Biomedical subjects
H Elrick
Publications and source records attributed to H Elrick.
The third dimension of patient care.
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Height, health and growth hormone.
The principal objective of this paper is to provide health practitioners with information on the positive aspects of shorter stature for use in counseling short children with poor self-images. Another objective is to provide information on the physical capabilities, health potential and psychosocial characteristics of shorter stature as a baseline for deciding whether a healthy short child should receive growth hormone therapy. The information presented here was obtained from review of publications covering medical and nutritional research, gerontological studies, athletic performance and environmental, biological and engineering aspects of the human body. It was found that the popular belief in the superiority of tall stature is based primarily on social bias rather than on a scientific foundation. Studies indicating that taller people are healthier or more productive than shorter ones have ignored a wide range of evidence that shorter people are highly creative, productive, long-lived, athletic and better for the environment. The authors urge medical and scientific professionals to consider the many advantages of shorter stature in terms of health, social and environmental benefits.
Is attainment of greater height and body size really desirable?
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Height, body size and longevity.
Life expectancy, mortality and longevity data related to height and body size for various US and world population samples are reviewed. Research on energy restriction, smaller body size and longevity is also examined. Information sources include various medical and scientific journals, books and personal communications with researchers. Additional information is presented based on research involving eight populations of the world noted for their health, vigor and longevity. This information includes the findings of one of the authors who led research teams to study these populations. While conflicting findings exist on the cardiovascular death rates for shorter people, many examples of short populations with very little heart disease are described. Most cancer studies indicate that shorter people have significantly lower mortality risk. Considerable data suggest that shorter people generally have greater longevity than taller people, and extensive animal research supports human longevity findings. Tall populations with low mortality rates are also described. Shorter stature and smaller body weight appear to promote better health and longevity in the absence of malnutrition and infectious diseases. Several theoretical reasons for this greater longevity potential are covered. Also discussed, is the role of socioeconomic status, diet, relative weight, environment and other factors in increasing or decreasing the longevity of individuals, regardless of their heights and weights.
A new definition of health.
A new concept of health is presented. A third dimension called optimal health-fitness (euexia(*)) has been added to the conventional concept of normal health. The new concept is based on a different set of health-fitness standards which were derived from studies of population groups with exceptional physical vigor, exceptionally long and vigorous life span, and/or exceptional freedom from cardiovascular and degenerative diseases. A national plan for implementing euexia is proposed.
Exercise and heart disease.
The role of exercise (particularly distance running) in the prevention of coronary heart disease is discussed. Evidence is presented that the ability to perform an activity requiring the most extreme degree of physical stamina is no guarantee of a healthy heart or protection from a fatal myocardial infarct. A plea is made for correction or elimination of all coronary risk factors rather than focusing on one or a few which some regard as more important than the others.
Acute symptomatic ketoacidosis following growth hormone administration in prolonged fasting.
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Human and porcine thyrotropins: a comparison of electrophoretic and immunological properties with the bovine hormone.
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Metabolic effects of human growth hormone in corticosteroid-treated children.
The effects of administered human growth hormone (HGH) were evaluated in dwarfed, prepubertal children who were receiving long-term corticosteroid therapy for a chronic disease. During 11 complete metabolic balance studies, the eight corticosteroid-treated children demonstrated impaired response to large doses of HGH with minimal nitrogen and no phosphorus retention. In contrast, two hypopituitary subjects and two asthmatic children not receiving corticosteroid responded to the same preparations of HGH with nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus retention. Six corticosteroid-treated children were given large doses of HGH (40-120 mg/wk for 4 to 8 months and showed no improvement in their retarded rate of growth, whereas the hypopituitary subjects showed accelerated growth during administration of 10-15 mg of HGH/wk. It is concluded that dwarfism in steroid-treated children results from corticosteroid-induced antagonism of the effects of HGH at the peripheral tissue level.
The clinical education of the medical student.
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