[Smoking and passive exposure to tobacco smoke among members of medical rescue teams].

In Poland approximately 33% adults are active smokers. Both active smoking and passive exposition to tobacco smoke leads to serious diseases and causes many other problems. This is why the decrease of smoking prevalence seems to be one of the most important targets of contemporary medicine.

[Evaluation of selected endocrine parameters in smoking patients with arterial hypertension].

Among many actions of tobacco smoke very important is: metabolic influence and other biological effects e.g. hormones secretion.

[Does spironolactone use at arterial hypertension therapy protect endothelium also in smoking patients?].

The aim of the study was evaluation of spironolactone effect on concentration of endothelin-1 (ET-1 - vasoconstrictive substance produced by endothelial cells) and aldosterone (Ald) and plasma renin activity (PRA) in patients with primary arterial hypertension (AH): group A--smoking patients (11 individuals) in comparison with group B--non-smoking ones (12 individuals). ET-1, Ald and PRA were assessed before treatment (examination 1) and after 20 days of spironolactone therapy in dose 25 mg/day (examination 2). We observed: In group A significant elevation of: ET-1 ((Me +/- S exam.

[Pharmacy students' exposition to tobacco smoke--a trial of assessment of causes and prevalence].

Prevalence of tobacco smoking among young people is one of the most important aspects in prevention of smoking and smoking-related diseases. The aim of this study was assessment of pharmacy students' exposition to tobacco smoke (active and passive smoking) and searching for circumstances promoting tobacco smoking and exposition to ETS (environmental tobacco smoke). In the examined cohort of 161 students we found 37 smokers (23%; 21.

[Is hypotensive effectiveness of amlodipine therapy in smokers connected with endothelin-1 (ET-1) concentration?].

An interaction between a vasoconstrictive factor--endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nicotine is currently a subject of investigations. Many studies make us consider whether worse hypotensive effectiveness of many antihypertensive agents applied in smokers may be connected with elevated ET-1 level. The aim of this study was evaluation of hypotensive effectiveness of amlodipine in smoking (group A) and non-smoking (group B) hypertensive subjects.

[Smoking prevalence during pregnancy and exposition of infants to environmental tobacco smoke].

Harmful influence of tobacco smoke on mother and child comprises many effects, among which the best known are: impaired fecundability, increased risk of pregnancy and perinatal period complications, increased morbidity of neonates and respiratory, circulatory and neurological disorders in neonates, infants and older children. The aim of this study was to assess smoking prevalence among pregnant women and young mothers and to assess the degree of exposition of infants to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The study was carried out among 74 women after delivery in the F.

[Evaluation of plasma endothelin-1 concentration in tobacco smoking patients with essential hypertension].

An evident influence of nicotine on vasoconstrictive and mitogenic peptide-- endothelin-1 (ET-1) synthesis and expression of its receptors was observed in experimental investigations. The aim of this study was ET-1 concentration assessment in patients with essential arterial hypertension, regarding nicotine action as ET-1 production stimulant. The investigation enrolled 27 patients with essential hypertension (degree I and II).

[Cigarette smoke as a risk factor of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)--assessment of knowledge and behavior of women].

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) means the sudden death of an infant which is unexpected by history and in which an examination of the death scene and a thorough postmortem examination fails to reveal an adequate cause of death. Etiology of this syndrome is unknown but many risk factors were identified; the most important and preventable risk factors are prone sleeping position and influence of tobacco smoke (both smoking by pregnant woman and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) near child's bed). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of smoking among women (also during pregnancy) and exposure of neonates and infants to ETS, to establish what circumstances are likely to make smoking woman stop smoking and to examine women's knowledge concerning risk factors of SIDS (mainly influence of tobacco smoke).

[Diabetes mellitus--a problem for occupational medicine physicians].

The authors present current data concerning occupational certification in diabetic patients. Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases in everyday occupational medicine practice. In diabetes type 1, the main problem faced by an occupational medicine physician is to certify the presence or absence of contraindications for jobs, which pose the risk of serious traumas resulting from possible disturbances of consciousness.

[Does exogenous melatonin prove to be effective in the prevention and treatment of pathologies associated with shift and night work?].

The current data concerning the efficacy of exogenous melatonin treatment, especially with respect to night-shift workers, are presented. Therapy of sleep disorders experienced by night-shift workers is not always successful. To assess the results of melatonin therapy in shift workers, it is essential to perform extensive analyses of numerous physiological functions that may be affected by this work system as well as of possible late health effects in this group of workers.