Articles: mortality.
-
Prospective study of intentional weight loss and mortality in overweight white men aged 40-64 years.
Although 25% of US men indicate that they are trying to lose weight, the association between intentional weight loss and longevity in men is unknown. The authors analyzed prospective data from 49,337 overweight (initial body mass index > or =27) white men aged 40-64 years who, in 1959-1960, answered questions on weight change direction, amount, time interval, and intent. Vital status was determined in 1972. ⋯ These results and those from our earlier study in women (Williamson et al., Am J Epidemiol 1995;141:1128-41) suggest that intentional weight loss may reduce the risk of dying from diabetes, but not from CVD. In observational studies, however, it is difficult to separate intentional weight loss from unintentional weight loss due to undiagnosed, underlying disease. Well-designed observational studies, as well as randomized controlled trials, are needed to determine whether intentional weight loss reduces CVD mortality.
-
Comparative Study
UK and western European late-age mortality: trends in cause-specific death rates, 1960-1990.
Age, sex and cause-specific death rates for the elderly population of 16 western European countries are examined for 1960, 1970, 1980 and 1990. Over the 30 years, the all-cause rates have fallen by around 23-41% depending on age and sex. ⋯ A comparison of the UK death rates with the west European and Swiss rates finds relative improvement in the UK for male mortality, but that female mortality at the younger ages has worsened sharply. Cardiovascular and stroke mortality is now exceptionally high in the UK among females aged 60-64 years and the 1980s trends for the 60-64 and 70-74 years age groups were unfavourable for several other causes of death.
-
To review the recent advances in ventilatory therapy for acute respiratory failure in children. ⋯ High frequency ventilation exists in three forms, although only high frequency oscillation appears to show any benefit in the management of acute respiratory failure refractory to conventional mechanical ventilation. Extracorporeal oxygenation has halved mortality in neonates with acute respiratory failure, and has been used successfully in non-neonate patients. Inhaled nitric oxide from 6 to 20 parts per million improves oxygenation in paediatric patients with acute respiratory failure and congenital heart disease (particularly in the presence of pulmonary arterial hypertension). Liquid ventilation or perfluorocarbon-associated gas exchange has also been used to treat acute respiratory failure in paediatric patients, with partial liquid ventilation particularly appearing to show promise.