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Biomedical subjects

T Kjellström

Publications and source records attributed to T Kjellström.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Helsingborg Declaration 2006 on European stroke strategies.

The Second Consensus Conference on Stroke Management took place from 22 to 24 March 2006 in Helsingborg, Sweden. The meeting was arranged by the International Stroke Society, endorsed by the European Stroke Council and International Stroke Society, and co-sponsored by the WHO Regional Office for Europe. It was arranged in collaboration with the European Region of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy and the European Association of Neuroscience Nurses. The patients' organization Stroke Alliance for Europe also participated. The meeting adopted the Helsingborg Declaration 2006 on European Stroke Strategies, a statement of the overall aims and goals of five aspects of stroke management (organization of stroke services, management of acute stroke, prevention, rehabilitation, evaluation of stroke outcome and quality assessment) to be achieved by 2015.

Clinical Protocols↗
PubMed2003

Children at risk of giardiasis in Auckland: a case-control analysis.

The incidence rate of giardiasis in New Zealand is one of the highest among developed countries, peaking in the 1-4 year age group. A case-control study was undertaken to identify risk factors for giardiasis among Auckland children under 5 years of age. The exposure history of 69 cases and 98 controls were analysed. Ninety-five per cent cases and 86% controls used water from the Auckland Metropolitan mains (AMM) supply for domestic purpose, 44 cases and 42 controls swam and 59 cases and 54 controls wore nappies. Children wearing nappies were at significantly increased risk of the disease (OR = 30, 95% CI = 1.01-8.9), as were those from households which had more than one child wearing a nappy (6.5, 1.8-23.4). The Auckland metropolitan mains water supply was associated with a reduced risk compared to other drinking water sources. Significantly increased risks were also associated with drinking water consumed away from home (4.7, 2.2-10.1), swimming at least once a week (2.4, 1.1-5.3) and travelling domestically (2.5, 1.03-6.0). The study identified vulnerable groups and modifiable risk factors for diarrhoeal diseases, particularly Giardia infection. Nappy wearing was an independent risk factor for infection. Further study is advocated to ensure better protection of public health, especially for children.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed2001

Nappy handling and risk of giardiasis.

We did a case-control study to identify modifiable risk factors for giardiasis in people aged 15-64 years living in Auckland, New Zealand. 183 patients with stool-positive Giardia spp referred to community laboratories were compared with 336 age-matched controls identified randomly from the Auckland telephone book. Exposure information for the previous 3 weeks was obtained retrospectively by telephone. Nappy changing was associated with a four-fold increased risk of infection after controlling for other confounders. We conclude that children wearing nappies could be an important source of giardia infection in the community.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Future development of general internal medicine: a Swedish perspective.

Over the past decade, the demands on internal medicine have increased markedly, partly due to an increasing number of elderly patients with multiple diseases. About half of all the cases coming into the emergency units of Swedish hospitals are related to internal medicine, while planned admissions account for only 10% of in-patient care. In our opinion, the fundamental cause of the strained situation in the health care service today is the fact that the emergency care responsibility of internal medicine is not clearly delimited. This means that the specialty must attend to problems in health care that the other health and sick-care services cannot cope with. Furthermore, an overly extensive division of the discipline of internal medicine into subspecialties can lead to inferior treatment of elderly patients with multiple diseases, as well as to increased costs. We believe that an umbrella organisation with overall management of independent subspecialties would make it possible to meet the increased need for internal medicine in a flexible way. In addition, internal medicine could widen its area of responsibility in the border region to surgery, while the demarcation to other specialties in the emergency unit, including primary care, is already very clear today, and should remain so.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2001

Thyroid function tests, serum lipids and gender interrelations in a middle-aged population.

OBJECTIVE: To study the value of screening for thyroid function in a screening program for hyperlipidaemia. DESIGN: A screening study in primary health care. SETTING: All individuals in a defined rural area, Söderåkra, Sweden, aged 40-59 years were invited to a screening programme at the local primary health care centre. PARTICIPANTS: 782 individuals were invited for screening. Blood samples were obtained from 88% of the invited males and from 92% of the females. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Thyroid function tests (thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free T4), serum lipids (total-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and s-triglycerides), b-glucose and body anthropometry (body mass index and waist to hip circumference) were measured. RESULTS: 0.57% of males and 1.13% of females showed evidence of hypothyroidism as defined by a TSH value greater than 3.75 mU/l of those with s-cholesterol concentration above 7 mmol/l. In addition, higher TSH values in females were associated with higher s-cholesterol, s-LDL-cholesterol and s-triglycerides. CONCLUSION: It seems appropriate to screen for hypothyroidism in females with s-cholesterol above 7.0 mmol/l.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Influence of serum triglyceride levels on the risk for myocardial infarction in 12,510 middle aged males: interaction with serum cholesterol.

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of different levels of serum (s)-triglycerides in relation to s-cholesterol on the risk of myocardial infarction. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: A 6-13 (mean 10) year follow-up of 12,510 middle-aged men. Fasting s-triglycerides and s-cholesterol were measured at the screening examination. SETTING: Section of Preventive Medicine at the Department of Internal Medicine, Malmö General Hospital, an urban hospital for 240,000 inhabitants in southern Sweden. INTERVENTION: In minor groups of patients there were interventions addressing high lipid levels, high alcohol consumption, hypertension and glucose intolerance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Myocardial infarction was used as an end-point. RESULTS: 446 myocardial infarctions occurred. The cumulative incidence rates were for the lowest triglyceride quartile 1.2%, for the second 3.2%, for the third 4.1% and for the highest 5.6%. After adjustment for age, year of screening, body mass index, diabetes, smoking, hypertension and s-cholesterol there was a significant relationship between triglycerides and the relative risk for myocardial infarction (P for trend=0.0087). For increasing levels of triglycerides, adjusted for the above factors except cholesterol, the impact of a certain cholesterol value for the occurrence of myocardial infarction was increased (P for trend=0.0092). CONCLUSIONS: The present study emphasizes the interaction between cholesterol and triglyceride values for the risk of myocardial infarction. It is concluded that at triglyceride values above 1.0 mmol/l and cholesterol above 6.8 mmol/l there is an increasing interaction between cholesterol and triglyceride levels that might be of importance when evaluating the cardiovascular risk of middle aged men.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed1999

How much global ill health is attributable to environmental factors?

Over the years, estimates have been made of the portions of human mortality and morbidity that can be attributed to environmental factors. Frustratingly, however, even for a single category of disease such as cancer, these estimates have often varied widely. Here we attempt to explain why such efforts have come to such different results in the past and to provide guidance for doing such estimates more consistently in the future to avoid the most important pitfalls. We do so by carefully defining what we mean by the terms "environmental," "ill health," and "attributable." Finally, based on these recommendations, we attempt our own estimate, appropriately qualified according to the many remaining uncertainties. Our estimate is that 25-33% of the global burden of disease can be attributed to environmental risk factors. Children under 5 years of age seem to bear the largest environmental burden, and the portion of disease due to environmental risks seems to decrease with economic development. A summary of these estimates first appeared in the 1997 report, "Health and Environment in Sustainable Development," which was the World Health Organization's contribution to the 5-year anniversary of the Rio Earth Summit. A full explanation of how these estimates were made is first presented here. We end with a call for a program of "strategic epidemiology," which would be designed to fill important gaps in the understanding of major environmental health risks in important population groups worldwide.

Causality↗
PubMed1999

Health, environment and sustainable development: identifying links and indicators to promote action.

This paper discusses the links among health, environment, and sustainable development and presents a framework that extends from the epidemiological domain to the policy domain and includes the driving forces that generate environmental pressures, creating changes in the state of the environment and eventually contributing to human exposures. Health effects are the end result of this complex net of events. Environmental health interventions should not be limited to treatment of cases and directly reducing human exposures. The paper discusses the need for integrated action at all levels and, in particular, on the need to focus on long-term action directed at reducing the driving forces that generate the environmental health threats. Only this approach can achieve sustained health benefits and environmental protection in accord with the principles of sustainable development.

Decision Support Techniques↗
PubMed1998

Age and cystathionine beta-synthase activity in cultured fibroblasts from patients with arterial and venous vascular disease.

In order to determine if cystathionine beta-synthase (CBS) could separate groups of patients with various vascular disease, CBS activity was studied in cultured human skin fibroblasts from 30 subjects being either controls, atherosclerotic patients or patients having suffered a deep venous thrombosis. We found a tendency to a negative correlation between age and CBS activity in the control group only (r = -0.58, P = 0.08), with a tendency to lower CBS activities in the young patients with atherosclerotic (4.9) or venous disease (5.3) compared to the young control group (10.2). This could implicate higher levels of p-homocysteine with increased age as well as in young patients with atherosclerotic or thrombotic disease causing vascular damage. The results are important for the further discussion of the role of homocysteine as a risk factor for developing atherosclerotic and thrombogenic vascular disease and for finding a suitable screening method as prevention is by vitamin supplement only.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Influence of prenatal mercury exposure upon scholastic and psychological test performance: benchmark analysis of a New Zealand cohort.

This paper presents benchmark (BMD) calculations and additional regression analyses of data from a study in which scores from 26 scholastic and psychological tests administered to 237 6- and 7-year-old New Zealand children were correlated with the mercury concentration in their mothers' hair during pregnancy. The original analyses of five test scores found an association between high prenatal mercury exposure and decreased test performance, using category variables for mercury exposure. Our regression analyses, which utilized the actual hair mercury level, did not find significant associations between mercury and children's test scores. However, this finding was highly influenced by a single child whose mother's mercury hair level (86 mg/kg) was more than four times that of any other mother. When that child was omitted, results were more indicative of a mercury effect and scores on six tests were significantly associated with the mothers' hair mercury level. BMDs calculated from five tests ranged from 32 to 73 mg/kg hair mercury, and corresponding BMDLs (95% lower limits on BMDs) ranged from 17 to 24 mg/kg. When the child with the highest mercury level was omitted, BMDs ranged from 13 to 21 mg/kg, and corresponding BMDLs ranged from 7.4 to 10 mg/kg.

Achievement↗
PubMed1998

Compliance with and efficacy of treatment with pravastatin and cholestyramine: a randomized study on lipid-lowering in primary care.

OBJECTIVES: Lipid-lowering drugs as 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors and cholestyramine are effective in reducing cardiovascular morbidity both in primary and secondary prevention. Patient compliance is an important determinant of the outcome of therapy. This study was designed to compare compliance with tolerance and lipid-lowering effectiveness of pravastatin and/or cholestyramine in primary care. DESIGN: Nine hundred and eighty nine women and 1047 men were randomized to treatment at 100 primary-care centres in Sweden. After dietary intervention, an eligible patient was randomly assigned to one of four programs of daily treatment: group Q, 16 g cholestyramine, group QP, 8 g cholestyramine and 20 mg pravastatin, group P20, 20 mg pravastatin or group P40, 40 mg pravastatin. RESULTS: In group Q, group QP, group P20 and group P40 the reductions in low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol were 26%, 36%, 27% and 32%. The dose actually taken was 91-95% of the prescribed for the pravastatin treatment groups and 77-88% for the cholestyramine groups. In the pravastatin and cholestyramine groups 76-78% and 44-53%, respectively, completed the trial. Only 8-27% of the patients reached a serum cholesterol target level of 5.2 mmol L-1. There was no difference in lipid-lowering effect between women and men. CONCLUSION: Pravastatin alone is efficacious and compliance is high, independent of dose. Combined treatment with cholestyramine and pravastatin had a better cholesterol lowering effect (although not statistically significant) than 40 mg pravastatin. Despite this, only 8-27% of the patients actually reached a serum cholesterol level of 5.2 mmol L-1. No unexpected serious adverse events were detected in any of the treatment groups. As predicted, the gastrointestinal disturbances were more common on cholestyramine treatment. These two factors suggest that an increase in the dosage of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor may be appropriate. Results from other studies indicate that there also might be other positive effects of statin treatment beyond cholesterol lowering.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Comparison of effects of quinapril and metoprolol on glycaemic control, serum lipids, blood pressure, albuminuria and quality of life in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients with hypertension. Swedish Quinapril Group.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the long-term effects of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitor quinapril and the cardioselective beta-adrenergic blocking agent metoprolol on glycaemic control, with glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) as the principal variable, in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients with hypertension. DESIGN: A randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, multicentre study during 6 months preceded by a 4 week wash-out and a 3 week run-in placebo period. Quinapril (20 mg) and metoprolol (100 mg, conventional tablets) were given once daily. No change was made in the treatment of diabetes (diet and hypoglycaemic agents). SUBJECTS: Seventy-two patients fulfilling the criteria were randomized and entered the double-blind period. Twelve patients did not complete the study. Sixty patients, 26 on quinapril and 34 on metoprolol, were available for the final analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The effect was assessed by changes in HbA1c, the fasting serum glucose and the post-load serum glucose, C-peptide and insulin levels during the oral glucose tolerance test. RESULTS: In the quinapril group, the fasting serum glucose, oral glucose tolerance and the C-peptide and insulin responses, determined as the incremental area under the curves (AUC), showed no change, but the mean HbA1c level increased from 6.2 +/- 1.1% to 6.5 +/- 1.3% (P < 0.05). In the metoprolol group, the rise in the mean level of HbA1c, from 6.3 +/- 1.0% to 6.8 +/- 1.3% (P < 0.01), tended to be more marked than after quinapril, although there was no significant difference between the increments. The mean fasting serum glucose showed an increase from 9.1 +/- 1.9 mM to 10.1 +/- 2.8 mM (P < 0.01) which correlated significantly with the duration of diabetes (P < 0.01) and the increase in fasting serum triglycerides (P < 0.001). Moreover, in the metoprolol group we found significant decreases in the oral glucose tolerance as well as C-peptide and insulin responses to the glucose load. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with quinapril for 6 months appears to have advantages over metoprolol in NIDDM patients with hypertension. Although treatment with quinapril or metoprolol over 6 months was concomitant with a rise in the HbA1c, increased fasting blood glucose, decreased oral glucose tolerance and decreased C-peptide and insulin responses to a glucose challenge were observed only in patients treated with metoprolol.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗
PubMed1997

Bambuterol raises high-density lipoprotein levels in patients with hyperlipidaemia.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of bambuterol (a prodrug of the beta 2-agonist terbutaline) on lipid and lipoprotein levels in patients with hyperlipidaemia. Both these drugs are extensively used in the treatment of patients with bronchial asthma. Earlier studies in healthy volunteers and in patients with noninsulin dependent diabetes mellitus have shown that terbutaline and bambuterol increase HDL cholesterol levels, and therefore bambuterol might have beneficial effects on HDL levels in patients with hyperlipidaemia. DESIGN: The present study was a randomized, double-blind, crossover study, comparing 20 mg of bambuterol with placebo, each one given for 6-8 weeks with a 3-4 week washout period in between. SETTING: The study was performed in an out-patient lipid clinic at Malmö University Hospital. SUBJECTS: Thirty-one patients with hyperlipidaemia (S-cholesterol > 6.5 mmol L-1 and S-triglycerides > 2.0 mmol L-1) were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The results showed that bambuterol increased S-HDL cholesterol levels by 7% (P = 0.012). Increases were 23% for P-HDL2 and 7% for P-HDL3 fractions, but no effect was apparent on S-apolipoprotein A-1 levels. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the beta 2-agonist bambuterol might be used as an alternative or as a complement in the treatment of dyslipidemic patients, when an increase in HDL cholesterol is desired.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Cardiovascular risk groups and mortality in an urban swedish male population: the Malmö Preventive Project.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the size, overlap and mortality of four cardiovascular risk groups, in order to give a scientific background for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in a representative urban population. SETTING: Section of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden. SUBJECTS: Between 1974 and 1984 22444 men born between 1949 and 1921, constituting 75% of the total male population in these age groups, took part in a comprehensive screening examination aimed at detecting risk factors for cardiovascular disease. INTERVENTIONS: Those at high-risk of developing cardiovascular disease were referred to their general practitioner or to special clinics for hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and diabetes. The follow-up, which lasted until the end of 1991, averaged 12.2 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total death (n = 1450) and death from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) (n = 471). RESULTS: Hypertension was found in 13%, hypercholesterolaemia in 19% and diabetes mellitus in 2.6% of the subjects; 49% of the subjects smoked. Multiple risk factors were found in over 17% of the total cohort. Despite the intervention, all-cause mortality during follow-up was increased three-fold in smokers and in men with hypercholesterolaemia, four-fold in hypertensive men and five-fold in men with diabetes, compared to men with no risk factors. The vast majority of deaths (81%) occurred in men who smoked, had hypertension or had high serum cholesterol. Ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was increased five-fold in smokers, seven-fold in men with hypercholesterolaemia, nine-fold in hypertensive men and 12-fold in men with diabetes. Again, the vast majority of IHD deaths (86%) occurred in the first three categories. Combinations of risk factors substantially increased total mortality as well as IHD mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The large proportion (64%) of the population with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and the substantially (5-12-fold) increased IHD mortality in those risk groups, calls for actions aimed at preventing premature IHD deaths. Such action should include measures directed towards the whole population and comprehensive treatment programmes for high-risk individuals, including intervention to stop smoking. The substantial overlap between risk factors calls for one high-risk clinic caring for all risk groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Fosinopril versus enalapril in the treatment of hypertension: a double-blind study in 195 patients.

The new angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor fosinopril was compared with the ACE inhibitor enalapril in a multicenter (n = 11), multinational (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden), double-blind, randomized, parallel-group 24-week study in 195 patients with mild to moderate essential hypertension [supine diastolic blood pressure, (SDBP) > or = 95 to < or = 110 mm Hg]. After discontinuing all previous antihypertensive medication, patients were entered into a placebo lead-in period of 4-6 weeks, followed by 24 weeks of randomized treatment with the active compounds administered with a double-dummy technique. The dose of fosinopril was 20 mg, which could be increased to 40 mg after 8 weeks (average 25.6 mg); that of enalapril was 10 mg, which could be increased to 20 mg after 8 weeks (average 12.9 mg). Hydrochlorothiazide 12.5 mg could be added after 16 weeks and was administered to 27% of the patients in the fosinopril group and to 30% in the enalapril group. All drugs were administered once daily. Supine systolic BP (SSBP) decreased from 157 to 143 mm Hg in the fosinopril group (p < 0.01), and from 159 to 147 mm Hg in the enalapril group (p < 0.01). SSDP decreased from 100 to 89 mm Hg in the fosinopril group (p < 0.01) and from 100 to 92 mm Hg in the enalapril group (p < 0.01). Throughout the study period, fosinopril reduced SSBP and SDBP numerically more than did enalapril, by 0-3 mm Hg. Adverse events (AE) caused withdrawal of study medication in 8 patients in the fosinopril group and in 14 patients in the enalapril group (NS). The number of reported AE was not statistically different in the two groups. Inhibition of the ACE was assessed in a subgroup of patients (n = 26, 13 in each group). Fosinopril caused a greater inhibition of ACE at the doses used in the present study, which was statistically significant. Both fosinopril and enalapril caused statistically significant reductions in BP of a similar magnitude, and both agents were well tolerated. However, fosinopril was consistently numerically slightly more effective than enalapril in reducing BP. There were fewer withdrawals due to AE (NS) in the fosinopril group, and the overall recorded AE were fewer in the fosinopril group (NS).

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗