Katarzyna Połtyn-Zaradna

Background/Objectives: This pilot study aimed to evaluate the metabolic profiles in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 14 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and plasma of a control group, using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR). Methods: Multivariate analysis, including orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), was used to analyze the metabolome composition. Results: Significant differences in plasma metabolic profiles were found between the ALL and control groups. We detected elevated levels of formate, citrate, and glycerophosphocholine (GPC), along with decreased concentrations of glutamine and myo-inositol. The OPLS-DA model showed stability, with R²Y = 69.7% and Q² = 45.15%. Additionally, we observed differences in chemical shifts for leucine, myo-inositol, alanine, phenylalanine, and valine between CSF and plasma in patients with ALL. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that metabolomic analysis with ¹H NMR is a promising tool for identifying potential molecular biomarkers and for deepening our understanding of metabolic reprogramming in pediatric ALL. The observed metabolic differences highlight the potential involvement of the central nervous system in the disease’s pathophysiology.

Hearing loss is a prevalent sensory impairment associated with significant social, economic, and health burdens. Despite its importance, data on the predic

Objective: The aim of the study was to analyze the assessment of the health and emotional well-being of children and adolescents from Wroclaw, including the frequency of diseases, health symptoms, overweight, and obesity. Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study between 2019–2023, ultimately involving 1232 children aged 7–17 years. The data were collected in the form of interviews with caregivers. The study used a health questionnaire, anthropometric measurements and laboratory tests. Overweight and obesity were determined based on Polish body mass index (BMI) percentile tables in accordance with pediatric society guidelines. For the purposes of analysis, participants were divided into three age groups: 6–9, 10–12, and 13–17 years old. Results: The most common diagnosis was allergies, affecting about 36% of those surveyed. In total, 32.8% of children reported difficulties with concentration, memory, and learning. Emotionally, over one-third of children experienced anxiety or fear and outbursts of anger, 26% experienced inadequate sadness, and about 22% complained of chronic fatigue and excessive agitation. About 15% of participants reported symptoms of depression. Overweight and obesity were present in about 18% of children, with the frequency increasing with age. Moreover, it was shown that gender and age were the most important factors differentiating the risk of emotional symptoms, while body weight had no significant effect on any of the analyzed symptoms. Conclusions: The study revealed a significant prevalence of emotional disorders among children and adolescents, an increasing prevalence of allergies with age, and the growing problem of overweight and obesity. The results indicate the need for the implementation of systematic preventive measures and the early diagnosis of chronic diseases. An effective response to these challenges requires the development of an interdisciplinary healthcare model that integrates pediatric, psychologist, dietary, and social support.

The SCORE (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation) scale is useful for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk stratification. However, there is a new biomarker, namely, galectin-3 (gal-3), that offers additional predictive value. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationship between serum gal-3 concentrations and CVD risk based on the SCORE scale in a Polish cohort from the PURE study. A total of 259 participants with complete cholesterol, blood pressure (BP), and smoking data were included. Individuals with myocardial infarction, stroke, diabetes, or renal failure were excluded. Gal-3 concentrations were measured using ELISA, and statistical analyses examined associations with SCORE categories. The median gal-3 concentration was 221.32(161.64–360.00) ng/mL. Higher gal-3 concentrations were found in older individuals, smokers, and those with elevated BP(p < 0.05). Positive correlations were observed with SCORE values (r = 0.39) and systolic BP (r = 0.64). Participants with SCORE ≥5% had significantly higher gal-3 concentrations. ROC analysis showed moderate diagnostic value for SCORE ≥ 10% (sensitivity 0.618 and specificity 0.810). Higher SCORE and diastolic BP are independent risk factors for increased galectin-3 concentrations, explaining 79.5% of the variance in the studied group. Serum gal-3 is significantly associated with CVD risk estimated by SCORE, supporting its potential role in risk stratification.

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the major cardiovascular risk (CVR) factors and their trends in the study population. Methods: The results of subjects in the Polish Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological Study (PURE) study group were interpreted. CVR was calculated for each participant according to the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE2) scale or the Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation–Older Persons (SCORE2–OP) scale. Data from the beginning of the analysis (2013) and nine years later (2022) were included. In addition, the use of lipid–lowering therapy (LLT) and meeting the low–density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL–c) target criterion at the beginning and end of the study were analyzed. Results: Patients in the high and very high CVR groups who had abnormal LDL–c results accounted for 64% and 91% of their group in 2013 and 70% and 92% in 2022, respectively. Conclusions: Regardless of age, patients using LLT at the start of the analysis had a greater increase in future CVR, especially if they had lipid abnormalities at the start of the study. This may be due to reverse causality and multimorbidity in these patients, highlighting the importance of appropriate treatment of lipid abnormalities.

The aim of this study is to present data on the use of lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) in relation to calculated cardiovascular risk (CVR) and an additionally defined target LDL-C concentration. The cohort consisted of 1287 participants in the Polish edition of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological Study (PURE). CVR was calculated for each participant using the SCORE2 or SCORE2-OP scale, and for patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic kidney disease (CKD) or atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) according to the respective criteria. In the cohort analysed, 107 of 212 people (50.5%) in the low cardiovascular risk (CVR) group, 284 of 414 people (68.6%) in the moderate CVR group, 562 of 612 people (91.8%) in the high CVR group and 48 of 49 people (98%) in the very high CVR group did not meet the target LDL-c criterion. Of those in the low CVR group, 86% of participants were not receiving lipid-lowering therapy (LLT); in the moderate CVR group, the proportion was 77.8%; in the high CVR group, 68.1% and in the very high CVR group, 75%. In each cardiovascular risk group, participants who did not meet the target LDL-c concentration criterion and did not take LLT made up the larger group.

This study aimed to investigate the hypothesis that brain maintenance expressed in white matter hyperintensities and brain reserves, defined as gray and white matter volumes, mediate the association between cognitive reserve (CR) and cognitive performance. A cross-sectional population-based observational study was conducted, and the final study sample consisted of 763 participants (282 men and 481 women) with a mean age of 61.11 years (±9.0). Data from different categories were collected from study participants, such as demographic, lifestyle, medical, and psycho-social characteristics. All participants underwent a detailed psychometric evaluation (MoCA and DSST) followed by a brain MRI. Volumetric measurements of the total gray matter (GMvol), total white matter (WMvol), and white matter hyperintensities (WMHvol) were performed using the Computational Anatomy Toolbox 12 (CAT12) and Statistical Parametric Maps 12 (SPM12) based on 3D T1-weighted sequence. Significant direct and indirect effects of cognitive reserve on cognitive functioning were measured with both scales—the MoCA and DSST. In each mediation model, the volumes of WMH and GM were significant mediators for the association between cognitive reserve and cognitive performance. This study confirms the importance of strengthening the cognitive reserve in the course of life through potentially modifiable effects on both cognition and the brain.

(1) Background: This study aims to examine changes in tobacco smoking prevalence in the PURE Poland cohort study over the 9-year follow-up period. Moreover, it attempts to identify socio-demographic factors that affect changes in attitudes towards tobacco smoking. (2) Methods: The PURE Poland cohort study—baseline was performed in 2007–2010 and covered 2036 participants, including urban (59.4%) and rural (40.6%) residents of Lower Silesia, Poland. The following study reports the results of 1690 participants who took part in both the baseline (2007–2010) study and 9-year follow-up (2016–2019). (3) Results: There was a 3.5% decrease in current smokers during the analyzed period (from 20.2% at the baseline study to 16.7% in the 9-year follow-up). Living in rural area increased the likelihood of being a current smoker by more than 1.5-fold (OR = 1.65 CI = 1.26–2.14) and decreased the likelihood of being a former smoker (OR = 0.70 CI = 0.57–0.86). In the 9-year follow-up period, more women were current smokers than men (17.2% vs. 16.0%) and women had lower chances of being former smokers than men (OR = 0.77 CI = 0.62–0.95). People with a primary education had 1.5-fold higher likelihood of being a current smoker (OR = 1.45 CI = 1.03–2.05). Nearly 11% significant increase in the percentage of current smokers was observed in the oldest age group (1.9% in the baseline study vs. 12.6% in the follow-up period). (4) Conclusions: The results obtained during 9 years of observation indicate the necessity of intensifying anti-tobacco programs especially targeting women, elderly population, people with lower level of education, rural residents, and the unemployed.

This study aimed to evaluate the role of risk factors included in the Framingham Risk Score for hard coronary heart disease (CHD) in the development of type 2 diabetes (DM) in patients with impaired fasting glycemia (IFG) after a 9-year follow-up. The research was part of the Polish insight into the international Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology (PURE) study. The cohort consisted of 283 subjects aged 54.3 ± 8.9 years who were diagnosed with IFG at baseline and then completed after a 9-year follow-up. The main risk factors for both CHD and DM evaluated were smoking, arterial hypertension, abnormal lipid profile, and family medical history. Most participants had both untreated or poorly controlled hypertension and dyslipidemia. Those who developed full-fledged DM over time were older and had significantly higher levels of fasting plasma glucose, lipid parameters, and mean blood pressure records. In conclusion, we confirmed that early diagnosis of dyslipidemia and hypertension, along with the treatment optimization of these conditions, could prevent or reduce the risk of DM and adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The study highlighted a large-scale problem of the modifiable risk factors that could jeopardize the health status in patients with IFG in the long range and pointed to targeted preventive measures.

(1) Background: The objective was to investigate the association between sleep duration, bedtime, and noncommunicable diseases in the PURE Poland cohort study. (2) Methods: The baseline study was conducted in 2007–2010. The study group comprised 2023 adult inhabitants of urban and rural areas in Lower Silesia, Poland. The study protocol included questionnaires, blood pressure measurements, blood draws, and anthropometric measurements. Sleep duration and bedtime were self-reported. (3) Results: The median sleep duration of women was 30 min longer than men (8 h vs. 7.5 h; p = 0.001). The average time of sleep increased along with the age of the participants. A sleep duration of >8 h was more common in rural than in urban participants (40.2% vs. 27.1%; respectively; p < 0.001). The relative risk of diabetes, stroke, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and obesity was significantly higher in participants who went to bed between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. in comparison to those who went to bed between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. (RR 2.23, 95% CI 1.06–4.67; RR 2.52, 95% CI 1.28 to 4.97; RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.04–1.20; RR 1.36; 95% CI 1.1–1.68; RR 1.38; 95% CI 1.15–1.66, respectively). The relative risk of respiratory diseases was two-fold higher in those who went to bed after midnight in comparison to those who went to bed between 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. (RR 2.24; 95% CI 1.19–4.22). (4) Conclusions: In our study, an earlier bedtime was associated with a higher risk of diabetes, stroke, obesity, hypertension, and CVD.