The use of vitamin supplements among adults in Warsaw: is there any nutritional benefit?

Background: The use of dietary supplements is widespread and can contribute substantially to total nutrient intake. However, it also generates some potential risks in the case of unreasonable and excessive use of such products.

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of supplementation and the vitamin supplement contribution to total intake among Warsaw population aged 20-74 years.

Does heart failure determine the nutrition of patients?

Background: Studies of the diet of heart failure (HF) patients, available in the literature, indicate that this diet is highly inadequate in light of the existing recommendations.

Aim: To assess the nutrition of middle-aged patients with HF compared to a control group representing the general population without HF.

Methods: The study group comprised 70 patients with diagnosed HF, below 65 years, with NYHA class I/II/III.

Is there an association between depressive symptoms and coronary artery disease in the Polish adult population?

Background: Evidence-based medicine has confirmed the role of psychosocial factors in the pathogenesis of many diseases, both cardiovascular (CVD) and metabolic. On the other hand, CVD patients often suffer from concomitant diseases. Depression was found to be an independent predictor of coronary artery disease (CAD) in many populations.

Alcohol intake and cardiovascular risk factor profile in men participating in the WOBASZ study.

Background: Studies showed that alcohol intake affects various biomarkers (lipids, blood pressure [BP], homocysteine, diabetes, haemostatic factors) associated with the risk of coronary heart disease.

Aim: To determinate cardiovascular (CV) risk factor profile in a population Polish men stratified according to alcohol intake.

Methods: Within the frame of the National Multicentre Health Survey (WOBASZ), a sample of 6912 men aged 20-74 years representative for the general population in Poland was screened in 2003-2005.

Homocysteine concentration and the risk of death in the adult Polish population.

Background: Although there is a considerable epidemiologic evidence for a relation between homocysteine (Hcy) level and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The role of Hcy as a causal risk factor remains controversial.

Aim: To determine associations between Hcy level and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in general population of Poland.

Is level of social support associated with health behaviours modifying cardiovascular risk? Results of the WOBASZ study.

Background: Psychosocial risk factors affected the human health both by autonomic, neuroendocrine and immunological mechanisms and by the influence on human lifestyle. Lack of social support can reflect the person's lifestyle to more unhealthy.

Aim: To assess if low, compared to high social support level (SSL), contributes to the unhealthy lifestyle in Polish general population.

Socioeconomic factors and the risk of metabolic syndrome in the adult Polish population: the WOBASZ study.

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and its development is determined by certain socioeconomic and lifestyle factors.

Aim: To investigate the impact of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors on the risk of MetS and the underlying contributing factors in the Polish population aged 20-74 years.

Methods: Between 2003 and 2005, as part of the National Multicentre Health Survey (WOBASZ, Wieloośrodkowe Badanie Stanu Zdrowia Ludności), a random sample of Polish residents aged 20 to 74 years was investigated.

Do depressive symptoms adversely affect the lifestyle? Results of the WOBASZ study.

Background: The negative psychosocial risk factors for cardiovascular (CV) disease, such as low social support or depression, may adversely affect the lifestyle.

Aim: To evaluate the lifestyle in terms of anti-health behaviours in patients with depressive symptoms (DS) compared to individuals without DS.

Methods: A total of 6392 men and 7153 women aged 20-74 years were evaluated in the WOBASZ study [a multicentre nationwide study of the Polish population's health]).

Dietary intake of vitamins B6, B12 and folate in relation to homocysteine serum concentration in the adult Polish population - WOBASZ Project.

Background: Increased homocysteine (Hcy) levels predispose to atherosclerosis. Vitamin B6, B12 and folate play an important role in Hcy metabolism.

Aim: To assess vitamin B6, B12 and folate intake and describe the relationship between these vitamins intake and Hcy level in the Polish population.

[Vitamins and minerals intake from diet and supplements among subjects with a history of cardiovascular events in Polish population].

Some vitamins and minerals play an important role in the secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The aim of this study was the assessment of dietary vitamins and minerals intake and patterns of supplement use among subjects with diagnosed CVD in Polish population. Within the frame of the WOBASZ study, a representative sample of whole Polish population aged 20-74 (7257 subjects) was screened in 2003-2005.

[Evaluation of prevalence and magnitude of vitamins and minerals supplementation in Polish population].

The aim of this paper was evaluation of prevalence of supplementation according to demographic, economic and healthy factors and assessment of vitamins and minerals intake from supplements in Polish population aged 20-74 years. Data of 3132 men and 3529 women, from whom data about use of vitamins and minerals supplements on the day before examination was obtained, was used. Prevalence of supplement use in the study group was rather small and depended on gender, place of residence, education level and income.

Quality of nutrition and health knowledge in subjects with diagnosed cardio-vascular diseases in the Polish population--National Multicentre Health Survey (WOBASZ).

Background: Dietary treatment plays an important role in prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A significant factor that influences the fulfilment of dietary recommendations is also the knowledge of non-pharmacological methods of CVD prevention.

Aim: To evaluate the health knowledge and the dietary behaviours among subjects with established CVD and to assess how many of them meet recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for secondary prevention.

[Homocysteine level, relationship with cardiovascular risk factors in selected Polish population].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the concentration and distribution of homocysteine in random samples of men and women aged 20-74 from two populations: urban (Warsaw) and industrial-rural (former Tarnobrzeg Province), and the estimation of relationship between selected cardiovascular risk factors and homocysteine concentration. In 2001 in 617 men and 657 women homocysteine level, lipids profile, glucose, folic acid, vitamin B12 concentration, blood pressure and alcohol intake were determined. The mean (geometric) homocysteine concentration was 10.

Did favourable trends in food consumption observed in the 1984-2001 period contribute to the decrease in cardiovascular mortality? - Pol-MONICA Warsaw Project.

Aim: To compare food consumption trends (1984-2001) with cardiovascular mortality trends (1984-2002) in an adult population of right-bank Warsaw residents and establish the delay between dietary changes and mortality reduction.

Methods: Cardiovascular mortality rates for the 1984-2002 period, calculated based on the Central Statistical Office data and the results of individual evaluation of nutrition patterns in 4 independent Pol-MONICA cross-sectional studies (1984, 1988, 1993 and 2001) were analysed.

Results: The cardiovascular mortality rate in right-bank Warsaw inhabitants tended to increase until 1991, and then a decline was observed -- in 2002 in comparison to 1991 the mortality rate in both genders decreased by over 50%.

Body mass index and risk of death in middle-aged men and women in Poland. Results of POL-MONICA cohort study.

Background: Overweight and obesity have been considered to be the causes of serious health consequences. So far, there have been no studies in Poland to analyse the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and mortality.

Aim: To determine the relationship between BMI and the mortality risk due to all causes and due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in the middle-aged population of Poland.

Relationship between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular mortality--the Warsaw Pol-MONICA Project.

Background: Cardioprotective effects of alcohol recently gained wide spread interest and have been examined in several studies.

Aim: To assess the effects of alcohol consumption on mortality due to cardiovascular diseases (CV) in the population of the Eastern part of Warsaw.

Methods: The study group consisted of representative, independent and randomly selected samples of the populations of two Warsaw districts (Praga Północ and Praga Południe), aged between 35 and 64 years.

Diet and stomach cancer risk in Warsaw, Poland.

Some of the world's highest rates of stomach cancer are found in Poland. Reasons for the increased incidence are not known, but high intake of sausages and other preserved foods and low intake of fresh fruits and vegetables may be involved. A case-control study comprising residents newly diagnosed with stomach cancer during 1994-96 and controls randomly selected from the general population was conducted in Warsaw, Poland.