Hypothyroidism in pregnancy - a review

Introduction: Thyroid diseases, right after diabetes, are the most common endocrine disorder in pregnant women. Hypothyroidism occurs most frequently among all of the thyroid dysfunctions. Thyroid hormones are essential for the proper course of pregnancy and correct fetal development. Even a mild deficiency carries the risk of complications for both mother and child. It is therefore important to make a swift diagnosis, implement appropriate substitution treatment and monitor the course of the disease throughout pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Purpose of the work: The article reviews the current state of knowledge regarding maternal hypothyroidism in pregnancy. The aim of the review is to highlight the prevalence of the disease, stress the associated adverse outcomes and present the recommended management. Materials and methods: A literature research on PubMed, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar databases was done up to May 2023 with restriction to English and Polish language articles regarding hypothyroidism and pregnancy. Summary: It is extremely important to perform TSH screening tests in women planning pregnancy and during the first obstetric visit. Due to the prevalence of thyroid disorders in society, it is necessary to educate both patients and physicians. An uncomplicated diagnosis process, low cost of screening tests and available treatment methods are able to prevent the often tragic consequences of maternal hypothyroidism

Blue light emitted from digital devices - impact on our sleep

Introduction: Today the use of digital devices is widespread in society. It has been observed increased frequency of sleep disorders occurring in the population in every age group. Scientists, concerned about the scale of the problem, have become interested in the effects of blue light emitted by the displays of digital devices, on sleep. Purpose of the work: The aim of the study is to answer the question whether a blue light emitted by digital devices affects sleep and to indicate the potential prevention of sleep disorders resulting from the use of digital devices. Materials and methods: A literature review was performed in the PubMed database using the keywords: blue light exposition; sleep quality; insomnia; light emitting diode; electronic device. Summary: Blue light emitted by various digital devices affects sleep by shortening and deteriorating the quality of sleep, falling asleep later, exacerbating feelings of sleep deprivation and increasing feelings of fatigue. Scientists have identified a couple of possible mechanisms to explain this phenomenon. There is a method that allows to reduce the negative effects of using various electronic equipment, without having to limit the length or set a rigid time frame for their use. Due to the increasing problem of sleep disorders and new habits among the society, scientists point out the need to monitor the discovered impact of blue light on sleep

Glucose Monitoring Systems - general rules of use and chances in therapy of type 1 diabetes

Introduction: Glycemic control and maintaining it within the desired range are essential for achieving therapeutic goals in patients with type 1 diabetes. Over the years, patients have gained access to advanced glycemic monitoring technologies that have revolutionized self-monitoring methods. These technologies provide data that was previously unavailable to glucometer users. They allow creating new goals to minimize the risk of diabetic complications. Purpose of the work: The goal of this study was to answer the following questions: What additional information do glycemic monitoring systems offer to patients compared to glucometers? How should this information be utilized to make therapeutic decisions? Do these systems lead to improved glycemic management? Materials and Methods: A literature review was made using PubMed, Springer Link and Google Scholar databases, searching for articles published in English and Polish up to May 2023, focusing on type 1 diabetes and glucose monitoring systems. Summary: The use of glycemic monitoring systems provides additional information compared to relying only on glucometers. Patients equipped with a glucose monitoring system can make more accurate therapeutic decisions based on a larger volume of data. Some continuous glucose monitoring systems offer additional features compatible with personal insulin pumps, preventing or reducing the intensity and duration of hypoglycemia. Patients using glycemic monitoring systems can more frequently achieve therapeutic goals

Treatment methods for patients suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (all) - a brief review

Introduction and purpose: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a medical condition with underlying abnormal proliferation of cells of the lymphoid system which are blocked at an early stage of differentiation. As a result of impaired lymphocyte maturation, the proliferation and accumulation of immature blastic cells, derived from tumor-transformed bone marrow precursor cells, develop in the bone marrow. The infiltration of the bone marrow by leukemic cells results in failure of normal hematopoiesis, with subsequent anemia, thrombocytopenia and neutropenia. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is among the most aggressive proliferative diseases, and survival time is a few to several weeks without appropriate treatment.Materials and methods: The literature available on PubMed was reviewed using the words “acute lymphoblastic leukemia ”, “ALL”, “acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment”.Summary: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia was managed with a chemotherapeutic drug combination for several years, with median overall survival of approximately 80% for all newly diagnosed cases. Patients with higher-risk relapses receive more intensive treatment, while patients with more favorable outcomes can avoid more toxic effects. Multicenter randomized controlled trials conducted by international collaborative efforts are helping to advance overall survival by exploring novel treatments. Hope for the future of leukemia therapy is defining the underlying molecular trails in the pathogenesis of the disease and clarifying host pharmacogenetic factors further. If successful, these efforts will allow the identification of new genes with candidate proteins for targeted therapies

Commotio cordis – a review of a rare cause of sudden death in young athletes

Commotio cordis, from Latin “agitation of the heart” is a potentially fatal sudden disruption and alteration of heart electric activity. It is usually caused by relatively mild blunt non-penetrating trauma to the specific point on anterior part of the chest wall during beginning of the heart muscle repolarization phase. It leads to ventricular fibrillation presenting as a collapse few seconds after the blow. It can be lethal without taking proper steps of management in a short ammount of time

When diet is not enough - obesity treatment options

Introduction: Obesity and overweight are common diseases affecting both children and adults. They cause a number of health consequences, both physical and mental. The diseases underlying obesity include hypertension, type II diabetes and selected cancers. The etiology is multifactorial, resulting from environmental, behavioral and genetic factors. Aim of the study: The aim of our study is to summarize the therapeutic options available to overweight and obese people. We paid special attention to the available pharmacology and surgical treatment. We compared these methods in terms of effectiveness, possible complications and side effects. Materials and methods: The literature available in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases was reviewed, using the following keywords: "obesity treatment", "obesity pharmacotherapy", "bariatric surgery". Conclusions: There are many treatment options for people who have not improved with diet and increased physical activity alone. The availability of both pharmacotherapy and bariatric surgery enables effective treatment of obesity and overweight tailored to the needs of patients

Influence of selected food in the profilactice and treatment of osteoporosis

Introduction: The proper diet plays an extremely important role in the development of the skeletal system from an early age This is one of the few modifiable factors that we can influence by choosing the right food. In the case of osteoporosis, nutrition is not only important during the period of growth, but also for the rest of life, which allows to reduce pathological changes in bones and counteract the effects of reduced bone mineral density such as fractures or death. Purpose of the work: The aim of the study was to answer the question of which nutrients have a significant impact on bone tissue metabolism and minimize the risk of osteoporosis and its consequences, as well as what substances contained in food may be used in the future by medicine for preventive purposes. Summary: Without a doubt, the provision of adequate recommended doses of nutrients with food is crucial for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis and its consequences, but it should be remembered that the recommended doses are averaged. As studies show, the absorption of the described substances can vary depending on the food contained in the diet, as well as the age of a person, so the recommended doses of patients should be obtained individually, taking into account dietary preferences and laboratory results. In addition, compounds such as isoflavones, while promising in the prevention of this condition, should not be routinely used as a replacement for estrogen hormone therapy, due to the still small amount of research and their ambiguous results. It is worth remembering that often the diet turns out to be an insufficient preventive measure and should be combined with pharmacotherapy. Materials and methods: Literature review in the database PubMed, Google Scholar, Springer Link, MDPI, using the keywords: Osteoporosis, diet, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, Vitamin K, magnesium, isoflavone

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy - what do we know? A review of current knowledge state

Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inherited disorder that is responsible for a considerable number of sudden death cases in young athletes. Its pathological hallmark is a progressive loss of myocytes predominantly in the right ventricle and its simultaneous replacement by fibrous and fat tissue, which in turn leads to an increased risk of potentially lethal ventricular arrhythmias to occur. Over a dozen of mutations have been confirmed as genetic basis of ARVC with most of them affecting genes encoding desmosome proteins, however in up to half of all cases the exact etiology is still unknown. By number of studies, it is implied that physical activity is the most significant environmental factor that impacts the development and course of the disease. The main focus of treatment is to prevent sudden cardiac deaths and additionally to moderate arrhythmic events and heart failure

Pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis associated with rapid correction of hyponatremia - a review

Pontine myelinolysis was first described in 1959 by Adams, Victor and Mancall and reported in alcoholic patients.[1]  It is characterized, above all, by acute non-inflammatory symmetrical lesion of myelin sheath and apoptosis of oligodendrocytes affecting the central part of thebasis pontis.[5] Demyelination may also appear in other parts of central nervous system such as thalamus, basal nuclei and cerebellum. Involvement of the regions beyond pons is called extrapontine myelinolysis. These two manifestations- pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis are combined in one neurological entity- osmotic demyelination syndrome.Pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis are mainly caused by rapid increase in extracellular fluid osmolarity; usually in situation of iatrogenic correction of chronic hyponatremia.[7]The other causes include severe electrolyte disturbances other than hyponatremia (hypokalemia, hypophosphatemia, hypernatremia), anorexia nervosa, AIDS, acute alcoholic hepatitis, liver transplantation, Vernickes syndrome, chemotherapy, chronic renal failure. [11,12] Osmotic demyelination syndrome vary in clinical manifestations. The most common presentations include encephalopathies, pareses, dystonias. The method of choice in diagnostic process is MRI imaging. Treatment of osmotic demyelination syndrome is still in an experimental phase

Fluoride prophylaxis - poison or simple way to get rid of early childhood caries (ECC) – review

Introduction: As a prevention, fluoride is used systemically as well as topically in the oral cavity.  Thanks to fluoride prophylaxis, one of the most common bacterial disease in the world can be significantly reduced. This disease is dental caries. As such, it constitutes a huge problem in current stomatology, especially the type that affects small children - early childhood caries (ECC). Fluoride has beneficial effects not only in caries prevention but also in arresting and inhibiting the active decay process. Nevertheless, in recent years the use of fluoride is claimed to be controversial due to its toxic properties. Aim: The aim of this study is to summarize the current knowledge on the effect that fluoride has on caries diseases affecting children and the safety of its use based on the available research. Materials and methods: Review of the current literature based on data available in: Pubmed, Ncbi, NIH, AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) and EAPD (European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) websites using the following phrases: fluoride, fluoride in caries prevention, fluoride in caries, fluoride mechanism, fluoride toxicity, fluoride safety, caries, early childhood caries (ECC). Conclusions: The use of fluoride is debatable, due to its toxic properties when used in excessive doses. The analysis of the studies proved that fluoride concentrations used in dentistry for the prevention and treatment of early childhood caries (ECC) are safe for the children's organism. The benefits resulting from its use in modern dentistry, which should be based on prophylaxis, are indisputable