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Ora L Strickland

Publications and source records attributed to Ora L Strickland.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

The experiences of midlife women with migraines.

PURPOSE: To describe the experiences of midlife women with migraines. DESIGN AND METHODS: Qualitative data were collected in two consecutive studies, using open-ended interviews, focus groups, and online discussion boards. Interpretive methods were used for analysis. FINDINGS: Three patterns were identified: Changing Headache Patterns; Predicting, Preventing, and Controlling Headaches; and Keeping on the Move. These patterns indicated how women's headaches changed over time, how headaches were envisioned within the context of their lives, what strategies were used to meet work and home responsibilities, and how women controlled their headaches while maintaining a sense of perspective. CONCLUSIONS: Many midlife women with migraines receive inadequate or inappropriate treatment, and better dissemination of current diagnostic and treatment guidelines is necessary. Ongoing research is needed to increase understanding of how this problem affects midlife women's lives and of what interventions might prevent or alleviate migraine discomfort.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2005

Genetic predictors of coronary heart disease risk factors in premenopausal African-American women.

PURPOSE: This study examined polymorphisms at the loci HLA-DQB1, HLA-DRB1, TNFa microsatellite, and D6S89, all which lie within or telomeric to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and the apolipoprotein E (APOE) and THO-1 loci in premenopausal African-American women (AAW) for their association with known coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors. The sample, drawn from community and military sources, included premenopausal AAW (mean age=34.18) who were at low risk (n=117) and high risk (n=173) for CHD. METHODS: In this case- (high risk) control (low risk) study, venous blood was used for DNA extraction. Polymorphisms were assessed by using a variety of standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Allelic controls were used in all reactions, and two individuals sized and concurred on allele assignment in each analysis. Vertical auto profile (VAPI), glucose challenge tests, measurement of insulin levels, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and waist-hip ratio (WHR) assessments were conducted by using standardized procedures. Pearson's correlation coefficients and assessment of allele distributions via relative frequency and frequency variance were conducted in relation to military status, risk group, and risk factors by using exact P values and likelihood ratio chi-squared (Irchi2) statistic. The significance level was set at .05. RESULTS: Of the 237 women (low and high risk), 116 of the women in the sample were in Stage I obesity or heavier. Of 237 women (low and high risk), 85 (36%) of the women in this sample were insulin resistant. The frequency of D6589 allele 185, D6S89 allele 191, TNFa allele 97, and TNFa allele 103 alleles were higher in the high-risk than the low-risk group; and the D6S89 195 allele was higher in the low-risk group. Elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) was associated with HLA-DRB1*09 and TNFa 117 alleles. APOE*4, TNFa 109, and DRB1*107 alleles were associated with increased relative risk for elevated total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) ratios. APOE*4 and D6589 193 alleles were associated with an elevated risk for low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or LDL sub-fraction levels. APOE*2 was associated with a lower relative risk for total cholesterol to HDL ratios. Metabolic syndrome was identified in 26.6% of the sample and was associated with the presence of DRB1*09, DRB1*12, and DRB1*15 alleles. Lp(a) levels were positively associated with risks for HDL, HDL2, HDL3, LDL, and total cholesterol. Lp(a) was negatively associated with risks for very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), triglyceride, fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin resistance, SBP, weight, and WHR. CONCLUSION: The association of APOE, DRB1, D6589 and TNFa alleles with risk of CHD suggest that these are candidate genes or linked to genes for CHD in this cohort of AAW. Our data supported elevated plasma Lp(a) as a potential risk factor in AAW; however, its role is still unclear. The premenopausal AAW in this sample had a higher than expected rate of metabolic syndrome, which was associated with DRB1 alleles.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Estrogen plus progestin and the risk of coronary heart disease.

BACKGROUND: Recent randomized clinical trials have suggested that estrogen plus progestin does not confer cardiac protection and may increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). In this report, we provide the final results with regard to estrogen plus progestin and CHD from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI). METHODS: The WHI included a randomized primary-prevention trial of estrogen plus progestin in 16,608 postmenopausal women who were 50 to 79 years of age at base line. Participants were randomly assigned to receive conjugated equine estrogens (0.625 mg per day) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg per day) or placebo. The primary efficacy outcome of the trial was CHD (nonfatal myocardial infarction or death due to CHD). RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 5.2 years (planned duration, 8.5 years), the data and safety monitoring board recommended terminating the estrogen-plus-progestin trial because the overall risks exceeded the benefits. Combined hormone therapy was associated with a hazard ratio for CHD of 1.24 (nominal 95 percent confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.54; 95 percent confidence interval after adjustment for sequential monitoring, 0.97 to 1.60). The elevation in risk was most apparent at one year (hazard ratio, 1.81 [95 percent confidence interval, 1.09 to 3.01]). Although higher base-line levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with an excess risk of CHD among women who received hormone therapy, higher base-line levels of C-reactive protein, other biomarkers, and other clinical characteristics did not significantly modify the treatment-related risk of CHD. CONCLUSIONS: Estrogen plus progestin does not confer cardiac protection and may increase the risk of CHD among generally healthy postmenopausal women, especially during the first year after the initiation of hormone use. This treatment should not be prescribed for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

Smallpox: an update for nurses.

The global eradication of smallpox in the late 1970s was a major achievement of the 20th century and brought out the best in science and public health. Prior to eradication, smallpox was a devastating disease with an overall mortality rate of approximately 5% to 30% for the most common form of the disease depending on vaccination status and the clinical presentation. The more severe forms of smallpox (i.e., flat and hemorrhagic type) had case fatality rates of approximately 96% to 100%. Currently, there is heightened international concern regarding the potential use of the smallpox virus as an agent for bioterrorism. Therefore, it is imperative that health care workers become familiar with clinical aspects of this disease as part of the national efforts to ensure homeland security. This article reviews the history, disease progression, and adverse events of smallpox; immunization practices; and nursing considerations.

Bioterrorism↗
PubMed2002

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) tetramer technology: an evaluation.

Single-cell assays are currently favored to quantitate T-cell responses. Staining antigen-specific T-cells with fluorescently labeled tetrameric major histocompatibility complex (MHC)/peptide complexes has greatly enhanced the ability to assess the cellular dynamics of an immune response at the single-cell level. This article reviews MHC tetramer technology, defining it, discussing how MHC tetramers are made, outlining the benefits of this technology, comparing and contrasting it to other methods for evaluating immune responses, and describing current applications.

Bias↗
PubMed2002

Assessing data adequacy for clinical research: reliability and validity of a surgical database.

As clinical databases are utilized more frequently for clinical research, it is essential that researchers assess the quality of databased information. While researchers have begun to report strategies to measure accuracy of databased information, knowledge remains limited. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of databased information among selected study variables contained within a computerized coronary artery surgery clinical database using the written patient medical record as an external standard. Both reliability (N = 400) and validity (N = 100) samples were randomly selected from a databased sampling frame of 548 Medicare subjects who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting surgery in 1998. Reliability assessed by consistency rates were age (95%), race (94%), gender (99%), congestive heart failure (CHF) (60.5%), angina (91.5%), renal insufficiency (82%), hypertension (91.7%), diabetes mellitus (93.7%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (75.5%), clinical status (97%), American Society of Anesthesiologists classification (99%), prior peripheral vascular surgery (15.5%), prior CABGS (99%), and duration of mechanical ventilation (87.5%). These percentages reflected a large portion of missing data for CHF, COPD, and prior peripheral vascular surgery. Validity assessed by sensitivity and specificity analyses were all greater than 80%. The majority of computerized databased information among selected study variables was the same information recorded in the written patient medical record. Using the same external standard to assess both reliability and validity was a significant limitation of this study, which resulted in the same measure of data adequacy by utilizing differing statistical methods.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Smallpox: a disease of the past? Consideration for midwives.

Smallpox infection was often more severe in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women or in men, regardless of vaccination status. Women with smallpox infection during pregnancy have higher rates of abortions, stillbirths, and preterm deliveries than women without the disease. Pregnant women have high incidences of hemorrhagic-type and flat-type smallpox, which are associated with extremely high fatality rates. Although smallpox was eradicated in the late 1970s, current international concern exists regarding the potential use of smallpox virus as an agent for bioterrorism. This manuscript reviews clinical aspects of smallpox, smallpox immunization, and outcomes in pregnant women.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Measurement issues related to data collection on the World Wide Web.

As the World Wide Web has become more prominent as a mode of communication, it has opened up new possibilities for research data collection. This article identifies measurement issues that occur with Internet data collection that are relevant to qualitative and quantitative research approaches as they occurred in a triangulated Internet study of perimenopausal women with migraine headaches. Issues associated with quantitative data collection over the Internet include (a) selecting and designing Internet data collection protocols that adequately address study aims while also taking advantage of the Internet, (b) ensuring the reliability and validity of Internet data collected, (c) adapting quantitative paper-and-pencil data collection protocols for the Internet, (d) making Internet data collection practical for respondents and researchers, and (e) ensuring the quality of quantitative data collected. Qualitative data collection over the Internet needs to remain true to the philosophical stance of the qualitative approach selected. Researcher expertise in qualitative data collection must be combined with expertise in computer technology and information services if data are to be of ultimate quality The advantages and limitations of collecting qualitative data in real time or at a later time are explored, as well as approaches to enhance qualitative data collection over the Internet. It was concluded that like any research approach or method, Internet data collection requires considerable creativity, expertise, and planning to take advantage of the technology for the collection of reliable and valid research data.

Climacteric↗