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Biomedical subjects

E M Berry

Publications and source records attributed to E M Berry.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Nutrition and quality of life in the aged: the Jerusalem 70-year olds longitudinal study.

Inadequate nutrition is a major problem of elderly people today. Yet, despite the prevalence and significance of the problem, there is little information on the nutritional status of elderly persons in the community, and its impact on their quality of life. During 1990-1991, as part of a first cross-section in a longitudinal medical and social study of 70-year olds in Jerusalem, we surveyed the nutritional status of this population. During the first phase, 605 people were examined in their homes; data were collected regarding socioeconomic status, education, self-perceived health state, use of medications and health services, and ADL. During the second stage, a sub-group of 463 people was examined in a geriatric outpatient clinic; all subjects underwent medical history, physical examination, cognitive assessment, psychiatric questionnaire, blood and urine tests, electrocardiogram, and pulmonary function tests. In addition, general hospital admissions and morbidity and mortality in the two years following the study were studied. The nutritional status of the participants was determined according to nutritional assessment (NA) scale, based on the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). The majority of the study population lived at home, was without cognitive disturbance (86%), and was independent in ADL (83%). Based on NA > 24, 91% of the study population were in good nutritional state, 8.3% were at risk of undernutrition, and 0.7% were malnourished. There was a significant positive relationship between NA score and ADL as well as cognitive state. In addition, a strong negative relation was found between NA score and visits to the family physician in the previous fortnight, visits to the emergency room in the previous year, and hospital admissions in the following two years. An inverse relation, although not significant, was found between NA score and two-year post-study mortality. These results suggest that the nutritional status of the studied population is inadequate, and that the nutritional state is one of the major determinants of the quality of life in the elderly and therefore, should be part of any geriatric assessment. Elder population surveys are needed to identify and treat at risk elders.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Is the biological antioxidant system integrated and regulated?

It is proposed that there is biological regulation of the low molecular weight antioxidant (LMWA) status of the body, and that these different antioxidants work in concert and in homeostasis as a system analogous to the regulation of acid-base status (pH). The theoretical design characteristics for such a system include regulation, inducibility, interactivity and balance with the beneficial properties of reactive oxygen species. Testing the hypothesis requires developing suitable methodologies (such as measurement of the redox state) for assessing the total ratio of antioxidant to oxidant activity of both tissues and biological fluids, since it is not clear whether plasma antioxidant status reflects that of the tissues as well. This concept, if accepted, may help explain the contradictions relating to antioxidant therapy and lead to more rational recommendations for dietary intake. It may also help explain the effects of manipulating (increasing/decreasing) specific antioxidants on the overall antioxidant status in health and disease.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗
PubMed1999

The effect of fish oil on hypertension, plasma lipids and hemostasis in hypertensive, obese, dyslipidemic patients with and without diabetes mellitus.

We have recently reported that dietary fish oil supplementation (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) led to a reduction in blood pressure (BP) and serum triglycerides (TG), in addition to the normalization of the hypercoagulable state in subjects with obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia without diabetes mellitus (OHD-DM). The aim of the present study was to explore the mechanism of this amelioration by comparing the previous results to those obtained from 19 subjects who, in addition to the conditions described above, also suffer from diabetes mellitus (OHD+DM) and proteinuria. In both the non-diabetic and diabetic groups, a similar reduction was observed in BP (from 158.7/80.8 to 146/72.9 mmHg, and from 157.6/83.2 to 141.9/75.6 mmHg, respectively, P<0.001) and TG levels (from 159.2 to 108.0 mg/dl and from 208.7 to 153.1 mg/dl, respectively, P<0.001). However, a favorable reduction in hemostasis parameters (platelet aggregation on extracellular matrix and (alpha2-antiplasmin) was only seen among the nondiabetic patients (from 12.1+/-4.9 to 4.2+/-3.2%, P<0.001). This difference may stem from a less efficient exchange between n-3 and n-6 PUFA in serum phospholipid of the OHD+DM patients. Overall, this 13-day fasting/refeeding method developed by us has proven to cause the rapid exchange of arachidonic acid for eicosapentaenoic acid. It appears to be an effective regimen for the reduction of cardiovascular risk factors (BP, TG and hemostatic variables) in OHD-DM patients and to a lesser extent in OHD+DM patients.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

The antioxidant status of patients subjected to total body irradiation.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Total body irradiation (TBI) is a routine preconditioning procedure for the treatment of leukemia and aplastic anemia, prior to bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Ionizing radiation generates reactive oxygen derived species (ROS) that can be removed by antioxidants. Our purpose is to determine the antioxidant status of patients undergoing TBI by evaluating the oxidant stress and their antioxidant capacity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in plasma of 14 patients undergoing TBI prior to BMT. The levels of the antioxidants, ascorbic acid (AA) and uric acid (UA) were determined by HPLC-ECD. The oxidant stress level was calculated by the ratio [dehydro ascorbic acid]/total ascorbic acid]. RESULTS: TAC was reduced by 36% (p < 0.02) but after 4 months recovered to a level 22% higher than before the treatment (p < 0.05). Both, AA and UA, decreased following irradiation by 84% (p < 0.02) and 24% (p < 0.05) respectively, but returned to a level of 21% and 320% after 4 months compared to baseline values. The changes in [UA] were affected by Allopurinol (xanthine oxidase inhibitor), given as a routine pretransplant therapy until day -1. The [dehydroascorcbic acid]/[total ascorbic acid] (%) was 45% (range of normal controls = 13.2 +/- 1.5%) and increased by 69% following TBI. In order to obtain a decrease in the TAC of plasma in vitro, comparable to that in vivo, a 1000 fold higher dose of irradiation was required. CONCLUSIONS: TBI caused a pronounced decrease in antioxidant capacity and an excessive increase in oxidant stress. We assume that TBI alters antioxidant homeostasis greatly enhancing the stress damage. CV measurements may lead to a better understanding of the balance between oxidant stress and antioxidant utilization, and to a reconsideration of the routine use of Allopurinol as pretreatment for TBI, and antioxidant support before and/or after TBI.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Empirical comparison of two psychological therapies. Self psychology and cognitive orientation in the treatment of anorexia and bulimia.

The authors investigated the applicability of self psychological treatment (SPT) and cognitive orientation treatment (COT) to the treatment of anorexia and bulimia. Thirty-three patients participated in this study. The bulimic patients (n = 25) were randomly assigned either to SPT, COT, or control/nutritional counseling only (C/NC). The anorexic patients (n = 8) were randomly assigned to either SPT or COT. Patients were administered a battery of outcome measures assessing eating disorders symptomatology, attitudes toward food, self structure, and general psychiatric symptoms. After SPT, significant improvement was observed. After COT, slight but nonsignificant improvement was observed. After C/NC, almost no changes could be detected.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Citrus fruit supplementation reduces lipoprotein oxidation in young men ingesting a diet high in saturated fat: presumptive evidence for an interaction between vitamins C and E in vivo.

To determine the effects of vitamin C on cardiovascular risk factors, we studied dietary vitamin C enrichment in 36 healthy male students consuming a diet high in saturated fatty acids. After a 1-mo run-in period during which the subjects consumed approximately 50 mg ascorbic acid/d (low-C diet), half of the subjects were randomly assigned to receive 500 mg ascorbic acid/d for an additional 2 mo (high-C diet). Plasma ascorbic acid increased from 13.5 micromol/L with the low-C diet to 51.7 micromol/L with the high-C diet. Plasma cholesterol increased slightly with the high-C diet, but not above baseline concentrations. This increase was offset by an increase in the lag period of in vitro LDL oxidation, which correlated with plasma ascorbic acid concentrations (r = 0.735, P = 0.0012). Lipoprotein vitamin E concentrations were unchanged with the two diets. There were no effects on concentrations of fibrinogen or factor VII. The fact that ascorbic acid reduced the in vitro susceptibility of lipoproteins to oxidation provides presumptive evidence for an interaction between aqueous and lipophilic antioxidants (vitamins C and E ) in maintaining the integrity of LDL particles.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

The significance of non-significance.

We discuss the implications of empirical results that are statistically non-significant. Figures illustrate the interrelations among effect size, sample sizes and their dispersion, and the power of the experiment. All calculations (detailed in Appendix) are based on actual noncentral t-distributions, with no simplifying mathematical or statistical assumptions, and the contribution of each tail is determined separately. We emphasize the importance of reporting, wherever possible, the a priori power of a study so that the reader can see what the chances were of rejecting a null hypothesis that was false. As a practical alternative, we propose that non-significant inference be qualified by an estimate of the sample size that would be required in a subsequent experiment in order to attain an acceptable level of power under the assumption that the observed effect size in the sample is the same as the true effect size in the population; appropriate plots are provided for a power of 0.8. We also point out that successive outcomes of independent experiments each of which may not be statistically significant on its own, can be easily combined to give an overall p value that often turns out to be significant. And finally, in the event that the p value is high and the power sufficient, a non-significant result may stand and be published as such.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1998

Refusal to eat in the elderly.

Refusal to eat by the elderly, and subsequent malnutrition, occurs in both institutional and community settings. Causes include physiologic changes associated with aging, mental disorders such as dementia and depression, and medical, social, and environmental factors. Treatment approaches call for management of these causes while considering the roles that medicine, ethics, and culture play in the process.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Word Association Test and psychosexual cues in assessing persons with eating disorders.

The present study aimed to detect psychosexual conflicts in patients with eating disorders using the Word Association Test which tests the perceptual sensitivity of the subject to conflictual words. We also expected patients to show concern about food and eating. 19 anorexic patients, 21 bulimic patients, and 20 control subjects without eating disorders provided associations to four groups of words: psychosexual words, food words, emotionally loaded words, and neutral words. Reaction times were recorded. Analysis showed that anorexic patients were slower than controls in responding to food-related words but bulimic patients were not significantly different from controls. Anorexic patients reacted more slowly than controls to psychosexual words. Bulimic patients were also somewhat slower than controls but faster than anorexic patients; however, these differences were not statistically significant. Results are congruent with research that points to sexual problems and delays in the psychosexual development of anorexic patients and to a lesser extent of bulimic patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Subcutaneous, omentum and tumor fatty acid composition, and serum insulin status in patients with benign or cancerous ovarian or endometrial tumors. Do tumors preferentially utilize polyunsaturated fatty acids?

The relationships between the fatty acid composition of cancerous endometrium and ovary, and peripheral adipose tissues were studied in Israeli Jewish women, and are presented together since no differences were shown between them. The results suggest a mobilization of linoleic acid from subcutaneous and omental depots and its incorporation into tumors accompanied by a high degree of desaturation. High blood insulin concentrations characterized patients with stage I and II disease, and low concentrations characterized patients with advanced degrees of malignancy.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1997

Separation as a new animal model for self-induced weight loss.

Animal models for weight loss are generally either stress mediated or following diet restriction (DR) schedules. We investigated weight loss in mice subjected to activity stress (ACT), DR schedules of 40, 60 and 100% of daily requirements, and propose a new model for animal weight loss based upon separation. Mice were separated (SEP) from each other by perspex partitioning for 23 h per day, with free access to food for one hour. No significant differences in weight loss were found between the ACT, SEP and 40% groups. However, mean food intake in the 40% group was half that of the ACT group (p < 0.001) and significantly less (p < 0.01) than the SEP group, which consumed amounts equivalent to 65% of daily requirement. Separation of mice increases metabolic demands and may be used as a new, easily performed, animal model for weight loss.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Evaluation of plasma low molecular weight antioxidant capacity by cyclic voltammetry.

The low molecular weight antioxidants (LMWA) of biological samples include many compounds and contribute to the total antioxidant capacity of the system. They act as direct chemical scavengers neutralizing, reactive oxygen-derived species (ROS), and contribute to the ability of the sample to cope with oxidative stress. We propose cyclic voltammetry (CV) as a new method for evaluating the antioxidant capacity of plasma-LMWA and the severity of oxidative stress exerted on the plasma. It is based on the reducing properties of these molecules. CV has been proven to be a simple, sensitive and reliable method. Its tracing does not change during storage of frozen plasma for up to six months. We analyzed the CV tracings by the oxidation potential E1/2, and the current heights Ia of its anodic wave(s). E1/2 indicates the specific component of the LMWA and its ability to donate electron(s); Ia indicates the concentration of this component. Two anodic waves have been identified in human plasma, at E1/2 = 420 +/- 25 and 920 +/- 25 mV. Ascorbate (AA) and urate (UA) were identified as major LMWA components of the first anodic wave, and were confirmed by HPLC-electrochemical detection. Ia was shown to depend linearly on the concentration of either of these LMWA, both in buffer and in plasma. Oxidative stress exerted by exposure to peroxyl radicals, copper ions and ionizing irradiation caused marked changes in the CV tracing. These changes represent corresponding alterations particularly in la, rather than in E1/2. The Ia and E1/2 values reflect the antioxidant capacity of the plasma, while the change of Ia value represents the severity of the oxidative stress induced.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed1997

Dietary fatty acids in the management of diabetes mellitus.

Dietary fatty acid recommendations for patients with diabetes mellitus may be neither similar to, nor extrapolated from, those for the normal population; some evidence suggests that diabetes prevalence may be correlated with the dietary ratio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids. In human experiments, n-3 fatty acids may improve many of the metabolic sequelae of insulin resistance by lowering blood pressure and triacylglycerol concentrations. In animals, n-3 fatty acids may cause less weight gain than other fats; however, they may raise low-density-lipoprotein concentrations, increase hepatic glucose output, and decrease insulin secretion in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In a minority of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, glycemic control may be adversely affected n-6 Fatty acids lower plasma cholesterol but may increase lipoprotein oxidation. Glucose in the presence of transition metals may produce free radicals and result in pancreatic damage and the formation of glycosylation products that inhibit nitric oxide-mediated smooth muscle relaxation; fish oil may counter these effects. High-carbohydrate, low-fat diets, once recommended for diabetes mellitus, appear to aggravate hypertriglyceridemia and are inferior to diets high in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) if saturated fats are kept to a minimum. MUFA-rich diets improve lipid profiles and may also have antioxidant properties. However, high-fat diets-whatever their composition-promote obesity. Current advice individualizes carbohydrate and fat requirements to optimize blood glucose and lipid concentrations in a lifestyle program to control obesity, exercise, smoking, and blood pressure. Fatty acid modifications may fine-tune the diet if proper balance is kept between the different long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant requirements.

Antioxidants↗