Functional capability of the cardiovascular system in alcoholics

Provedeno je kliničko ispitivanje funkcionalne sposobnosti kardiovaskularnog sistema u dvije skupine muškaraca, 49 alkoholičara i 37 nealkoholičara prosječne životne dobi od 53 godine u fazi apstinencije. Svi ispitanici su podvrgnuti testu fizičkog opterećenja na pokretnom sagu »Viagraf«. Planirano je maksimalno opterećenje predviđeno za njihovu dob, a prema frekvenciji pulsa u jednoj minuti. Prije, u toku i nakon testa opterećenja praćene su varijable: frekvencija akcije srca, vrijednosti arterijskog tlaka, potrošnja kisika u ml/kg/min, izvršen rad u vatima ili kilopondmetrima u minuti, te metabolički ekvivalent i minute hoda, uz simultano snimanje elektrokardiograma u 12 odvoda prije i na kraju svakog stupnja postignutog opterećenja, kao i nakon opterećenja. Funkcionalna sposobnost kardiovaskularnog sistema mjerena indirektnom potrošnjom kisika u opterećenju, kao i na osnovi izvršenog stupnja fizičkog rada, nije bila statistički značajno različita među ispitivanim skupinama. U toku testa opterećenja u skupu alkoholičara statistički značajno je viša frekvencija akcije srca u minuti nego u skupini »nealkoholičara«. Maksimalni sistolički i dijastolički arterijski tlak u toku opterećenja značajno je viši u skupini alkoholičara nego u skupini »nealkoholičara«. Prema tome alkoholičari u fizičkom opterećenju vjerojatno imaju povećan rizik od poremećaja i bolesti srca.A clinical investigation of the functional capability of the cardiovascular system was carried out in two groups of male subjects - 49 alcoholics and 37 non-alcoholics - with an average age of 53 years during a phase of abstinence. All subjects were tested by means of exercise test on the »Viagraf«, the maximum exercise having been planned according to age and pulse rate in one minute. Before, during and after exercise test the following variables were checked: heart rate, arterial pressure, oxygen consumption in ml/kg/min, work achieved in watts or kilopond-metres in minutes, and the metabolic equivalent and minutes of walking. with simultaneous recording of the electrocardiogram in 12 leads, before and at the end of each exercise level achieved, as well as after exercise. The functional capability of the cardiovascular system, measured by indirect oxygen consumption during exercise test and on the basis of the level of physical work achieved, was not statistically significantly different between the investigated groups. During exercise test heart rate per minute was statistically significantly higher tin the group of alcoholics than in the group of non-alcoholics. The maximum systolic and diastolic arterial pressure during exercise test were significantly higher in the group of alcoholics than in the group of non-alcoholics. It is concluded that alcoholics are probably at a greater risk than non-alcoholics from disturbances in cardiac action and heart diseases during physical exercise

Urban Hypothermia and Hyperglycemia in the Elderly

From December 1993 to March 1999 we treated 18 elderly patients aged 66–87 years, suffering from urban hypothermia: 11 women and 7 men. Ten patients suffered from moderate hypothermia (rectal temperature 32–35 °C), and eight from severe hypothermia (rectal temperature<32 °C). Regarding consciousness, in the group suffering from moderate hypothermia, 3 were somnolent and 6 in various degrees of comatose states. In the group suffering from severe hypothermia, 3 patients were somnolent or soporous and 5 in comatose states of various degrees. Values of arterial blood pressure in the group with moderate hypothermia was normal in one, in 3 arterial hypotension was observed and 6 were in a state of shock. In the group with severe hypothermia, 3 presented arterial hypotension and 5 were in a state of shock. In the group with moderate hypothermia the blood glucose level was elevated in six: 9.3–10.2–10.7–17.9–21.3–99.0, and in one patient the blood glucose level was low: 2.3 mmol/L, in correlation with hypoglycemic coma. In the group with severe hypothermia in all eight patients the values were elevated: 6.7–7.4–7.6–8.7–9.1–11.2–12.4–17.9 mmol/L

The influence of skeletal muscle anisotropy on electroporation: in vivo study and numerical modeling

The aim of this study was to theoretically and experimentally investigate electroporation of mouse tibialis cranialis and to determine the reversible electroporation threshold values needed for parallel and perpendicular orientation of the applied electric field with respect to the muscle fibers. Our study was based on local electric field calculated with three-dimensional realistic numerical models, that we built, and in vivo visualization of electroporated muscle tissue. We established that electroporation of muscle cells in tissue depends on the orientation of the applied electric field; the local electric field threshold values were determined (pulse parameters: 8 × 100 μs, 1 Hz) to be 80 V/cm and 200 V/cm for parallel and perpendicular orientation, respectively. Our results could be useful electric field parameters in the control of skeletal muscle electroporation, which can be used in treatment planning of electroporation based therapies such as gene therapy, genetic vaccination, and electrochemotherapy

Alcohol consumption and changes in the electrocardiogram

Analizirane su promjene u elektrokardiogramu kodirane prema Minnesota kodu, u skupinama od 1575 muškaraca i 1690 žena iz populacije, s obzirom na uživanje alkoholnih pića. U muškaraca koji prekomjerno uživaju alkoholna pića nađen je značajno češće visoki R-zubac lijevo i visoki T-val. U žena koje uživaju alkoholna pića nađena je češće depresija S-T segmenta do 0,5 mm, češće je nađen visoki R-zubac lijevo nego u onih koje ne uživaju alkoholna pića. Zaključeno je da je uživanje alkoholnih pića prema oštećenju miokarda i koronarnih arterija još otvoren problem.Changes in the electrocardiogram classified according to the Minnesota code were analysed in 1575 men and 1690 women from the general population in regard to the consumption of alcoholic beverages. A high R-wave to the left and a high T-wave were found significantly more often in men who were excessive drinkers than in other subjects. In women drinking alcohol a depression of the S-T segment up to 0.5 mm was more frequent than in non-drinking women. There were also more drinking women with a high R-wave to the left. It is concluded that from the point of view of the impairment of the myocardium and coronary arteries the effect of alcohol consumption remains to be elucidated

Alcohol consumption and changes in the electrocardiogram

Analizirane su promjene u elektrokardiogramu kodirane prema Minnesota kodu, u skupinama od 1575 muškaraca i 1690 žena iz populacije, s obzirom na uživanje alkoholnih pića. U muškaraca koji prekomjerno uživaju alkoholna pića nađen je značajno češće visoki R-zubac lijevo i visoki T-val. U žena koje uživaju alkoholna pića nađena je češće depresija S-T segmenta do 0,5 mm, češće je nađen visoki R-zubac lijevo nego u onih koje ne uživaju alkoholna pića. Zaključeno je da je uživanje alkoholnih pića prema oštećenju miokarda i koronarnih arterija još otvoren problem.Changes in the electrocardiogram classified according to the Minnesota code were analysed in 1575 men and 1690 women from the general population in regard to the consumption of alcoholic beverages. A high R-wave to the left and a high T-wave were found significantly more often in men who were excessive drinkers than in other subjects. In women drinking alcohol a depression of the S-T segment up to 0.5 mm was more frequent than in non-drinking women. There were also more drinking women with a high R-wave to the left. It is concluded that from the point of view of the impairment of the myocardium and coronary arteries the effect of alcohol consumption remains to be elucidated

Sudden Death Due to Physical Exercise in the Elderly

Physical exercise has a beneficial effect to the humans. Sudden death in healthy persons engaged in physical exercise is extremely rare since healthy heart is protected from complications. The records of five elderly men who died during or immediately after exercise in the period between 1988–2001 in our region have been given, out of 23 men (and no one woman) aged 14–68 who died due to physical exercise in that time. They have been engaged in tennis, jogging and swimming recreatively. In all of them coronary heart disease has been found by the forensic autopsy. Only one has had arterial hypertension, symptoms of chest pain few years before accident and acute myocardial infarction has been found. The other four have been without symptoms. In three of them myocardial scars have been found of past myocardial infarctions. In all of them the thickness of the left ventricle wall was 15 mm or more (from 15 to 25 mm). It seems that the thickness of the wall of the left ventricle increases cardiovascular risk in persons without symptoms. In Croatia about 7% of the whole population are engaged in recreation. In this population 13% are elderly: 40,950. The reported five deaths due to recreational physical exercise in the elderly reached 1/114,660 persons every three years, or 1/573,300 persons during fourteen years

Disability reassessment in a sample of pensioners in SR Croatia

Arbitrarni tim sastavljen od liječnika-specijalista te članova drugostepene invalidske komisije SIZ MIORH reevaluirao je ocjenu gubitka radne sposobnosti u 1009 invalida-umirovljenika-dobrovoljaca (234 žene i 775 muškaraca). Ispitanici su bili umirovljeni i pregledani tijekom 1985. i 1986. god. Prosječna dob ispitanika bila je 50,4 g. (muškarci) odnosno 48,2 g.(žene). Ispitanici predstavljaju nasumce odabran uzorak među 10 870 invalida iz priobalne, kontinentalne i Zagrebačke regije, umirovljenih u istom razdoblju. Prema glavnoj dijagnozi odgovornoj za nastanak invalidnosti utvrđen je nesklad kriterija u populaciji žena prema muškarcima (p<0,001). Precijenjena je i uloga lokomotornog sustava (p<0,01). Utvrđen je i značajno veći broj pogrešno ocijenjenog gubitka radne sposobnosti u skupini poljoprivrednika prema ostalim zanimanjima (p<0,001). Reevaluacija gubitka radne sposobnosti nije upozorila na postojanje razlika u ocjeni invalidnosti komisija prema regiji i skupu internističkih, lokomotornih i neuropsihijatrijskih dijagnoza. To implicira dalja istraživanja funkcija kriterija za ocjenu gubitka radne sposobnosti.A team of specialist doctors and members of the Second-Degree Disability Board reevaluated disability without residual working capacity in 1009 volunteers, 234 women and 775 men. These were randomly selected out of 10870 pensioners from a coastal and a continental region of SR Croatia and from the city of Zagreb. In view of the main diagnosis responsible for the development of disability a discrepancy was found between the criteria as applied in women and in men (p<0.001). The role of the diseases of the locomotive system was found to have been overestimated (p<0.01). A significantly high number of false assessments was also established among agricultural workers in relation to the other occupations (p<0.001). Reassessment of working capacity did not show discrepancies in the diagnoses of diseases of the intestinal, locomotive and nervous systems as made by regional disability boards. Results suggest a need for further analysis of the functional criteria for the assessment of disability and residual working capacity

Disability reassessment in a sample of pensioners in SR Croatia

Arbitrarni tim sastavljen od liječnika-specijalista te članova drugostepene invalidske komisije SIZ MIORH reevaluirao je ocjenu gubitka radne sposobnosti u 1009 invalida-umirovljenika-dobrovoljaca (234 žene i 775 muškaraca). Ispitanici su bili umirovljeni i pregledani tijekom 1985. i 1986. god. Prosječna dob ispitanika bila je 50,4 g. (muškarci) odnosno 48,2 g.(žene). Ispitanici predstavljaju nasumce odabran uzorak među 10 870 invalida iz priobalne, kontinentalne i Zagrebačke regije, umirovljenih u istom razdoblju. Prema glavnoj dijagnozi odgovornoj za nastanak invalidnosti utvrđen je nesklad kriterija u populaciji žena prema muškarcima (p<0,001). Precijenjena je i uloga lokomotornog sustava (p<0,01). Utvrđen je i značajno veći broj pogrešno ocijenjenog gubitka radne sposobnosti u skupini poljoprivrednika prema ostalim zanimanjima (p<0,001). Reevaluacija gubitka radne sposobnosti nije upozorila na postojanje razlika u ocjeni invalidnosti komisija prema regiji i skupu internističkih, lokomotornih i neuropsihijatrijskih dijagnoza. To implicira dalja istraživanja funkcija kriterija za ocjenu gubitka radne sposobnosti.A team of specialist doctors and members of the Second-Degree Disability Board reevaluated disability without residual working capacity in 1009 volunteers, 234 women and 775 men. These were randomly selected out of 10870 pensioners from a coastal and a continental region of SR Croatia and from the city of Zagreb. In view of the main diagnosis responsible for the development of disability a discrepancy was found between the criteria as applied in women and in men (p<0.001). The role of the diseases of the locomotive system was found to have been overestimated (p<0.01). A significantly high number of false assessments was also established among agricultural workers in relation to the other occupations (p<0.001). Reassessment of working capacity did not show discrepancies in the diagnoses of diseases of the intestinal, locomotive and nervous systems as made by regional disability boards. Results suggest a need for further analysis of the functional criteria for the assessment of disability and residual working capacity