Publications by authors named "K Smitka"

Regulatory bodies do not set parameters for measuring certain ostomy product characteristics. As a result, each manufacturer has a different way of measuring specific convex skin barrier characteristics that may create confusion among clinicians when selecting a product. In order to alleviate this confusion and encourage consistency in reporting product characteristics, an international meeting of clinicians with expertise in the care of persons living with an ostomy was convened.

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Article Synopsis
  • The balance between appetite-stimulating and appetite-suppressing signals from the gut, brain, and other tissues is crucial for regulating food intake, behavior, and emotional health; disruptions in this balance can lead to eating disorders like anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN).
  • AN is characterized by extreme dietary restriction leading to low body weight, while BN involves binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors like vomiting or excessive exercise.
  • Recent research highlights the role of gut microbiome, neuroimmune mechanisms, and specific autoantibodies in influencing appetite and mood, suggesting potential avenues for new treatments and prevention strategies for these disorders.
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Brain-gut microbiota interactions are intensively studied in connection with various neurological and psychiatric diseases. While anorexia nervosa (AN) pathophysiology is not entirely clear, it is presumably linked to microbiome dysbiosis. We aimed to elucidate the gut microbiota contribution in AN disease pathophysiology.

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Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder defined by an extremely low body weight, a devastating fear of weight gain, and body image disturbance, however the etiopathogenesis remains unclear. The objective of the article is to provide a comprehensive review on the potential role of gut microbiota in pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa. Recent advances in sequencing techniques used for microbial detection revealed that this disease is associated with disruption of the composition of normal gut microbiota (dysbiosis), manifested by low microbial diversity and taxonomic differences as compared to healthy individuals.

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Anti-lipolytic drugs and exercise are enhancers of growth hormone (GH) secretion. Decreased circulating free fatty acids (FFA) have been proposed to exert ghrelin-GH feedback loop after administration of an anti-lipolytic longer-acting analog of nicotinic acid, Acipimox (OLB, 5-Methylpyrazine-2-carboxylic acid 4-oxide, molecular weight of 154.1 Da).

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