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Biomedical subjects

J Viikari

Publications and source records attributed to J Viikari.

260 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Neurological development of 5-year-old children receiving a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet since infancy: A randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT: Early childhood introduction of nutritional habits aimed at atherosclerosis prevention is compatible with normal growth, but its effect on neurological development is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To analyze how parental counseling aimed at keeping children's diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol influences neurodevelopment during the first 5 years of life. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial conducted between February 1990 and November 1996. SETTING: Outpatient clinic of a university department in Turku, Finland. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1062 seven-month-old infants and their parents, recruited at well-baby clinics between 1990 and 1992. At age 5 years, 496 children still living in the city of Turku were available to participate in neurodevelopmental testing. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to receive individualized counseling aimed at limiting the child's fat intake to 30% to 35% of daily energy, with a saturated:monounsaturated:polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio of 1:1:1 and a cholesterol intake of less than 200 mg/d (n = 540) or usual health education (control group, n = 522). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Nutrient intake, serum lipid concentrations, and neurological development at 5 years, among children in the intervention vs control groups. RESULTS: Absolute and relative intakes of fat, saturated fatty acids, and cholesterol among children in the intervention group were markedly less than the respective values of control children. Mean (SD) percentages of daily energy at age 5 years for the intervention vs control groups were as follows: for total fat, 30.6% (4.5%) vs 33.4% (4.4%) (P<. 001); and for saturated fat, 11.7% (2.3%) vs 14.5% (2.4%) (P<.001). Mean intakes of cholesterol were 164.2 mg (60.1 mg) and 192.5 mg (71. 9 mg) (P<.001) for the intervention and control groups, respectively. Serum cholesterol concentrations were continuously 3% to 5% lower in children in the intervention group than in children in the control group. At age 5 years, mean (SD) serum cholesterol concentration of the intervention group was 4.27 (0.63) mmol/L (165 [24] mg/dL) and of the control group, 4.41 (0.74) mmol/L (170 [29] mg/dL) (P =.04). Neurological development of children in the intervention group was at least as good as that of children in the control group. Relative risks for children in the intervention group to fail tests of speech and language skills, gross motor functioning plus perception, and visual motor skills were 0.95 (90% confidence interval [CI], 0.60-1.49), 0.95 (90% CI, 0.58-1.55), and 0.65 (90% CI, 0.39-1.08), respectively (P =.85,.86, and.16, respectively, vs control children). CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that repeated child-targeted dietary counseling of parents during the first 5 years of a child's life lessens age-associated increases in children's serum cholesterol and is compatible with normal neurological development. JAMA. 2000;284:993-1000

Child Development↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Design and development of the THYROID system.

This paper discusses the design and development of our decision support system for thyroid function diagnostics, named Thyroid. The objective of our work has been to develop a decision support system for practical use. The Thyroid system has been designed to utilize the existing laboratory test results of the patient. The task of the system is to produce interpretative reports for the clinicians. The system is integrated with the laboratory information system of University Central Hospital of Turku. It has been under clinical testing for more than 2 years with over 1600 actual cases. The system has produced promising results and it has also shown the limitations of the knowledge-based systems in this infrastructure environment.

Clinical Laboratory Information Systems↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Nutrient intake and blood lipids in children.

Nutrient intake and serum total cholesterol (C T), serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HLD), triglycerides (TG) and fatty acids were evaluated from 692 3-year, 8-year and 12-year-old children in different areas in Finland. Serum/plasma TC concentrations varied from 4.8 to 5.0 mmol/l, HDL from 1.3 to 1.5 mmol/l and TG from 0.70 to 0.87 mmol/l. 12-year-old boys consumed significantly more energy than girls at the same age. In the 8-year-old boys the quality of fat used on the bread and quality of milk drunk influenced on the serum fatty acid composition, the proportion of linoleic acid being greater in those children who used margarine and/or low fat milk. The 3-year-old children at the highest quartiles of TC concentration used less wheat products and their intake of riboflavin was less than children in the lowest quartile. HDL concentration was associated with the intake of thiamine. The 12-year-old children having their TC concentrations in the highest quartile used more saturated fats and got more saturated fatty acids than children in the lowest quartile. The higher the sugar consumption and sucrose intake were, the lower was the HDL concentration. The prevalence of obesity increased with the age, being 0.5%, 5.0% and 8.5% in the 3-year, 8-year and 12-year-old children respectively. Urban children were more commonly obese than rural children, the prevalence being 8.0% versus 2.2% (p less than 0.01).

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ruptured bilateral synovial cysts in presumed gonococcal arthritis.

A man with gonococcal urethritis who developed septic arthritis of both knees is described. The arthritis was complicated by rupture of bilateral synovial cysts. A rise in serum gonococcal complement-fixation antibody titer was demonstrated. Complement-fixing gonococcal antibodies with a high titer were observed in this synovial fluid. The patient responded well to antibiotic treatment and there was no permanent damage to his knee joints.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Fenfluramine therapy in non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients: effects on body weight, glucose homeostasis, serum lipoproteins, and antipyrine metabolism.

The usefulness of fenfluramine (F), in association with diet therapy, was investigated in 13 obese non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients with poor diabetes control on a previous sulfonylurea regimen (SU). A double-blind crossover comparison of F and placebo (P) consisted of two 7-wk treatment periods. F was administered in stepwise increased and subsequently reduced doses, while the doses of SU were kept unchanged. There was a significant weight loss in F-treated obese subjects as compared with treatment by P. The fasting levels, and particularly the postprandial blood glucose (BG) levels, were significantly lower during F than during P administration. Serum fasting insulin and blood lactate concentrations remained unchanged during the trial. Serum triglycerides and cholesterol decreased during F administration. HDL-cholesterol and apoprotein A-I increased slightly, while apoprotein B decreased during F, but not during P administration. The effect of fenfluramine on hepatic drug metabolism was assessed by using the antipyrine test. F did not cause significant changes in antipyrine metabolism. Fenfluramine therefore seems to be useful as an adjunct to diet and SU therapy in obese non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thyroid function after postoperative radiation therapy in patients with breast cancer.

Thyroid stimulating hormone (S-TSH) and thyroxine (S-T4) were measured in sera from 80 patients with breast cancer using radioimmunoassay. The patients had been irradiated after mastectomy 7.2 +/- 1.0 years earlier with 45 Gy in 3 to 4 weeks to parasternal, ipsilateral supraclavicular and axillary areas. Five patients (6%) had hypothyroidism with low S-T4 and elevated S-TSH levels. In addition, 12 patients (15%) had elevated (greater than 5 mU/l) S-TSH levels and normal S-T4 values. Shielding of the thyroid during irradiation and long-term follow-up of thyroid function with repeated hormone assays are recommended.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Physical activity in childhood and adolescence as predictor of physical activity in young adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Despite the general belief that physical activity in childhood and youth is an important prerequisite for the physical activity in adulthood, there is not much information based on reliable longitudinal studies about the continuity of physical activity from childhood and adolescence to adulthood. METHODS: As a part of a national-level research program called "Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finnus," we studied to what extent leisure-time physical activity at the age of 9, 12, 15, and 18 predicts physical activity nine and 12 years later. A total of 610 9-year-old, 624 12-year-old, 572 15-year-old, and 503 18-year-old boys and girls were studied in 1980. A follow-up measurement was carried out with the same subjects in 1983, 1986, 1989, and 1992. Accordingly, in 1992 they were 21, 24, 27, and 30 years of age. These data concern only the measurements taken in 1980, 1989, and 1992. Physical activity was measured by means of a short questionnaire. A sum index of physical activity (PAI) was computed with the help of five variables. RESULTS: The correlations between the indices derived in 1980 and 1989, and between those derived in 1980 and 1992, were, with the exception of one group, significant but low varying within a nine-year interval from .18 to .47, and within a 12-year interval from .00 to .27. Corresponding multiple correlations varied from .18 to .53 and from .18 to .30. Participation in competitive sport and the physical education grade were the best predictors of later physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: The results gave support to the conclusion that persistent participation in sport in particular increases the probability of a higher level of physical activity in later life.

Adolescent↗