Biomedical subjects

Ira B Tager

Publications and source records attributed to Ira B Tager.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Living arrangements and participation in leisure-time physical activities in an older population.

OBJECTIVES: This is a cross-sectional investigation of living arrangements, social contacts, and level of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among residents of Sonoma, California, aged 55 and older. METHODS: The odds of different levels of LTPA were assessed by living arrangements and social contacts following adjustment for measures of health, functioning, physical performance, selected health behaviors, and socioeconomic status for men and women separately (n = 2,073). Level of LTPA also was examined among married couples only (subset of sample, n = 511 spouse pairs). RESULTS: The relationship between living arrangements, social contacts, and LTPA varied by gender and level of LTPA. Among married couples, the LTPA of the partner was the most significant predictor of the LTPA of the participant, with the exception of those who engaged in less than brisk activity. DISCUSSION: Living arrangements and social contacts are important determinants of LTPA and should serve as the basis for future interventions.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2002

Air pollution and hospital admissions for ischemic heart disease in persons with congestive heart failure or arrhythmia.

We examined whether ischemic heart disease (IHD) hospital admissions were associated with air pollutants in those with and without secondary diagnoses of arrhythmia (ARR) or congestive heart failure (CHF). We assessed the occurrence of increased vulnerability among persons with these conditions to daily variations in ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, or particulate matter less than or equal to 10 micro m in aerodynamic diameter (PM10). The study population consisted of members of a large health maintenance organization residing in the South Coast Air Basin of California from 1988 to 1995. After adjustment for day of week, study year, and smoothing splines for day of study, temperature, and relative humidity, CO and NO2 were both associated with admissions with the greatest effects for CO. A 1-ppm increase in 8-hr average CO was associated with a 3.60% [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.62-5.63%] increase in same-day IHD admissions in persons with a secondary diagnosis of CHF, a 2.99% (95% CI, 1.80-4.19%) increase in persons with a secondary diagnosis of ARR, and a 1.62% (95% CI, 0.65-2.59%) increase in IHD admissions in persons without either secondary diagnosis. Air pollution was most strongly associated with myocardial infarction hospital admissions. The vulnerability of the secondary CHF subgroup may be due to a greater prevalence of myocardial infarction primary diagnoses and not the modifying effect of CHF. This study suggests that people with IHD and accompanying CHF and/or ARR constitute a sensitive subgroup in relation to the effects of criteria ambient air pollutants associated with motor vehicle combustion.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Expression of Th1/Th2 cytokines in human blood after in vitro treatment with chlorpyrifos, and its metabolites, in combination with endotoxin LPS and allergen Der p1.

Exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides has been associated with respiratory symptoms and may be related to asthma; however, few studies have examined the molecular basis for these associations. Asthma and allergic disorders are characterized by elevated Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13), whereas the chronic inflammatory response in asthmatic airways is maintained by Th1 cytokine IFN-gamma. The goal of this in vitro study was to examine the effects of OP chlorpyrifos (CPF), and its metabolites chlorpyrifos-oxon (CPO) and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP), singly, and in combination with endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or house dust mite Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p1) allergen, on expression of IFN-gamma and IL-4, Th1 and Th2 signature cytokines, respectively. Cytokine expression was measured by ELISA and flow cytometry. Human blood cultures were treated with CPF/CPO/TCP (1-1000 microg ml(-1)) and LPS (1.5-2.5 microg ml(-1)) or Der p1 (200 AU ml(-1)) and supernatants were collected at 48 h. Pesticides CPF, CPO and TCP did not induce cytokine expression in vitro, while LPS and Der p1 induced IFN-gamma and IL-4 expression, respectively. Whole blood cultures treated with low doses of CPO (1 and 10 microg ml(-1)), in combination with LPS, expressed higher levels of IFN-gamma than LPS alone (P < 0.05). While CPO increased LPS-dependent induction of IFN-gamma, CPO treatment did not alter Der p1 induction of IL-4. The interaction between CPO and LPS, which results in an increased type 1 immune response, should be investigated further, particularly since the combination of OP pesticides and endotoxin is common in rural, agricultural communities.

Antigens, Dermatophagoides↗