Bratisl Med J
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Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has a significant effect on the development of cardiovascular complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), paraoxonase 1 (PON 1) enzyme levels and severity of OSA. ⋯ The findings of our study indicate that PON1 and carotid IMT might be used as indicators of vascular damage in patients with OSA. Depending on the severity of OSA, measurement of PON1 enzyme activity in conjunction with carotid IMT may help us in predicting the cardiovascular risk in patients with OSA (Tab. 4, Fig. 2, Ref. 27).
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We performed this meta-analysis determining the antihypertensive effect of telmisartan versus perindopril in patients with essential hypertension. ⋯ The reduction of DBP is greater treated with telmisartan than perindopril in patients with essential hypertension (Tab. 2, Fig. 4, Ref. 34). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: essential hypertension, blood pressure, telmisartan, perindopril, meta-analysis.
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The worldwide increase in the aged population raises health concerns for elderly individuals. Cognitive frailty of the elderly (apart from those suffering from Alzheimer´s disease or other type of dementia) is a complex construct associated with aging, which is composed of physical and cognitive components, while physical frailty and cognitive impairment mutually affect each other. ⋯ This review aims to define cognitive frailty, its prevalence, risk factors, and pathogenesis, while highlighting the need for further research on identification, prevention, and non-pharmacological management of cognitive frailty in older adults in view of promoting healthy aging and secondary prevention strategies for dementia (Fig. 1, Ref. 93). Keywords: cognitive frailty, older adults, risk factors, nutrition, exercise.
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Observational Study
Monitoring the vaccination of pregnant women against pertussis - single-centre one-year study in the Czech Republic.
This observational study aimed to analyse data from big maternity hospital, determine the vaccination coverage and provide source information for further activities. ⋯ It is necessary to raise awareness of recommendations for pregnancy vaccination among public and professionals, to emphasize the benefits of such vaccination in order to increase the vaccination coverage (Tab. 3, Ref. 31). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: pertussis, whooping cough, pregnancy, vaccination, health knowledge, prevention.
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Cholinergic neurons, a type of neurons found in central nervous system, play a vital role in muscle movement and activities. Cholinergic neurons degeneration is the main pathological symptom of neurodegenerative diseases. Among a variety of stem cells, iPSCs have emerged as a promising candidate for transplantation to improve the repair of neuronal lesion sites. However, the establishment of an appropriate induction method to yield large numbers of cholinergic neurons has yet to be determined. Here, we studied the differentiation potential of iPSCs to generate cholinergic neurons by developing a new optimized differentiation protocol. ⋯ Our investigation represents a highly efficient protocol for iPSCs differentiation toward cholinergic neurons which could be used for further preclinical transplantation studies (Tab. 1, Fig. 5, Ref. 35). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: induced pluripotent stem cells, cholinergic neurons, neurotrophic factors, induction protocol, preclinical transplantation.