Height, health and growth hormone

The principal objective of this paper is to provide health practitioners with information on the positive aspects of shorter stature for use in counseling short children with poor self-images. Another objective is to provide information on the physical capabilities, health potential and psychosocial characteristics of shorter stature as a baseline for deciding whether a healthy short child should receive growth hormone therapy. The information presented here was obtained from review of publications covering medical and nutritional research, gerontological studies, athletic performance and environmental, biological and engineering aspects of the human body. It was found that the popular belief in the superiority of tall stature is based primarily on social bias rather than on a scientific foundation. Studies indicating that taller people are healthier or more productive than shorter ones have ignored a wide range of evidence that shorter people are highly creative, productive, long-lived, athletic and better for the environment. The authors urge medical and scientific professionals to consider the many advantages of shorter stature in terms of health, social and environmental benefits.     

Telomere length in relation to insulin resistance,inflammation and obesity among Arab youth

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the associations of telomere length to markers of obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation in Saudi children. Methods: A total of 69 boys and 79 girls, aged 5–12 years, participated in this cross‐sectional study. Anthropometrics were measured. Serum glucose and lipid profile were measured using routine laboratory methods. Serum insulin, leptin, adiponectin, resistin, tumour necrosis factor‐alpha and active plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 were quantified using customized multiplex assay kits. C‐reactive protein and angiotensin II were quantified using ELISA. Leucocyte telomere length was examined by quantitative real time PCR utilizing IQ cycler. Results: Mean telomere length was significantly shorter in obese boys compared with their lean counterparts (p = 0.049), not in girls. It was not associated to insulin resistance, adipocytokines and markers of inflammation. In girls, the significant predictor of telomere length was waist circumference, explaining 24% of variance (p = 0.041) while in boys, systolic blood pressure explained 84% of the variance (p = 0.01). Conclusion: Childhood obesity in boys corresponds to shorter leucocyte telomere length which is not evident in girls. The association of leucocyte telomere length to blood pressure and waist circumference in children suggests clinical implications as to the contribution of these parameters in premature ageing.     

Classifying communication disability using the ICF

Health classification schemes not only affect funding of speech-language pathology services but the terminology used in the classification affects the way the profession communicates externally to its stakeholders and internally within the profession. This paper describes the classification scheme of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). While the conceptual framework of the ICF has been established within the profession, the detailed classification scheme is becoming increasingly important to speech-language pathologists. The implementation of the classification worldwide presents many opportunities for speech-language pathologists. Details of the ICF, however, continue to be “work in progress,” particularly in areas highly relevant to speech-language pathology such as the differentiation of the Activity and Participation components and their qualifiers. This uncertainty, together with other limitations, needs to be acknowledged by the profession. A research agenda is proposed that aims to place the speech-language pathology profession firmly at the forefront of ICF developments, so that the full scope of the profession's work is suitably acknowledged in the future.     

Clinical features and predictors of diphtheritic cardiomyopathy in Vietnamese children

BACKGROUND: Despite the availability of antitoxin and antibiotics, the mortality rate for diphtheria remains high, mostly because of cardiac complications. METHODS: During 1 year, 154 Vietnamese children with diphtheria admitted to a referral hospital were studied prospectively with clinical examination, including a simple pseudomembrane score, 12-lead and 24-hour electrocardiography, measurement of serum cardiac enzyme levels, and estimation of troponin T levels. RESULTS: Thirteen children had diphtheritic cardiomyopathy on admission, and 19 developed it subsequently. Twelve children (8%) died. The combination of pseudomembrane score of >2 and bull neck predicted the development of diphtheritic cardiomyopathy, with a positive predictive value of 83% and a negative predictive value of 93%. Administration of 24-hour electrocardiography on admission improved the ability to predict diphtheritic cardiomyopathy by 57%. Fatal outcome was best predicted by the combination of myocarditis on admission and a pseudomembrane score of >2. Of the cardiac enzyme levels measured, an elevated aspartate aminotransferase level was the best predictor. The presence of troponin T identified additional children with subclinical cardiac damage. CONCLUSIONS: The development of diphtheritic cardiomyopathy can be predicted by means of simple measures.