An increasing number of research studies in LIS use job adverts as a data source to analyse and track changes to job skills and the employment market over time. This review of 70 research studies in LIS aims to provide an overview of key characteristics of existing research methods, and to suggest improvements which could be made to methods. The researcher analysed different aspects of each study using a quantitative approach, and noted salient features of each study’s methodology. The review found that studies of job adverts in LIS are characterised by: large sample sizes often collected using purposive sampling; a lack of full pilot studies and ethical assessments; minimal use of inferential statistics and automatic text analysis; and minimal use of complementary empirical methods. Studies of job adverts could be improved by: fuller preparation of research methods, more sophisticated methods of analysis, and greater use of secondary empirical methods.

Objective-To determine if insulin resistance is present in normotensive adults at increased risk ofdeveloping hypertension.Design-Normotensive subjects with at least one hypertensive parent were paired with offspring of normotensive parents (controls), being matched for age, sex, social class, and physical activity.Setting-Outpatient clinic. Subjects-30 paired subjects (16 men and 14 women) with and without a family history of hypertension, aged 18-32, with a body mass index < 25 kg/mi, with blood pressure < 130/85 mm Hg, and not taking drugs.Interventions-Euglycaemic glucose clamp (two hour infusion of insulin 1 mU/kg/min) and intravenous glucose tolerance test (injection of 100 ml 20% glucose).Main outcome measures-Insulin mediated glucose disposal and insulin secretion.Results-The offspring of hypertensive parents had slightly higher blood pressure than did the controls (mean 117 (SD 6) v 108 (5) mm Hg systolic, p=0013; 76 (7) v 67 (6) mm Hg diastolic, p=0.017). Their insulin mediated glucose disposal was lower than that of controls (29.5 (6 5) v 40-1 (8.6) [imol/kg/min, p=0.002), but, after adjustment for blood pressure, the difference was not significant (difference 6-9 (95% confidence interval -1 5 to 15.3), p=010). Insulin secretion in the first hour after injection of glucose was slightly but not significantly higher in the offspring of hypertensive patients (9320 (5484) Conclusions-Young normotensive subjects who are at increased risk of developing hypertension are insulin resistant.

In conventional doses, thiazide diuretics impair glucose tolerance and decrease insulin sensitivity, making them an unpopular choice for treating diabetic patients with hypertension. However, use of low-dose thiazide diuretics may avoid the adverse metabolic effects seen with conventional doses. In a double-blind, randomised crossover study we assessed peripheral and hepatic insulin action in 13 hypertensive non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients after a 6-week placebo run-in and following two 12-week treatment periods with either low (1.25 mg) or conventional (5.0mg) dose bendrofluazide. There were no differences between doses in their effects on systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Bendrofluazide 1.25 mg had significantly less effect on serum potassium, uric acid, fasting glucose and HbA1C concentrations than the 5.00 mg dose. Exogenous glucose infusion rates required to maintain euglycaemia were significantly different between doses (p < 0.05) with conventional-dose bendrofluazide worsening peripheral insulin resistance compared to baseline (23.8 +/- 2.9 vs 27.3 +/- 3.5 mumol.kg-1.min-1, p < 0.05) and low-dose bendrofluazide producing no change compared to baseline (26.8 +/- 3.6 vs 27.3 +/- 3.5 mumol.kg-1.min-1, p = NS). Postabsorptive endogenous glucose production was higher on treatment with bendrofluazide 5.0 mg compared to 1.25 mg (11.7 +/- 0.5 vs 10.2 +/- 0.3 mumol.kg-1.min-1, p < 0.05) and suppressed to a lesser extent following insulin (4.0 +/- 0.7 vs 2.0 +/- 0.4 mumol.kg-1.min-1, p < 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Bendrofluazide 1.25 mg is as effective as conventional doses but has less adverse metabolic effect. In contrast with conventional doses, low dose bendrofluazide has no effect on hepatic insulin action. There is no difference between low and conventional doses of bendrofluazide in their effect on peripheral insulin sensitivity.