Magnesium depletion during prolonged fasting of obese males.
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Adult↗
Biomedical subjects
I F Hunt
Publications and source records attributed to I F Hunt.
Effects of a social support group, as an adjunct to diabetes training, on metabolic control and psychosocial outcomes.
The purpose of this present study was to evaluate a social support group as an adjunct to an intensive outpatient diabetes training program. Insulin-treated and non-insulin-treated patients (n = 204) were randomized into two groups: the control group received the training program only, whereas the experimental group was offered the same program plus eight support group meetings. At the 7-month follow-up, patients in both groups showed improved metabolic control, diabetes knowledge, frequency of practicing recommended diabetes management behaviors, and emotional adjustment. Although no additional improvement was seen in those outcome measures in patients who attended support group meetings, results of a subjective evaluation of the support group showed that patients experienced positive feelings in the groups that may contribute to patient health. A better understanding of the possible contribution of support groups to health is necessary before such groups are routinely recommended to patients.
Adult↗
Erythrocyte folate levels, oral contraceptive use and abnormal cervical cytology.
The initial hypothesis of this study was that folate depletion is a risk factor for human papillomavirus infection and cervical epithelial cell abnormalities, including dysplasia. The prevalences of low erythrocyte folate levels (defined as < 140 ng/mL erythrocytes and determined by the growth of Lactobacillus) were measured in 250 University of California at Los Angeles students. Among oral contraceptive users, low erythrocyte folate was a risk factor for an abnormal cytologic smear in both benign atypia and squamous intraepithelial lesions. Odds ratios were statistically significant for biopsied women who did not have condyloma and for those who did not have squamous intraepithelial lesions but not for those with histologically confirmed intraepithelial lesions. Low erythrocyte folate was a risk factor for a positive Virapap result in oral contraceptive users. If the folate effects are causal, the findings suggest that erythrocyte folate levels should be higher in oral contraceptive users than in nonusers to protect against an abnormal cytologic smear.
Adult↗
Red cell and plasma folate, folate consumption, and the risk of colorectal adenomatous polyps.
Epidemiological and experimental evidence suggests that dietary folate may protect against colorectal carcinogenesis. The epidemiological relationship between a biochemical measure of folate status and colorectal neoplasia in a sizeable and generally healthy population does not yet appear to have been reported. We conducted a case-control study of the relationships among red cell folate, plasma folate, folate intake, and adenomatous polyps, intermediate markers for colorectal cancer. During 1991-1993, fasting blood samples were assayed and dietary and nondietary risk factor questionnaires were administered to men and women ages 50-75 years who had a free sigmoidoscopy at a health maintenance organization. We analyzed data from 682 subjects (332 cases and 350 controls), controlling for potential confounding by sex, age, sigmoidoscopy date, and clinic. For red cell folate levels 160 ng/ml (363 nmol/liter) or more, compared to lower levels, the odds ratio was 0.76 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.53-1.08]. For men, the corresponding odds ratio was 0.53 (CI = 0.32-0.87); for women, it was 1.16 (CI = 0.67-2.00). Results were essentially unchanged when adjusted for levels of blood nutrients and other potential confounding variables. Plasma folate and folate intake results were similar to red cell folate results, but the associations with polyps were weaker. Results are consistent with a protective effect of red cell folate concentration against the development of colorectal polyps, at least in men. A folate effect may depend on sex-specific interactions with other nutritional or physiological factors.
Adenomatous Polyps↗