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Biomedical subjects

D Lieberman

Publications and source records attributed to D Lieberman.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Effect of dietary sodium on the severity of bronchial asthma.

BACKGROUND: A high sodium intake has been found to increase bronchial reactivity in men with asthma. The effects of change in sodium intake on peak flow rate have not been determined. METHODS: The effect of changing dietary salt intake for two weeks on the severity of asthma as measured by peak expiratory flow (PEF) was studied in 17 patients with mild asthma in an open randomised crossover trial. PEF measurements were made by the patients in their own homes. Patients were placed on three levels of dietary sodium intake: normal, low, and high. Sodium intake was assessed by 24 hour urine collection. RESULTS: The mean (SD) urine sodium was 147 (45), 84 (32), and 201 (73) mmol/24 hours in the normal, low, and high sodium intake periods respectively. There were no significant differences in PEF or PEF amplitude (highest--lowest PEF), an index of asthma lability, between the three dietary salt periods. CONCLUSION A low and high dietary salt intake for two weeks has no effect on peak expiratory flow in patients with mild asthma.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Effect of milk ingestion on pulmonary function in healthy and asthmatic subjects.

Since Maimonides, it has been common in folk medicine to proscribe milk for asthmatics because its putative stimulation of mucus production can exacerbate asthma symptoms. A literature review, however, failed to reveal any data supporting this notion. We, therefore, compared the effects of ingesting 16 oz. of whole milk (16 g lipid), skim milk (2 g lipid), and water (each on a separate day) on: (1) forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), (2) forced expiratory flow at 50% of vital capacity (V50), and (3) pulmonary diffusing capacity (DLCO) in 11 asthmatic and 10 nonasthmatic subjects. Measurements were taken at 30 minute intervals for 3 hours. The two milk types did not significantly change FEV1 or V50 in either group, indicating that the amount ingested did not change airway resistance sufficiently to alter airflow parameters. In the asthmatic group, however, DLCO decreased progressively over the 3 hours by 6.8 +/- 1.4% (mean +/- SE) per hour after whole milk (maximum reduction = 21 +/- 1.4%) but not after water or skim milk. In the nonasthmatic group, no significant effects were observed on DLCO after any of the liquids. These data suggest that milk lipids can disturb gas exchange in asthmatic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Cost-effectiveness of colon cancer screening.

The cost-effectiveness of two colon cancer-screening strategies was compared. The first strategy mirrors the recommendations of the American Cancer Society and includes sigmoidoscopy starting at age 50, and yearly fecal occult blood testing. The second strategy is screening with colonoscopy. The analysis revealed that the 10-yr cost of screening with sigmoidoscopy is nearly $1,700, compared with nearly $2,500 for colonoscopy, using prevailing procedure costs. This difference can be reduced by lowering the cost of normal colonoscopies. The cost of identifying one patient with an adenomatous polyp is $8,766 with sigmoidoscopy, compared to $5,988 with colonoscopy because of the higher detection rate with colonoscopy. The calculated cost of preventing one death from colon cancer is $444,133 with sigmoidoscopy versus $347,214 with colonoscopy. In conclusion, colon cancer prevention with current screening methods is very costly. Screening with sigmoidoscopy and fecal occult blood testing may not be cost-effective, compared to screening with colonoscopy.

American Cancer Society↗
PubMed1990

Endoscopic therapy for bleeding from the upper gastrointestinal tract.

Advances in endoscopic therapy have dramatically altered the approach to acute upper gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage. It can no longer be assumed that early endoscopic evaluation of this condition does not affect outcome. In the management of selected patients with nonvariceal hemorrhage, endoscopic therapy affects rates of rebleeding, need for surgery and transfusions, and length of hospitalization. For patients with variceal hemorrhage, the impact of endoscopic treatment is less clear. The endoscopic advances of the past decade have been exciting and have presented new challenges. Future investigators need to better define subgroups of patients who will benefit from this technology and determine which of the many techniques available will be safest and most efficacious.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

"Isolated" elevation of alkaline phosphatase: significance in hospitalized patients.

The significance of alkaline phosphatase (AP) elevation with otherwise normal transaminase and bilirubin values remains unclear. We evaluated the clinical outcome of hospitalized patients with an "isolated" AP elevation. Eighty-seven inpatients with isolated AP elevation were identified during February 1984 and followed for 1 year. Forty-five of 87 patients had normalization of AP during the follow-up period, usually within 1-3 months. The most common diagnoses in this group were congestive heart failure in nine, benign bone disease in six, and treatable malignancy in three patients. Twelve patients had no apparent explanation for the transient rise of AP. Persistent AP elevations were noted in 42 patients--14 of whom had terminal malignancies. Clinically obvious life-threatening diagnoses were made in 24 of the patients with persistent AP elevation. The etiology of AP elevation remained enigmatic in seven patients: two died, four are stable during 1 1/2-3 years of follow-up, and one patient was found to have metastatic carcinoma 17 months later. If the initial AP was greater than 1 1/2 times normal, there was a higher likelihood of persistent elevation (68% vs. 41%, p less than 0.05). Isolated elevations of AP in inpatients may be associated with a variety of medical illnesses and often normalize within months. If the AP elevation is persistent, there is usually a clinically obvious diagnosis. A reasonable approach to such patients is a careful history, physical exam, and routine lab studies to detect obvious diagnoses, followed by repeat enzyme determination at 1-3 months.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1990

Respiratory muscle performance in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Respiratory muscle strength and endurance were examined in 31 Type 1 diabetic patients and in age, sex, and weight matched control subjects. No significant difference in respiratory muscle strength was noted between the two groups. Maximal static inspiratory pressure was 92.3 +/- 33.9 (+/- SD) and 99.5 +/- 23.0% of the predicted values in the patient and control groups, respectively. Maximal static expiratory pressures were 75.1 +/- 14.3 and 77.4 +/- 14.0% of the predicted values in the patient and control groups, respectively. Respiratory muscle endurance was significantly lower in the diabetic patients 88.9 +/- 20.7 vs 103.9 +/- 15.8% predicted in the control group (p less than 0.01). Total lung capacity, vital capacity, and maximal voluntary ventilation were also significantly lower in the diabetic group and correlated with the duration of diabetes.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Treatment approaches to reflux oesophagitis.

The management of oesophageal reflux disease can and should be highly individualised, depending on the severity of the disease. Mild occasional symptoms of heartburn can often be controlled with conservative measures or changes in diet and antacids. For patients with erosive or ulcerative oesophageal disease, it is becoming clear that acid plays a crucial role in injury and that suppression of acid enhances healing. Antipeptic dosages of histamine receptor antagonists achieve good relief of symptoms but may not always heal erosive oesophagitis. Healing rates are improved with the use of new hydrogen-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) pump inhibitors which suppress virtually all acid production. The recurrence of disease is common after acid suppression therapy is discontinued, suggesting the need for some form of long term maintenance therapy. Promotility drugs, which improve oesophageal motility, have inconsistent results in clinical trials and have been associated with a higher rate of adverse drug effects in comparison with acid-suppressive therapies. Surgical treatment should still be considered for patients with chronic recurrent disease who do not respond well to pharmacological therapies.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed1989

Noncardiac chest pain. There's often an esophageal cause.

Noncardiac chest pain remains an enigma that often defies precise diagnosis. Overlap of symptoms between esophageal and cardiac disorders may make differentiation extremely difficult. Exclusion of coronary artery disease is a key element of the management of noncardiac chest pain. Once this is accomplished, the physician can address the fears and concerns of the patient with confidence and often avoid any diagnostic studies of the esophagus. When diagnostic studies are performed, the physician should be mindful of their limitations. Since gastroesophageal reflux disease is probably the most common cause of esophageal chest pain, prompt recognition and treatment of this disorder may provide relief for many patients. Future studies should address the relationship between physiologic events in the esophagus and chest pain.

Chest Pain↗
PubMed1988

Scintigraphic criteria for the diagnosis of obstructive hepatobiliary diseases with Tc-99m IDA.

The purpose of this study is to define the scintigraphic parameters that reliably predict the presence of obstructive hepatobiliary diseases. Gallbladder and intestinal visualization times noted during cholescintigraphy with Tc-99m IDA were compared to functional and morphologic parameters for their ability to accurately diagnose biliary diseases. One hundred and twenty-five normal subjects and 127 patients with five different types of hepatobiliary diseases were studied. Bile pooling in segmental ducts with minimal prolongation of excretion t-1/2 was the feature most commonly seen in partial common bile duct obstruction, and biliary nonvisualization with marked prolongation of excretion t-1/2 was the primary feature of total obstruction. Sclerosing cholangitis showed band constrictions and beading along bile ducts with regional variation in excretion t-1/2, and primary biliary cirrhosis demonstrated normal bile ducts with uniform prolongation of excretion t-1/2. Patients with cholelithiasis showed normal image patterns of the major ducts. Intestinal visualization by 60 minutes was only 46% sensitive and 77% specific with an overall accuracy of 74% in the detection of biliary obstruction. Delayed gallbladder visualization and reduction in ejection fraction were sensitive but nonspecific indicators of biliary disease. We conclude that Tc-99m-IDA imaging is an accurate test for the diagnosis of obstructive hepatobiliary disease provided both quantitative functional and qualitative morphologic parameters are analyzed. Intestinal nonvisualization at 60 minutes alone is not reliable as a sole parameter for the detection of partial biliary obstruction.

Adult↗