A non-invasive technique for the evaluation of peripheral circulatory functions in female subjects with Raynaud's phenomenon.

Japanese women now account for 43 percent of the labor force. A number of them are involved in construction, agricultural and forestry jobs. The aim of this study was to establish a non-invasive technique for the evaluation of peripheral circulatory functions in women with Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and introduce a specific method for the assessment of vascular disturbances in females exposed to hand-transmitted vibration. The subjects of this study were 10 women with primary RP, 7 women with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) secondary to RP, and 17 females who were included as the control group. The evaluation of peripheral circulatory functions in all subjects was based on the values of finger blood flow (FBF) and finger skin temperature (FST) measured before, during and following a 5-min recovery period after the hand was immersed in cold water (5°C, 1 min). The measured values of FBF and FST of the primary RP group before and after the immersion test were significantly (p<0.01) lower compared to those of the control group. The technique applied in this study could be used as a non-invasive and tolerable technique to determine the digital circulatory functions in female subjects with RP.

Subjective symptoms of female workers sorting goods in summer.

Subjective musculoskeletal symptoms are more frequently complained about in cold store work and in related conditions than those experienced in normal temperature work. This cross sectional study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of indoor cooling and cold storage goods on the prevalence of subjective symptoms in summer. Female workers sorting cold storage goods (exposed group) were the main subjects of this study (n=47). We also included a group of female workers engaged sorting dry goods as the unexposed to cold group (n=86). Work load for the two groups were estimated according to the recommended criteria. A self-administered questionnaire covering age, occupational career, smoking, alcohol drinking and physical exercise, present or past history of diseases, individual protective measures against cold or heat, and subjective symptoms (60 items) was used. The air temperature of the site at the start of working time for the workers sorting cold storage goods was 22.2℃ which was significantly lower than those measured for the other two work places (25.4℃ and 25.4℃) of the unexposed to cold group. Environmental temperatures at the foot level at the sorting workshop of cold storage goods and dry goods were ca.16℃ and 26℃ all day, respectively. The surface temperatures of cold storage goods were between -2.8℃ and 9.4℃. The surface temperature of dry goods was 26.5℃. Among the working characteristic items, only daily working hours in the exposed group (5.6 ± 0.6 h) were significantly longer than those in the unexposed to cold group (4.6 ± 0.9 h) (p<0.01). The prevalence rates of finger cold sensation, stiffness in the fingers, pain in the wrist, pain in the elbow, back dullness, back pain, low-back cold sensation, foot cold sensation and pain in the foot in the exposed group were significantly higher than those in the unexposed to cold group (p<0.05 or p<0.01). Pain in the fingers, numbness in the fingers, pain in the foot and foot numbness due to the cold in the exposed group were significantly higher than those in the unexposed to cold group (p<0.05 or p<0.01). These results suggest that indoor cooling and/or job activities related to cold storage goods could, to some extent, affect peripheral circulatory disturbances; and it could be regarded as a factor related to musculoskeletal symptoms among the exposed workers.

Subjective musculoskeletal symptoms in winter and summer among indoor working construction electricians.

To evaluate the effects of cold exposure on the musculoskeletal system, two surveys on the subjective musculoskeletal symptoms among male electricians working in the buildings under construction were performed in winter (N=74) and summer seasons (N=83). A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on age, occupational career, working habit, present illness, and subjective musculoskeletal symptoms. Mean age, occupational career and daily smoking of the supervisors were significantly higher than those of the other subjects. In general, prevalence rates of stiffness, numbness, pain and Raynaud's phenomenon in the fingers, finger cold sensation, dull movement of the fingers, pain in the wrist, knee joint pain, pain and numbness in the foot and foot cold sensation in winter were significantly higher than those in summer. These results were marked especially in the workers except supervisors. In winter, there were no significant differences in the prevalence rates of subjective musculoskeletal complaints between the supervisors and the other workers. On the other hand, in summer, prevalence of stiffness and pain in the shoulder, stiffness and pain in the neck, dullness and pain in the arm, finger cold sensation, low back dullness and low back pain in the supervisors were significantly higher than those in the other workers. These results suggest that effects of cold on the musculoskeletal symptoms markedly appeared in the workers except supervisors.

Comparison of subjective symptoms and cold prevention measures in winter between traffic control workers and construction workers in Japan.

To help making comfortable workplaces and to prevent health disorders induced by the exposure to moderate cold in two different groups of out-door workers, we conducted a survey to compare subjective symptoms and cold prevention measures in winter between traffic control workers and construction workers. The subjects of this study were 98 male traffic control workers and 149 male workers engaged in building construction. Work loads of traffic control workers and construction workers were estimated at RMR1-2 and RMR2-4, respectively. All subjects were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire covering age, occupational career, working figure, present illness, past history of diseases, individual preventive measures to the cold, subjective symptoms in the winter (43 items) and subjective symptoms occurred during daytime working in the winter (6 items). In two parts of the construction workplaces (the place where a morning assembly was held and on the 7th floor of the construction site) dry bulb, wet bulb and globe temperatures were measured in January. Windchill Index (kcal/cm,(2) x h) was calculated by the measured dry bulb temperature and wind velocity. Mean values of dry bulb temperature between 9:00 and 16:30 in the place where a morning assembly was held for three days were between 4.8 +/- 1.2 degrees C at 9:00 am and 9.3 +/- 1.1 degrees C at noon. Mean values of Windchill Index in the place where a morning assembly was held were between 490.8+/-23.9 kcal/cm(2) x h at 9:30 am and 608.2+/-47.3 kcal/cm(2) x h at 2:30 pm. Occupational career, monthly working days, daily working hours, one way commuting hours, and daily smoking numbers of the traffic control workers were significantly shorter than the construction workers (p<0.01). There were no significant differences in the prevalence of chillness in the arms and legs between the traffic control workers (5.1%) and the construction workers (0.7%). Prevalence of wearing a warm underwear, body warmer, warm trousers, underpants, warm socks, shoe warmer and muffler in the traffic control workers were significantly higher than the construction workers. The subjective symptoms in winter complained most frequently were shoulder stiffness (51.0%), finger cold sensation (50.0%) and neck stiffness (48.0%) in the traffic control workers, and were easy to get fatigued (49.0%), lumbago (48.3%) and finger cold sensation (47.7%) in the construction workers. On the basis of the results obtained, it is clearly shown that the two groups are at the risk of disorders due to their working environment. Therefore, these workers are needed to undergo occupational health programs for prevention of cold exposure disorders. Applications of preventive countermeasures for both groups are discussed.

Comparison of subjective symptoms and hot prevention measures in summer between traffic control workers and construction workers in Japan.

In the present study, a survey on subjective symptoms and hot prevention measures in summer was conducted in 204 male traffic control workers and 115 male construction workers. Work loads of traffic control workers and construction workers were estimated at RMR 1-2 and RMR 2-4, respectively. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on age, occupational career, working habit, present or past history of diseases, individual preventive measures to the heat, and subjective symptoms in the summer. Daily working hours in the sunshine of the traffic control workers were significantly longer than those of the construction workers. Prevalence rates of changing clothes frequently, avoiding direct exposure of face and neck to sunlight using towel like materials, and wearing sunglasses in the traffic control workers were significantly lower than the construction workers. Prevalence rates of symptoms in the upper extremities in the traffic control workers were significantly lower than those in the construction workers. Prevalence of work difficulty due to hot weather during work in the traffic control workers was significantly lower than the construction workers. On the basis of the results obtained, some preventive countermeasures to improve working environment are presented.

Subjective symptoms among female workers and winter working conditions in a consumer cooperative.

Subjective musculoskeletal symptoms are more frequently complained about in cold store work and in related conditions than in normal temperature work. This cross sectional study was undertaken (a) to explore the prevalence of subjective symptoms in winter among a group of female workers engaged in classification of cold storage goods, and in a group of female checkers in several supermarkets of a large consumer cooperative; and (b) to give recommendations for improving the winter working conditions of these workers. The subjects consisted of 46 workers engaged in classification of cold storage goods, 56 checkers operating a laser scanner in supermarkets and 59 office workers (control group). Work loads for the three groups were estimated according to the recommended criteria. A self-administered questionnaire covering age, occupational career, smoking, alcohol drinking and physical exercise, present or past history of diseases, individual protective measures against cold, and subjective symptoms (54 items) was used. The air temperature of the working site at the opening time for classification workers was 4.8 degrees C which was significantly lower than those measured for the other two work places (12.1 degrees C and 15.8 degrees C). About 70 to 80% of classification workers complained of cold sensation in different body regions, as well as shoulder stiffness, and problems related to the back. The supermarket checkers and office workers had a high prevalence of cold sensation in their feet. The frequencies of using warm clothes and foot heaters, as an individual measure to work comfortably in winter among the classification workers and the checkers were significantly higher than that among the office workers. We concluded that work difficulty due to moderate cold exposure among workers in the consumer cooperative could be reduced by some physical activity as well as proper clothes.

Effects of Maharishi Amrit Kalash 5 as an Ayurvedic herbal food supplement on immune functions in aged mice.

BACKGROUND: Maharishi Amrit Kalash (MAK) 5, one of the Ayurvedic food supplements, belongs to a group of substances known as Rasayana. MAK5 and other Rasayanas are believed to enhance the body's resistance to infections and disease, and enhance longevity. In this study, we determined the effects of administration of MAK5, one of the Ayurvedic food supplements on immune functions in young and old mice. METHODS: Male C3H/He N mice were divided into five groups: two no treatment groups (old control: 22-month-old and young control: 2-month-old) and three MAK5 treated groups with differing dose of MAK5. MAK5 was given p.o. at 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg or 200 mg/kg per day (3 days/week) for 2 months. RESULTS: We found that glucose consumption of peritoneal macrophages from old mice treated with MAK5 at all doses and incubated for 48 and 72 h were significantly greater than that in the control group. Nitric oxide production of peritoneal macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in old mice treated with MAK5 at all doses was significantly greater than that in the old control group, but not compared to the young control group. Stimulation index (S.I.) in old mice gavaged with MAK5 at all doses was significantly higher than that in the old control group. IL-2 production stimulated by Con A in old mice given MAK5 at all doses was significantly higher than that in the old control group. Production of IFN-gamma stimulated by Con A in old mice given MAK5 at doses of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg were significantly higher than that in the old control group. IL-4 production of splenic lymphocyte stimulated by Con A in old mice given MAK5 at dose levels of 100 and 200 mg/kg were significantly higher than that in the old control group. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that MAK5 suppressed the age associated glucose consumption of peritoneal macrophages and cellular immune function reduction, and that it contributes to the prevention of the immunosenescence.

Effects of long-term moderate exercise and increase in number of daily steps on serum lipids in women: randomised controlled trial [ISRCTN21921919].

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of a 24-month period of moderate exercise on serum lipids in menopausal women. METHODS: The subjects (40--60 y) were randomly divided into an exercise group (n = 14) and a control group (n = 13). The women in the exercise group were asked to participate in a 90-minute physical education class once a week and to record their daily steps as measured by a pedometer for 24 months. RESULTS: Mean of daily steps was significantly higher in the exercise group from about 6,800 to over 8,500 steps (P < 0.01). In the control group, the number of daily steps ranged from 5,700 to 6,800 steps throughout the follow-up period. A significant interaction between the exercise group and the control group in the changes og total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and TC : HDLC ratio could be observed (P < 0.05). By multiple regression analysis, the number of daily steps was related to HDLC and TC : HDLC levels after 24 months, and the changes in TC and HDLC concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that daily exercise as well as increasing the number of daily steps can improve the profile of serum lipids.