Publications by authors named "Hana Dogas"
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by persistent inflammation, joint pain, and progressive cartilage and bone erosion. Despite advancements in RA management with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and biologics, some patients remain refractory to conventional treatments. Tetracyclines, such as minocycline and doxycycline, exhibit anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, making them potential supplementary treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: Regular physical activity (PA) and Mediterranean diet (MeDi) adherence independently improve glycemic control and clinical outcomes in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study examined the associations between PA, body composition (BC), MeDi adherence, and glycemic control in Dalmatian T2DM patients.
Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University Hospital of Split (November-December 2023) during an open call for T2DM patients.
Article Synopsis
- Kidney disease (KD) is a serious complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), leading to increased risks of kidney failure and other serious health issues.
- A study involving 252 T2DM patients revealed that while many received dietary guidance, only a small fraction actually adhered to recommended diets, with 31% of participants diagnosed with KD despite only 6% believing they had it.
- The findings indicate a concerning lack of awareness about KD and underscore the need for better education on healthy lifestyles and regular screenings among T2DM patients to mitigate health risks.
Background: Arterial hypertension (AH) is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is associated with increased arterial stiffness, particularly as measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV). This study aims to explore the relationships between age groups, antihypertensive and new oral antidiabetic drugs, body composition, and arterial stiffness parameters in hypertensive patients.
Methods: A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted including 584 participants who underwent 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (including central blood pressure (BP) and PWV measurement), body composition analysis, and provided medical history and current pharmacotherapy data.
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the differences in the levels of advanced glycation end products (AGE) between patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) and to investigate the risk factors for the AGE levels in each group of these patients. There were 217 participants total, of which 99 (45.6%) were KTRs and 118 (54.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBody composition parameters in systemic sclerosis-a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Rheumatology (Oxford)
January 2024
Background: The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to summarize current evidence regarding body composition (BC) in SSc in order to gain new insights and improve clinical care in the context of the nutritional status of SSc patients.
Methods: The databases Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane Library were searched on 4 January 2023. Studies were included if they provided data regarding BC obtained by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in patients with SSc and healthy controls (HC).
Article Synopsis
- Biologic DMARDs are effective for rheumatic diseases but are costly and require careful management by doctors; this study explored their prescription changes during the COVID-19 pandemic at the University Hospital of Split.
- Data showed a 11.5% decrease in patients processed and a reduction in overall biologic prescriptions (from 231 to 204) during the pandemic, with notable changes in specific drug usage.
- Prescriptions of IL-6 inhibitors dropped significantly, while IL-17A inhibitors increased; overall, the prescription trends remained mostly stable despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the body fluid volume in patients diagnosed with both chronic kidney disease (CKD) and arterial hypertension (AH), and to investigate the relationship between fluid overload (FO), nutritional status and arterial stiffness in this specific patient population. A total of 169 participants with CKD and AH were enrolled in the study, and data on general parameters, comorbidities, medication use, and laboratory parameters were collected. Body composition was assessed with a Tanita MC 780 device, and data on the central and peripheral systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as pulse wave velocity (PWV) and the augmentation index (AIx) were collected with an IEM Mobil-O-Graph 24 h ambulatory blood pressure monitor, which was based on oscillometry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of the current systematic review was to summarize and evaluate the overall advantages of lung ultrasonography (LUS) examination using high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) as a reference standard in assessing the presence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.
Methods: Databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies evaluating LUSs in ILD assessments including SSc patients on 1 February 2023. In assessing risk of bias and applicability, the Revised Tool for the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) was used.
Vitamin D in psoriatic arthritis - A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Semin Arthritis Rheum
June 2023
Background: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize current evidence on vitamin D status in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) with a particular focus on disease activity.
Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases were searched for studies that investigated vitamin D levels in PsA. The search was conducted on 12 October 2022.
Background: The aim of the present review was to summarize the current evidence about the impact of vitamin D deficiency on pathology and clinical manifestations of Sjögren's disease (SD).
Methods: Databases PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane library were searched for studies assessing the levels of vitamin D in SD patients using the following keywords: (vitamin D OR calciferol OR cholecalciferol OR 25-hydroxyvitamin D OR 25-hydroxycholecalciferol OR calcidiol OR calcitriol OR 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) AND (Sjögren's Syndrome OR Sjögren's disease) accessed on 20 September 2022. Out of 248 retrieved studies, following the systematic review methodology and defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 9 clinical studies were eligible to be included in the present review: 4 of them case-control, 4 cross-sectional, and 1 cohort study.