Obesity as an "infectious" disease

Introduction: Obesity has been recognized as a global epidemic by the WHO, followed by a wealth of empirical evidence supporting its contagiousness. However, the dynamics of the spread of obesity between individuals are rarely studied.  A distinguishing feature of the obesity epidemic is that it is driven by a process of social contagion that cannot be perfectly described by the infectious disease model. There is also social discrimination in the obesity epidemic. Social discrimination against obese people plays quite different roles in two cases: on the one hand, when obesity cannot be eliminated, social discrimination can reduce the number of obese people; on the other hand, when obesity is eradicable, social discrimination can cause it to explode.(1)   Materiał and methods: A literature analysis on obesity epidemic was carried out within the Pubmed, Google scholar and Research Gate platform. The following keywords were used in serach: obesity, epidemy, children, body max index.    Purpose of the work: The aim of the following analysis is to present an obesity as an infectious disease. The steadily increasing percentage of obese people, including children, shows that there is an obesity epidemic. This is the phenomenon of social contagion, which partially explains the concept of homophily, which involves the grouping of people with similar characteristics. Potential explanations are also provided by sharing a living environment with similar access to certain foods and similar opportunities for physical activity, which defines the occurrence of analogous health habit

Effectiveness of the salt therapy – current knowledge status

Introduction: The salt therapy is a form of the aerosol therapy using sodium chloride in different forms. The beginnings of the halotherapy date back to the nineteenth century when it has been practised as a medical treatment in the old salt mines of Central and Eastern Europe. The salt therapy as an adjuvant method seems to have positive impact on treatment of respiratory system diseases and dermatological conditions. We distinguish two types of the dry salt therapy: halotherapy and speleotherapy. Purpose of the article: We aimed to evaluate efficacy of the salt therapy in treatment of pulmonary and dermatological disorders. Material and methods: We searched three electronic databases: Pubmed, Web of Science and Google Scholar from inception to the August 2022 and conducted a review. The following descriptors were used: „halotherapy”, „speleotherapy” and „salt therapy”. Results and conclusions: The salt therapy improves mucociliary elimination, pulmonary functions and reduces airway’s irritation. It also reduces intensity of the dryness, redness and stimulates regenerative processes in the skin. This method is safe and do not cause the serious adverse effects. Therefore, due to its potential benefits, it should be considered as an additional therapy beside standard treatment procedures inter alia in the asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis. Moreover, halotherapy has positive impact on children’s general development as it enhances the growth and weight gain. However, scientific evidences for effectiveness of the salt therapy are limitted. There is a need of further studies assessing effectiveness of the long-therm salt therapy on the larger group of patients

Influence of physical activity, diet, psychic stress and other diseases on psoriaris

Introduction and objective: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by improperly differentiating epidermal keratinocytes. It may be associated with many coexisting diseases, mainly of the digestive, circulatory and autoimmune systems. Materials and methods: Pubmed database was searched. The criteria for qualifying the articl for the review were the following keywords: psoriasis, diet, sport, exercises, stress. 20 articles from 2017 to 2022 were analyzed. Description of the state of knowledge: Psoriasis has many links with metabolism, which depends on diet, exercise, and other diseases in the body. The excessive amount of pro-inflammatory substances can be regulated by supplying the body with anti-inflammatory ingredients in the diet as well as by physical activity that reduces the level of visceral fat. Many other diseases related to, inter alia, inflammation of the intestines or the state of the intestinal microbiota also affect the systemic distribution of cytokines and adipokines. An important factor influencing health is also mental stress and even epigenetic factors. Summary: Increased physical activity helps fight the main consequences of psoriasis. A similar effect is demonstrated by a low-calorie diet with a high content of anti-inflammatory ingredients and antioxidants and avoidance of pro-inflammatory substances. Treating other comorbidities and maintaining a low level of mental stress also have a positive effect on patients with psoriasis. All of the above interventions are effective complementary to pharmacological therapy

Positive and negative aspects of sauna bathing – current knowledge status

Introduction: Sauna bathing as a health-promoting activity has been known to mankind for millennia. Sauna session, which consists of alternate overheating and then rapidly cooling the body, has a beneficial effect on the health of the body confirmed by scientific research. In the last few decades, sauna bathing has become more available due to the growing market of recreational services such as water parks and sauna parks. Regular use of sauna bathing reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, mental stress, accelerates the process of regeneration after physical exertion, as well as increases resistance to the harmful effects of certain environmental factors. Despite the health benefits known for many years, the physiological mechanisms occurring in the body during sauna sessions still remain unknown. Sauna bathing treatments can be an effective complement to the process of treatment and rehabilitation of patients with cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, respiratory tract diseases, skin diseases and many others. Material and methods: A literature analysis on sauna bathing was carried out within the Pubmed and Google scholar platforms. The following keywords were used in search: sauna bathing, infrared sauna, cardiovascular diseases.  Purpose of the work: The aim of the following analysis is to present a historical outline of the use of sauna bathing, the health aspect, risks and the assumptions and indicating an important need for further research into the effects of sauna bathing on the body

The insulinoma as a diagnostically and therapeutically challenging neoplasm

Introduction and purpose An insulinoma is the most common neuroendocrine tumor of a pancreas. This tumor produces insulin, which in excess causes hypoglycemic attacks, provoked by hunger or physical effort. Delays in diagnostic processes of the insulinoma are associated with the misattribution of symptoms to cardiac, psychiatric or neurological disorders. Thus, the suitable diagnostic procedures play a significant role as they ensure quick introduction of treatment. The purpose of this work is to evaluate advances in demanding diagnostically and therapeutically insulinoma. A brief description of the state of knowledge The used method was a literature review. The basic and the most common method of treating the insulinoma is a surgery. Due to this, finding precise location of the tumor preoperatively is crucial. In the diagnostics of the insulinoma both basic CT and MRI contrast enhanced and an endoscopic ultrasound, a selective arterial calcium stimulation test and the latest molecular imaging are used. In treatment process not only traditional surgical excisions were performed, but also laparoscopic and robotic surgeries turned out to be success. Conclusions Summing up, the insulinoma is a neoplasm with a wide range of therapeutic and diagnostic solutions, thanks to the progress that has been made in recent years. Although there are many difficulties on a diagnostic path of the insulinoma, new solutions and appropriate aproach make this process easier. Nevertheless, doctor’s diagnostic vigilance is essential, because consideration in the differential diagnosis the insulinoma is an essential step and without this step any further actions can be taken.Introduction and purpose An insulinoma is the most common neuroendocrine tumor of a pancreas. This tumor produces insulin, which in excess causes hypoglycemic attacks, provoked by hunger or physical effort. Delays in diagnostic processes of the insulinoma are associated with the misattribution of symptoms to cardiac, psychiatric or neurological disorders. Thus, the suitable diagnostic procedures play a significant role as they ensure quick introduction of treatment. The purpose of this work is to evaluate advances in demanding diagnostically and therapeutically insulinoma. A brief description of the state of knowledge The used method was a literature review. The basic and the most common method of treating the insulinoma is a surgery. Due to this, finding precise location of the tumor preoperatively is crucial. In the diagnostics of the insulinoma both basic CT and MRI contrast enhanced and an endoscopic ultrasound, a selective arterial calcium stimulation test and the latest molecular imaging are used. In treatment process not only traditional surgical excisions were performed, but also laparoscopic and robotic surgeries turned out to be success. Conclusions Summing up, the insulinoma is a neoplasm with a wide range of therapeutic and diagnostic solutions, thanks to the progress that has been made in recent years. Although there are many difficulties on a diagnostic path of the insulinoma, new solutions and appropriate aproach make this process easier. Nevertheless, doctor’s diagnostic vigilance is essential, because consideration in the differential diagnosis the insulinoma is an essential step and without this step any further actions can be taken

Targeted therapy with histamine antagonists - New challenges to fight with breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is currently the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women. BC is most often derived from the epithelial tissue of the mammary gland and is a global problem due to the steady increase in morbidity and mortality in most countries. A particular problem today is the triple negative subtype (TNBC), which accounts for approximately 10-15% of breast cancer cases. BC occurs most frequently in young women and is characterised by various biological characteristics, an unfavourable clinical course and a poor prognosis. Recent studies to detect the effects of histamine receptors on breast cancer have shown that all H1R-H4R receptors are also hyperactive in the cancer microenvironment. Chronically maintaining a high level of histamine in the tumour-affected tissue contributes to increased angiogenesis at this site, induction of cancer cells proliferation and T lymphocyte dysfunction. The rising incidence of breast cancer is contributing to an increasing amount of research into targeted therapies. Studies on the effect of histamine antagonists through H1R-H4R receptors have proven their effectiveness in the treatment of breast cancer. Among those in the study, there was a reduction in tumour growth, cell proliferation and an increase in apoptosis. The use of histamine antagonists also contributed to a reduced risk of death from breast cancer and increased overall survival (OS). Therefore, targeted therapy is needed to improve the prognosis of patients with breast cancer.&nbsp

Risk factors of self-medication with antibiotics for acute pharyngitis

Background: Self-medicating with antibiotics is prevalent in low- and middle-income nations. This research sought to assess the perspectives on antibiotic usage and self-medication in case of acute pharyngitis, as well as the factors linked to self-medication among patients of a family doctor's clinic in Lublin, Poland. Methods: A original, fully anonymous survey was conducted among patients of a family doctor's clinic in Lublin. The descriptive statistics of answers in questionnaires and Automatic Linear Modeling Regression (LINEAR) was applied to point out the most significant predictors of the antibiotics misuse. Results: A response number of 262 participants was obtained. About 15,6% (41/262) respondents had self-medicated during the last year due to acute pharyngitis symptoms. We have identified the following important risk factors of anti-health behaviours connected with self-medication: frequent occurrence of symptoms of acute pharyngitis, frequent receiving antibiotics on prescription, frequent diagnosing a bacterial cause of sore throat, higher sensitivity to pain and lower education level. Surprisingly our research shows that women present lower sensitivity to pain than men in case of pain connected with acute pharyngitis. Conclusion: There is a need for greater attention paid to the education of the patients presenting the aforementioned risk factors. Education should focus on the risks to the patients connected with antimicrobial resistance

Risk factors of self-medication with antibiotics for acute pharyngitis

Background: Self-medicating with antibiotics is prevalent in low- and middle-income nations. This research sought to assess the perspectives on antibiotic usage and self-medication in case of acute pharyngitis, as well as the factors linked to self-medication among patients of a family doctor's clinic in Lublin, Poland. Methods: A original, fully anonymous survey was conducted among patients of a family doctor's clinic in Lublin. The descriptive statistics of answers in questionnaires and Automatic Linear Modeling Regression (LINEAR) was applied to point out the most significant predictors of the antibiotics misuse. Results: A response number of 262 participants was obtained. About 15,6% (41/262) respondents had self-medicated during the last year due to acute pharyngitis symptoms. We have identified the following important risk factors of anti-health behaviours connected with self-medication: frequent occurrence of symptoms of acute pharyngitis, frequent receiving antibiotics on prescription, frequent diagnosing a bacterial cause of sore throat, higher sensitivity to pain and lower education level. Surprisingly our research shows that women present lower sensitivity to pain than men in case of pain connected with acute pharyngitis. Conclusion: There is a need for greater attention paid to the education of the patients presenting the aforementioned risk factors. Education should focus on the risks to the patients connected with antimicrobial resistance

Wpływ różnych napojów alkoholowych na układ krążenia.

Introduction: Alcohol is one of the most widely-used stimulants. It’s easily accessible, most socially accepted and usually not associated with potential harm it can do. Except for its addictive effect, it has a strong influence on humane systems.  In this analysis the influence of alcohol on the cardiovascular system will be examined. As it is not obvious whether alcohol usage should be only associated with harmful impact on cardiac activity, different types of alcoholic beverages should be examined.  In this work three different sub-groups will be analyzed. They were selected and divided by the beverage type and percentage as follows: beer, wine, high percentage liquors. As the majority of studies show, it’s important to underline the significance of not only the alcohol percentage implied, but mostly of the alcohol type. In favor of alcoholic beverages are only studies analyzing beverages containing low levels of alcohol, but abundant in other organic substances like resveratrol (in wine). Other studies considering other beverages, nonetheless of alcohol levels, diminishing effect on the cardiovascular (and other) systems is observed.    Material and methods: An analysis of scientific papers from Pubmed Google Scholar was performed, wchoch most accurately described the issue of diffrent type of alcohol bevereage on human health. The following keywords were used in search: alcohol, cardiovascular, wine, beer, spirits.  Purpose of the work: Aim of the following analysis is to systematize the knowledge based on latest research and findings about the impact of different alcohol beverages on cardiovascular system.