Type 2 diabetes mellitus, pandemic in 21st century.

In the second half of the 20th century it became obvious that a relentless increase in Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), affecting the economically affluent countries, is gradually afflicting also the developing world. This chapter shows the threat that the T2DM epidemic represents to mankind, with the astonishing recent discoveries on the role of obesity and of body fat in this metabolic disorder. Presently, the highest prevalence of T2DM is in Saudi Arabia.

Global prevalence and future of diabetes mellitus.

This chapter addresses the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in various countries according to geographic regions, as designated in an atlas publishedby the International Diabetes Federation in 2011. These include countries and territories in Europe, Africa, Middle East, North Africa, North America and Caribbean islands, South and Central America, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific Islands. Actual prevalence of DM (cases per 100 population) is expressed not only specifically for each individual country (national value) but more importantly, corrected by the population, age structure (comparative value) and also as an estimate of DM trend in 2030.

Dramatic decline of ischaemic heart disease mortality in post communist central Europe: recovery from totality.

After 1970 the preexisting gap in population health between democratic Europe and communist countries became even more prominent. While in the democratic Europe there was a progressive rise in life expectancy associated with the decline in ischaemic heart disease (IHD), the trend on the other side of the iron curtain was exactly reverse. After the fall of communism in 1989 population health in the post-communist central Europe (CE) rapidly signalled a favourable recovery.

[Addition of statins into the public water supply? Risks of side effects and low cholesterol levels].

After the discovery of antibiotics, statins, the inhibitors of cholesterol synthesis have been the best-selling prescription drug in the world. These drugs have well documented benefits for cardiovascular disease in many groups of patients at moderate and high cardiovascular risk. US Health authorities are currently pushing for anti-cholesterol drugs to be added to the public water supply.

Health differences between populations of the United States of America and the European Union.

This review documents health care outcome in relation to health expenditure in the US and in the European Union (EU) and it attempts to interpret the root cause of observed differences. In comparison with the US where the per capita expenditure for health care is close to 8,000 international dollars, health expenditure in the Western European Countries (WEC) (France, Germany, Britain, Italy) is approximately only half of that in the US. In the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEEC) it is 20 per cent or less of the US health care budget.

[Health trends in the Czech Republic and European Union].

After the fall of communism and after the entrance into EU the Czech Republic is quickly approaching to EU standards. It is probable, that in the 2015 some parameters of health trends will be near to the average of EU and in some parameters (infant mortality, incidence of HIV) it will be at the top of EU.

Short life expectancy and metabolic syndrome in Romanies (gypsies) in Slovakia.

The aim of this review is to explain short life expectancy in Romanies. Romanies represent the second largest minority in Slovakia (about 7%). Most of them exist on the fringes of the majority society.

Fall of the iron curtain: male life expectancy in Slovakia, in the Czech Republic and in Europe.

Year 1989, the fall of communism, represents a dramatic watershed. Changes and reforms reflected also upon the quality of health care and the health of populations living on eastern side of the divide. Until then, Eastern Europe had free socialized medicine, albeit troubled by lack of up-to-date medications and absence of modern diagnostic equipment.

Vitamin C, E and A levels in maternal and fetal blood for Czech and Gypsy ethnic groups in the Czech Republic.

Vitamin C, E and A levels in maternal and cord blood sera were examined at delivery in two districts of the Czech Republic. Information on personal and social characteristics, health, ethnicity, and lifestyle was also collected. A highly significant correlation between ascorbate levels in maternal and cord blood was found.