Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

G Ferro

Publications and source records attributed to G Ferro.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1991

Occupation and cancer of the oral cavity or oropharynx in Turin, Italy.

In a population-based case-referent study, the occupational experience of 86 men with oral or oropharyngeal cancer and 373 referents was analyzed with respect to employment in 41 occupations and 40 industries, as well as to exposure to 16 chemicals, as estimated via a job-exposure matrix. Among the occupations and industries at higher risk were machinery operator (odds ratio [OR] 2.0; 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.0-4.0), plumber (OR 5.0, 95% CI 1.2-21.5), building industry (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.3-4.5), textile industry (OR 2.5; 95% CI 0.6-4.6), and electricity production (OR 2.8; 95% CI 0.7-12.1). All the OR estimates were adjusted for age, education, area of birth, tobacco smoking, and alcohol consumption. An association between formaldehyde exposure and oral cancer was suggested (OR for any exposure 1.6, 95% CI 0.9-2.8; OR for probable or definite exposure 1.8, 95% CI 0.6-5.5). No other chemical included in the matrix showed any risk pattern. The evidence of an association between formaldehyde exposure and oral or oropharyngeal cancer is strengthened by the results of this study.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1991

A collaborative study of cancer incidence and mortality among vinyl chloride workers.

A large European multicentric cohort study has been coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer with the objectives of investigating the dose-response relationship between liver cancer and exposure to vinyl chloride and assessing cancer risk for sites other than the liver. A nearly threefold increase in liver cancer was detected on the basis of 24 observed deaths and 8.4 expected (standardized mortality ratio 286, 95% confidence interval 186-425). The excess from liver cancer was clearly related to time since first exposure, duration of employment, and estimated ranked and quantitative exposures. Other cancer sites investigated on the basis of a priori hypotheses were either not in excess (lung) or apparently unrelated to the exposure variables (brain and lymphoma).

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Diastolic time at ischemic threshold in patients with syndrome X.

The patients with so-called syndrome X experience true myocardial ischaemia in spite of their anatomically normal coronary arteries. The pathogenetic mechanism of the effort-induced ischaemia in these patients should be obviously different from that of patients with atherosclerotic coronary artery lesions. An inadequate coronary dilatory capacity in response to increased oxygen demand has been proposed as mechanism responsible of ischaemic response to effort (Canon et al., 1983; Canon et al., 1985). Since diastolic duration expressed as percentage of the cardiac cycle has implications with the myocardial oxygen demand/supply ratio (Boudoulas et al., 1982; Maseri et al., 1977), the purpose of this study has been to evaluate the behaviour of this parameter at the outcome of the ischaemic electrocardiographic changes during stress testing in the patients with syndrome X.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Exercise-induced impairment of diastolic time in patients with X syndrome.

Since an abnormal shortening of diastolic duration during exercise in the patients with coronary artery disease was demonstrated, time course of diastolic period (cardiac cycle minus electromechanical systole) calculated from polycardiographic recording has been assessed in patients with X syndrome and in normal age-matched subjects during supine ergometer exercise. All patients with X syndrome had positive exercise stress response (more than 0.1 mV of ST segment depression). Duration of diastole expressed as percent of cardiac cycle was significantly shorter at the intermediate steps and at the peak of exercise in patients with X syndrome compared with normal subjects (p less than 0.05). When the relationship between heart rate and diastolic time was examined, an inverse nonlinear regression was found both in normal subjects and in patients with X syndrome. The exercise values of diastolic time observed in patients with X syndrome were significantly shorter than those predicted as normal diastolic time heart rate relation. Thus the patients with X syndrome demonstrated abnormalities in the decrement of diastolic time with exercise. We hypothesized that this disproportionate shortening, by reducing subendocardial blood flow, might induce a worsening of ischemic response to exercise.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMed1990

Alinidine in chronic stable angina: the effect on diastolic perfusion time.

The present study has been performed to assess the effects of alinidine on diastolic duration during exercise in chronic coronary artery disease. Twelve male patients with stable effort angina and without previous myocardial infarction were studied. They received alinidine or placebo in a double-blind randomized crossover trial for 3 days after a wash-out period of 4 days. Alinidine was administered at a dosage of 30 mg 3 times a day. At the end of each treatment the patients underwent upright bicycle exercise. Left ventricular time intervals were obtained by means of carotid thermistor plethysmography. Diastolic duration was calculated by subtracting the electromechanical systole from the R-R interval and expressed as a percentage of the cardiac cycle (%D). Alinidine increased both total exercise duration from 246.7 +/- 120.7 to 346.6 +/- 114.1 s (p less than 0.05) and time to 0.1-mV ST segment depression from 98.3 +/- 53 to 187.2 +/- 105 s (p less than 0.05). Similarly the drug induced a reduction of the rate-pressure product and of the extent of ischemic ST segment depression during exercise. %D was increased by alinidine both at rest and during exercise. A direct linear regression between R-R and %D was found after both alinidine and placebo treatments either at rest or during exercise. Nevertheless, no difference was observed between both slopes and intercepts. Therefore, since the relationship between R-R interval and %D was unaffected by alinidine, it was possible to hypothesize that the changes in diastolic duration were due only to the bradycardic action of the drug.

Angina Pectoris↗
PubMed1989

Non-invasive assessment of left ventricular performance in patients with coronary artery disease after chronic diltiazem therapy.

To evaluate the effects of diltiazem (240 mg/day) on the left ventricular function, we studied 13 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Comparison with placebo was made in a double-blind randomized crossover study. Both placebo and diltiazem were administered for 5 weeks. We assumed left ventricular systolic time intervals assessed by polycardiography as parameter of ventricular function. Diltiazem induced a significant decrease in pre-ejection period (p less than 0.01) as well as pre-ejection period/left ventricular ejection time ratio (p less than 0.01). Thus, our results suggest that diltiazem improves the contractile state of ischemic myocardium in CAD patients.

Blood Flow Velocity↗
PubMed1988

Electromechanical events during spontaneous angina.

The electromechanical events occurring during acute myocardial ischemia were assessed in 10 patients who developed spontaneous angina during cardiac catheterization. Aortic pressure and electrocardiogram were recorded, and heart rate and systolic and diastolic time intervals were measured under control conditions, at the onset of angina and during the relief of chest pain. In 5 patients spontaneous angina was accompanied by an increase in heart rate and systemic arterial pressure and by ST segment changes in anterior or anterolateral precordial leads. Diastolic time, expressed as percent of cardiac cycle, shortened from 48.8 +/- 3.6% at rest to 33.6 +/- 4.8% (p less than 0.01) at the onset of angina, as a consequence of a significant increase in both electromechanical systole and heart rate, and returned to control values within 10 min after sublingual nitroglycerin. In the remaining 5 patients, spontaneous angina was accompanied by a decrease in heart rate and systemic arterial pressure and by ST segment changes in the inferior or inferolateral leads. The diastolic time increased significantly (p less than 0.05) from 39.4 +/- 6.1% at rest to 47.8 +/- 9% at the onset of angina, as a consequence of a significant decrease in heart rate and a slight decrease in electromechanical systole. Since coronary perfusion takes place mainly during diastole, our results suggest that the reflex increase in adrenergic tone may worsen myocardial ischemia by affecting diastolic perfusion time. In contrast, the increase in vagal tone may contribute to spontaneous relief of angina by prolonging diastolic perfusion time.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[Influence of posture on exercise-induced electrocardiographic and hemodynamic changes in patients with stable effort angina pectoris].

The present work was performed in order to assess the differences in electrocardiographic and hemodynamic responses to supine and upright dynamic exercise of patients with coronary artery disease. Changes in heart rate (HR), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, rate-pressure product (RPP) and ST segment depression during supine and upright bicycle stress test were compared in twenty patients suffering from stable effort angina and without previous myocardial infarction. In the supine posture lower values of HR were observed at rest, during stress test and during three minutes of the recovery period. Conversely, in all patients both SBP and DBP were higher during the stress test in the supine position decubitus. No significant changes in RPP was observed between the two different postures. Finally, ST segment didn't show differences at rest between the upright and supine position. All the patients had a lower ischemic threshold during exercise in the supine position than in the upright one. In fact an ST segment depression greater than 1 mm was observed during stress test in the supine position at lower work-load levels and at lesser HR values. Consequently for given HR, SBP and DBP ST segment, depression was greater in the supine rather than in the upright position.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Early diastolic time intervals during hypertensive pregnancy.

Early diastolic time intervals have been assessed by means of the echopolycardiographic method in 17 pregnant women who developed hypertension during pregnancy (HP) and in 14 normal pregnant women (N). Systolic time intervals (STI), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), and mean velocity of myocardial fiber shortening (VCF) were also evaluated. Recordings were performed in the left lateral decubitus (LLD) and then in the supine decubitus (SD). In LLD, isovolumic relaxation period (IRP) was prolonged in the hypertensive pregnant women compared with normal pregnant women (HP 51 +/- 12.5 ms, N 32.4 +/- 15 ms p less than 0.05), whereas time of the mitral valve maximum opening (DE) was not different in the groups. There was no difference in SV, EF, and mean VCF, whereas STI showed only a significant (p less than 0.05) lengthening of pre-ejection period (PEP) in HP. When the subjects shifted from the left lateral to the supine decubitus position, left ventricular ejection time index (LVETi) and SV decreased significantly (p less than 0.05) in both normotensive hypertensive pregnant women. IRP and PEP lengthened significantly (p less than 0.05) only in normals, whereas they were unchanged in HP. DE time did not vary in either group. In conclusion, hypertension superimposed on pregnancy induces lengthening of IRP, as well as of PEP, and minimizes the effects of the postural changes in preload on the above-mentioned time intervals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Abnormal systolic time intervals in obesity and their relationship with the amount of overweight.

We studied 17 severely obese subjects (age range 26 to 42 years), without hypertension, diabetes mellitus, angina, or clinical signs of heart failure or respiratory disease, and 16 age-matched control subjects. X-teleroentgenographic findings (transverse cardiac diameter and cardiothoracic ratio), blood pressure, and mechanocardiographic parameters were analyzed in both groups. By means of conventional simultaneous recordings of ECG, phonocardiogram, and carotid pulse (100 mm/sec), systolic time intervals were calculated as mean values from 10 beats in the morning. The following comparisons were made by means of analysis of variance: heart rate, preejection period (PEP), rate-corrected PEPI (PEPI), left ventricular ejection time (LVET), and QS2 interval (QS2); the latter two were both corrected for heart rate, respectively, as LVETI and QS2I and the PEP/LVET ratio. Abnormal x-ray data were shown in the obese group along with higher values for heart rate, PEP, PEPI, and PEP/LVET and a shorter LVETI; there were no differences in QS2I or blood pressure. There was a correlation between the amount of overweight and, respectively, transverse cardiac diameter (r = 0.84), heart rate (r = 0.69), PEP (r = 0.49), PEPI (r = 0.59), LVETI (r = -0.61), and PEP/LVET ratio (r = 0.72). A correlation was also found between transverse cardiac diameter and PEP/LVET (r = 0.67). We conclude, therefore, that abnormalities in the mechanocardiographic parameters are related to cardiac enlargement, suggesting a preclinical cardiac dysfunction secondary to chronic cardiocirculatory overload in severe obesity. Thus systolic time intervals appear to be affected by preclinical abnormalities of cardiac performance in these subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Relation between QT and QS2 intervals during exercise and recovery. Response in patient with coronary artery disease and age-matched control subjects.

We investigated the relationship between QT interval and QS2 (electromechanical systole) during exercise and recovery in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and exercise-induced myocardial ischemia (n = 12), and in age-matched controls (n = 20). Upright bicycle exercise was performed (50 watts/min + 20 watts/min every 2 min), recording electrocardiographic lead 2 (100 mm/sec) for QT and QS2 measurement at rest, at each step of uninterrupted exercise and every 60 sec during a 3-min recovery period. Resting data showed a QT less than QS2 finding in both groups; during exercise, QT and QS2 decreased. The values of QT and QS2, collected at each step of exercise and plotted against heart rate (HR) separately for both groups, showed a significant correlation coefficient. Comparing the regression lines of HR-QT and HR-QS2 separately for both groups, we found that both intervals decreased in parallel and the mean QT remained shorter than QS2 in both groups during exercise. The QT/QS2 ratio remained unchanged significantly during exercise and recovery in CAD. In control subjects, the ratio remained unchanged during exercise and the first min of recovery, while a significant change was detected in late (2,3 min) recovery from an adrenergic-induced effect. The mean exercise-induced response of QT-QS2 relationship includes a QT less than QS2 pattern in both groups. In CAD patients, an abnormal pattern was found in two patients during recovery by a relative prolongation of QT, suggesting the possibility of a risk factor for dangerous arrhythmias or sudden death.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1986

Noninvasive techniques in clinical pharmacology. Time intervals in assessment of vasodilators in coronary artery disease.

We enrolled 15 male volunteers with angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) to investigate the effects of sublingual administration, on different days, at random, of placebo and three drugs with different action such as isosorbide dinitrate, nifedipine and molsidomine. We recorded simultaneously electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram and carotid pulse at paper speed of 100 mm/s; blood pressure was measured by auscultatory method. We calculated the systolic time intervals (STI) being noninvasive indices of left ventricular function and the ratio of diastolic time to heart rate (%D), well related to coronary blood flow in patients with severe obstructive lesions. Placebo decreased heart rate (HR) without effects on STI or %D. Isosorbide dinitrate induced a prolonged pre-ejection period (PEP) (by decreasing preload), tachycardia and a significantly decreased %D, suggesting a fall in coronary blood flow time. Nifedipine decreased diastolic blood pressure and values of PEP (by decreasing afterload) without effects on %D. Finally, molsidomine prolonged PEP (by decreasing preload) without reflex induced tachycardia and changes of %D. In conclusion, mechanocardiography can be useful in noninvasive assessment of vasodilators in CAD patients.

Blood Pressure↗