Therapeutic effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on liver damage induced by long-term CCl4 administration.

N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) is a drug routinely used in several health problems, e.g. liver damage.

Antiglide versus lateral plate fixation for Danis-Weber type B malleolar fractures caused by supination-external rotation injury.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate functional results and the frequency of complications in the distal fibula Danis-Weber type B fractures caused by supination-external rotation injury in a group of lateral and antiglide plate fixation.

Methods: This prospective study evaluated 44 patients with a minimum of one-year follow-up. Patients were divided into two groups: one lateral plate group (24 patients) and group with an antiglide plate (20 patients).

Age-Related Differences in Non-Persistence with Statin Treatment in Patients after a Transient Ischaemic Attack.

Background And Objective: Non-persistence with secondary preventive measures, including medications such as statins, adversely affects the prospects of successful outcomes. This study was aimed at evaluating non-persistence with statin therapy in cohorts of young and elderly patients after a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and identifying patient-associated characteristics that influence the risk for non-persistence.

Methods: The study cohorts included 797 adult patients who were initiated on statin therapy following a TIA diagnosis between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2010.

Emulsified omega-3 fatty-acids modulate the symptoms of depressive disorder in children and adolescents: a pilot study.

Background: The prevalence of mood disorders in children is a growing global concern. Omega-3 fatty acids (FA) are emerging as a promising adjuvant therapy for depressive disorder (DD) in paediatric patients. The primary objective of this pilot, single-centre, randomized, double-blind controlled study was to compare the efficacy of an Omega-3 FA fish oil emulsion with a control oil emulsion alongside standard treatment for depressive symptoms in children and adolescents suffering from depressive disorder (DD) and mixed anxiety depressive disorder (MADD).

Non-persistence with antiplatelet therapy in elderly patients after a transient ischemic attack.

Background: Antiplatelet therapy following a transient ischemic attack (TIA) constitutes an important secondary prevention measure.

Aims: The study was aimed at evaluating the development of non-persistence with antiplatelet therapy in elderly patients after a TIA and identifying patient-related characteristics associated with the probability of non-persistence during the follow-up period.

Methods: The study cohort (n = 854) was selected from the database of the largest health insurance provider of the Slovak Republic.

Plasma Cytokines Correlated With Disease Characteristics, Progression-Free Survival, and Overall Survival in Testicular Germ-Cell Tumor Patients.

Background: Cytokines are the communicators of immune system and are involved in all immune responses. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation among plasma cytokines, patient and tumor characteristics, and clinical outcome in chemonaive testicular germ-cell tumor (TGCT) patients.

Patients And Methods: This study included 92 metastatic chemotherapy-naive TGCT patients treated with platinum-based chemotherapy from July 2010 to March 2014.

Central Systolic Hypertension in Patients with Well-Controlled Hypertension.

. Central systolic blood pressure (CSBP) has prognostic significance and simplified devices for its estimation have been introduced recently. The aim of this study was to assess the achievement of the target CSBP in treated hypertensive patients.

Patient-related characteristics associated with non-persistence with statin therapy in elderly patients following an ischemic stroke.

Purpose: This study was aimed at evaluating the extent of non-persistence with statin therapy in elderly patients after an ischemic stroke and identifying patient-related characteristics that are risk factors for non-persistence.

Methods: The evaluable study cohort (n = 2748) was derived from the database of the largest health insurance provider in the Slovak Republic. Patients aged ≥65 years who were initiated on statin therapy following the diagnosis of an ischemic stroke during one full year (1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010) constituted this cohort.

Factors Influencing Non-Persistence with Antiplatelet Medications in Elderly Patients After Ischaemic Stroke.

Objectives: This study investigated the extent of, and patient-related characteristics for, non-persistence with antiplatelet therapy during follow-up in elderly patients after their first ischaemic non-cardioembolic stroke.

Methods: A database of the largest health insurance provider in the Slovak Republic was used to assemble the study cohort of 4319 patients (56.8% were women) aged ≥65 years in whom antiplatelet therapy was initiated following a hospital-based diagnosis of stroke during the period 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2010.

Relationship between circulating tumor cells, blood coagulation, and urokinase-plasminogen-activator system in early breast cancer patients.

Cancer is a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE) and plasma d-dimer (DD) and tissue factor (TF) are established VTE associated markers. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are associated with the risk of VTE in metastatic breast cancer. This study aimed to correlate CTCs, blood coagulation and the urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) system in primary breast cancer (PBC) patients.

Influence of hospitalisation on the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers in elderly hypertensive patients.

Background And Aims: The underutilization of beneficial cardiovascular medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) in the elderly patients continues to be a matter of concern. The aim of the presented study was to compare the prescription of ACEI and ARB in elderly hypertensive patients at the time of hospital admission and discharge and to identify patient-related factors which determine the prescription of ACEI/ARB.

Methods: The study sample (n = 1111) was selected from 2,157 patients hospitalised at long-term care departments of three municipal hospitals during the period between January 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 and included hypertensive patients aged ≥65 years suffering from myocardial infarction, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus or nephropathy.

HLA DRB1* and DQB1* alleles are associated with disease severity in patients with pemphigus vulgaris.

Background: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare autoimmune disease that involves the skin and mucosa. The etiology of PV is multifactorial and includes genetic, environmental, hormonal, and immunological factors.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles associated with PV and variations in the disease phenotype.

Characteristics of elderly patients who consider over-the-counter medications as safe.

Background: There is a lack of studies evaluating the factors which influence the perception of safety of over-the-counter (OTC) medications by elderly patients.

Objective: The aim of our questionnaire survey was to evaluate the perception of the risk of OTC medications by elderly patients and to identify patient-associated characteristics which determine elderly persons who consider OTC medications as safe.

Setting: 25 community pharmacies in different regions of the Slovak Republic.

Involvement of virulence properties and antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli strains causing pyelonephritis in children.

A total of 145 Escherichia coli strains causing pyelonephritis in children were investigated for the prevalence of genes encoding the following virulence factors (VFs): P fimbria (67.6 %), S fimbria (53.8 %), AFA adhesins (2.

Occurrence of erectile dysfunction, testosterone deficiency syndrome and metabolic syndrome in patients with abdominal obesity. Where is a sufficient level of testosterone?

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED), testosterone deficiency syndrome (TDS), and metabolic syndrome in patients with abdominal obesity (AO) and the prevalence of morbidity at different levels of testosterone (TST).

Background: Male sex hormones play an important role in ED and variety of TDS and may have influence on the development of metabolic syndrome. The number of men with AO which constitutes a serious health risk is continuously growing.

The use of medications with anticholinergic properties and risk factors for their use in hospitalised elderly patients.

Purpose: The aims of the present study were to evaluate the use of drugs with anticholinergic properties in elderly patients and to identify risk factors that increase the patient's chance of being given such medications.

Methods: The study was performed on a sample of 1636 patients aged ≥65 years hospitalised during the period between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2009 in three municipal hospitals. To evaluate the factors influencing the use of anticholinergic medications, we compared two groups-users and non-users of such drugs-in terms of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics as well as comorbid conditions.