Bone mineral density and bone turnover in male masters athletes aged 40-64.

We evaluated areal bone mineral density (aBMD), bone mineral content (BMC), and markers of bone turnover in male competitive masters athletes representing different training profile in the past and at present, aged 40-64 (14 endurance runners, and 12 speed-power athletes), and non-sport controls (n = 13). Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measurements of total body and regional aBMD, BMC and soft tissue composition were acquired. Serum concentrations of osteocalcin (OC), C-terminal crosslinking telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), total testosterone (TT), free testosterone (FT) and insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) were measured.

Simultaneous surgery for critical aortic stenosis and gastric cancer: a case report.

We describe simultaneous surgery performed on a 71-year-old woman with critical aortic stenosis and gastric cancer that were diagnosed at the same time. The patient qualified for simultaneous surgery for both these diseases. Good early outcome was achieved.

Heart laceration during oesophagectomy for the treatment of oesophageal carcinoma.

Oesophagectomy remains an acceptable treatment option for oesophageal cancer. However, it is associated with relatively high morbidity with potentially devastating complications, especially for patients who have undergone previous thoracic surgery. The majority of these complications, however, can be minimised by prevention and early recognition.

Metachronous adenocarcinoma in a gastric tube after radical surgery for oesophageal cancer.

In recent years the prognosis for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients has improved. Together with this improvement, the occurrence of second primary carcinoma, especially gastric carcinoma, in tubes constructed from the stomach after oesophagectomy must be taken into account. We report a case of a patient who had this clinical presentation, which was revealed not in the normal follow-up, but in a consecutive operation carried out because of an anastomotic problem.

[Does medical practice make life shorter?].

In the present paper, an average age of death of medical doctors, separately for men and women, was compared with the average age of death across the Polish population. Obtained data indicate a higher mortality of women doctors in relation to the entire Polish population.

Uranium in drinking water: renal effects of long-term ingestion by an aboriginal community.

The authors conducted a study of an aboriginal community to determine if kidney func-tion had been affected by the chronic ingestion of uranium in drinking water from the community's drilled wells. Uranium concentrations in drinking water varied from < 1 to 845 ppb. This nonin-vasive study relied on the measurement of a combination of urinary indicators of kidney function and markers for cell toxicity.

Degree of hepatic dysfunction and improvement of renal function predict survival in patients with HRS type I: a retrospective analysis.

Background: Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a frequent complication of end-stage liver cirrhosis. HRS type I has a very poor prognosis. From which of the more or less established therapies, such as use of vasoconstrictors together with albumin or placement of a Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt patients might profit remains elusive.

Screening for and early detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a substantially underdiagnosed disorder, with the diagnosis typically missed or delayed until the condition is advanced. Spirometry is the most frequently used pulmonary function test and enables health professionals to make an objective measurement of airflow obstruction and assess the degree to which it is reversible. As a diagnostic test for COPD, spirometry is a reliable, simple, non-invasive, safe, and non-expensive procedure.

[Smoking habits in a family physician's practice].

Introduction: Poland is the one of the countries in the European Union with the highest prevalence of smokers. The involvement of family physicians in smoking cessation activity could improve this situation. The aim of this study was to estimate smoking habits, their intensity and nicotine dependence in a family physician's practice (urban and rural population).

Health outcomes of low-dose ionizing radiation exposure among medical workers: a cohort study of the Canadian national dose registry of radiation workers.

Background: Medical workers can be exposed to low-dose ionizing radiation from various sources. The potential cancer risks associated with ionizing radiation exposure have been derived from cohort studies of Japanese atomic bomb survivors who had experienced acute, high-level exposure. Since such extrapolations are subject to uncertainty, direct information is needed on the risk associated with chronic low-dose occupational exposure to ionizing radiation.

Casting technique and restraint choice influence child safety during transport of body casted children subjected to a simulated frontal MVA.

Background: Hip spica casts (or body casts) are commonly applied to young pediatric trauma and hip dysplasia patients. The greatest hip stability in the cast is achieved via fixed hip flexion or abduction and fixed knee flexion. Unfortunately, this fixed position causes difficulties in restraining children for transport because the child cannot typically accommodate their body to the child car seat geometry.

Evolution of upper airway resistance syndrome.

The question of whether upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) is a distinct disease or an initial feature of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome is still a matter of debate. We evaluated a retrospective group of UARS patients to determine the evolution of UARS over time and the relationship between clinical evolution and subjects' phenotype. Investigations were performed in 30 patients, in whom UARS was diagnosed between 1995 and 2000 by the use of full polysomnography (PSG) without oesophageal pressure (Pes) measurement.

The effect of endurance training on changes in purine metabolism: a longitudinal study of competitive long-distance runners.

The purpose of the study was to characterize the changes in purine metabolism in long-distance runners in the main phases of their 1-year training cycle. Nine male athletes competing in distances 5 and 10 km at national/regional level, mean age 22.9 +/- 0.

Influence of restraints on body-casted child ATDs in front and side sled tests.

Objective: The current study was designed to study hip spica casted and uncasted child dummies in front- and side-impact tests using a variety of restraints.

Methods: Casted one- and three-year-old ATDs were restrained by a traditional child seat, a special hip spica child seat, and the vehicle seat belts. All tests positioned the child upright in either the rear-facing (one-year-old) or forward-facing (three-year-old) direction.

No influence of age, gender, weight, height, and impact profile in achilles tendinopathy in masters track and field athletes.

Background: Achilles tendinopathy is commonly reported by athletes involved in activities that include running and jumping. Despite the prevalence of the problem, causative factors in Achilles tendinopathy remain poorly understood.

Hypothesis: In Masters track and field athletes, there is no influence of age, gender, weight, height, and impact profile in developing Achilles tendinopathy.

Low dose ionizing radiation exposure and cardiovascular disease mortality: cohort study based on Canadian national dose registry of radiation workers.

Objectives: The purpose of our study was to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in a Canadian cohort of 337 397 individuals (169 256 men and 168 141 women) occupationally exposed to ionizing radiation and included in the National Dose Registry (NDR) of Canada.

Material And Methods: Exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation, such as those received during radiotherapy, leads to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. The emerging evidence of excess risk of CVDs after exposure to doses well below those previously considered as safe warrants epidemiological studies of populations exposed to low levels of ionizing radiation.

Continuous positive airway pressure treatment increases bronchial reactivity in obstructive sleep apnea patients.

Background: The effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on the function of the lower airways are poorly understood. One of the methods used to determine the influence of positive pressure breathing on lower airways is the bronchial hyperreactivity test. Some authors report that CPAP increases bronchial hyperreactivity, while others report decreases.

Canadian National Dose Registry of radiation workers: overview of research from 1951 through 2007.

The National Dose Registry (NDR) of Canada is a unique resource for a direct estimation of the potential health risks associated with low doses of ionizing radiation. This is the largest national occupational radiation exposure database, comprising records for about 600,000 nuclear, industrial, medical and dental workers. An analysis of the NDR data based on a cohort of about 200,000 workers first exposed before 1984 and followed through 1987 and 1988 for mortality and cancer incidence, respectively, revealed that the mortality from most causes of death considered was lower than that in the general population, which is typical of occupational cohorts.

Isokinetic muscle torque during glenohumeral rotation in dominant and nondominant limbs.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the side-to-side differences of isokinetic muscle torque during shoulder rotation in healthy nonathletic subjects. The strength was examined at two angles of glenohumeral abduction in the scapular plane (45 degrees and 90 degrees, respectively) and at three velocities (180 degrees/s, 120 degrees/s, 60 degrees/s) using Biodex System 3Pro dynamometer. The maximal torques were achieved on dominant side in 45-degree abduction at 60 degrees/s velocity, both for external and internal rotation.

Bilateral anterior hip dislocation in a child with Aarskog syndrome: a case report.

Both Aarskog syndrome and atraumatic anterior hip dislocation are rare entities. Aarskog syndrome is an X-linked recessive disorder with facial, digital, and genital anomalies and is associated with varying degrees of ligamentous laxity. This is believed to be the only known reported case of bilateral anterior voluntary dislocating hips in an ambulatory child and the only reported case of hip dislocation in a child with Aarskog syndrome.