ABSTRACT
The pilot study for a sentinel health events surveillance system for deaths among persons under age 45 with diabetes was conducted in six states in 1984 and 1985. Two hundred and thirty-three events were identified. Information from death certificates, physicians, and families revealed that 22% died from acute complications of diabetes and 53% from chronic complications. Blood pressure measurement and urinalysis testing had been performed in the last year for almost all of the decedents, but other preventive practices were reported less frequently. Hypertension was present in 57% and of those, was not controlled in 73%. Forty-four percent were cigarette smokers at the time of death. Agreement between physicians and families was generally higher for clinical conditions than for care practices. This surveillance system appears to yield information about the health care of persons with diabetes not readily available from other sources, although modifications may be necessary before implementation.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus/mortality , Adolescent , Adult , Cause of Death , Child , Child, Preschool , Death Certificates , Diabetes Complications , Diabetes Mellitus/drug therapy , Female , Health Behavior , Health Services/statistics & numerical data , Humans , Hypertension/epidemiology , Infant , Male , Pilot Projects , Population Surveillance , Smoking/epidemiology , United StatesABSTRACT
We have prepared a dry film for the enzymic determination of total serum cholesterol. It consists of a transparent support bearing a buffered gelatin layer, and a white reflective spreading layer that contains all of the necessary components for the detection of cholesterol. The method is based on (a) hydrolysis of cholesterol esters to cholesterol by cholesterol ester hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.13), (b) oxidation of cholesterol to cholest-4-en-4-one and hydrogen peroxide by cholesterol oxidase (EC 1.1.3.6), and (c) oxidation of a triarylimidazole leuco dye with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of peroxidase (EC 1.11.1.7) to produce a dye with maximum absorption at about 650 nm. For use over a wider range of concentration, the dye density is read at 540 nm. With reflection densitometry and appropriate mathematical transformation, readings and cholesterol concentrations are linearly related to 5500 mg/L. Results correlate well with those by the Abell-Kendall comparison method (slope 0.97, intercept 92.5, correlation coefficient 0.974, Sy.x = 250.7), and the method is precise (CV of 1.2-2.3% for a control fluid and patients' samples) and relatively free of interferences.
Subject(s)
Cholesterol/blood , Hyperlipidemias/blood , Chemical Phenomena , Chemistry , Chromogenic Compounds , Humans , Methods , Reference Values , Spectrophotometry , Triglycerides/bloodSubject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors , Lactones/pharmacology , Sesquiterpenes/pharmacology , Animals , Brain/enzymology , Cattle , Erythrocytes/enzymology , In Vitro Techniques , Kidney/enzymology , Kinetics , Liver/enzymology , Male , Methanol/pharmacology , Rats , Spleen/enzymology , Time FactorsABSTRACT
The potent antileukemic plant principles triptolide and tripdiolide contain a characteristic hydrogen-bonded 9,11-epoxy-14beta-hydroxy system. They alkylate propanethiol in a process which involves opening of the epoxide function with neighboring hydroxyl assistance. The reaction may mimic the inhibition of tumor growth via selective alkylation of the thiol groups of key enzymes concerned with groth regulation.
