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Health Parameters (health + parameter)
Selected AbstractsEffect of tick parasitism on the health status of a passerine birdFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2008D. J. A. Heylen Summary 1Little information is available on the ecological interactions between ticks and their hosts under natural conditions, and particularly so for avian hosts. To understand this host,parasite interaction it is necessary to assess the physiological harm ticks can do to their host. 2We combined observational and experimental (field and laboratory) data to examine the effects of a common tick species with major economic importance, the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus), on the health status of a common passerine bird, the great tit (Parus major). 3In the laboratory experiment a parallel group design was carried out in which the birds of the experimental group were infested with 3,10 nymphs, whereas the birds of the control group were kept free of ticks and received a sham treatment. Both groups were stratified according to age and sex. Health parameters were measured the day before and 3 days after infestation or sham treatment: haematocrit level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, leucocyte concentration and general body condition (body mass corrected for body size). 4No effects of age were observed on any of the health parameters. The decrease in haematocrit level in the experimental group was significantly greater than in the control group. Moreover, infested males suffered more blood depletion than infested females. The increase in sedimentation rate was greater in the experimental group than in the control group. Surprisingly, no treatment effects were found on leucocyte concentrations, which may indicate immunoregulation by the ticks on components of the birds' cellular immune response. Also no difference in general body condition between the treatment groups was found. None of the infested birds died during infestation. 5Lower haematocrit levels in infested birds, but unaffected leucocyte concentrations and general body condition are confirmed by field data (experimental and observational) of adult birds during breeding season. 6Neither haematocrit level nor general body condition was associated with parasite intensity among infested birds, suggesting that immature Ixodes ricinus are not resource limited at high natural densities. Still, the measurable direct harm caused by sheep tick infestations calls for further study on its importance for the evolutionary ecology of passerine hosts. [source] Ten-Year Echo/Doppler Determination of the Benefits of Aerobic Exercise after the Age of 65 YearsECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2010Alexander J. Muster M.D. As the human lifespan becomes progressively extended, potential health-related effects of intense aerobic exercise after age 65 need evaluation. This study evaluates the cardiovascular (CV), pulmonary, and metabolic effects of competitive distance running on age-related deterioration in men between 69 (±3) and 77 (±2) years (mean ± SD). Twelve elderly competitive distance runners (ER) underwent oxygen consumption and echo/Doppler treadmill stress testing (Balke protocol) for up to 10 years. Twelve age-matched sedentary controls (SC) with no history of CV disease were similarly tested and the results compared for the initial three series of the study. CV data clearly separated the ER from SC. At entry, resting and maximal heart rate, systolic/diastolic blood pressure, peak oxygen consumption (VO2max), and E/A ratio of mitral inflow were better in the ER (P < 0.05 vs. SC). With aging, ER had a less deterioration of multiple health parameters. Exceptions were VO2max and left ventricular diastolic function (E/A, AFF, IVRT) that decreased (P < 0.05, Year 10 vs. Year 1). Health advantages of high-level aerobic exercise were demonstrated in the ER when compared to SC. Importantly, data collected in ER over 10 years confirm the benefit of intensive exercise for slowing several negative effects of aging. However, the normative drop of exercise capacity in the seventh and eighth decades reduces the potential athleticism plays in prevention of CV events. (Echocardiography 2010;27:5-10) [source] Helicobacter pylori in human oral cavity and stomachEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 4 2008Ralf Bürgers The oral cavity has been suspected as an extra-gastroduodenal reservoir for Helicobacter pylori infection and transmission, but conflicting evidence exists regarding the occurrence of H. pylori in the mouth, independently of stomach colonization. Ninety-four gastric biopsy patients were analysed for the concurrent presence of H. pylori in the mouth and stomach. Samples were collected from different areas within the mouth and H. pylori DNA was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and verified by sequencing. Helicobacter pylori -specific serology was performed, and stomach colonization was determined by culture. In addition, relevant dental and periodontal parameters, as well as general health parameters, were recorded. Helicobacter pylori was found in the stomach of 29 patients and in the oral cavity of 16 patients. In only six patients was the bacterium detected simultaneously in the stomach and mouth. Notably, the 10 patients in whom the bacterium was found solely in the mouth did not have serum antibodies to H. pylori. The occurrence of H. pylori in the mouth was found to be correlated neither to any general or oral health parameters, nor to any particular site of collection. This study shows that H. pylori can occur in the oral cavity independently of stomach colonization. [source] Effect of tick parasitism on the health status of a passerine birdFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2008D. J. A. Heylen Summary 1Little information is available on the ecological interactions between ticks and their hosts under natural conditions, and particularly so for avian hosts. To understand this host,parasite interaction it is necessary to assess the physiological harm ticks can do to their host. 2We combined observational and experimental (field and laboratory) data to examine the effects of a common tick species with major economic importance, the sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus), on the health status of a common passerine bird, the great tit (Parus major). 3In the laboratory experiment a parallel group design was carried out in which the birds of the experimental group were infested with 3,10 nymphs, whereas the birds of the control group were kept free of ticks and received a sham treatment. Both groups were stratified according to age and sex. Health parameters were measured the day before and 3 days after infestation or sham treatment: haematocrit level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, leucocyte concentration and general body condition (body mass corrected for body size). 4No effects of age were observed on any of the health parameters. The decrease in haematocrit level in the experimental group was significantly greater than in the control group. Moreover, infested males suffered more blood depletion than infested females. The increase in sedimentation rate was greater in the experimental group than in the control group. Surprisingly, no treatment effects were found on leucocyte concentrations, which may indicate immunoregulation by the ticks on components of the birds' cellular immune response. Also no difference in general body condition between the treatment groups was found. None of the infested birds died during infestation. 5Lower haematocrit levels in infested birds, but unaffected leucocyte concentrations and general body condition are confirmed by field data (experimental and observational) of adult birds during breeding season. 6Neither haematocrit level nor general body condition was associated with parasite intensity among infested birds, suggesting that immature Ixodes ricinus are not resource limited at high natural densities. Still, the measurable direct harm caused by sheep tick infestations calls for further study on its importance for the evolutionary ecology of passerine hosts. [source] Effects of food abundance and predictability on body condition and health parameters: experimental tests with the Hooded CrowIBIS, Issue 4 2002Camilla Acquarone It has been shown that small passerines can counteract variability of food resources by actively regulating their body reserves through an increase of mass. However, the effects of food predictability on body mass regulation and other body parameters, such as immune functions, in larger species have been little studied. To analyse the response of the Hooded Crow Corvus corone to food abundance and predictability, we performed three experiments with controlled food provisioning under laboratory conditions. Body mass, TOBEC (total body electrical conductivity) lean mass index, blood parameters and immune organ masses were measured at the beginning and end of a 15-day period. In the first experiment, the food release was predictable (same amount each day) but the quantity of food delivered to five groups of birds varied (37, 75, 100, 150 or 300 g/day). Low food levels induced a greater decrease in mass accompanied by an increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate. In the second experiment, the same average quantity of food (100 g) was supplied according to either predictable or unpredictable (random) schedules. In this case, the crows lost more mass, and their erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased when food was unpredictable. In the third experiment, the same average quantity of food (150 g) was supplied according to either a predictable schedule or two schedules with different levels of variability. The group with a low level of variability did not differ from the control, while the group with a highly variable feeding schedule lost more mass. In this group, the higher mass loss was associated with greater variation of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and a reduced Phytohaemagglutinin index of immunocompetence and haematocrit value. The results of experiments 2 and 3 contrast with findings in other passerines, which increase their mass when food availability is unpredictable. It appears that a body mass decrease in the Hooded Crow can be induced by a reduction of either food abundance (exp. 1) or food predictability (exp. 2, 3), and it is accompanied by a worsening of health state. [source] Holocaust Survivors in Old Age: The Jerusalem Longitudinal StudyJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 3 2008Jochanan Stesssman MD OBJECTIVES: To examine the hypothesis that Holocaust exposure during young adulthood negatively affects physical aging, causing greater morbidity, faster deterioration in health parameters, and shorter survival. DESIGN: A longitudinal cohort study of the natural history of an age-homogenous representative sample born in 1920/21 and living in Jerusalem. SETTING: Community-based home assessments. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred fifty-eight subjects of European origin aged 70 at baseline and 77 at follow-up. MEASUREMENTS: Comprehensive assessment of physical, functional, and psychosocial domains; biographical history of concentration camp internment (Camp), exposure to Nazi occupation during World War II (Exposure), or lack thereof (Controls); and 7-year mortality data from the National Death Registry. RESULTS: Holocaust survivors of the Camp (n=93) and Exposure (n=129) groups were more likely than Controls (n=236) to be male and less educated and have less social support (P=.01), less physical activity (P=.03), greater difficulty in basic activities of daily living (P=.009), poorer self-rated health (P=.04), and greater usage of psychiatric medication (P=.008). No other differences in health parameters or physical illnesses were found. Holocaust survivors had similar rates of deterioration in health and illness parameters over the follow-up period, and 7-year mortality rates were identical. Proportional hazard models showed that being an elderly Holocaust survivor was not predictive of greter 7-year mortality. CONCLUSION: Fifty years after their Holocaust trauma, survivors still displayed significant psychosocial and functional impairment, although no evidence was found to support the hypothesis that the delayed effects of the trauma of the Holocaust negatively influence physical health, health trajectories, or mortality. [source] Feeding trials in organic food quality and health researchJOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 2 2010Alberta Velimirov Abstract Feeding experiments comparing organically and conventionally produced food are performed to assess the overall impact on the animals' health as a model for the effects experienced by the human consumers. These experiments are based on systems research and characterized by their focus on production methods, whole food testing and procedures in accordance with the terms of organic farming. A short review of such experiments shows that the majority of these tests revealed effects of the organically produced feed on health parameters such as reproductive performance and immune responses. Systems research is not just about simple cause,effect chains, but rather about the pluralism of interactions in biological networks; therefore, the interpretation of the outcome of whole food experiments is difficult. Furthermore, the test diets of organic and conventional origin can be constituted in different ways, compensating for or maintaining existing differences in nutrient and energy contents. The science-based results suggest positive influences from organic feeds, but there is still a need for confirmation in animals and, finally, in humans. For this purpose animal feeding trials with feed from different production systems should be conducted, with the aims to define health indicators and to establish biomarkers as a basis for future dietary intervention studies in humans. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry [source] Relationship between intraocular pressure and systemic health parameters in a Korean populationCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY, Issue 4 2002Jong Soo Lee MD Abstract Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between intraocular pressure (IOP) and age and obesity, adjusted for systemic health parameters such as sex and mean blood pressure, in a Korean population. Methods: A total of 13 212 healthy participants underwent automated multiphasic tests, including tonometry, automated perimetry, fundus photography, blood pressure and body mass index (BMI). Six age groups were used, divided by decades ranging from 20,29 years to 70+ years. The association between IOP and systemic health parameters was examined using cross-sectional analysis. Results: The median age of participants was 47.6 years (range 20,84 years), and 6684 (50.6%) of participants were men. The mean IOP of participants was 15.5 mmHg. The mean IOP, blood pressure and BMI values were significantly higher in men than in women (P < 0.05). The overall prevalence of ocular hypertension, defined as IOP >21 mmHg without signs of glaucomatous visual field loss or optic disc damage, was 6.1% in men and 2.5% in women. Intraocular pressure was associated with mean blood pressure, sex, age and BMI by multiple regression analysis (P < 0.05). The relationship between IOP and age adjusted for sex, mean blood pressure and BMI had a significantly negative tendency for both sexes (P < 0.05). Body mass index had a significantly positive relation with IOP after controlling for age, sex and mean blood pressure in men (P < 0.05), but not in women. Conclusions: In this Korean population, after multiple adjustment, IOP was found to decrease with age and to increase with BMI in men. [source] | |||||||||||||