ABSTRACT
The study was carried out on Arab women who were admitted for delivery to Al-Sabah Hospital in Kuwait. The concentration of maternal serum proteins and magnesium was not correlated to infant birth size. The zinc and copper concentration in maternal serum at term was positively correlated to infant birthweight, length and head circumference. The results suggested the possibility that the mothers in the present study had a marginal zinc and copper nutriture, which when combined the hemodilution due to pregnancy led to serum levels inadequate to supply the requirement of the fast growing fetus.
Subject(s)
Birth Weight , Blood Proteins/analysis , Fetal Growth Retardation/etiology , Trace Elements/blood , Adolescent , Adult , Body Height , Copper/blood , Female , Head/anatomy & histology , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Kuwait , Magnesium/blood , Pregnancy , Zinc/bloodABSTRACT
Arterial compliance and indexes of ventricular ejection were measured in 27 men with systolic hypertension. The patients were separated into two age groups, younger or older than age 35 years, and matched with normotensive control subjects. Arterial compliance was estimated from analysis of the monoexponential blood pressure-time curve during diastole, according to a simple viscoelastic model. In the younger patients, arterial compliance and stroke volume were within normal ranges. Rapid ejection time was significantly reduced (P less than 0.001), indicating an increased venlocity in the first part of ventricular ejection. Systolic pressure decreased significantly after administration of propranolol, which also caused prolongation of rapid ejection time. In the older patients, indexes of ventricular ejection were within normal limits. arterial compliance was significantly reduced (P less than 0.01) and was negatively correlated with the level of systolic pressure (P less than 0.001). Systolic pressure decreased significantly after administration of sodium nitroprusside, which caused an increase in arterial compliance. These findings provide evidence that: (1) the hemodynamic mechanisms of systolic hypertension differ in younger and older patients, and (2) these hemodynamic differences should be taken into account when choosing drugs to decrease systolic pressure.
