Reduced memory in fat mass and obesity‐associated allele carriers among older adults with cardiovascular disease

Background: Much attention has been paid to the prevalence and predisposition of the fat mass and obesity‐associated (FTO) gene to obesity, although only a few studies have characterized the extent to which this affects cognitive function. This study examined differences between risk allele carriers (i.e. FTO‐AC/AA) and non‐carriers (i.e. FTO‐CC) on indices of attention/executive function/psychomotor speed, memory, language, and visual‐spatial ability in a sample of older patients with cardiovascular disease. Methods: We recruited 120 older adults from an outpatient cardiology clinic who underwent blood draw and completed neuropsychological testing. Participants were classified into two groups: one for those who were homozygous for the non‐risk‐conferring allele (i.e. FTO‐CC) (n= 49) and the other for those who had at least one copy of the obesity risk‐conferring A allele (i.e. FTO‐AC/AA) (n= 71). Results: Mancova analyses adjusting for age and years of education revealed the FTO‐AC/AA group performed significantly worse on indices of memory (λ= 0.94, F(2, 115) = 3.58, P= 0.03, partial η²= 0.06). Follow‐up tests revealed a significant effect for the FTO‐AC/AA group, relative to the non‐carrier group, on encoding (i.e. California Verbal Learning Test Total Learning) and California Verbal Learning Test long‐delay free recall (P < 0.05). No such differences between FTO carriers and non‐carriers emerged on tests of attention/executive function/psychomotor speed, language, or visual‐spatial ability (P > 0.05 for all). Conclusions: These findings suggest that the FTO risk allele is associated with reduced memory performance, particularly on aspects of memory encoding and delayed recall. To elucidate underlying mechanisms, these findings will need to be replicated in larger samples that utilize neuroimaging.     

Variation in the Amount of Hemoglobin S in a Patient with Sickle Cell Trait and Megaloblastic Anemia

A patient with sickle cell trait and nutritional megaloblastic anemia wasfound to have a much smaller proportion of hemoglobin S during the megaloblastic phase than after recovery. This observation suggests preferential synthesis of hemoglobin A by megaloblastic bone marrow in the presence of theA-S trait.

Submitted on July 30, 1962 Accepted on November 9, 1962     

Clinical Profile of Commotio Cordis: An Under Appreciated Cause of Sudden Death in the Young During Sports and Other Activities

Blunt Chest Impact Leading to Cardiac Arrest. Not particularly well recognized are athletic Held catastrophes in which virtually instantaneous cardiac arrest is produced by nonpenetrating chest blows in the absence of heart disease or identifiable morphologic injury to the chest wall or heart (commotio cordis). To better characterize the clinical profile of this syndrome, we have assembled 70 cases, including 34 occurring during organized competitive athletics and 36 others that occurred during informal recreational sports at home, school or the playground, or during nonsporting activities. Ages were 2 to 38 (mean age: 12) with 70% < 16 years old. Most common sports involved were youth baseball (n = 40), softball (n = 7), and ice hockey (n = 7). Seven (10%) of the 70 commotio cordis victims, including six with documented ventricular fibrillation, have survived the consequences of their chest blow. Eleven of the events (16%) occurred despite the presence of chest padding believed to be potentially protective. Four victims experienced modest chest blows while in circumstances completely unrelated to sports activities; three of the four individuals who delivered these blows were ultimately convicted of criminal acts within the justice system. An experimental model of low-energy chest wall impact demonstrates that commotio cordis events are due largely to the exquisite timing of blows during a narrow window within the repolarization phase of the cardiac cycle, 15 to 30 msec prior to the peak of the T wave.     

Long-term effects of otitis media with effusion on language,reading and spelling

The long-term effects of early OME on language and educational attainment were studied in 47 children of 7–8 years of age who had participated in earlier pre-school study¹ on otitis media with effusion (OME) and language development. At pre-school age OME was diagnosed by quarterly tympanometric screens (maximum nine) and language was assessed by a standard Reynell gtest. At school age the ears of the children were assessed by otomicroscopy, tympanometry and audiometry, and the development status by several language, reading and spelling tests. The association between early OME and language development found at pre-school age was no longer present at school age.