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Biomedical subjects

R Masironi

Publications and source records attributed to R Masironi.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1980

The WHO/IAEA research programme on trace elements in cardiovascular diseases.

Heart, kidney, liver, hair, and toenails were analysed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Se and Zn in male subjects who died with myocardial infarction or hypertension, as compared to subjects who died a non-cardiovascular death. Autopsy collection was made according to a WHO protocol using a titanium knife. Tissues were immediately frozen and subsequently shipped by air to the analytical laboratory. Analysis was usually by neutron activation according to an IAEA protocol. Pathology and analytical data were reported according to standard formats. Institutions in many countries, both developed and developing, collaborated in this programme.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Myocardial infarction and water hardness in European towns.

The negative association between water hardness and cardiovascular disease found by several authors in different countries has also been found in the present investigation. All cases of myocardial infarction were registered in a standardized way at 15 WHO Collaborating Centres in Europe; information on the hardness of drinking water used by the population studies was also collected. Higher rates of myocardial infarction were usually found in towns served by softer water.

Climate↗
PubMed1979

Geochemistry and cardiovascular diseases.

Deficiencies or excesses in the content or availability of trace elements in rocks and soils, or in water flowing through them, is hypothesized as a possible cause of certain chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. Geographic distribution of cardiovascular diseases is often associated with geochemical differences. This trend is particularly evident in the United States and in Europe, with higher rates for cardiovascular mortalities being present in areas uunderlain by soils that are poor in most essential trace elements. Confirmation of this trend is found in connection with the degree of mineralization of local water supplies. Areas that are served by soft waters usually show higher rates of cardiovascular mortality and other forms of cardiovascular pathology, compared with the areas that are served by hard waters. Such a negative association between water hardness and cardiovascular pathology is evident in many countries, both industrialized and developing.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1979

Myocardial infarction and water hardness in the WHO myocardial infarction registry network.

The negative association between water hardness and cardiovascular disease found by several authors in different countries has also been found in the present investigation. All cases of myocardial infarction were registered in a standardized way at 15 WHO Collaborating Centres in Europe; information on the hardness of drinking water used by the population studied was also collected. Higher rates of myocardial infarction were usually found in towns served by softer water.

Aged↗
PubMed1979

[Geochemistry and cardiovascular diseases (author's transl)].

Cardiovascular diseases are often found to be associated with certain physicochemical characteristics of the environment - namely, the hardness of the water and the types of rock and soil underlying the area. Areas supplied with soft water usually have higher cardiovascular death rates than do areas supplied with hard water. Evidence linking cardiovascular diseases with the geochemistry of rocks and soils is more limited. The nature of these associations is still speculative but it is possible that certain trace elements are involved, some being beneficial and others harmful. Further epidemiological studies to identify these various trace elements are desirable.

Aged↗
PubMed1977

Zinc, copper, cadmium and chromium in polished and unpolished rice.

One hundred samples of polished and 27 of unpolished rice were collected from 22 countries and areas and analyzed for Zn and Cu by flame atomic absorption, for Cd by carbon furnace atomic absorption, and for Cr by neutron activation. Unpolished rice contains on average 16.4 mug/g Zn, 4 mug/g Cu, 0.029 mug/g Cd and 0.011 mug/g Cr. Polished rice contains 13.7 mug/g Zn, 3 mug/g Cu, 0.029 mu/g Cd and 0.012 mug/g Cr. Thus, polishing brings about a loss of the essential elements Zn and Cu, but not of Cd, a toxic pollutant. Japanese rece has high Cd content. In countries where rice is a major staple food, high Cd content in rice may cause excessive absorption of this toxic metal.

Cadmium↗
PubMed1976

Calcium content of river water, trace element concentrations in toenails, and blood pressure in village populations in New Guinea.

Several studies carried out on industrialized population groups have revealed the presence of an inverse relationship between hardness of drinking water and certain cardiovascular parameters, e.g., death rates, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, etc. In the present paper an attempt was made to see whether such an association also exists in primitive population groups who drink untreated water collected directly from rivers. Blood pressure was measured in persons living in villages along the banks of the Wogupmeri river in New Guinea. The water was analyzed for calcium content. Trace element concentrations were also determined in toenails from the same subjects to see whether a correlation existed. Calcium content of river water decreases as the river flows downstream, while blood pressure of the villagers living along this river increases. The trace element analysis of toenails revealed strong correlations between aluminium and vanadium. The concentrations of these two elements decrease with age. This association is present in both sexes, in adults and in children. A similarly strong correlation also exists between these two elements in staple food. The results of the present investigation tend to confirm the findings of other studies indicating an apparently beneficial effect of relatively hard water on cardiovascular parameters. The concentration of aluminium and vanadium in toenails show interesting trends, the biological meaning of which, if any, is still unknown.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1975

Recording the cardiac interbeat interval distribution.

A compact device is described, which picks up the R wave of the ECG, calculates the duration of successive interbeat intervals, classifies them in eight classes and stores the receptive counts in an integrated-circuit register. The distribution of intervals counted over the experimental period is retrieved through a separate numerical readout device.

Computers↗
PubMed1974

Determination of habitual physical activity by means of a portable R-R interval distribution recorder.

A new portable apparatus-the Interval Distribution Recorder (IDR)-has been developed by WHO for assessing habitual physical activity. It measures R-R intervals and records counts in 8 heart rate classes-i.e., at 8 levels of physical activity, from sleeping to heavy exercise. It is much simpler, easier to operate, and less expensive than tape recording systems, and it requires only a minimum of skill and of cooperation by the unsupervised subject. It is therefore suitable for population studies. The IDR system yields more precise information than that obtained by using heartbeat totalizers, which only give a mean heart rate value for the day and do not allow detection of differences in activity patterns.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1973

Chromium in refined and unrefined sugars--possible nutritional implications in the etiology of cardiovascular diseases.

It has recently been discovered that chromium is an essential element, particularly in relation to carbohydrate metabolism. Food refinement leads to a loss of chromium as well as of other trace elements. The nutritional significance, particularly in relation to cardiovascular diseases, of the excessive consumption of refined food, poor in trace elements, is not well understood. The first results of a WHO study on the chromium content of different brands of refined and unrefined sugars obtained from various countries are described here. Flameless atomic absorption was used for chromium analysis. Molasses have the highest chromium content (0.266 mg/kg), followed by unrefined (0.162) and brown (0.064) sugars. Refined sugar has the lowest chromium content (0.020 mg/kg). No differences associated with the geographic origin of the sugars were observed.

Carbohydrates↗
PubMed1972

Geochemical environments, trace elements, and cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases are often found to be associated with certain physicochemical characteristics of the environment-namely, the hardness of the water and the types of rock and soil underlying the area. Areas supplied with soft water usually have higher cardiovascular death rates than do areas supplied with hard water. Evidence linking cardiovascular diseases with the geochemistry of rocks and soils is more limited. The nature of these associations is still speculative but it is possible that certain trace elements are involved, some being beneficial and others harmful. Further epidemiological studies to identify these various trace elements are desirable.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗
PubMed1970

Dietary factors and coronary heart disease.

Mortality data from arteriosclerotic and degenerative heart disease (AHD) and per capita consumption of total fat, saturated fat, sucrose, simple sugars, complex carbohydrates, and protein, and calorie intake for 37 countries were statistically evaluated to investigate possible relationships between dietary factors and incidence of AHD. On a geographical basis, consumption of total and saturated fats is strongly and positively correlated with the death rates, while consumption of complex carbohydrates is negatively correlated. No correlations were found with temporal changes in death rates or with differences within one country. These findings are discussed in the light of the works of many other investigators. It is concluded that the relation of diet to AHD is still controversial, and that the development and severity of the disease cannot be confidently attributed to any single dietary factor nor to blood cholesterol. The contributing effects of other factors, such as physical activity, mental stress, and affluence, are also discussed.

Coronary Disease↗
PubMed1970

Cardiovascular mortality in relation to radioactivity and hardness of local water supplies in the USA.

Several authors have reported an inverse correlation between death rates from cardiovascular diseases and local water hardness, but the significance of such a relationship is still debated. To investigate further this relationship, another indicator of water quality was used, namely, the alpha-radioactivity level of raw river waters in the USA. This indicator also showed a negative correlation with cardiovascular death rates, particularly from hypertensive heart disease, which was consistent whether the data were analysed by state, by river basin, by county, or by community. The fact that the negative relationship holds true for raw river waters indicates that broader environmental and geochemical factors may be involved. The effects of trace elements present in the soil and in the water on man's mineral balance, and eventually on the cardiocirculatory function, are discussed.

Cardiovascular Diseases↗