Biomedical subjects

M D Lebowitz

Publications and source records attributed to M D Lebowitz.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

PubMed1975

A community study of the relation of alpha1-antitrypsin levels to obstructive lung diseases.

Since it is still uncertain whether moderate degrees of alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency predispose to the development of lung disease, data obtained from a stratified random sample of white households in Tucson, Arizona, consisting of 2586 subjects over five years of age, were analyzed. No relation was found between serum alpha1-antitrypsin levels, measured as trypsin inhibitory capacity, and ventilatory function, respiratory symptomatology, or frequency of diagnosed pulmonary diseases even among cigarette smokers. The data indicate that an intermediate level of alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (i.e., inhibitory capacity between 20 and 62 per cent of the population's mean value) is not an important risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive lung diseases. The data militate strongly against the use of any quantitative determination of alpha1-antitrypsin as a test to identify subjects with moderate deficiency for the purpose of predicting later development of chronic respiratory disorders. The rate of severe deficiency is so low as to make population screening for such subjects impractical.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

Tucson epidemiologic study of obstructive lung diseases. I: Methodology and prevalence of disease.

Using a multistage stratified cluster sample of Anglo-white Tucson households (based on the 1970 Census block statistics), this longitudinal study enrolled 1655 households. The study sample of 3805 individuals thus selected representatively covered the household structures, including the age and sex subgroupings, of the Tucson Anglo-white population. The estimated prevalence rates had a very low standard error of estimate both overall and in the age- and sex-specific categories, indicating a good selection and sufficient numbers in all age-sex specific subgroups. As anticipated, prevalence rates of diagnosed respiratory and other chronic diseases were higher than those found nationally. Despite much higher rates of diagnosed pulmonary diseases within the age-sex populations over the age of 40, the results of this study are within the ranges of other surveys in terms of prevalence of many common chronic respiratory symptoms. Reasons for this apparent discrepancy are so far undertermined.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

Tucson epidemiologic study of obstructive lung diseases. II: Effects of in-migration factors on the prevalence of obstructive lung diseases.

The effects of in-migration factors on respiratory symptoms, chronic health problems, and lung function were examined in the stratified Tucson population as part of a longitudinal epidemiologic study of obstructive lung diseases. Migration to the area specifically for health reasons explained part of the high prevalences of disease found in the study. But natives still had higher rates of disease than those found generally in the United States, especially for asthma and allergic rhinitis; It was found that previous urban residence was related to the prevalence of several conditions, even when controlling for age, sex, and smoking habits. However, the trends were not always clear and the differences were not great enough to explain the Tucson population's much higher rates of these conditions than reported nationally or in similar studies elsewhere.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975

Characteristics of chronic bronchitis in a warm, dry region.

Subjects residing in the warm, dry climate of Tucson, Arizona showed the same relationship of productive cough to smoking as noted elsewhere, but they less regularly reported seasonal or diurnal exacerbations of their symptoms and they less regularly reported phlegm production along with chronic cough. In this locale, even nonchronic dry cough was associated with an increased frequency of other respiratory symptoms and of ventilatory impairment. In comparing characteristics of subjects with a clinical diagnosis of chronic bronchitis with characteristics of subjects who had only questionnaire-detected chronic productive cough, it was found that smoking habits were more closely related to the presence of chronic cough than to the clinical diagnosis. The clinical diagnosis was associated with other features, such as wheezing, at least as often as with productive cough. This was especially true in children, in whom a suprisingly high prevalence of both chronic cough and clinically confirmed chronic bronchitis was noted. These observations led to questions concerning the appropriateness of using a common clinical term such as chronic bronchitis to describe subjects whose only known abnormality is an affirmative answer to a direct question concerning phlegm production.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1975