academic year 1988-1989 the proportion of women at each tenure track rank at the College of Physicians & Surgeons equaled or exceeded the national proportion of women graduating from medical school, once allowance was made for the average time lag necessary to attain each rank. On the clinical track women were somewhat overrepresented, particularly at the junior rank. National data that describe medical school faculty, which combine tenure and clinical tracks, showed that in 1988 women were proportionately represented at each rank once the lead time from graduation was considered. We conclude that objective evidence shows that women can succeed and are succeeding in gaining promotions in academic medicine.

Career Mobility↗
PubMed1990

Blood pressure, fitness, and fatness in 5- and 6-year-old children.

Cross-sectional relations among blood pressure (BP), aerobic fitness, body fatness, and fat patterning were studied in 216 primarily Hispanic inner-city 5- and 6-year-olds. Fitness was measured with a submaximal treadmill test, and fatness was measured with five skin folds. Diastolic BP was inversely related to fitness in the boys and girls, and positively related to fatness for the boys. Systolic BP was positively related to fatness for the boys and girls. Using multiple regression and including parental BPs, fatness explained significant proportions of the variance in systolic BP for both the boys and girls and in diastolic BP for the boys. There were tendencies for central skin folds to explain more of the variation in BP than peripheral skin folds only for the boys. Fitness and fatness were inversely related for the boys and girls. Thus, at 5 and 6 years of age children exhibit some of the same risk factors for cardiovascular disease seen in adults.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1990

Failure of family history to predict high blood cholesterol among hispanic preschool children.

Recommendations for screening children for high blood cholesterol remain controversial. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Heart Association, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference have recommended targeted screening of children with positive family history. We examined data from a sample of 108 Hispanic preschool children and their families to test targeted screening strategies. Thirty-seven children (34.3%) had total cholesterol levels of greater than or equal to 4.40 mmole/liter (170 mg/dl). Using the American Academy of Pediatrics definition of family history, sensitivity (proportion of those with high blood cholesterol with positive family history) was 0.57 (95% confidence interval, 0.40 to 0.73) and accuracy (overall proportion correctly classified) was 0.58 (0.48 to 0.68). Using the American Heart Association and NIH Consensus Conference definition of family history, sensitivity was 0.46 (0.30 to 0.63) and accuracy was 0.62 (0.52 to 0.71). Classification of children based on the mother's total cholesterol level of greater than or equal to 5.17 mmole/liter (200 mg/dl), the mother's low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level of greater than or equal to 4.14 mmole/liter (160 mg/dl), the mother's low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level of greater than or equal to 3.36 mmole/liter (130 mg/dl), or the child's own body mass index greater than or equal to 75th percentile was less sensitive and no more accurate. These findings indicate that current recommendations as well as other potential strategies for targeted cholesterol screening in young children have serious shortcomings and lend support to universal cholesterol screening in childhood.

Body Mass Index↗
PubMed1990

Relationship of social class characteristics and risk factors for coronary heart disease in West Germany.

A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline survey of the German Cardiovascular Prevention Study was carried out to analyse the relationship between four different social class characteristics and major risk factors for coronary heart disease. 4,796 randomly selected German residents aged 25-69 years participated in the health survey between 1984 and 1986. The response rate was 66.2%. No significant association with social class variables was observed for prevalence of hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia or low high density lipoproteins. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that obesity and lack of physical activity were significantly more prevalent in lower social classes for both sexes, while for cigarette smoking this relationship held for males only. The strongest social class gradient was found for lack of physical activity, adjusted odds ratio 4.75, P less than 0.001, comparing lowest social class by composite index to highest. The number of coronary heart disease risk factors per study subject increased strongly with decreasing social class. Education, measured as years of schooling, showed a stronger association with coronary heart disease risk factors than household income, occupational status, or a three-dimensional composite index of social class. These findings indicate the need to focus on lower social class population groups when carrying out community-based coronary heart disease primary prevention programmes, particularly with regard to smoking, obesity, and lack of physical activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Validation of mothers' reports of dietary intake by four to seven year-old children.

The validity of mothers' recall of four to seven year-old children's diet was assessed among 46 first generation Latino immigrant families from the Dominican Republic by comparing intake recalled by the mother to unobtrusive home observations of children. Correlations were moderate to high for calories and for most nutrients. There were no differences in mean intake of total calories or in intake of most macronutrients and micronutrients assessed. At least two-thirds of the children in the lowest (or highest) quintile based on home observations were correctly classified into the lowest or second lowest (or highest) quintiles based on mother's reports for calories and most nutrients. For all food items that were both observed and reported, 51 percent of reported portion sizes were equivalent to observed portion sizes, 15.5 percent were smaller, and 33.5 percent were larger. There was fair to good agreement on the number of food items eaten, with the exception of vegetables. Mothers' recall appears to be useful for classifying children by intake of calories, macronutrients and micronutrients, but provides a somewhat less accurate measure of actual foods eaten, portion sizes, and nutrient levels consumed.

Child↗
PubMed1989

Screening using National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines in a population of urban Hispanic mothers.

We measured serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides and calculated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in 217 urban Hispanic mothers. On the basis of total cholesterol values, as recommended by the Expert Panel of the National Cholesterol Education Program, 6 subjects (2.8%) had high blood cholesterol (greater than or equal to 240 mg/dl), 27 (12.4%) had borderline-high blood cholesterol (200-239 mg/dl), and 184 (84.8%) had desirable blood cholesterol (less than 200 mg/dl). One of the 27 with borderline-high total cholesterol had two other coronary risk factors. Thus 7 of the 217 (3.2%, 95% confidence interval 1.4 to 6.8%) met Expert Panel criteria for lipoprotein measurement. Six of the seven had high-risk low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (greater than or equal to 160 mg/dl). Four additional subjects with borderline-high total cholesterol, not identified by this sequential screening strategy, also had high-risk low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Thus a total of 10 of 217 (4.6%, 95% confidence interval 2.4 to 8.6%) met Expert Panel criteria for high-risk low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and initiation of cholesterol-lowering treatment. None of these 10 had been previously identified as having high-risk low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Two years later subjects with high or borderline-high total cholesterol were rescreened. Seven of 22 subjects completing the second screening were classified differently with regard to having high-risk low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, illustrating the potential for misclassification of individuals on the basis of a single measurement. The prevalence of women with high-risk low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was not significantly different at the two screenings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

The potential contribution of computerized school-based record systems to the monitoring of the disease prevention and health promotion objectives for the nation.

This article discusses the potential contribution of computerized school-based record systems to help monitor the 1990 and future health objectives for the nation, to provide a continuing health data base on nearly 50 million Americans, and to improve current school health record-keeping practices. Limitations of paper-based health record systems and the state-of-the-art and future potential of computerized record systems are described. Several key obstacles to computerization of school health records are considered, including technological problems, difficulties in appreciating and evaluating the benefits of computerization, costs, acceptability to individuals and organizational users, standardization problems, and concerns about confidentiality. Implementation steps involving research and surveillance measures for attaining the 1990 objectives that may be facilitated by improved school health records and information systems are specified. As school health education and school health services increasingly become vehicles for achieving national public health objectives, including those set for 1990, it will be desirable to establish data systems that link information collected in individual schools with research and surveillance activities at the state and national level. Moreover, it will be desirable for school's health records and information systems to contain data describing students' health-related knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and physiological risk factors, in addition to the data traditionally maintained in such records.

Attitude to Computers↗
PubMed1988

Hypertensive emergency: case criteria, sociodemographic profile, and previous care of 100 cases.

To study the frequency, cost, sociodemographic profile, and previous care correlates of hospital admissions for hypertensive emergency, we used specific case criteria to identify a series of 100 cases at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Approximately 58 cases were admitted per year. Mean length of hospital stay was 11.8 days, 75 per cent of patients received intensive care, and estimated annual hospital charges were $438,828 (1986 dollars). Cases had severe hypertension on admission (mean systolic blood pressure, 229.8 mmHg; mean diastolic blood pressure, 143 mmHg). Two-thirds had clinical evidence of acute arteriolitis. Cases were predominantly young, male, Black or Hispanic, and of lower socioeconomic status. At least 93 per cent of cases were previously diagnosed, and at least 83 per cent were aware of their diagnosis of hypertension. Improved management of chronic hypertension rather than more intensive screening may be a useful strategy to reduce the incidence of hypertensive emergency.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Progression of coronary atherosclerotic disease assessed by cinevideodensitometry: relation to clinical risk factors.

Progression of coronary artery stenosis was measured using a quantitative, computer-assisted cinevideodensitometric method in 144 arterial segments in 44 subjects undergoing coronary arteriography on two separate occasions at least 6 months apart. Projected coronary arteriograms were digitized into 512 X 512 pixel mode and percent stenosis was calculated by comparing background-corrected videodensitometric values over stenotic and normal segments. Subjects underwent repeat coronary arteriography because of worsening symptoms of angina or heart failure; subjects with renal failure, coronary artery bypass grafts or cardiac transplant were excluded. Clinical variables determined at the time of the first arteriogram included age, sex, serum cholesterol, systolic blood pressure and presence or absence of cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus and left ventricular hypertrophy. The mean interval between arteriograms was 29.3 months. Overall progression of coronary stenosis was observed in 40 of the 44 subjects; the mean progression at 24 months was 39% (90% confidence interval, 33 to 45%) and at 36 months was 48% (40 to 56%). The degree of overall progression was related to the length of time between arteriograms (F = 5.81, p less than 0.05) and to serum cholesterol level (F = 4.37, p less than 0.05). These data indicate that using an accurate, quantitative method, it is possible to measure progression of coronary artery atherosclerosis within 2 to 3 years of the initial arteriogram. Serum cholesterol appears to be an important determinant of disease progression.

Angiography↗