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Biomedical subjects

T Theorell

Publications and source records attributed to T Theorell.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources
PubMed1976

Life changes and myocardial infarction. How useful are life change measurements?

Although statistically significant, the relation between certain life changes and imminent myocardial infarction appears to be quantitatively weak. Of particular importance are events connected with employment. However, the summation of life changes has not proved to be of use in the prediction of imminent myocardial infarction. For patients with ischemic heart disease, variations in life change measures have proved to be of use in the prediction of changes in catecholamine output and in prognosis. When genetic factors are held constant, as in monozygotic twin pairs vulnerable to ischemic heart disease, more life changes in one partner may indicate a greater risk of unexpected sudden cardiac death in this partner than in the other twin. The self-rating of the severity of each experienced event has proved more useful than "standard weights" in the retrospective discrimination of myocardial infarction patients. Further clinical and epidemiological studies are needed in this field. For the future, the following recommendations are made: The studies should be prospective. The individual's habitual level and actual level of the change should be recorded. The severity of events should be self-rated. Risk variables, known to be of importance to the development of MI should be recorded. They are for instance smoking habits, blood pressure, serum lipids and genetic predisposition. Psychological variables should be mentioned separately in this connection.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Life change events, ballistocardiography and coronary death.

Thirty-six men and women who experienced a documented myocardial infarction, half of whom ultimately died from their disease and half of whom survived over a six-year period, provided longitudinal recent life changes and ballistocardiographic data. The 18 patients who died from their coronary disease indicated a significant buildup in life changes which peaked approximately one year prior to death; their serial ballistocardiograms indicated a significant buildup in average force of contraction which was seen to peak approximately six months prior to death. The 18 post-infarction patients who survived the six-year follow-up showed neither a buildup in life change nor a buildup in the ballistocardiographic index of cardiac contraction force. These findings of a life change peak preceding ballistocardiographic evidence of an "overworked" heart are discussed in terms of their possible medical and psychophysiological significances.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Selected psychosocial variables in the delay of reaching the coronoary care unit.

Sixty-one first admissions to a coronary care unit have been analysed regarding "delay period" from onset of chest pain to admission to the CCU in relation to psychosocial information, collected from the closest relative. On the whole, psychosocial variables seemed to play a modest role in the determination of the delay period. However, one "type A behavior" variable, inability to relax during leisure time, was related to a shorter delay period. Young subjects tended to have a relatively short delay.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1975

Ballistocardiographic indicators of prognosis in ischemic heart disease.

Bimonthly recordings of ultra-low-frequency acceleration ballistocardiograms overa 2 to 7 year period in 73 patients with ischemic heart disease and 50 matched control subjects within the framework of a clinical follow-up were subjected to measurement of IJ amplitude (reflecting force of contraction), IJ velocity (reflecting contractility), and IJ velocity variation coefficient. These repeated measurements were correlated with 24-hour vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) excretion in the urine, arthythemia incidence, heart rate, and clinical outcome in each subject. Moth-to-month variability of the IJ velocity was highly significantly correlated with 24-hour VMA excretionas well as with the likelihood of subsequent myocardial infartion or sudden death. Data on 24 of the patients with ischemic heart disease were available during a two-year period prior to their death from documented myocardial infarction or presumed fatal arrhythmia without a fresh infarction at autopsy. Their records were compared with those made during the same time period on individually matched control subjects and on patients with documented ischemic heart disease who survived the period of study. The mean force of cardiac contraction (IJ amplitude) was consistently lower in the group destined todie early than in the other two groups during the first 18 months. During the 6 monthsprior to death, however, their tracings show a relatively increased force of cardiac contraction and an increased product of force x pulse rate (referred to as the "drive index"), as well as an increase in the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias. None of these late increases was observed during comparable periods of time among surviving patients orcontrol subjuects.

Adult↗