Influence of Promotor Methylation on Sports Performance.

In the mammalian genome, DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism involving the transfer of a methyl group onto the C5 position of the cytosine to form 5-methylcytosine. DNA methylation regulates gene expression by recruiting proteins involved in gene repression or by inhibiting the binding of transcription factors (TFs) to DNA. As there are still many questions concerning the role of methylation in creating personality, we concentrated on searching for such associations.

Significant association of and genes with rural heroin dependence and relapse in men.

Introduction: Substance abuse significantly influences human health and may induce problems with social functioning worldwide. Numerous genetic and environmental risk factors, as well as their interactions, accelerate the development of drug addiction. Etiologically, the dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic reward pathways are related to psychoactive substance addiction, and the reward properties of heroin are connected with changes in the mesolimbic dopaminergic system.

Psychological factors and genetic characteristics of rural cannabis users.

Introduction: Marijuana is one of the most widely used psychoactive substance. There is evidence of genetic predisposition for addiction.

Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate personality traits measured by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, combined with analysis of rs1079597 and rs1800498 located in the gene.

Occurrence and impact of back pain on the quality of life of healthcare workers.

Introduction And Objective: Back pain affects specific occupational groups, among which healthcare workers are the most predisposed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the interdependences between subjective disability and their correlation with pain intensity and quality of life assessment among professionally active medical workers, taking into account working, socio-demographic and health conditions.

Material And Methods: The cross-sectional study enrolled 110 professionally active medical workers (nurses, midwives, paramedics and physiotherapists).

The Ankyrin Repeat and Kinase Domain Containing 1 Gene Polymorphism () and Personality Traits in Addicted Subjects.

The polymorphism located in the gene is one of the most widely studied polymorphisms in regards to the genetics of behavior and addiction. The aim of our study was to analyze this polymorphism with regard to personality characteristics and anxiety measured by means of the Personality Inventory-(NEO Five-Factor Inventory-NEO-FFI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in polysubstance addicted subjects. The study group consisted of 600 male volunteers, including 299 addicted subjects and 301 controls.

Occurrence of alcohol addiction in the adult population living in rural areas.

Introduction: Risky alcohol consumption is one of the main threats to the health of both individuals and society as a whole. These threats affect, among others, health, safety and financial situation. Their scale and intensity cause the issue of alcohol consumption to become a significant challenge for public health.

Unmet Needs and Pro-health Behavior in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases.

Coordinated healthcare paradigm addressing the biopsychosocial spheres of patients seems advantageous for the management of chronic diseases. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of unmet needs on pro-health behavior in chronic respiratory diseases and to recognize the factors that help identify the unmet needs. The patients were asked to complete the Camberwell Assessment of Needs Inventory and the Health Behavior Inventory.

Associations Between the Dopamine D4 Receptor and DAT1 Dopamine Transporter Genes Polymorphisms and Personality Traits in Addicted Patients.

Many factors are involved in addiction. The dopaminergic system is thought to be the key element in this process. The mesolimbic dopamine system is a crucial element in the reward system.

Blood Group and Incidence of Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Chronic respiratory diseases are determined by genetic predisposition, and environmental and socioeconomic variables. One genetic factor underlying susceptibility to such diseases can be the ABO blood group system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that there would be a relationship between the blood group and risk of developing asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The Influence of Cigarette Smoke Exposure on the Copper Concentration in the Serum Depending on the Use of Menopausal Hormone Therapy.

This study evaluated the effect of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) on serum concentration of copper in postmenopausal women depending on passive or active exposure to tobacco smoke or lack thereof. The study included healthy postmenopausal women aged 42-69 years, who used ( = 76) or did not use ( = 76) MHT. Salivary cotinine and serum copper concentrations were determined in all the study subjects.

Effectiveness of Healthcare Coordination in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases.

Coordination of healthcare effectively prevents exacerbations and reduces the number of hospitalizations, emergency visits, and the mortality rate in patients with chronic respiratory diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine clinical effectiveness of ambulatory healthcare coordination in chronic respiratory patients and its effect on the level of healthcare services as an indicator of direct medical costs. We conducted a retrospective health record survey, using an online database of 550 patients with chronic respiratory diseases.

Relationships Between Quality of Life in the Psychological Domain, Acceptance of Illness, and Healthcare Services in Patients with Asthma.

Asthma patients should be considered not only in terms of the medical aspects, but also the nonmedical issues associated with the psychological domain, since these are factors that can significantly improve patients' health state, quality of life, and illness acceptance, and can contribute to the reduction of healthcare utilization. The purpose of this study was to assess the acceptance of illness among asthma patients and their quality of life in the psychological domain, as well as to identify factors that influence illness acceptance and quality of life in the psychological domain. We examined 172 patients with asthma (median age: 58; range: 18-89 years) recruited from two pulmonology wards.

Response to Shepherd Comment on Mroczek et al. Evaluation of Quality of Life of Those Living Near a Wind Farm. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 2015, 12, 6066-6083.

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Frequent Attenders with Chronic Respiratory Diseases in Primary Care Settings.

Governments struggle to fund health services and there is a growing interest in the cost, clinical characteristics, and interventions for high utilizers of care, such as persistent frequent attenders to primary care. The purpose of this study was to determine the components shaping the phenomenon of frequent attendance in patients with chronic respiratory diseases in primary care settings. We examined 200 adult patients with chronic diseases (median age 65, range 18-90) recruited from 126 general practitioners.

Importance of Social Relationships in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases.

The literature lacks reports on the role of the social relationships domain (SRD) of quality of life (QoL) in shaping care for patients with chronic respiratory diseases in primary care. In this study we examined a group of 582 patients with chronic respiratory diseases and chronic non-respiratory diseases recruited from 199 primary care centers. In the patients with chronic respiratory diseases, higher SRD correlated with more frequent patient visits due to medical issue, fewer district nurse interventions over the past 12 months, less frequent hospitalizations over the past 3 years, and fewer chronic diseases.

Quality of Care for Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases: Data for Accreditation Plan in Primary Healthcare.

There are scarce reports in the literature on factors affecting the assessment of the quality of care for patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Such information is relevant in the accreditation process on implementing the healthcare. The study group consisted of 133 adult patients with chronic respiratory diseases and 125 adult patients with chronic non-respiratory diseases.

The Environmental Domain of Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases.

The literature lacks reports on the role played by the Environmental domain of quality of life (QoL) in care for patients with chronic respiratory diseases. Such information has a high potential for implementation in modern medicine based on a 'tailor-made' holistic healthcare model. The purpose of this study was to determine the components that shape the Environmental domain of QoL in patients with chronic respiratory diseases.

The Influence of Asthma Exacerbations on Health-Related Quality of Life.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of asthma on the quality of life (QoL) of patients hospitalized for an exacerbation of the disease and those with controlled asthma receiving outpatient treatment, and to establish the patients' somatic status and the level of health care utilization. This study involved 239 adults with asthma (123 hospitalized patients and 116 outpatients of family physicians). The authors used: WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire and a questionnaire measuring health care utilization.

Evaluation of Quality of Life of Those Living near a Wind Farm.

Objectives: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) can serve as a multidimensional means of evaluating the relationship between the presence of wind turbines in residential areas and their consequence for health. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between the presence of wind farms at different stages of development and the HRQoL of people living in their vicinity in Poland.

Method: The instruments employed in this study were the SF-36v2, a questionnaire measuring self-reported health problems, and a sociodemographic questionnaire.

Factors Influencing Utilization of Primary Health Care Services in Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases.

The purpose of our study was to determine the factors affecting the level of services provided in primary health care among patients with chronic respiratory diseases. The study group consisted of 299 adults (median age: 65, min-max: 18-92 years) with mixed chronic respiratory diseases, recruited from patients of 135 general practitioners. In the analysis, in addition to the assessment of the provided medical services, the following were used: Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, Camberwell Assessment of Needs Short Appraisal Schedule, Acceptance of Illness Scale, and WHO Quality of Life Instrument Short Form.

Socioeconomic Indicators Shaping Quality of Life and Illness Acceptance in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Quality of life (QoL) combined with the acceptance of illness reflects the efficiency of therapy and the level of patients' satisfaction with medical care. Education, marital status, and place of residence were used as the socio-economic status indicators. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the levels of QoL and acceptance of illness (AI) and the socio-demographic data in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Unmet Needs of Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases Within Primary Healthcare.

There is no data on the level of unmet needs in the heterogenic group of chronically ill patients. The purpose of this study was to define the degree of unmet needs in patients with chronic respiratory diseases and to identify the factors that determine them. The study group consisted of 214 adult patients with the median age of 65 (min-max: 18-90 years).

Effects of substances on serum zinc levels in postmenopausal women.

Introduction: Demographic facts and forecasts about lengthening life expectancy motivate to systematize the knowledge of health problems experienced by women at the age of 50 and older. It refers to the whole health policy including health economics. Longer female life spans cause that an increasing number of women suffer from health problems associated with the perimenopausal period, and become health care recipients.

The WHO Green Page - Assessment of the Environmental Health Risks in Children.

Background: The objective of this study was to assess the possibility of implementation of the WHO Green Page as a tool to supplement basic medical interviews with environmental health risk factors for children.

Methods: The WHO Green Page questionnaire was tested on parents of children who visited family practice doctors.

Results: A total of 159 parents took part in the study.

Does health status influence acceptance of illness in patients with chronic respiratory diseases?

The level of illness acceptance correlates positively with compliance to the doctor's recommendations, and negatively with the frequency and intensity of complications of chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the clinical condition on the level of illness acceptance, and to find variables which would have the most profound effect on the level of illness acceptance in patients with chronic respiratory diseases. The study group consisted of 594 adult patients (mean age: 60 ± 15 years) with mixed chronic respiratory diseases, recruited from patients of 136 general practitioners.