7 Dec 2018
The Effect of Statins on Functional Mobility in Adults
Kenzie Opse '18
Statins (cholesterol lowering drugs) have become the most prescribed medication in the world. Previous investigations have shown statins may cause myopathies such as muscle cramps, fatigue, soreness, weakness, and in rare cases, rhabdomyolysis (3). Such issues can negatively impact functional mobility, which is the ability to move about and perform activities of daily living comfortably and safely. This can lead to loss of independence and lowered quality of life. One major complication of decreased functional fitness is increased fall risk in older adults (4). Statins should be used with caution if they are increasing fall risk and making activities of daily life more difficult. PURPOSE: to determine the effects of statins on functional mobility measures by comparing individuals who were taking statins to those not taking statins. We hypothesize that those taking statins would have decreased functional mobility values compared to non-statin taking adults. METHODS: 22 participants aged 40-80 with borderline to high LDL cholesterol (≥ 130 mg/dL) performed 1 test session in the lab. Functional mobility was measured by the 6 minute walk test, stair ascent/descent, shoulder flexibility test, the timed 8 ft Up-and- Go, and 5 chair stands. RESULTS: Gait speed was significantly lower in statins compared to no statins (p=0.03). Total walk distance and estimated VO2max non-significantly trended higher in statins (p=0.06), while there was a non-significant trend for lower ratings of perceived exertion during the walk test in statins. CONCLUSION: We conclude that statins may be associated with adverse muscle side effects in older adults that could lead to decreased functional mobility. Further research is warranted to determine the risks vs benefits of statin use in those with borderline high LDL cholesterol.
DNA Extraction and Microsatellite Amplification of Daphnia pulicaria Resting Eggs: Analysis of Allele Frequencies Through Time
Anna Ries '18
A paleoecological approach allows for the study of genetic change in populations over longer periods of time than would be possible if one were sampling populations from year to year. Daphnia and other cladoceran zooplankton are amenable to this type of study because they produce diapausing embryos (ephippial eggs) when they sexually reproduce, and these resting eggs can remain viable for decades to centuries in lake sediments. This study uses paleoecological methods as well as a new methodology for ephippial DNA extraction and amplification to assay for genetic variation in ephippial eggs obtained from recent sediments to those deposited more than 80 years ago from Square Lake (Washington County, MN). Using this new methodology approach was successful and it was possible to extract 22 ephippial embryos and test 12 different loci for each one. Starting in 1981, Square Lake was annually stocked with rainbow trout, a selective predator on Daphnia pulicaria, by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). Eggs extracted from the sediment cores of this lake were screened for 15 loci and genotyped by capillary electrophoresis and of those, 12 loci amplified and 11 were polymorphic. Genetic analyses of the ephippial eggs deposited before and after the advent of the trout stocking program indicates that the pre-1981 (1930-1977) individuals have higher allelic diversity than the ephippia eggs assayed from recently deposited sediments (2015 dredge sample). In addition, there were relatively few alleles in common between the resting eggs assayed from the two time periods. Moving forward using this methodology and research is possible to conduct at Hamline University as it produces data with resolution and also replicability.