Effects of a Six-Month Physical Activity Program on Health Risk Factors and Body Composition Among Overweight and Obese Middle-Aged Adults.

Physical activity is vital for preventing and managing lifestyle-related diseases, which pose significant health and socio-economic challenges. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a six-month supervised physical activity program on health risk factors and body composition in middle-aged individuals with overweight or obesity. The study involved 166 men and women aged 30 to 65 years, with a body mass index (BMI) ranging from 26 to 35 and moderate to severe health risks.

Consequences of Insufficient Physical Activity: A Comparative Analysis of Poland and Europe.

Physical activity remains one of the most important factors affecting the well-being, health, and quality of life of individuals and entire populations. Unfortunately, the level of physical activity in many social groups is still insufficient according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international and national scientific societies. This paper presents the most important aspects related to the impact of physical activity on health, including lifestyle diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes or obesity, mental health, and sleep, and overall mortality.

Getting them through the door: Social and behavioral determinants of uptake and engagement in an obesity intervention.

Using data from a large-scale screening program (N = 19634), we aimed to prospectively identify factors predicting uptake (i.e. acceptance of the invitation) and engagement (i.

Fitness, Food, and Biomarkers: Characterizing Body Composition in 19,634 Early Adolescents.

Adolescent obesity persists as a major concern, especially in Central and Eastern Europe, yet evidence gaps exist regarding the pivotal early adolescent years. Our objective was to provide a comprehensive picture using a holistic approach of measured anthropometry in early adolescence, including body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and reported lifestyle characteristics. We aimed to elucidate potential sex/gender differences throughout and associations to biomarkers of disease risk for obese adolescents.

Impacts of a Re-designed Care Path for Back Pain Directing Patients to Physiotherapists: A Pre-Post Intervention Study.

Objective: To evaluate impact of directing patients with back pain for first visit to a physiotherapist on sick leaves, healthcare utilization, and patient satisfaction.

Methods: Pre-post intervention study of 70,138 patients treated in Poland for back pain: 27,034 before the care pathway redesign and 43,104 after.

Results: After the redesign, all per-patient measures (mean ± SD) significantly decreased over the 12-month follow-up: sick leaves number from 0.

Evidence-Based Care Reduces Unnecessary Medical Procedures and Healthcare Costs in the Outpatient Setting.

Objectives: The study aimed to examine the number of unnecessary medical procedures and healthcare costs with the use of the educational intervention in Poland.

Methods: Secondary data were collected between 2014 and 2015. Analysis of events and cost per patient revealed significant variability and overutilization of diagnostics and other services by physicians practicing in a network of private outpatient clinics in Poland.

"PoZdro!" as an example of a successful multicenter programme for obesity management and healthy lifestyle promotion in children and adolescents - programme protocol and preliminary results from the first intervention site.

Introduction: Overweight and obesity rates in children and adolescents increase worldwide for over 30 years, what leads to an increased risk of de-veloping metabolic diseases.

Aim Of The Study: Protocol description and preliminary results of the largest to-date obesity management programme for children in Poland - "PoZdro!"

Material And Methods: The Programme is based on three main steps: screening, parental engagement and long-term behavioral intervention (medical, dietetic, psychological, physical activity intervention panels) and education activities in secondary schools. Over 30.

The association of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) concentration levels with carbohydrate and lipid metabolism in obese and overweight teenagers.

Introduction: Obesity has increased rapidly among children and adolescents during the last 30 years. Paediatric patients with a BMI above the 85th centile are more often diagnosed with increased TSH levels than are children with proper body weight.

Material And Methods: The data of 961 overweight and obese children, aged 13 years, recruited in four cities in Poland as part of PoZdro!, a two-year prophylactic program, were analysed to observe the relationship between serum TSH and fT4 concentration and carbohydrate and lipid metabolism parameters, as well as anthropometric parameters.

Anti-hepatitis C virus seroprevalence in the working age population in Poland, 2004 to 2014.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) to be a serious public health concern and one of the major public health priorities. In 2005, it was estimated that there are 185 million anti-HCV positive people in the world, which constitutes 2.8% of the global population.

Diagnosis of hepatitis C virus infection in pregnant women in the healthcare system in Poland: Is it worth the effort?

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is globally recognized as a serious public health concern. Current statistics indicate that approximately 2% of people worldwide and 1.9% of people in Poland suffer from HCV infection.

[Evaluation of acarbose efficacy and safety for treatment of diabetes mellitus. Testing of observations under general health care conditions].

Acarbose (Glucobay, Bayer) is a competitive inhibitor of intestinal alpha-glucosidases, which use causes inhibition of carbohydrate digestion. The aim of the study was to prospectively observe scheme of acarbose use as well as efficacy and safety of the drug in diabetic patients in general health care. The study was performed in general health care centres all around Poland.

Specificity of the vascular smooth muscle contractile response to a labile digitalis-like factor in peritoneal dialysate: the influence of potassium.

Although multiple lines of evidence have suggested that a circulating endogenous digitalis-like factor (DLF) might contribute to the pathogenesis of sodium-sensitive hypertension, the subject remains controversial. This study was designed to compare the influence of potassium on vascular responses to an endogenous DLF isolated from peritoneal dialysate (PD) in volume-expanded patients with other sodium pump inhibitors, such as ouabain and bufalin, and the influence of serotonin as an index of specificity. An increase in bath potassium (K+) concentration from 2.

Tissue-specific regulation of the sodium pump in DOCA-salt hypertension.

Alterations in sodium pump activity have been associated with volume-sensitive hypertension, but little is known regarding the molecular regulation of the catalytically active alpha-subunit of the sodium pump in these models. We examined changes in the mRNA abundance of the alpha-isoforms in tissues that might participate in sodium and volume regulation in the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-high salt rat model. These tissues included kidney, heart, aorta, pituitary, and hypothalamus.

Renal sodium pump regulation in deoxycorticosterone salt hypertension in the rat.

The renal sodium pump participates in sodium homeostasis and has been predicted to have a role in salt dependent forms of hypertension. However, the status of the renal sodium pump in volume-dependent hypertension is unclear. We assessed the renal sodium pump and its activity in the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt model in rats, a model of volume-dependent hypertension.

Effect of testosterone replacement therapy on lipids and lipoproteins in hypogonadal and elderly men.

We investigated the effects of long-term testosterone replacement in hypogonadal and elderly men on lipids and lipoproteins. Twenty-two men with initial serum testosterone concentrations below 3.5 ng/ml took part in the study: 11 with hypopituitarism (1st group) and 11 otherwise healthy elderly men with low testosterone levels (2nd group).

Specificity of the volume-sensitive sodium pump inhibitor isolated from human peritoneal dialysate in chronic renal failure.

Compromised renal function predisposes to volume-dependent hypertension. Increased plasma levels of a sodium pump inhibitor as a possible pathogenetic factor have been demonstrated by many investigators in such patients, but efforts to identify the responsible agent have led to many, diverse candidates. Our premise in this study is that candidacy must depend on the satisfaction of rigorous criteria, including a specific action of the agent on the sodium pump.

Reversal of sodium pump inhibitor induced vascular smooth muscle contraction with digibind. Stoichiometry and its implications.

The possibility that a circulating sodium pump inhibitor contributes to the pathogenesis of volume-dependent hypertension via an action on vascular smooth muscle (VSM) is supported by multiple lines of investigation, but remains controversial. We had two goals in this study. The first was to compare the pattern of contractile response of rabbit aorta induced by two candidates, ouabain and a labile sodium pump inhibitor that we have identified in the peritoneal dialysate of volume-expanded hypertensive patients with chronic renal failure.

Volume sensitive hypertension and the digoxin-like factor. Reversal by a Fab directed against digoxin in DOCA-salt hypertensive rats.

Although volume and vasoconstriction have been considered polar elements in a useful pathogenetic hypertension model, many observations suggest that vasoconstriction is involved in volume-dependent hypertension, reflecting the effect of a digitalis-like factor. To examine that possibility, we assessed the depressor responses to Digibind, an antibody Fab directed against digoxin, in a volume-dependent model--DOCA-salt-induced hypertension in rats. Digibind (10 mg/kg, intravenously) induced a gradual blood pressure fall over 2 h that was sustained for 4 h (P < .

A sensitive [Na,K]ATPase assay specific for inhibitors acting through the digitalis-binding site.

Efforts to study the endogenous sodium pump inhibitor (ESPI) have been complicated by the limited specificity of available assays. We recently developed an assay of [Na,K]ATPase inhibition more sensitive than conventional assays. This enhancement reflects a prereaction step that increases binding affinity of digitalislike molecules to the digitalis receptor.

Sustained volume expansion and [Na,K]ATPase inhibition in chronic renal failure.

Hypotheses regarding the pathogenesis of volume-dependent hypertension have invoked an endogenous sodium pump inhibitor or digitalis-like factor (DLF) to link altered sodium homeostasis to the rise in blood pressure. Our goal was to develop a clinical protocol that achieved predictable, sustained volume expansion, with the premise that renal failure patients on peritoneal dialysis would increase intravascular volume, gain weight, and raise blood pressure (BP) in relation to measured increases in DLF. In a 5-day protocol, dialysis was kept constant but dietary NaCl and fluids were modified in 7 patients.

Ectopic ACTH syndrome due to bilateral ovarian androblastoma with double, gynandroblastic differentiation in one ovary.

A case of fulminant Cushing's syndrome due to an ectopic ACTH secretion in a patient with bilateral ovarian sex-cord stromal tumour is reported. Surgical resection of the ovaries as well as the inhibitors of steroid synthesis and cytostatics caused only transient improvement because the widespread neoplastic dissemination progressed very quickly.

Stimulatory effect of thyroid hormone on growth hormone gene expression in a human pituitary cell line.

A cell line (GX) derived from a pituitary tumor of a boy with gigantism, which exhibits morphological characteristics of epithelial cells, has been established and maintained in culture for over 2 yr. Initially, GX cells secreted GH which was stimulated by T3. However, after 2 yr in culture, GH production in GX cells is no longer detectable, though GH messenger RNA (mRNA) synthesis has been maintained.

Inhibitory effects of ethanol on the growth hormone (GH)-releasing hormone-GH-insulin-like growth factor-I axis in the rat.

Ethanol administration decreases GH secretion in humans and experimental animals. The mechanism of these inhibitory effects was investigated by evaluating the spontaneous secretory pattern of GH in chronically cannulated unanesthetized rats, plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations, and hypothalamic GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin, and pituitary GH mRNA levels. Body weight gain was reduced in ethanol (5%)-liquid diet-fed rats (n = 6) for 6 days compared to that in both isocalorically pair-fed controls (n = 6) and ad libitum-fed animals (n = 6).

Interaction of ethanol with signal transduction mechanisms mediating growth hormone release by rat pituitary cells in vitro.

The effects of ethanol on signal transduction mechanisms of rat GH (rGH) release were investigated in primary culture of rat anterior pituitary cells. Ethanol (30, 100, and 300 mM) had no significant effect on basal rGH release or cell content after a 4-h incubation or on intracellular cAMP levels at 30 min. Ethanol did not alter rGRH (10(-11) M)-stimulated rGH release, but at concentrations of 100 and 300 mM it inhibited rGRH (10(-9) M)-stimulated rGH release by 12% (P less than 0.