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Biomedical subjects

Amy Williams

Publications and source records attributed to Amy Williams.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

A lifestyle program for treated hypertensives improved health-related behaviors and cardiovascular risk factors, a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess effects of a cognitively based program on health-related behaviors and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight drug-treated hypertensives. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: In a clinical trials center, volunteers, recruited by advertisement, were randomized to usual care (N=118) or to a 4-month program (N=123) incorporating weight loss; a low-sodium diet, high in fruit, vegetables, and fish; and increased physical activity. Diet, physical activity, weight, blood lipids, glucose, and insulin were measured at 4 and 16 months. RESULTS: Ninety-eight usual care and 106 program participants completed the 4-month assessment; 90 and 102, respectively, completed follow-up. Using intention-to-treat analysis, relative to usual care, net changes with the program at 4 months were as follows: dietary fat (-2.6% energy; P<0.001); sodium (-290mg/d; P=0.004); energy (-313mJ/d; P=0.005); fish (+2.1 serves/wk; P<0.001); vegetables (+3.0 serves/wk; P<0.001); physical activity (+37min/wk; P=0.004); weight (-2.8kg; P<0.001); waist girth (-3.1cm; P<0.001); total cholesterol (-0.2mmol/L; P=0.017); and triacylglycerols (-0.12mmol/L; P=0.002). One year later, net changes included dietary fat (-2.2% energy; P<0.001); sodium (-150mg/d; P=0.029); fish (+2.0 serves/wk; P<0.001); vegetables (+4.3 serves/wk; P<0.001); weight (-2.5kg; P=0.001); waist girth (-3.1cm; P<0.001); high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (+0.03mmol/L; P=0.031). CONCLUSION: Improvements in behaviors and risk factors, several maintained long term, suggest the potential for long-term benefits in hypertensives.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Daily dialyses decrease plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), a biomarker of left ventricular dysfunction.

Brain natriuretic peptide or B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a sensitive marker of heart disease. Plasma levels of BNP increase in left ventricular failure and determination of plasma BNP has become a useful tool in the diagnosis of heart failure. Hemodialysis (HD) patients may have elevated plasma levels of BNP, particularly predialysis, that correlate with echocardiographic signs of left ventricular dysfunction. High BNP levels are also a strong predictor of mortality in both nonrenal and HD patients. We studied plasma BNP levels in patients who changed from conventional thrice-weekly dialysis to daily dialysis 6 times a week while maintaining a total weekly time on dialysis of 12 hr. Twelve HD patients, mean age 55 years, had 4 hr of conventional thrice-weekly treatment for 4 weeks. Predialysis and postdialysis blood samples were obtained at the last dialysis. Patients were then dialyzed for 2 hr, 6 times weekly, for 4 weeks (daily dialysis). Again, predialysis and postdialysis blood samples were collected at the last HD. Brain natriuretic peptide plasma concentrations were determined by immunoradiometric assay. Predialysis BNP levels decreased from 194+/-51 ng/L (68+/-19 pmol/L; mean+SE) during thrice-weekly HD to 113+/-45 ng/L (41+/-18 pmol/L; p = 0.001) after 4 weeks on daily dialysis. With thrice-weekly HD, predialysis BNP levels were higher than postdialysis levels: 120+/-26 ng/L (39+/-8 pmol/L; p = 0.059). With daily dialysis, predialysis BNP levels did not differ significantly from postdialysis levels. Elevated predialysis plasma levels of BNP, considered sensitive and early markers of left ventricular dysfunction, decreased when patients were changed from conventional thrice-weekly HD to daily dialysis maintaining total hours of dialysis per week constant. Given the accumulated evidence that BNP is a biomarker of left ventricular dysfunction and can be used for risk stratification and guidance in pharmacotherapy of heart failure, daily dialysis appears to lead to less cardiac distress.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

The Internet as a source of data to support the development of a quality-of-life measure for eating disorders.

Despite the attractiveness of the Internet as a data source on individuals' experiences with health conditions, few have studied its use in quality-of-life instrument development. In this article, the authors describe the use of Internet-based unsolicited first-person narratives to supplement qualitative material derived from other sources (published articles and interviews) in the early stages of development of a quality-of-life instrument for eating disorders. In a systematic Internet search, they identified 31 posted first-person narratives. Sixteen (52%) authors had anorexia nervosa, 11 (35%) had bulimia nervosa, and 4 (13%) had either eating disorders not otherwise specified or both diagnoses. Themes arising from the narratives were very similar to those from other sources; however, some specific sensitive topics uniquely expressed in the narratives produced items that the authors later validated in focus groups. Despite some limitations, the Internet was an efficient, inexpensive, and fruitful source of supplementary information for item generation.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2005

Valosin-containing protein phosphorylation at Ser784 in response to DNA damage.

The response of eukaryotic cells to DNA damage includes the activation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-related kinases (PIKK), such as ATM, ATR, and DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). These three kinases have very similar substrate specificities in vitro, but in vivo, their substrates overlap only partially. Several in vivo substrates of ATM and ATR have been identified and almost all of them are involved in DNA damage-induced cell cycle arrest and/or apoptosis. In contrast, few in vivo substrates of DNA-PK have been identified. These include histone H2AX and DNA-PK itself. We identify here valosin-containing protein (VCP) as a novel substrate of DNA-PK and other PIKK family members. VCP is phosphorylated at Ser784 within its COOH terminus, a region previously shown to target VCP to specific intracellular compartments. Furthermore, VCP phosphorylated at Ser784 accumulated at sites of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). VCP is a protein chaperone that unfolds and translocates proteins. Its phosphorylation in response to DNA damage and its recruitment to sites of DNA DSBs could indicate a role of VCP in DNA repair.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed2005

Hydroxychloroquine-induced cardiotoxicity in a 39-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus and systolic dysfunction.

A 39-year-old woman with a history of systemic lupus erythematosus developed chest pain and conduction abnormalities. An echocardiographic examination revealed systolic dysfunction and ventricular thickening. Because of the unclear nature of her cardiac disease, right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy was performed. Light microscopy showed diffuse myocyte vacuolization without myocarditis, and transmission electron microscopy demonstrated sarcoplasmic myelinoid and curvilinear bodies, diagnostic of hydroxychloroquine toxicity. Among patients with autoimmune connective disorders, cardiac dysfunction may be a result of the disease or occasionally of its treatment. Although the nature of the cardiac disease (myocardial, valvular, or pericardial) can generally be evaluated echocardiographically, endomyocardial biopsy may be indicated to rule out diseases with a specific microscopic appearance, such as myocarditis or hydroxychloroquine cardiotoxicity.

Cardiomyopathies↗