Michalina Krzyżak

Introduction Effective health policy requires the systematic monitoring of population health needs, including identification and evaluation of risk factors. In Poland, the tool used for this purpose is the Maps of Health Needs which are regularly updated with new epidemiological data and serve...

Background: Myopia progression in children is a growing public health concern, with increasing evidence suggesting that lifestyle factors may influence its development. This study aimed to evaluate the potential benefits of regular badminton activity in slowing myopia progression in children. Methods: We analyzed data from 40 children aged 7–14 years with myopia ranging from −1.50 D to −6.25 D who participated in supervised badminton training (three 45 min sessions per week) for 10 months. A control group of 62 myopic children who did not engage in regular physical activity was included. Ophthalmological assessments were performed at baseline and after 10 months. Results: The axial length increased by 0.37 mm in the badminton group compared to 0.56 mm in the control group. The mean change in the spherical equivalent was −0.52 D in the badminton group and −0.84 D in controls. Myopia progression was slower in the group participating in regular physical activity. Conclusions: Regular badminton activity may help reduce the rate of axial elongation and myopia progression in children. These findings support the inclusion of physical activity as a complementary strategy in managing pediatric myopia. However, further research is needed to determine whether this effect is specific to badminton or reflects the general benefit of physical activity.

Introduction and objective: Today’s shortage of medical staff is a global healthcare issue. This leads to unfulfilled, growing health needs and rising wage pressure. The aim of the study is to evaluate employment trends among medical professionals in Poland from 2012–2022, paying particular...

Background: Work of a dental technician is associated with exposure to a number of harmful factors. We can distinguish: chemical, biological, physical and psychophysical factors. They contribute to many diseases, but not all of them are classified as occupational diseases. The main aim of the...

Introduction and objective: The health status of people at working age is one of the elements exerting an effect on the socio-economic development of a given population. The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of malignant cancers among population at working age in the Podlaskie...

Purpose: Due to the lack of systematic data on antibiotic sensitivity, the treatment of the highly prevalent and pathogenic Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection still poses a significant problem. Therefore, the aim of our study was to compare the efficacy of the three most commonly used anti-H. pylori therapies in northeastern Poland. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center study performed on 289 outpatients with an H. pylori infection. Patients received one of the following three treatment regimens: (1) bismuth quadruple therapy (BQT) for 10 days, (2) metronidazole-based triple therapy (M-TT) for 10 or 14 days, and (3) levofloxacin-based triple therapy (L-TT) for 10 or 14 days. Results: BQT, M-TT, and L-TT accounted for 93.2% of prescribed anti-H. pylori therapies. The overall success rate for all treatment regimens was 84.1% (243/289). The effectiveness of first- and second-line therapy was similar and reached 83.8% and 86.2%, respectively. The efficacy of the individual treatment regimens was as follows: (1) BQT—89.4% (84/94), (2) M-TT—80.6% (112/139) and 78.8% (26/33) for 10 and 14 days, respectively, and (3) L-TT—84.6% (11/13) and 100% (10/10) for 10 and 14 days, respectively. The overall duration of treatment and type and dose of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) had no effect on the treatment efficacy. Conclusions: In the northeastern part of Poland, 10-day BQT and 10- or 14-day L-TT are effective treatment regimens for H. pylori eradication and have appear to be superior to M-TT. Practitioners in our clinic followed mostly local anti-H. pylori therapy guidelines.

Poor diet and low physical activity play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between nutrient intake, groups of food products and physical exercise undertaken and the components of metabolic syndrome (MS). The study included 330 patients with MS, and the control group comprised of 270 subjects without MS. The food intake was assessed using 24-h dietary recall, and a 13-item Food Frequency Questionnaire. To assess nutrition knowledge, a Beliefs and Eating Habits Questionnaire was used. The level of physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Three patterns of behavior were identified: Prudent-Active, Western-Sedentary, and NotPrudent-notWestern-lowActive. In the Prudent-Active group, as compared to the NotPrudent-notWestern-lowActive subjects, the risk of central obesity, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL cholesterol and hyperglycemia occurrence was lower. There was also a lower proportion of patients with MS. As compared to the NotPrudent-notWestern-lowActive subjects, in the Prudent-Active group there was more than a two times higher chance of subjects with a high level of nutrition knowledge. Western diets have been proven to exert a detrimental effect on the components of MS. When designing intervention programs, education of patients with MS on dietary habits and physical activity should be considered.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may present as nonerosive reflux disease (NERD), erosive esophagitis (EE), or be complicated by Barrett’s esophagus (BE). The explanation as to what determines the phenotype of GERD is awaited. Therefore, we assessed the correlation between the growth factors expression and endoscopic as histologic findings in GERD patients. Methods: The squamous esophageal epithelium of 50 patients (20-NERD, 7-EE, 15-BE, 8 controls) was examined by: (1) magnification endoscopy with evaluation of minimal GERD changes such as: microerosions, white spots, palisade blood vessels visibility, and intrapapillary capillary loops (IPCLs) appearance, (2) histology, (3) immunohistochemistry with evaluation of the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and their receptors (VEGFR and EGFR). Results: The expression of VEGF, but not VEGFR, EGF, and EGFR, was significantly increased in EE patients compared to NERD patients and controls. VEGF levels correlated significantly with the presence of white spots, but not with other minimal endoscopic and histologic features. The EGFR expression correlated positively with basal cell hyperplasia and enlarged IPCLs. Conclusions: Our findings suggest a correlation between growth factors expression and findings in conventional endoscopy, formation of endoscopic minimal changes, and histologic lesions.

There are speculations that vitamin D may be an important regulator of the energy metabolism. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of serum 25(OH)D concentration and nutritional status on the resting metabolic rate. The study group consisted of 223 women with endocrine and/or osteoporotic disorders. The control group consisted of 108 women, clinically healthy. The total 25(OH)D concentration level was measured with an assay using chemiluminescent immunoassay technology. Indirect calorimetry was applied to assess the resting metabolic rate. The mean resting metabolic rate was significantly lower in the group of women with metabolic disorders than in the control group. A correlation was found between serum 25(OH)D levels in healthy subjects and the resting metabolic rate. Significantly higher resting metabolic rate was found in women with normal serum 25(OH)D levels in comparison to subjects with deficient vitamin D levels. The control group demonstrated a relationship between body fat tissue and fat-free body mass and the resting metabolic rate. Both 25(OH)D concentration and body composition were factors influencing the resting metabolic rate in the group of healthy subjects. More research is needed to clarify the relationship between vitamin D status and metabolic rate in individuals with endocrine and osteoporotic disorders.

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the world. Differences in the treatment of breast cancer may be observed by age, disease stage, place of residence and comorbid conditions. Aim: The aim of the study was to analyse the differences in the use of breast-conserving surgery among women in the Świętokrzyskie Province. Material and methods: The study included 483 female residents of Świętokrzyskie Province who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in 2013. Following indicators, recommended to evaluate the compliance with the best oncology practice, were calculated: a proportion of patients receiving post-operative breast radiotherapy after the breast-conserving surgery and a proportion of the breast-conservation surgery in pT1 cases. Results and discussion: The difference in the distribution of surgical procedures by age group (breast-conserving surgery vs. mastectomy) in pT1 cases was statistically significant (P = 0.006). The highest values of both indicators were observed in the age group recommended for breast cancer screening in Poland, while the lowest in women 70 years of age and older. Our study revealed a non-significantly higher proportion of patients receiving post-operative breast radiotherapy after breast conserving-surgery in urban than in rural women, amounting to 36.5% and 29.4%, respectively. Conclusions: Existing inequalities in the use of breast-conserving surgery indicate the need to consider the recommended breast cancer treatment to the highest possible proportion of patients residing in rural areas.