Isoflavones--safe food additives or dangerous drugs?

The sales volume of products containing isoflavone has increased since the publication of the Women's Health Initiative. The many apparently contradictory results published on the effects of isoflavones on a variety of estrogen-regulated organs point to both beneficial as well as adverse effects on human health. It is of particular importance that psychovegetative climacteric complaints such as hot flushes are, if at all, only slightly influenced by isoflavones. The substances appear to have weak anti-osteoporotic effect. Their anti-atherosclerotic action is debatable, as not all authors find any beneficial effect on lipids. Most importantly, there is dispute as to whether isoflavones derived from soy or red clover have negative, positive or any effect at all on the mammary gland or endometrium. It is beyond any doubt that soy products may have cancer preventing properties in a variety of organs including the mammary gland. However, these properties may only be exerted if the developing organ was under the influence of isoflavones during childhood and puberty. This may also explain the often quoted "Japanese Phenomenon", the fact that breast cancer occurs to a lesser extent in Japanese women. When administered to isoflavone "inexperienced" women at the time of menopause, the phytoestrogens appear to share the same effects as estrogen used in classical preparations for hormone replacement therapy, i.e. they may stimulate the proliferation of endometrial and mammary gland tissue with at present unknown and unpredictable risk to these organs. Therefore, the following question arises for the clinician: Why should soy or red clover products containing isoflavone be recommended, if the positive effects are only negligible but the adverse effects serious?     

Wireless live streaming video of surgical operations: an evaluation of communication quality

We evaluated a mobile video system for surgical teleconsultation. A video streaming server in the operating room transmitted video and audio to a hand-held computer (personal digital assistant [PDA]) over a wireless local area network. Two groups of 20 surgeons (each with 12 qualified surgeons and eight surgeons between the 2nd and the 4th year of training) participated in the tests. For voice transmission, correct understanding of numbers was achieved in 100% of the cases (n = 1000) and 98% of medical terms (n = 400). The quality of the video displayed on the PDA was assessed by the recognition of different operating room scenarios. Only 62% (SD 17) of the structures were identified clearly on the hand-held device (n = 400). The accuracy improved to 78% (SD 15) (n = 400) if the same scenario was observed on a larger (50 cm) video screen (p < 0.001). Accuracy was significantly better if audio conversation was possible. The quality evaluation by the consultants showed that the PDA display size and quality were sufficient for clinical use.     

Nerve ultrasound in miller fisher variant of Guillain–Barré syndrome

Introduction: Focal enlargement of the peripheral and spinal nerves, visualized using high‐resolution ultrasound (HRUS), has been reported in early Guillain–Barré syndrome, but not in the Miller Fisher variant. We report the use of HRUS in 2 patients who presented with acute ataxic neuropathy, areflexia, and ophthalmoparesis. Methods: Ultrasound and/or nerve conduction studies (NCS) of peripheral nerves, the vagus, and spinal nerves C5/6 were performed at onset and 2 weeks after immunoglobulin therapy. Results: Both patients fulfilled criteria for diagnosis of Miller Fisher syndrome (MFS). Laboratory findings revealed elevated ganglioside Q1b antibodies in both and an albuminolocytologic dissociation in 1 patient. In addition, 1 patient had NCS evidence for demyelinating neuropathy. However, ultrasound showed focal enlargement in the vagus, the spinal nerves, and/or in the peripheral nerves in both patients. After therapy, nerve enlargement decreased in parallel with clinical improvement. Conclusion: Spinal and/or peripheral nerve enlargement supports the diagnosis of MFS in early phases of the disease. Muscle Nerve 52 : 1106–1110, 2015     

Contrast timing in computed tomography: effect of different contrast media concentrations on bolus geometry

Objective

To assess the effect of low-osmolar, monomeric contrast media with different iodine concentrations on bolus shape in aortic CT angiography.

Materials and methods

Repeated sequential computed tomography scanning of the descending aorta of eight beagle dogs (5 male, 12.7 ± 3.1 kg) was performed without table movement with a standardized CT scan protocol. Iopromide 300 (300 mg I/mL), iopromide 370 (370 mg I/mL) and iomeprol 400 (400 mg I/mL) were administered via a foreleg vein with an identical iodine delivery rate of 1.2 g I/s and a total iodine dose of 300 mg I/kg body weight. Time-enhancement curves were computed and analyzed.

Results

Iopromide 300 showed the highest peak enhancement (445.2 ± 89.1 HU), steepest up-slope (104.2 ± 17.5 HU/s) and smallest full width at half maximum (FWHM; 5.8 ± 1.0 s). Peak enhancement, duration of FWHM, enhancement at FWHM and up-slope differed significantly between iopromide 300 and iomeprol 400 (p < 0.05). Except for enhancement at FWHM there were no significant differences between iopromide 300 and iopromide 370 and iopromide 370 and iomeprol 400 (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Low viscous iopromide 300 results in a better defined bolus with a significantly higher peak enhancement, steeper up-slope and smaller FWHM when compared to iomeprol 400. These characteristics potentially affect contrast timing.     

Cardiac oxidative metabolism, function, and metabolic performance in mild hyperthyroidism: a noninvasive study using positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Using noninvasive imaging, we have previously demonstrated that myocardial efficiency is impaired in hypothyroidism and improves after establishing euthyroid conditions. Little is known about the effects of abnormally elevated thyroid hormone exposure on cardiac metabolic performance. We studied 10 patients without evidence of heart disease in mild hyperthyroidism, and after therapy under euthyroid conditions. Cardiac oxidative metabolism was quantified by positron emission tomography with [(11)C]acetate. Left ventricular geometry was determined by cine magnetic resonance imaging. Myocardial efficiency, defined by the relation between work and oxygen consumption, was estimated using the work metabolic index [WMI = stroke volume * systolic blood pressure * heart rate/(oxidative metabolism * ventricular mass)]. In hyperthyroidism, heart rate and cardiac output were expectedly higher. Peripheral vascular resistance was reduced. Differences of blood pressure, stroke volume, and ventricular mass were not observed. Oxidative metabolism was significantly higher, but WMI was not different from the euthyroid state. In summary, while improvement of efficiency through thyroid hormone substitution was observed previously in hypothyroidism, our data in mild hyperthyroidism suggest an increase of oxygen consumption, paralleled by an increase of work. Thus, moderately elevated thyroid hormone levels neither result in further increase nor in reduction of cardiac metabolic performance.