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Biomedical subjects

Jeanne M Clark

Publications and source records attributed to Jeanne M Clark.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

The effectiveness of a community/academic health center partnership in decreasing the level of blood pressure in an urban African-American population.

This study investigated the effectiveness of a community-academic health center partnership, utilizing nurse-supervised indigenous community health workers, in decreasing the blood pressure in an urban African-American population. A four-year randomized clinical trial was conducted in the Sandtown-Winchester community, which has an excess prevalence of high blood pressure, in order to test the effectiveness of 2 different levels of intervention intensity on increasing the control of high blood pressure. Community health workers were trained and certified in blood pressure management, monitoring, education and counseling, social support mobilization, and community outreach and follow up. The primary results were a significant decrease in mean systolic and diastolic pressures after both levels of intervention, and a significant increase in the percentage of individuals with controlled high blood pressure. Surprisingly, no differences in results were observed between the 2 levels of intervention intensity. This study supports the use of community-based partnership efforts, and the utilization of indigenous health workers, to enhance the control of high blood pressure in a high-risk, African-American urban population.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed2003

Factors associated with palliative care knowledge among internal medicine house staff.

PURPOSE: To assess knowledge and associated factors in palliative care. METHODS: Self-administered survey of 88 internal medicine house officers in 1996. RESULTS: Twenty-one interns and 36 residents completed the survey for a response rate of 65%. Most house officers reported 1-5 hours of prior formal training in palliative care, 1-5 hours in pain management, and 6-20 hours in ethics. The mean knowledge score was 75% correct (SD = 8); pain management scores were lowest (70%). Overall, interns had a significantly lower mean score than residents (70% vs. 77%; p = 0.001). In multivariate analysis, only the year of residency was significantly associated with knowledge score; prior formal training in palliative care, pain management, or ethics was not. One third of house officers rated themselves as "not at all" or "only slightly" at ease in caring for a dying patient. These self-ratings were not associated with prior training or knowledge, but were higher in residents compared to interns. CONCLUSIONS: Palliative care knowledge and ease with dying patients were higher in later years of residency but were not associated with prior formal palliative care training. These data highlight the continued need to evaluate and improve training in palliative care and pain management.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Hepatic steatosis and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a spectrum of liver damage that ranges from relatively benign hepatic steatosis to potentially fatal cirrhosis. The severities of insulin resistance and liver damage parallel each other, with the greatest prevalence of cirrhosis occurring in cirrhotics. However, it is unknown whether one of these conditions causes the other, or if both are consequences of another process. Experimental evidence suggests that both insulin resistance and NAFLD result from a chronic inflammatory state. The mechanisms driving this chronic inflammation are unknown but might include the egress of products from intestinal bacteria into the portal blood, liver, and systemic circulation to trigger a sustained inflammatory cytokine response in genetically susceptible individuals. More research is needed to evaluate this hypothesis and to determine the benefits of treatments that interrupt this pathogenic cascade.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Race and comorbid factors predict nonalcoholic fatty liver disease histopathology in severely obese patients.

PURPOSE: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common and potentially serious form of chronic liver disease. Although NAFLD is known to be associated with obesity and some comorbid conditions, less is known about the severity of NAFLD among different racial groups. METHODS: We prospectively studied 237 consecutive morbidly obese patients presenting for bariatric surgery. All patients underwent intraoperative liver biopsy and chart review. After excluding subjects who reported alcohol use (n = 37) or who had missing biopsy data (n = 11), 189 patients were available for analysis. Clinical and laboratory associations with each of the histological components of NAFLD were assessed using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean age was 43.1 years, 84% were female, and 13% were African American. It was found that 88% had steatosis, including 35% with moderate to severe steatosis (> 33% of hepatocytes involved). Of these patients, 67% had inflammation, 46% had fibrosis, and 45% met Brunt's criteria for NASH. Compared with Caucasians and after adjustment, African Americans had significantly lower odds of severe hepatic pathology, with adjusted odds ratios of 0.1 (P = .02) for the presence of moderate or severe steatosis, 0.2 for inflammation (P = .006), 0.3 for fibrosis (P = .05), and 0.2 for NASH (P = .02). In addition, participants with one or more features of the metabolic syndrome (ie, diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia) or elevated aminotransferase levels had significantly higher odds of severe hepatic histopathology. CONCLUSION: Among obese patients presenting for bariatric surgery, NAFLD is more common in Caucasians, patients with features of the metabolic syndrome, and those with elevated aminotransferase levels.

Adult↗