The impact on users of an unfamiliar AED following a recent training experience: A randomized cross over simulation study.

Objective: This study examined the impact of prior familiarity with automated external defibrillator (AED) models on the time of defibrillation and the emotional experiences of laypersons.

Methods: We conducted a randomized cross over simulation study with 123 participants to assess their reactions to both familiar and unfamiliar AED models. The time to first defibrillation was measured using three different AED training models, two of which were previously unknown to the participants.

[CROATIAN GUIDELINES FOR THE PHARMACOTHERAPY OF TYPE 2 DIABETES].

Introduction: The Croatian Association for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders of the Croatian Medical Association has issued in 2011 the first national guidelines for the nutrition, education, self-control, and pharmacotherapy of diabetes type 2. According to the increased number of available medicines and new evidence related to the effectiveness and safety of medicines already involved in the therapy there was a need for update of the existing guidelines for the pharmacotherapy of type 2 diabetes in the Republic of Croatia.

Participants: as co-authors of the Guidelines there are listed all members of the Croatian Association for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, as well as other representatives of professional societies within the Croatian Medical Association, who have contributed with comments and suggestions to the development of the Guidelines.

Core Standards of the EUBIROD Project. Defining a European Diabetes Data Dictionary for Clinical Audit and Healthcare Delivery.

Background: A set of core diabetes indicators were identified in a clinical review of current evidence for the EUBIROD project. In order to allow accurate comparisons of diabetes indicators, a standardised currency for data storage and aggregation was required. We aimed to define a robust European data dictionary with appropriate clinical definitions that can be used to analyse diabetes outcomes and provide the foundation for data collection from existing electronic health records for diabetes.

[Prevention of diabetic foot].

Diabetic foot (DF) is the most common chronic complication, which depends mostly on the duration and successful treatment of diabetes mellitus. Based on epidemiological studies, it is estimated that 25% of persons with diabetes mellitus (PwDM) will develop the problems with DF during lifetime, while 5% do 15% will be treated for foot or leg amputation. The treatment is prolonged and expensive, while the results are uncertain.

[Cost of diabetes complications treatment: effect of improving glycemic control, blood pressure and lipid status on the occurrence of complications and costs of disease treatment].

Chronic complications of diabetes are the main cause of mortality and disability in people with diabetes, while also leading to growing healthcare system cost burdens. In order to analyze the effects of possible interventions on the health of population and their effectiveness in reducing the cost of the healthcare system, we have made health-economic models of diabetes chronic complications development. The models simulated long-term effect of improving glycemic control, blood pressure and lipid status in patients over a period of 10 years.

Cross-border flow of health information: is 'privacy by design' enough? Privacy performance assessment in EUBIROD.

Background: The EUBIROD project aims to perform a cross-border flow of diabetes information across 19 European countries using the BIRO information system, which embeds privacy principles and data protection mechanisms in its architecture (privacy by design). A specific task of EUBIROD was to investigate the variability in the implementation of the EU Data Protection Directive (DPD) across participating centres.

Methods: Compliance with privacy requirements was assessed by means of a specific questionnaire administered to all participating diabetes registers.

Lifestyle habits of people with self-reported diabetes: changes during a five-year period.

The aims of our study were to investigate the prevalence of risk factors in persons with previously known diabetes ("old DM"), persons with diabetes developed during the 2003-2008 period ("new DM") and diabetes-free individuals within the CroHort study. Risk factors were defined as physical inactivity, unhealthy nutritional regimen, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, while diabetes status was self-reported. The most prevalent risk factor in both "old DM" and "new DM" group was physical inactivity (46.

Cumulative incidence of self-reported diabetes in Croatian adult population in relation to socioeconomic status and lifestyle habits.

The aim of this study was to determine the 5-year cumulative incidence of self-reported diabetes mellitus in relation to various socioeconomic and lifestyle factors in Croatian adult population. The analysis included 2909 participants of the Croatian Health Cohort Study (CroHort) aged 20-79 years (median 55, interquartile range 43-67; 69% women) with no history of diabetes. There were 163 new cases of diabetes (5-year cumulative incidence 5.

Metabolic syndrome--community nursing evaluation and intervention: the CroHort study.

This prospective study of 1277 participants investigated patient risk self-assessment, motivation for changes in main determinants of the metabolic syndrome and the impact of community nursing intervention on cardiovascular risk reduction. Observed values of metabolic syndrome determinants indicated an elevated cardiovascular risk. Participants showed greatest motivation for positive changes regarding blood pressure, (3.

Impact of a guide dog on glycemia regulation in blind/visually impaired persons due to diabetes mellitus.

The aim was to assess glycemia regulation in a blind diabetic patient after getting a guide dog. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) results of a blind patient before and after getting the guide dog were retrospectively collected. The paired t-test results yielded a two-tailed P value of 0.

Gender differences in the control of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes -a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Trends in diabetes and cardiovascular mortality rates are considerably different between women and men; this can be partially explained by differences in diabetes control. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess whether sex differences exist in effective control of cardiovascular risk factors among persons with type 2 diabetes treated at the Vuk Vrhovac University Clinic in 2008.

Materials And Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis including 8,775 patients who attended the clinic in 2008.

[Liraglutide in the treatment of diabetes type 2].

Diabetes type 2 is the most frequent metabolic disorder in Croatia, and also in all developed countries as well as in most of the countries in development. Chronic complications of diabetes are significant contributors to the morbidity in the population, and their management consumes a considerable amount of financial health resources. Previous treatment possibilities showed limited results in reducing the frequency of chronic complications and their consequences.

Obesity in type 2 diabetes: prevalence, treatment trends and dilemmas.

This retrospective observational study investigated the prevalence of obesity in persons with type 2 diabetes, trends in obesity resulting from the duration and treatment of diabetes, and treatment-related changes in HbA1c and body mass index (BMI). Data on 1773 type 2 diabetics (802 men and 971 women) were obtained from the CroDiabNET registry. Follow-up included the analysis of patients' age, disease duration, diabetes treatment, BMI and HbA1c values.

[CroDiab web and improvement of diabetes care at the primary health care level].

Background And Aim: Diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder regarded as one of the most significant public health issues of the 21S century. Keeping a diabetes registry facilitates monitoring of the epidemiological situation, while a structured approach to the registration of diabetic patients (reporting on an optimum information cluster for the follow-up and improvement of diabetes care) contributes to better regulation of patient risk factors. Active patient reporting at the primary health care level has begun in 2006 with setting up the legislative background.

Lipoprotein(a) predicts progression of carotid artery intima-media thickening in patients with type 2 diabetes: A four-year follow-up.

Background: The aim of the study was to establish whether increased levels of serum lipoprotein(a) significantly contribute to an increase in intima-media thickness and the number of carotid artery plaques, and consequently to cardiovascular risk in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: Lipoprotein(a) levels, intima-media thickness and the number of carotid artery plaques were determined at the beginning of the study in 146 patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients were divided into two groups according to serum lipoprotein(a) levels (> or View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Diabetes mellitus and hypertension have comparable adverse effects on health-related quality of life.

Background: We aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among people with diabetes or hypertension, estimate the effect of cardiovascular comorbidities on HRQoL as well as compare HRQoL in these groups with that of healthy individuals.

Methods: A total of 9,070 respondents aged 18 years and over were assessed for HRQoL. Data were obtained from the Croatian Adult Health Survey.

Psychoeducation versus treatment as usual in diabetic patients with subthreshold depression: preliminary results of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Research on the effects of treating sub-threshold depression in persons with diabetes is scarce in spite of the findings indicating that this condition is highly prevalent in the diabetic population and may increase the risk of developing a subsequent major depression. This study was aimed at exploring the effects of a psycho-educational intervention on depression- and diabetes-related outcomes in patients with mild to moderate depressive symptoms.

Methods: A randomized controlled study design with a one-year follow-up was used.

Lifestyle habits of Croatian diabetic population: observations from the Croatian Adult Health Survey.

The aim of this study was to assess the behavioural risk factors in Croatian diabetic population and to compare them with the lifestyle habits of individuals with no known history of diabetes. The study was a part of the Croatian Adult Health Survey (CAHS), a cross-sectional survey that provided comprehensive health assessment of the Croatian adult population. Risk factors were defined as an unhealthy nutritional regimen, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking and lack of physical activity.

[Recommendations of Croatian societies on treatment of macrovascular and microvascular complications in patients with metabolic syndrome and diabetes type 2--treatment of residual risk].

Quite a number of studies have shown that despite achieving targets for total and LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and glycemia according to the guidelines, many patients remain at high residual risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), both macrovascular and microvascular. This is particularly true for patients with established CVD, type 2 diabetes, obesity and/or metabolic syndrome who have very often atherogenic dyslipidemia characterized by decreased plasma concentrations of HDL cholesterol and increased triglycerides. To address this issue a working group of experts has been established to produce this document in order to recommend therapeutic interventions for reducing this residual risk.

[Incretins in the treatment of diabetes].

Nowadays, diabetes affects about 200 million people worldwide, and represents the sixth-leading cause of death. Approximately 90 to 95% of those affected have type 2 diabetes, caused by two main mechanisms: insulin deficiency or peripheral insulin resistance. Early in the approach, diabetic patients are encouraged to make healthy lifestyle modifications including changes in diet, exercise patterns, and weight control.

[Prandial regulation of glycemia].

The most striking feature of diabetes is hyperglycemia. Maintaining glycemia within certain levels can prevent the development of chronic complications. We researched today's possibilities of diabetes treatment with special emphasis on prandial glucose regulation, searching the Medline with keywords: diabetes mellitus/therapy, hyperglycemia, postprandial period.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus in Croatia.

The aim of this study was to obtain an accurate estimate of diabetes prevalence in Croatia and additional estimates of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), undiagnosed diabetes, and insulin resistance. The study was part of the First Croatian Health Project. Field work included a questionnaire, anthropological measurements, and blood sampling.