Selenium interactions with essential and toxic elements in egg yolk from commercial and fortified eggs.

The main objective of this work was to evaluate the interaction between selenium concentration in both commercial and Se-enriched eggs and other essential/toxic elements (Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Pb, and Cd), taking into account a possible synergic action of iodine. Commercial eggs were purchased from several sale points or directly from the producers (farmyard eggs). Fortified eggs were obtained by supplementing chickenfeed for 6 weeks with Se as sodium selenite (1.

Toxic and trace elements in tobacco and tobacco smoke.

While the harmful health effects of carbon monoxide, nicotine, tar, irritants and other noxious gases that are present in tobacco smoke are well known, those due to heavy metals and other toxic mineral elements in tobacco smoke are not sufficiently emphasized. Tobacco smoking influences the concentrations of several elements in some organs. This review summarizes the known effects of some trace elements and other biochemically important elements (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Mn, Hg, Ni, Po-210, Se, and Zn) which are linked with smoking.

[Smoking in European physicians].

Data on the prevalence of smoking among doctors in Europe could be retrieved from 22 countries. Only in the UK, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands surveys have been carried out systematically over many years. Marked decreases in the percentage of smokers among doctors have been noted, particularly in the UK and the Scandinavian countries.

Implications of the tobacco dependence syndrome for smoking control programmes.

Motivational and psychosocial treatments for tobacco dependence, while valuable, are not sufficient to solve nicotine-related problems, which usually require a pharmacological approach. There is also a need for training programmes for health workers and major educational campaigns on the nature of tobacco dependence to be directed at opinion leaders, teachers and the public at large.

[Trends in and effects of smoking in the world].

Smoking is undoubtedly a major cause of illness and premature death. It is responsible for as much as 90% of all cases of lung cancer, 75% of chronic bronchitis and emphysema and 25% of cases of ischaemic heart disease in men under 65 years, as well as for a number of other types of cancer, pregnancy complications and more frequent respiratory ailments in children from smoking families. In South-East Asia, tobacco chewing is estimated to cause about 90% of the deaths due to oral cancer.

Geochemistry, soils and cardiovascular diseases.

The hypothesis is presented that deficiencies or excesses in the content or availability of trace elements in rocks and soils, or in water flowing through them, may be a possible cause of certain chronic diseases, including cardiovascular ones. The geographic distribution of cardiovascular diseases is often associated with geochemical differences. This trend is particularly evident in the United States and in Europe, with higher rates for cardiovascular mortality in areas underlain by soils that are poor in most essential trace elements.

Health standards in terms of exercise fitness of school children in urban and rural areas in various European countries.

Health standard in terms of maximal aerobic power has been assessed in representative samples of school children in four European countries, with the object of testing the hypothesis that factors associated with the present days urbanization hamper the developmental process. In Norway and Iceland the exercise fitness of urban living children was stronger than that of children living in scarcely populated areas. In West Germany and Czechoslovakia there appeared a tendency in the same direction though the health standard in some ages was similar for urban and rural living children.

Myocardial infarction and water hardness in European towns.

The negative association between water hardness and cardiovascular disease found by several authors in different countries has also been found in the present investigation. All cases of myocardial infarction were registered in a standardized way at 15 WHO Collaborating Centres in Europe; information on the hardness of drinking water used by the population studies was also collected. Higher rates of myocardial infarction were usually found in towns served by softer water.

The WHO/IAEA research programme on trace elements in cardiovascular diseases.

Heart, kidney, liver, hair, and toenails were analysed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Se and Zn in male subjects who died with myocardial infarction or hypertension, as compared to subjects who died a non-cardiovascular death. Autopsy collection was made according to a WHO protocol using a titanium knife. Tissues were immediately frozen and subsequently shipped by air to the analytical laboratory.

Geochemistry and cardiovascular diseases.

Deficiencies or excesses in the content or availability of trace elements in rocks and soils, or in water flowing through them, is hypothesized as a possible cause of certain chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. Geographic distribution of cardiovascular diseases is often associated with geochemical differences. This trend is particularly evident in the United States and in Europe, with higher rates for cardiovascular mortalities being present in areas uunderlain by soils that are poor in most essential trace elements.

[Geochemistry and cardiovascular diseases (author's transl)].

Cardiovascular diseases are often found to be associated with certain physicochemical characteristics of the environment - namely, the hardness of the water and the types of rock and soil underlying the area. Areas supplied with soft water usually have higher cardiovascular death rates than do areas supplied with hard water. Evidence linking cardiovascular diseases with the geochemistry of rocks and soils is more limited.

Myocardial infarction and water hardness in the WHO myocardial infarction registry network.

The negative association between water hardness and cardiovascular disease found by several authors in different countries has also been found in the present investigation. All cases of myocardial infarction were registered in a standardized way at 15 WHO Collaborating Centres in Europe; information on the hardness of drinking water used by the population studied was also collected. Higher rates of myocardial infarction were usually found in towns served by softer water.