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Biomedical subjects

T W Anderson

Publications and source records attributed to T W Anderson.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Vitamin E in angina pectoris.

The claim that the symptoms of angina pectoris can usually be relieved by large doses of vitamin E has been reinvestigated by means of a randomized double-blind trial. The trial lasted nine weeks and consisted of two parts. One part was conducted as a regular double-blind trial involving 40 patients, half of whom received 3200 IU of vitamin E daily, while an equal number received an indistinguishable placebo. The second part of the trial involved 15 patients who were already taking a regular daily dose of between 400 and 2400 IU of vitamin E. Eight patients were assigned the same (or a larger) dose of vitamin E, while seven received placebo. Neither part of the trial yielded statistically convincing evidence that vitamin E is of value in the treatment of angina, but a small beneficial effect could not be ruled out. Taken in conjunction with the positive (but statistically non-significant) results obtained in the only other double-blind trial of vitamin E ever carried out on angina, and the encouraging results reported by other investigators in the treatment of intermittent claudication, it is suggested that further double-blind trials are justified.

Adult↗

The changing pattern of ischemic heart disease.

Male and female death rates from all the major forms of cardiovascular disease were approximately equal until about 1920. Since that time the male:female ratio in fatal ischemic heart disease (IHD) has risen dramatically, but some closely related diseases such as cerebrovascular disease and uncomplicated angina pectoris have maintained sex ratios close to unity. It is difficult to reconcile this divergent trend in the sex ratio of IHD with a simple stenotic-thrombotic view of myocardial infarction (MI) and it is suggested that the modern epidemic of MI in men may be the result of a disorder of muscle metabolism ("vulnerable myocardium") superimposed on a relatively stable background of stenotic-thrombotic arterial disease. The proposed mechanism would also help to explain the selective action of some modern "coronary risk factors" (such as cigarette smoking and physical inactivity) which increase the risk of MI but have little or no effect on the risk of developing cerebrovascular disease or uncomplicated angina pectoris.

Age Factors↗

Vitamin C and the common cold: a double-blind trial.

A large scale double-blind trial was conducted to test the claim that the intake of one gram of vitamin C per day substantially reduces the frequency and duration of "colds". It was found that in terms of the average number of colds and days of sickness per subject the vitamin group experienced less illness than the placebo group, but the differences were smaller than have been claimed and were statistically not significant. However, there was a statistically significant difference (P <0.05) between the two groups in the number of subjects who remained free of illness throughout the study period. Furthermore the subjects receiving the vitamin experienced approximately 30% fewer total days of disability (confined to the house or off work) than those receiving the placebo, and this difference was statistically highly significant (P <0.001). The reduction in disability appeared to be due to a lower incidence of constitutional symptoms such as chills and severe malaise, and was seen in all types of acute illness, including those which did not involve the upper respiratory tract.

Adolescent↗

Serum electrolytes and skeletal mineralization in hard- and soft-water areas.

Serum levels of calcium and magnesium were measured in two Ontario cities that differ widely in the hardness of their local water-supply. The hypothesis being tested was that residents of the city with the hard water-supply (and a low cardiovascular death-rate) would show relatively high serum levels of calcium and/or magnesium. In addition, a comparison was made of the cortical thickness of the second metacarpal bone in the two areas to see if there was any evidence of increased skeletal mineralization in the hard-water area. The results obtained did not support either of these hypotheses, but it is suggested that the failure to demonstrate differences in body-levels of calcium or magnesium may not be incompatible with one (or both) of these water-borne elements functioning as the "water-factor" in cardiovascular disease.

Bone and Bones↗