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C D Morris

Publications and source records attributed to C D Morris.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Increasing calcium intake lowers blood pressure: the literature reviewed.

Evidence to support an association between dietary calcium and blood pressure is presented in this article. Epidemiological surveys, animal experiments, and clinical trials support an inverse relationship between calcium and blood pressure. Several independent diet surveys have reported reduced consumption of calcium by individuals with hypertension. Animal experiments demonstrate an inverse correlation between calcium intake and blood pressure and reveal disturbances in calcium metabolism in hypertensive animals. Similar metabolic disturbances, including lower serum ionized calcium, elevated parathyroid hormone values, and increased urinary calcium excretion, have been reported in human hypertensives compared with normotensives. In addition, three recent experimental trials using 1 gm calcium carbonate supplements demonstrated that increasing calcium intake may reduce blood pressure in some human beings. Further clinical investigations are necessary to define the subset of patients who will respond to calcium therapy. Dietary sources of calcium to provide at least the RDA are recommended. Dairy products are suggested because in addition to calcium, they are valuable sources of potassium and magnesium, which may also lower blood pressure. If a patient cannot tolerate dairy products, oral calcium supplements are indicated.

Animals↗

Blood pressure and nutrient intake in the United States.

A data base of the National Center for Health Statistics, Health and Nutrition Examination Survey I (HANES I), was used to perform a computer-assisted, comprehensive analysis of the relation of 17 nutrients to the blood pressure profile of adult Americans. Subjects were 10,372 individuals, 18 to 74 years of age, who denied a history of hypertension and intentional modification of their diet. Significant decreases in the consumption of calcium, potassium, vitamin A, and vitamin C were identified as the nutritional factors that distinguished hypertensive from normotensive subjects. Lower calcium intake was the most consistent factor in hypertensive individuals. Across the population, higher intakes of calcium, potassium, and sodium were associated with lower mean systolic blood pressure and lower absolute risk of hypertension. Increments of dietary calcium were also negatively correlated with body mass. Even though these correlations cannot be accepted as proof of causation, they have implications for future studies of the association of nutritional factors and dietary patterns with hypertension in America.

Adolescent↗

Epsilon-aminocaproic acid-induced myopathy. A case report.

The prolonged administration of epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) resulted in the development of severe proximal myopathy associated with high plasma creatine kinase values, rhabdomyolysis, myoglobinuria, and mild hyperbilirubinaemia. Withdrawal of the drug led to spontaneous resolution of the clinical and biochemical syndrome. Structural and enzyme studies of a biopsy specimen of the involved skeletal muscle supported the presence of subclinical myopathy. The mechanism whereby EACA produces its toxicity in muscle may in part be due to inhibition of cathepsin D, but the possibility that other proteases are involved has not been excluded. The fact that this clinical syndrome is rare despite the widespread use of EACA may be because it only occurs in subjects with a subclinical skeletal muscle disorder which is unmasked by the drug.

Adult↗

Physical disease in the chronic mentally ill.

A group of 196 institutionalized patients with chronic mental illness was studied to determine the prevalence of unrecognized physical disease. Sixty per cent of the patients were found to have previously undiagnosed minor or major disorders, the most prevalent being scabies and fungal infections (24%), peripheral vascular disease (13%), dyskinetic movements (11%) and anaemia (5,5%). Forty-six per cent of the physical disorders were considered to be minor, and only 21% of the major disorders were likely to respond to treatment. In particular there was a striking correlation between peripheral vascular disease and Korsakoff's psychosis. This study shows that there is a need for regular on-going physical assessment of such patients.

Adult↗

Late exercise test results from a prospective randomized study of bypass surgery for stable angina.

A prospective randomized study comparing coronary bypass surgery (group 1, 51 patients) to drug therapy (group 2, 49 patients) was initiated in 1981. Supine graded exercise testing (SGXT) was performed initially, at 6 months, and annually with a bicycle ergometer. The presence or absence of ischemic ST segment changes (positive or negative SGXT) and chest pain were recorded. Initially, 63% of all patients had positive SGXT. For group 2, the frequency of positive SGXT results did not change significantly at 6 months (58%) or at 5 years (52%). At 6 months the number of patients without chest pain increased in group 1 compared with group 2 (28/41 vs 13/41, respectively; p less than .002), but there was no difference in the frequency of positive SGXT results (20/41 vs 24/41, respectively; p = NS). This occurred because a majority of the group 1 patients with positive SGXT no longer had associated chest pain (group 1, 11/20, group 2, 3/24; p less than .007). This response was associated with incomplete revascularization in eight of these 11 group 1 patients and may result from "silent ischemia." At 5 years, no significant difference existed in the incidence of positive SGXT (group 1, 10/32 vs group 2, 12/23; p = NS), but group 1 patients continued to have a reduction (although not statistically significant) in the number of patients without chest pain (group 1, 19/32 vs group 2, 7/23). The incidences of death and myocardial infarction were not significantly different between groups. Fewer episodes of unstable angia occurred in group 1 (10/51 vs 19/49; p less than .05). The prognosis of group 1 patients with positive SGXT and no chest pain and incomplete revascularization was not different from that of the entire group.

Adult↗

Dietary calcium in human hypertension.

A pilot survey was made of the dietary calcium intake of normotensive and hypertensive individuals. Compared to 44 normotensive controls, 46 subjects with essential hypertension reported significantly less daily calcium ingestion (668 +/- 55 milligrams compared to 886 +/- 89 milligrams). The intake of other nutrients, including sodium and potassium, was very similar in the two groups. The hypertensives differed from the controls primarily in their consumption of nonfluid dairy products. The data suggest that inadequate calcium intake may be a previously unrecognized factor in the development of hypertension.

Calcium, Dietary↗

Eastern equine encephalomyelitis in upstate New York: studies of a 1976 epizootic by a modified serologic technique, hemagglutination reduction, for rapid detection of virus infections.

An extensive outbreak of eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) occurred in upstate New York during the summer of 1976, with 37 cases confirmed in horses by isolation of virus and/or by serologic examination. Other specimens collected in the affected area yielded 16 further isolates: 9 from 818 pools of 33,365 mosquitoes, 5 from tissues of 64 birds and 2 from 4 sentinel pheasants with serologic conversions. EEE antibodies were also detected in 81 of 499 wild birds tested. Our data implicate sparrows, cowbirds, and catbirds in the amplification of EEE virus and Culiseta melanura mosquitoes as vectors among avians. During the course of this epizootic a modified serologic technique involving hemagglutination reduction gave reliable diagnoses of EEE as early as 24 hours after receipt of field specimens.

Animals↗