ARIA 2016:Care pathways implementing emerging technologies for predictive medicine in rhinitis and asthma across the life cycle

The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative commenced during a World Health Organization workshop in 1999. The initial goals were (1) to propose a new allergic rhinitis classification, (2) to promote the concept of multi-morbidity in asthma and rhinitis and (3) to develop guidelines with all stakeholders that could be used globally for all countries and populations. ARIA-disseminated and implemented in over 70 countries globally-is now focusing on the implementation of emerging technologies for individualized and predictive medicine. MASK [MACVIA (Contre les Maladies Chroniques pour un Vieillissement Actif)-ARIA Sentinel NetworK] uses mobile technology to develop care pathways for the management of rhinitis and asthma by a multi-disciplinary group and by patients themselves. An app (Android and iOS) is available in 20 countries and 15 languages. It uses a visual analogue scale to assess symptom control and work productivity as well as a clinical decision support system. It is associated with an inter-operable tablet for physicians and other health care professionals. The scaling up strategy uses the recommendations of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. The aim of the novel ARIA approach is to provide an active and healthy life to rhinitis sufferers, whatever their age, sex or socio-economic status, in order to reduce health and social inequalities incurred by the disease

ARIA 2016: Care pathways implementing emerging technologies for predictive medicine in rhinitis and asthma across the life cycle

The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative commenced during a World Health Organization workshop in 1999. The initial goals were (1) to propose a new allergic rhinitis classification, (2) to promote the concept of multi-morbidity in asthma a

Cabbage and fermented vegetables: From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT1R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity

Is diet partly responsible for differences in COVID-19 death rates between and within countries?

Correction: Volume: 10 Issue: 1 Article Number: 44 DOI: 10.1186/s13601-020-00351-w Published: OCT 26 2020Reported COVID-19 deaths in Germany are relatively low as compared to many European countries. Among the several explanations proposed, an early and large testing of the population was put forward. Most current debates on COVID-19 focus on the differences among countries, but little attention has been given to regional differences and diet. The low-death rate European countries (e.g. Austria, Baltic States, Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Poland, Slovakia) have used different quarantine and/or confinement times and methods and none have performed as many early tests as Germany. Among other factors that may be significant are the dietary habits. It seems that some foods largely used in these countries may reduce angiotensin-converting enzyme activity or are anti-oxidants. Among the many possible areas of research, it might be important to understand diet and angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) levels in populations with different COVID-19 death rates since dietary interventions may be of great benefit.Peer reviewe

Correlation between work impairment, scores of rhinitis severity and asthma using the MASK-air (R) App

Background In allergic rhinitis, a relevant outcome providing information on the effectiveness of interventions is needed. In MASK-air (Mobile Airways Sentinel Network), a visual analogue scale (VAS) for work is used as a relevant outcome. This study aimed to assess the performance of the work VAS work by comparing VAS work with other VAS measurements and symptom-medication scores obtained concurrently. Methods All consecutive MASK-air users in 23 countries from 1 June 2016 to 31 October 2018 were included (14 189 users; 205 904 days). Geolocalized users self-assessed daily symptom control using the touchscreen functionality on their smart phone to click on VAS scores (ranging from 0 to 100) for overall symptoms (global), nose, eyes, asthma and work. Two symptom-medication scores were used: the modified EAACI CSMS score and the MASK control score for rhinitis. To assess data quality, the intra-individual response variability (IRV) index was calculated. Results A strong correlation was observed between VAS work and other VAS. The highest levels for correlation with VAS work and variance explained in VAS work were found with VAS global, followed by VAS nose, eye and asthma. In comparison with VAS global, the mCSMS and MASK control score showed a lower correlation with VAS work. Results are unlikely to be explained by a low quality of data arising from repeated VAS measures. Conclusions VAS work correlates with other outcomes (VAS global, nose, eye and asthma) but less well with a symptom-medication score. VAS work should be considered as a potentially useful AR outcome in intervention studies.Peer reviewe

ARIA 2016: Care pathways implementing emerging technologies for predictive medicine in rhinitis and asthma across the life cycle

The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative commenced during a World Health Organization workshop in 1999. The initial goals were (1) to propose a new allergic rhinitis classification, (2) to promote the concept of multi-morbidity in asthma and rhinitis and (3) to develop guidelines with all stakeholders that could be used globally for all countries and populations. ARIA-disseminated and implemented in over 70 countries globally-is now focusing on the implementation of emerging technologies for individualized and predictive medicine. MASK [MACVIA (Contre les Maladies Chroniques pour un Vieillissement Actif)-ARIA Sentinel NetworK] uses mobile technology to develop care pathways for the management of rhinitis and asthma by a multi-disciplinary group and by patients themselves. An app (Android and iOS) is available in 20 countries and 15 languages. It uses a visual analogue scale to assess symptom control and work productivity as well as a clinical decision support system. It is associated with an inter-operable tablet for physicians and other health care professionals. The scaling up strategy uses the recommendations of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. The aim of the novel ARIA approach is to provide an active and healthy life to rhinitis sufferers, whatever their age, sex or socio-economic status, in order to reduce health and social inequalities incurred by the disease

ARIA 2016: Care pathways implementing emerging technologies for predictive medicine in rhinitis and asthma across the life cycle.

The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) initiative commenced during a World Health Organization workshop in 1999. The initial goals were (1) to propose a new allergic rhinitis classification, (2) to promote the concept of multi-morbidity in asthma and rhinitis and (3) to develop guidelines with all stakeholders that could be used globally for all countries and populations. ARIA-disseminated and implemented in over 70 countries globally-is now focusing on the implementation of emerging technologies for individualized and predictive medicine. MASK [MACVIA (Contre les Maladies Chroniques pour un Vieillissement Actif)-ARIA Sentinel NetworK] uses mobile technology to develop care pathways for the management of rhinitis and asthma by a multi-disciplinary group and by patients themselves. An app (Android and iOS) is available in 20 countries and 15 languages. It uses a visual analogue scale to assess symptom control and work productivity as well as a clinical decision support system. It is associated with an inter-operable tablet for physicians and other health care professionals. The scaling up strategy uses the recommendations of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing. The aim of the novel ARIA approach is to provide an active and healthy life to rhinitis sufferers, whatever their age, sex or socio-economic status, in order to reduce health and social inequalities incurred by the disease

Psychometric evaluation of the Polish version of the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS) in adults with hypertension

Katarzyna Lomper,1 Mariusz Chabowski,2 Anna Chudiak,1 Artur Białoszewski,3 Krzysztof Dudek,4 Beata Jankowska-Polańska1 1Division of Nursing of Internal Diseases, Department of Clinical Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland; 2Division of Surgical Procedures, Department of Clinical Nursing, Faculty of Health Science, Wrocław Medical University, Wrocław, Poland; 3Department of Prevention of Environmental Hazards and Allergology, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland; 4Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Wrocław, Poland Background: Only 50%–75% of chronically ill patients take their medication as prescribed. The patient is found to adhere to treatment correctly and optimally if they accomplish 80% or more of the treatment plan. A questionnaire titled the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS) has been used in studies involving various populations and proved to be a simple instrument for measuring adherence, with good psychometric properties. Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a Polish version of the ARMS (ARMS-P), an instrument that identifies levels of adherence in the hypertensive population, and evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 279 patients, including 166 females (mean age 66.5 years), hospitalized between September 2016 and March 2017 in the Department of Internal Medicine, Occupational Diseases, and Hypertension of Wroclaw Medical University, Poland. The 12-item ARMS was translated from English into Polish. The 12 items included in the final questionnaire comprise two subscales: adherence to taking medications (eight items) and adherence to refilling prescriptions (four items). Results: Patients in the good-adherence group were younger (P=0.017; P=0.048), more likely to be professionally active (P=0.041), better educated (P=0.037), and more likely to have normal blood pressure (P<0.001). They also measured their blood pressure more often (P<0.001), and took fewer pills in a day (P<0.001). Adherent patients were also more likely to take their medication on their own (P=0.016) and read information leaflets on the medication (P<0.001). The study demonstrated that the ARMS-P questionnaire has good psychometric properties that enable its use for assessing adherence in chronically ill patients, including in particular, patients with hypertension. Conclusion: The psychometric properties of the questionnaire are satisfactory (reliability measured by means of Cronbach’s α). The ARMS-P questionnaire proved to be suitable for use in the Polish population. The use of this screening tool for the assessment of adherence to treatment is recommended in this population of hypertensive patients. Keywords: adherence, 12-item ARMS, questionnaire, hypertensio

Aktywność fizyczna studentów kierunku fizjoterapia Warszawskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego

Background. Regular physical activity allows maintenance of physical fitness at an optimal level and also contributes to greater care for other elements of a healthy lifestyle. The promotion of physical activity should be one of the tasks of health professionals, including physiotherapists. The aim of this study was to assess physical activity levels of physiotherapy students. Material and methods. This study involved 853 students (634 women and 219 men) of the Faculty of Physiotherapy of the Medical University of Warsaw (444 first-year students and 409 second-year students). The research tools were the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – short version (IPAQ-SF) and the author’s own survey to obtain information on the type of physical activity and reasons for taking it up or not. Results. Men had significantly higher levels of physical activity than women (p<0.001). The physical activity levels of second-year female students were higher than those of first-year female students (p=0.026). Among men, there was no significant difference between first and second-year students. Conclusions. More than half of those surveyed do not engage in any physical activity outside of curriculum activities. The results obtained in this study may form the basis for continuing research with the participation of various groups of subjects and using more advanced technologies and research tools.Wprowadzenie. Regularna aktywność fizyczna pozwala na utrzymanie wydolności fizycznej na optymalnym poziomie, a ponadto przyczynia się do większej dbałości o inne elementy zdrowego stylu życia. Propagowanie aktywności fizycznej powinno być jednym z zadań pracowników służby zdrowia, w tym fizjoterapeutów. Celem badania była ocena poziomu aktywności fizycznej studentów fizjoterapii. Materiał i metody. W badaniu wzięło udział 853 studentów (634 kobiet i 219 mężczyzn) kierunku fizjoterapia Warszawskiego Uniwersytetu Medycznego (444 studentów pierwszego roku oraz 409 studentów drugiego roku). Narzędziami badawczymi były Międzynarodowy Kwestionariusz Aktywności Fizycznej – wersja krótka (IPAQ-SF) oraz autorska ankieta służąca uzyskaniu informacji dotyczącej rodzaju aktywności fizycznej oraz motywów jej podejmowania lub niepodejmowania. Wyniki. Mężczyźni charakteryzowali się istotnie wyższym poziomem aktywności fizycznej niż kobiety (p<0,001). Poziom aktywności fizycznej studentek drugiego roku był wyższy niż u studentek pierwszego roku (p=0,026). Wśród mężczyzn nie stwierdzono istotnych różnic między studentami pierwszego i drugiego roku. Wnioski. Ponad połowa badanych nie podejmuje żadnej aktywności fizycznej poza zajęciami programowymi. Uzyskane w niniejszej pracy wyniki mogą stanowić podstawę kontynuowania badań z udziałem różnych grup badanych oraz z wykorzystaniem bardziej zaawansowanych technologii i narzędzi badawczych

Analiza planów zawodo wych i opiniistu dentów ostat niego roku studiów I stopnia reprezentujących wybrane kraje Europy na temat zatrudnienia w zawodzie fizjotera peuty

Background. Many factors, including legal regulations pertaining to the practice of physiotherapy and employment possibilities, can influence the vocational plans of physiotherapy graduates. The aim of the study was to analyse the vocational plans of students in selected European countries. Material and methods. 299 students: 20 from Bulgaria (BG), 100 from Spain (ES), 21 from Latvia (LV), 58 from Turkey (TUR), and 100 from Poland (PL), 225 females, with a mean age of 23.05 years (SD: 2.71; min/max: 21-39). An anonymous, voluntary questionnaire in national langua¬ges. Statistica 9.0, Kruskall-Wallis test, p<0.05. Results. Most PL students (58%) wanted to enrol in a second-cycle programme, ES (58%) wanted to take up work, TUR (48%) to continue education by attending training courses (p<0.01). TUR declared familiarity with employment opportunities more frequently (86%) than PL (31%) and ES (63%) (p<0.01). TUR declared more frequently (96%) than their PL (10%) and ES counterparts (22%) that it was easy to find work in their country (p<0.01). PL, ES and TUR were most likely to declare that it was easy to find work in EU countries. Conclusions. 1. Students believe that finding a job is easier in other EU countries than their own and so, when they enter university, they plan to look for a job abroad or they count on an improving situation on the domestic job market. 2. A professional information service on job opportunities in EU countries should be developed offering objective employment information for physiotherapists in EU. it should include predictions covering the next 3-4 years. © MEDSPORTPRESS, 2012