Arch Med Sci
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The Cantril Scale (CS) is a simple visual scale which makes it possible to assess general life satisfaction. The result may depend on the health, living, and studying conditions, and quality of social relations. The objective of this study is to identify key factors influencing the CS score in Polish adolescents. ⋯ The Cantril Scale can be considered a useful measurement tool in a broad approach to psychosocial adolescent health.
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The prevalence of childhood infection with Helicobacter pylori is high, especially in developing countries. Non-invasive methods for detection of infection in children should be inexpensive, easy to perform, well tolerated and have a high diagnostic accuracy. We aimed to compare the reliability, specificity and sensitivity of the H. pylori stool antigen (HpSA) test with the 13C-urea breath test (13C-UBT) for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection in a limited resource setting. ⋯ The rapid lateral flow HpSA test is a reliable method for the primary diagnosis of H. pylori infections in children, though not as accurate as the 13C-UBT. It is more affordable, simpler to perform and more tolerable, representing a viable alternative, especially in developing countries.
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One reason for the limited effectiveness of the available smoking cessation methods is the fact that the causes of tobacco addiction have not been adequately explained yet. Numerous anti-smoking programs aimed at women involve intense physical activity. The goal of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of health training for smoking cessation by young women in connection with the dopamine receptor gene (D4DR) in their genetic profile. ⋯ The results of the study show that an intensive, 6-week health training program had a significant influence on smoking cessation. Smoking quitters, who are genetically predisposed and decide to take up aerobic training in combination with concentration training, have much greater chances of quitting smoking.
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Hypercholesterolaemia is amongst the most common conditions encountered in the medical profession. It remains one of the key modifiable cardiovascular risk factors and there have been recent advances in the risk stratification methods and treatment options available. In this review, we provide a background into hypercholesterolaemia for non-specialists and consider the merits of the different risk assessment tools available. We also provide detailed considerations as to: i) when to start treatment, ii) what targets to aim for and iii) the role of low density lipoprotein cholesterol.
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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), considered the leading cause of chronic liver disease in children, can often progress from non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). It is clear that obesity is one of the main risk factors involved in NAFLD pathogenesis, even if specific mechanisms have yet to be elucidated. We investigated the distribution of intestinal bifidobacteria and lactobacilli in the stools of four groups of children: obese, obese with NAFL, obese with NASH, and healthy, age-matched controls (CTRLs). ⋯ Bifidobacteria seem to have a protective role against the development of NAFLD and obesity, highlighting their possible use in developing novel, targeted and effective probiotics.