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Biomedical subjects

R Rauramaa

Publications and source records attributed to R Rauramaa.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Relation of habitual diet and cardiorespiratory fitness to blood coagulation and fibrinolytic factors.

The relation of habitual diet and cardiorespiratory fitness to plasma fibrinogen concentration, Factor VII activity (F VIIc), Factor X activity (F X), tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) concentrations, anti-thrombin III (AT III) and apolipoprotein(a) (Apo[a]) was analyzed in 111 normolipidemic men aged 51-53 years. Diet was evaluated by seven day food records. Maximal oxygen consumption and aerobic threshold were determined in maximal bicycle ergospirometry test based on breath-by-breath analysis of expired respiratory gas. Plasma fibrinogen was measured by thrombin method, F VIIc by one-stage coagulation method, AT III and F X colorimetrically, t-PA and PAI-1 antigens by ELISA and Apo(a) concentration radioimmunologically. Carbohydrate intake was negatively (r = -0.31, p < 0.001; r = -0.24, p < 0.01; r = -0.36, p < 0.001) and fat intake positively (r = 0.24, p < 0.01; r = 0.29, p < 0.001; r = 0.32, p < 0.001) related to F X, PAI-1, and t-PA, respectively. Aerobic threshold correlated negatively with fibrinogen (r = -0.33, p < 0.001) and F X (r = -0.30, p < 0.001). Fasting insulin was the strongest determinant for PAI-1 (r = 0.55, p < 0.001) and a significant positive correlate to F VIIc (r = 0.30, p < 0.001), F X (r = 0.28, p < 0.01) and t-PA (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). These data emphasize the importance that carbohydrate rich diet and cardiorespiratory fitness may have against thrombogenesis.

Aerobiosis↗

Inverse relationship between physical activity and plasma fibrinogen in postmenopausal women.

The relationship between habitual physical activity and plasma level of fibrinogen was investigated in a cohort of 180 postmenopausal women, aged 60-69 years. Plasma fibrinogen was determined from prediluted plasma by adding an appropriate amount of thrombin to the sample. The time until fibrin formation occurred was measured. Physical activity during the month and year preceding the examination was assessed using self-administered questionnaires. There was a statistically significant inverse relationship between physical activity and fibrinogen (beta = -0.20; P = 0.005). For further analyses of the association between physical activity and fibrinogen the subjects were classified into three categories according to their weekly physical activity frequency: 0 to 1, 2 to 3, and 4 or more during the preceding month. The mean (S.D. [95% CI]) levels of fibrinogen from lowest to highest categories were: 3.49 (1.10 [2.99, 3.99]), 3.31 (1.52 [2.82, 3.81]), and 3.20 (2.26 [2.73, 3.67]) g/l, respectively, when age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol intake, LDL-cholesterol and estrogen use were allowed for (P = 0.021). BMI was directly associated with fibrinogen (beta = 0.30; P < 0.001), especially in the physically least active women. Smoking was directly (beta = 0.19; P = 0.006) and estrogen use inversely (beta = -0.15; P = 0.037) related to plasma fibrinogen level. The present data suggest that in postmenopausal women a low level of physical activity is associated with a high level of plasma fibrinogen.

Aged↗

HDL, HDL2, and HDL3 subfractions, and the risk of acute myocardial infarction. A prospective population study in eastern Finnish men.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the association of cholesterol concentrations in serum high density lipoprotein (HDL) and its subfractions HDL2 and HDL3 with the risk of acute myocardial infarction in 1,799 randomly selected men 42, 48, 54, or 60 years old. METHODS AND RESULTS: Baseline examinations in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study were done during 1984-1987. In Cox multivariate survival models adjusted for age and examination year, serum HDL cholesterol of less than 1.09 mmol/l (42 mg/dl) was associated with a 3.3-fold risk of acute myocardial infarction (95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.7-6.4), serum HDL2, cholesterol of less than 0.65 mmol/l (25 mg/dl) was associated with a 4.0-fold risk of acute myocardial infarction (95% CI, 1.9-8.3), and serum HDL3 cholesterol of less than 0.40 mmol/l (15 mg/dl) was associated with a 2.0-fold (95% CI, 1.1-4.0) risk of acute myocardial infarction. Adjustments for obesity, ischemic heart disease, other cardiovascular disease, maximal oxygen uptake, systolic blood pressure, antihypertensive medication, serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations reduced the excess risks associated with serum HDL, HDL2, and HDL3 cholesterol in the lowest quartiles by 52%, 48%, and 41%, respectively. Additional adjustments for alcohol consumption, cigarettes smoked daily, smoking years, and leisure time energy expenditure reduced these excess risks associated with low HDL, HDL2, and HDL3 cholesterol levels by another 26%, 24% and 21%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm that both total HDL and HDL2 levels have inverse associations with the risk of acute myocardial infarction and may thus be protective factors in ischemic heart disease, whereas the role of HDL3 remains equivocal.

Adult↗

Risk factors for carotid atherosclerosis: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study.

We assessed the severity of carotid atherosclerosis in 412 men from eastern Finland aged 42, 48, 54 or 60 years at examination with B-mode ultrasonography in 1987 in the Kuopi ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD). Thirty-seven per cent of participants had intimal-medial thickening, 10% had plaques and 2% had stenosis. Age (P less than 0.001), cigarette-years (P less than 0.001), serum LDL cholesterol (P = 0.005), low income (P = 0.020) and low alcohol consumption (P = 0.048) had significant partial associations with the severity of carotid atherosclerosis. A linear regression model including these variables and plasma fibrinogen (NS) and serum HDL-cholesterol (NS) accounted for 33% of the variation in atherosclerosis severity. Our data provide further evidence on the role of smoking and LDL-cholesterol in atherosclerosis.

Adult↗

Relationship of serum selenium and antioxidants to plasma lipoproteins, platelet aggregability and prevalent ischaemic heart disease in Eastern Finnish men.

In a cross-sectional population study of 1132 unselected Eastern Finnish men aged 54 years, serum selenium concentration had a weak positive association with plasma HDL cholesterol (standardised partial regression coefficient, beta = 0.061, P = 0.019) and a fairly strong inverse relationship (beta = -0.223, P less than 0.001) with the extent of ADP-induced platelet aggregation. Neither plasma ascorbate concentration nor alpha-tocopherol to total cholesterol ratio had any association with plasma lipoproteins, platelet aggregability or prevalent ischaemic heart disease (IHD). When a covariance-correction was applied, men with ischaemic ECG findings at exercise had a lower mean serum selenium than others (81.5 micrograms/l vs. 85.9 micrograms/l, P less than 0.01 for difference). This difference was equally large for men with neither symptoms nor previous diagnosis of IHD.

Antioxidants↗

Blood pressure, dietary fats, and antioxidants.

We investigated the association of dietary fatty acids and antioxidants with blood pressure in 722 eastern Finnish men aged 54 y, examined in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study in 1984-86. Men with self-reported hypertension or cerebrovascular disease or under antihypertensive medication were excluded. Allowing for the major anthropometric, dietary, medical, and psychological determinants of blood pressure in multivariate regression analyses, both plasma ascorbic acid (p = 0.0008) and serum selenium (p = 0.0017) concentrations had a moderate, independent inverse association, estimated dietary intake of saturated fatty acids had a positive association (p = 0.013), and estimated dietary intake of linolenic acid had an inverse (p = 0.048) association with the mean resting blood pressure. The marked elevation of blood pressure at the lowest levels of plasma ascorbic acid and serum Se concentrations supports the hypothesis that antioxidants play a role in the etiology of hypertension.

Antioxidants↗

Leisure time and occupational physical activity: risk of death from ischemic heart disease.

The relation of leisure time and occupational physical activity to the risk of death from ischemic heart disease was investigated in a cohort of 15,088 persons aged 30-59 years who had no history of cardiovascular disease or other condition which hindered physical activity. Two population samples were randomly chosen from eastern Finland. During a six-year follow-up, persons who were sedentary in leisure time (relative risk = 1.3, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-1.6) or at work (relative risk = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.1-1.6) had an excess risk of ischemic heart disease death when adjusted for age, health status, family history, and body mass index in multivariate logistic models. Adjustment for years of education, social network participation, cigarette consumption, serum cholesterol level, and blood pressure level weakened the residual association of low leisure time physical activity with the risk of ischemic heart disease death (relative risk = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.0-1.5), whereas the association for low occupational physical activity remained unchanged. The lack of leisure time physical activity and a sedentary occupation are associated with an increased risk of ischemic heart disease death, and the excess risk due to lack of leisure time physical activity is, in part, accounted for by other ischemic heart disease risk factors.

Adult↗

Leisure-time physical activity levels and risk of coronary heart disease and death. The Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial.

The relation of self-selected leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) to first major coronary heart disease (CHD) events and overall mortality was studied in 12,138 middle-aged men participating in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Total LTPA over the preceding year was quantitated in mean minutes per day at baseline by questionnaire, with subjects classified into tertiles (low, moderate, and high) based on LTPA distribution. During seven years of follow-up, moderate LTPA was associated with 63% as many fatal CHD events and sudden deaths, and 70% as many total deaths as low LTPA (P less than .01). Mortality rates with high LTPA were similar to those in moderate LTPA; however, combined fatal and nonfatal major CHD events were 20% lower with high as compared with low LTPA (P less than .05). These risk differentials persisted after statistical adjustments for possible confounding variables, including other baseline risk factors and Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial group assignments. It is concluded that LTPA has a modest inverse relation to CHD and overall mortality in middle-aged men at high risk for CHD.

Adult↗

Effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on platelet aggregability and platelet produced thromboxane.

We investigated the sustained effect of 12-week supplementation of 2.880 g/day of omega-3 fatty acids on platelet aggregability, platelet produced thromboxane B2 concentration and serum fatty acid composition in a double-blind controlled trial in 44 healthy mildly overweight eastern Finnish men recruited from a representative population sample. The supplementation was discontinued seven days before the biochemical measurements. Body weight, alcohol consumption and dietary composition remained constant during the study. Even though the percentage of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 omega 3) in total serum lipids increased by 37% (p less than 0.01) and that of dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (20:3 omega 6) decreased by 18% (p less than 0.01) more in the omega-3 supplemented than placebo group during supplementation, there were no significant differences in the changes in either the ADP induced platelet aggregation or in vitro platelet produced thromboxane B2 concentration between the groups. These data suggest that omega-3 fatty acids have no detectable sustained effect either on ADP induced platelet aggregation or on thromboxane produced by the platelets in vitro.

Adult↗

Vitamin C deficiency and low linolenate intake associated with elevated blood pressure: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study.

We investigated the association of dietary fatty acids and plasma antioxidative vitamins with blood pressure in 722 eastern Finnish men aged 54 years, examined in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study in 1984-1986, who had no known hypertension nor any cerebrovascular disease. Allowing for the major anthropometric, dietary, medical and psychological determinants of blood pressure in a multivariate regression analysis, plasma ascorbic acid concentration had a moderate, independent inverse association (P less than 0.0001) and the estimated dietary intake of linolenic acid an inverse (P = 0.026) independent association with mean resting blood pressure. The marked elevation of blood pressure at the lowest levels of plasma vitamin C concentration supports the hypothesis of the role of antioxidants in the aetiology of hypertension.

Ascorbic Acid↗

Effects of bevantolol and atenolol on symptoms, exercise tolerance and metabolic risk factors in angina pectoris.

To assess the effects of bevantolol on stable angina pectoris of effort and its impact on metabolic risk factors, a comparison study of this beta 1-blocking agent and atenolol was undertaken in 40 subjects (mean age 51 years). After a 4-week, single-blind, placebo washout period, 12 men and 8 women were randomized to receive 150 mg of bevantolol twice daily and 12 men and 8 women to treatment with 100 mg of atenolol once daily in a parallel, double-blind, 12-week treatment phase. Patients were assessed at weeks 2, 6 and 12 after bicycle exercise until angina or ST-segment depression greater than or equal to 0.15 mV appeared. Concentrations of cholesterol lipoproteins and 3 prostaglandin metabolites were determined. One patient receiving bevantolol was withdrawn from the study because of insufficient efficacy and 2 receiving atenolol were withdrawn because of side effects. After 2 weeks of therapy, significant decreases were seen in both groups in the number of angina attacks, mean sitting heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean maximum heart rate during exercise and mean double-product of systolic blood pressure and heart rate at the end of exercise. There was a trend toward significance in the increase of mean duration of exercise and total work performed with both agents, although these values were not statistically significant. Both high density lipoproteins and the ratio of high density lipoproteins to low density lipoproteins increased in the bevantolol group and decreased in the atenolol group. These changes were statistically significant at week 6.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Physical activity and prostanoids.

Physical activity plays an important role in the prevention of ischaemic heart disease. However, data on the mediating mechanisms are only partly established, and concentrated mainly on plasma lipoproteins. Prostanoids, especially prostacyclin and thromboxane, through their effects on vascular endothelium, platelet function, and interaction with lipoproteins, are postulated to be centrally involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The reported acute effects of physical activity on prostanoids and platelet function are contradictory and may be considered both beneficial and unfavourable. On the other hand, although even less is reported on the response to regular exercise, data appear more favourable in relation to atherosclerosis. Currently, data on physical activity and prostanoids, including both acute and chronic effects, are limited and necessitate additional, systematic studies on dose-response relationships.

Epoprostenol↗

Inhibition of platelet aggregability by moderate-intensity physical exercise: a randomized clinical trial in overweight men.

It has been postulated that platelet function plays an important role in the initiation of atherosclerosis. Currently there are no definitive data on the longer-term effects of regular physical exercise on platelet function in humans. We assessed the influence of regular moderate-intensity physical exercise (brisk walking to slow jogging) on platelet aggregation in a population-based sample of middle-aged, overweight, mildly hypertensive men in eastern Finland. In this controlled study, we evaluated the net effect of exercise on platelet aggregation by studying changes in optical density and ATP release in platelet-rich plasma. A significant inhibition of secondary platelet aggregation from 27% to 36% was observed in the men taking regular exercise. These findings give new insight into the possible protective effects of exercise against the risk of ischemic heart disease.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Effects of mild physical exercise on serum lipoproteins and metabolites of arachidonic acid: a controlled randomised trial in middle aged men.

To study the effects of physical exercise on biochemical risk factors for ischaemic heart disease 31 healthy middle aged men undertook regular physical exercise for two months and 29 served as controls in a randomised trial. In the men taking regular exercise serum cholesterol concentrations increased 26% more in the high density lipoprotein subfraction two (HDL2) and decreased 31% more in the subfraction three (HDL3) and 9% more in the low density lipoprotein fraction than in the control group. A tendency towards increased plasma 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha concentration and decreased serum thromboxane B2 concentration was found during the period of regular exercise, but prostaglandin E2 concentrations remained unchanged. The increase in plasma 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha concentration was associated with an increase in serum HDL2 cholesterol concentration in the group taking regular exercise. Our data suggest that mild regular physical exercise favourably influences cholesterol distribution in serum lipoproteins in healthy middle aged men and may have beneficial effects on circulating metabolites of arachidonic acid.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗

Relationship of physical activity, glucose tolerance, and weight management.

Diabetes mellitus and hyperinsulinemia have been demonstrated by population studies to be risk factors for ischemic heart disease (IHD). But, the relationship of glucose intolerance to IHD is still unclear. Restricted physical activity and obesity both result experimentally in glucose intolerance and cell insulin insensitivity with hyperinsulinemia and may contribute to IHD. Prolonged moderate-intensity exercise lowers plasma insulin levels in obese hyperinsulinemic subjects as well as in nonobese subjects. Increased insulin binding to cell receptors (and number of insulin receptors) and a decrease in insulin secretion from the pancreas are believed to be contributing mechanisms. The independent effect of exercise on glucose tolerance is less clear, although there are strong indications favoring the positive effects of physical activity. There is also suggestive evidence that exercise may be beneficial in improving metabolic control in type II diabetes. Regular exercise together with appropriate diet and correction of obesity seems to be a more promising approach to improving glucose tolerance and controlling diabetes than does exercise alone.

Body Weight↗