Jakość diety i wybrane zachowania zdrowotne dorosłych chorych na cukrzycę typu 2

Introduction: Due to the prevalence of civilization diseases more and more activities focused on the strengthening of health are needed. Proper health behaviors play a key role in diabetes prevention, maintaining health and directly affect the quality of life.The aim of the paper was to evaluate selected health behaviors among patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Material and methods: Questionnaire of Eating Behavior (QEB) and Caltrac accelerometer was conducted among a randomly chosen sample of 66 patients (47 women and 19 men) of average age 64.4 ± 11.2 years, participating in a programme for health promotion and diabetes prevention in Siemianowice Śląskie. Results: It was found that approximately half of the students were overweight or obese (BMI > 25). The diet quality and the level of nutritional knowledge was not dependent on the sex. The statistical analysis did not reveal any statistically significant differences between women and men in health-promoting behaviors, except for eating vegetables (p = 0.018), legumes (p = 0.008), tinned meat (p = 0.037), instant food (p = 0.007) and drinking energy drinks (p = 0.011) alcoholic beverages (p = 0.009). Conclusions: Frequent coexistence of diabetes type 2 with overweight and obesity confirms the increased risk of metabolic syndrome among diabetics which determinates therapeutic directions. The advantageous eating habits in the study group concern the number of meals, consumption of vegetables and fruits; whereas the negative ones the high consumption of sweets, processed food other confectionary products and alcohol.Wstęp: W związku z rozpowszechnieniem chorób cywilizacyjnych, do których należy między innymi cukrzyca, coraz więcej działań kieruje się na umacnianie zdrowia. Prawidłowe nawyki żywieniowe mają istotne znaczenie w prewencji oraz leczeniu powikłań cukrzycowych i poprawie ogólnego stanu zdrowia i jakości życia pacjentów. Celem pracy jest ocena wybranych zachowań zdrowotnych u osób dorosłych z rozpoznaną cukrzycą typu 2. Materiał i metody: Zastosowano metodę sondażu diagnostycznego oraz pomiar aktywności fizycznej urządzeniem Caltrac. Anonimowe badanie ankietowe zostało przeprowadzone wśród 66 pacjentów (47 kobiet i 19 mężczyzn), o średniej wieku 64,4 ± 11,2 roku), uczestników programu zdrowotnego „Z cukrzycą na TY” realizowanego wśród mieszkańców powiatu Siemianowice Śląskie. Badani wypełniali kwestionariusz Questionnaire of Eating Behaviour (QEB) służący do badań zachowań żywieniowych i opinii na temat żywności i żywienia. Wyniki: Większość słuchaczy charakteryzowała nadmierna masa ciała (BMI > 25). Nie zaobserwowano znamienności statystycznej między indeksem diety i poziomem wiedzy żywieniowej a płcią i sytuacją materialną badanych. Zaobserwowano istotne różnice względem częstotliwości spożycia warzyw (p = 0,018), roślin strączkowych (p = 0,008), konserw mięsnych (p = 0,037), produktów typu instant (p = 0,007), napojów energetycznych (p = 0,011) i alkoholowych (p = 0,009) a płcią. Wnioski: Częste współwystępowanie cukrzycy typu 2 z nadwagą i otyłością zwiększa ryzyko zespołu metabolicznego u pacjentów diabetologicznych, wyznaczając kierunki postępowania terapeutycznego. Korzystne zachowania żywieniowe dotyczą liczby posiłków, spożywania warzyw i owoców; negatywne z kolei wysokiej konsumpcji słodyczy, żywności przetworzonej, wyrobów cukierniczych i alkoholu

Determinants of cardiorespiratory fitness in amateur male cross-country skiers

The aim of the study was to present the performance parameters, their assessment and their predictors in the group of amateur cross-country skiers at the beginning of the preparatory period. For this purpose, incremental exercise tests were carried out on the treadmill. Body composition measurement was performed using impedance analyzer. The main findings of the study were that the most correlated with VO2 relative (max) were percentages of body fat, running speed (maximum) (km/h), running speed (final) (km/h), ventilation (L/min) and physiological cost of running (ml/kg/km). The appointment of the predictors can be an effective tool to assess the efficiency of this group and prepare a proper training plan for them

High-Frequency Ultrasound Dataset for Deep Learning-Based Image Quality Assessment

This study aims at high-frequency ultrasound image quality assessment for computer-aided diagnosis of skin. In recent decades, high-frequency ultrasound imaging opened up new opportunities in dermatology, utilizing the most recent deep learning-based algorithms for automated image analysis. An individual dermatological examination contains either a single image, a couple of pictures, or an image series acquired during the probe movement. The estimated skin parameters might depend on the probe position, orientation, or acquisition setup. Consequently, the more images analyzed, the more precise the obtained measurements. Therefore, for the automated measurements, the best choice is to acquire the image series and then analyze its parameters statistically. However, besides the correctly received images, the resulting series contains plenty of non-informative data: Images with different artifacts, noise, or the images acquired for the time stamp when the ultrasound probe has no contact with the patient skin. All of them influence further analysis, leading to misclassification or incorrect image segmentation. Therefore, an automated image selection step is crucial. To meet this need, we collected and shared 17,425 high-frequency images of the facial skin from 516 measurements of 44 patients. Two experts annotated each image as correct or not. The proposed framework utilizes a deep convolutional neural network followed by a fuzzy reasoning system to assess the acquired data’s quality automatically. Different approaches to binary and multi-class image analysis, based on the VGG-16 model, were developed and compared. The best classification results reach 91.7% accuracy for the first, and 82.3% for the second analysis, respectively

Selected health behaviours and diet quality among patients with diagnosed ischaemic heart disease and a history of myocardial infarction

Cel badań. Prawidłowe zachowania zdrowotne pacjentów mają charakter profilaktyczny i istotnie wspomagają leczenie chorób XXI w., w tym chorób układu krążenia. Celem badań było wyjaśnienie zależności między wybranymi zachowaniami zdrowotnymi a sposobem żywienia pacjentów z rozpoznaną chorobą niedokrwienną serca i po zawale serca. Materiał i metody. Anonimowe badanie ankietowe zostało przeprowadzone wśród 62 wybranych losowo pacjentów korzystających z kompleksowej rehabilitacji kardiologicznej w Górnośląskim Centrum Medycyny i Rehabilitacji AMED w Katowicach. Badani wypełniali: Inwentarz Zachowań Zdrowotnych (IZZ) i Listę Kryteriów Zdrowia (LKZ) Zygfryda Juczyńskiego oraz kwestionariusz QEB (Questionnaire of Eating Behaviour) opracowany przez Zespół Behawioralnych Uwarunkowań Żywienia Komitetu Nauki o Żywieniu Człowieka PAN. Do opracowania statystycznego wyników wyznaczono podstawowe statystyki opisowe oraz test U Manna–Whitneya i współczynnik korelacji rang Spearmana. Wyniki. Respondentów cechowało instrumentalne postrzeganie zdrowia oraz chęć podejmowania aktywności prozdrowotnych. Odnotowano istotne różnice między badanymi w częstości spożywanej żywności o niekorzystnym wpływie na zdrowie oraz popełniane błędy żywieniowe. Wnioski. Pacjenci chętnie podejmowali aktywność o charakterze prozdrowotnym oraz stanowili grupę o podobnym sposobie żywienia, jednak popełniającą różne błędy dietetyczne.Background. Appropriate health behaviours significantly contribute to the prevention and management of the 21st century diseases, including those of the cardiovascular system. The aim of the study was to elucidate the relationship between selected health behaviours and the diet pattern among patients with diagnosed ischaemic heart disease and a history of myocardial infarction. Material and methods. An anonymous survey was conducted among a randomly chosen sample of 62 patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation in the Upper-Silesia Medical and Rehabilitation Centre AMED in Katowice, Poland. The Juczyński Health Behaviour Checklist, Juczyński Health Criteria List, and the Questionnaire of Eating Behaviour (developed by the Polish Academy of Sciences) were applied. The results were analysed with the use of basic descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. Results. The patients were characterized by an instrumental approach to health and a willingness to undertake health-promoting activities. Significant differences were observed in the frequency of consuming unhealthy products; nutritional errors were also identified. Conclusions. Patients are willing to undertake health-promoting activities and implement similar nutrition methods; however, they commit various nutritional errors

Effect of Whole-Body Vibration Training on Selected Intrinsic Risk Factors in Women Aged 60+ at Fall Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of the study was to determine whether Whole Body Vibration Training (WBVT) affects intrinsic risk factors for falls in women aged 60+ at fall risk. Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial. Blinding was applied to the persons in charge of evaluating the intervention’s clinical results and statistical analysis. Methods: Forty-two women over 60 years old were randomly assigned to an experimental group (EG—12-week WBVT; n = 22) and a control group (CG—no additional physical activities; n = 20). Fear of falling was measured by the FES-I questionnaire, gait and dynamic balance using the Time-Up and Go test (TUG), aerobic endurance with the 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), and the functional strength of the lower body muscles with the 30-s Chair Stand Test (30SCST) at baseline and post-intervention. Additionally assayed were participants’ blood concentrations of interleukin-6 (IL-6). Results: The 12-week WBVT improves gait and balance (TUG, p = 0.009), exercise tolerance (6MWT, p = 0.001), and functional strength (30SCST; p = 0.027) but does not reduce the intensity of fear of falling (FES-I, p = 0.655) and the IL-6 serum concentration (p = 0.377). Conclusions: WBVT affects selected fall risk factors in women aged 60+ at fall risk

High-frequency ultrasound in anti-aging skin therapy monitoring

Abstract Over the last few decades, high-frequency ultrasound has found multiple applications in various diagnostic fields. The fast development of this imaging technique opens up new diagnostic paths in dermatology, allergology, cosmetology, and aesthetic medicine. In this paper, being the first in this area, we discuss the usability of HFUS in anti-aging skin therapy assessment. The fully automated algorithm combining high-quality image selection and entry echo layer segmentation steps followed by the dermal parameters estimation enables qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the effectiveness of anti-aging products. Considering the parameters of subcutaneous layers, the proposed framework provides a reliable tool for TCA-peel therapy assessment; however, it can be successfully applied to other skin-condition-related problems. In this randomized controlled clinical trial, forty-six postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups. Women were treated four times at one-week intervals and applied skin cream daily between visits. The three month follow-up study enables measurement of the long-term effect of the therapy. According to the results, the TCA-based therapy increased epidermal (entry echo layer) thickness, indicating that the thinning process has slowed down and the skin’s condition has improved. An interesting outcome is the obtained growth in the intensity of the upper dermis in the experimental group, which might suggest a reduced photo-aging effect of TCA-peel and increased water content. The same conclusions connected with the anti-aging effect of TCA-peel can be drawn by observing the parameters describing the contribution of low and medium-intensity pixels in the upper dermis. The decreased share of low-intensity pixels and increased share of medium-intensity pixels in the upper dermis suggest a significant increase in local protein synthesis

Assessment of Quality of Life and Pain Severity in Older Men with Osteoporosis: Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The quality of life in osteoporosis is studied for men rather than for women. Aim of the study was to determine how bone mass density (BMD) relates to life quality components and the severity of pain felt by men affected by osteoporosis. Methods: Presented research is a cross-sectional study. The cohort of 62 men aged 65 to 85 years was divided into a group with osteoporosis (N = 27) and a group without osteoporosis (N = 35). The participants’ quality of life was measured with the Qualeffo41 Questionnaire, BMD was quantified by densitometry, and pain intensity was assessed on the Visual Analogue Scale. Results: We found that lower BMD was strongly correlated to participants’ quality of life (r = −0.72), especially the quality of leisure and social activities (r = −0.66), general health perception (r = −0.59), and mobility (r = −0.57). Pain significantly affected general health perception in older men with osteoporosis. General health assessment and pain were highly correlated with each other (r = 0.888). Conclusion: BMD and the overall quality of life of the study participants were related to each other. The strongest relationship occurred between reduced BMD and leisure and social activities component. The pain significantly affected participants’ general health perception. The results may be employed to create new prophylactic strategies to improve life quality in men with osteoporosis