Impact of physical activity on incidence of osteoporotic fractures - a review

Introduction and purpose: The purpose od this study is to describe influence of participating in sporting activities on health of the bones. Osteoporosis is a disease of elderly people in which bone mineral density lowers. Physical activity was reported to increase bone mineral density.A brief description of the state of knowledge: Better physical performance is a positive factor that lowers the possibility of fracturing the bones of the elderly. Another factor that plays protective role is lean body mass and development of muscles. Training in young age can help to increase the bone mineral density, but the effect ceases with the passing of time, being much lower after decades. Multiple genes have impact on bone mineral density of the individual. Professional athletes have usually higher bone mineral density, but accumulation of microdamage in their bones can result in stress fractures. Training in elderly age is proven to increase bone mineral density of an individual, especially performing weight-bearing sports.Conclusions: Physical activity has been proven to positively affect health in many ways. One of them is strengthening the bones by increasing bone mineral density. As it increases, the possibility to break the bone lowers, which makes it an effective way to support the fight against the osteoporosis. It is especially important for women, who are more susceptible to osteoporotic fractures in post-menopausal age

Prion diseases: fatal familial insomnia

Introduction. Fatal familial insomnia (FFI) is one of the transmissible spongiform encephathalopathies characterized by neuronal loss, sleep impairment, subsequent non-specific disturbances of autonomic nervous system (e.g. tachycardia) and endocrine dysfunctions. It is fatal autosomal dominant prion disease, which is extremaly rare- FFI affects only about one person per milion annually. The aim of this study is to review the literature and systematize knowledge about fatal familial insomnia.Brief description of the state of knowledge. The causative agent of this disease is a misfolded version of the physiological prion protein called PrP(Sc) in the brain.  Major vulnerable regions in FFI are mediodorsal and anterior ventral nuclei of the thalamus.  Average  survival time after the onset of symptoms is 18 months. Hence molecular mechanisms involved in pathogenesis are poorly understood, the disease is incureable yet. However, there are a number of therapeutic options currently under investigation, e.g. immunotherapy or doxycycline usage.Conclusions. Subsequent researches are essential to improve understending of fatal familial insomnia. The prime issue is to develop functioning therapeutic or preventive treatment. While some of presented terapeutic approches appers promising, all of them require profoud research