The aim of this study was to evaluate trends of potential years of life lost (PYLL) rates in the Slovak population and analyze the average annual percent change (AAPC) of PYLL rates regarding the ...most common causes of death between 2004 and 2013. National mortality and demographic data were obtained from the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, and 378,535 causes of death within the period were analyzed. The PYLL values in both genders and each disease category were added up across all age groups to form annual values. For the trend analysis, the AAPC indicator was proposed. The PYLL rate is age-standardized and expressed as a sum of all deaths per 100,000. In the period 2004-2013, the highest mean PYLL rates were observed in neoplasms in the whole population (2,103 per 100,000), as well as in females (2,088 per 100,000), with a permanent high significant increase of AAPC of PYLL in both genders. The second highest mean PYLL rate in the ten-year period was related to circulatory system diseases in total (1,922 per 100,000) as well as in females (1,449 per 100,000). In males, circulatory system diseases had the highest PYLL rate (2,397 per 100,000). The PYLL rates trend regarding external causes of morbidity and mortality showed the most notable decrease in the assessed period and the AAPC of PYLL showed significant negative values both in males (-2.5%; p < 0.001) and females (-4%; p < 0.001). Our results should contribute in developing intervention programs aimed at reducing the burden of premature mortality since the main causes of premature death are associated to well-known and preventable risk factors.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder with a significant risk for cardiovascular diseases. Dyslipidemia and redox imbalance belong to potential mechanisms linking OSA with the development of ...vascular diseases. The main aim of this study was the evaluation of the presence of lipid abnormalities in OSA patients, focusing on small dense low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subfractions and determination of the redox imbalance by evaluating the marker of oxidative damage to plasma lipids - lipoperoxides.
The study included 15 male subjects with polysomnographically confirmed OSA and 16 male healthy controls. Plasma levels of total cholesterol, LDL and HDL and their subfractions, triacylglycerols and lipoperoxides were determined in all study individuals. Plasma LDL and HDL subfractions were separated by the Lipoprint system which is a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Lipoperoxide levels were determined spectrophotometrically.
OSA patients had significantly higher triacylglycerols, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol compared to healthy controls. HDL cholesterol was not significantly different. Of the LDL and HDL subfractions, OSA patients had significantly lower levels of atheroprotective LDL1 and large HDL subfractions and significantly higher levels of atherogenic small dense LDL3-7 and HDL8-10 subfractions. Lipoperoxide levels in patients with OSA were significantly elevated compared to healthy individuals.
The lipoprotein pro-atherogenic phenotype was found in individuals with OSA characterized by increased levels of atherogenic lipoprotein subfractions and reduced levels of atheroprotective subfractions. In addition, a plasma redox imbalance was found in patients with OSA compared to controls by detecting higher oxidative damage to lipids. Abnormalities in lipoprotein levels in patients with OSA, as well as the redox imbalance, could lead to an acceleration of the atherosclerotic process in predisposed individuals and thus represent a significant risk factor for vasular diseases.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Introduction: This paper describes an assessment of noise caused by railway traffic in a large high-loaded railway track in Northwest Slovakia. Materials and Methods: The measurements of noise levels ...generated by trains passing through residential neighborhoods were taken. Noise maps were also calculated showing noise pollution generated by the train traffic. In addition, the annoyance level and sleep disturbance of residents affected by railway noise were evaluated by a validated questionnaire on a pilot sample of 107 respondents living near the important railway track. Results: The measurements indicated that the noise levels generated by the passage of the train were extremely high especially at night, clearly exceeding the nighttime limits of equivalent sound pressure level established by the Decree of the Slovak Ministry of Health (No.549/2007) (LAeq = 55 dB). Measurements at one point during the night exceeded the limit values of up to 17.4 dB. The residents reported feeling affected by the noise generated by passing trains, which caused irritability, headache, poor concentration, and insomnia. In addition, 19.64% of the residents claimed that nocturnal noise pollution was the most distressing. The results of bivariate analysis showed a higher risk of annoyance especially for railway noise ORMH = 7.80 (4.02-15.14) and the noise from industry ORMH = 3.08 (1.72-5.50) in the exposed location. Discussion: The effects of railway traffic on annoyance/sleep and psychosocial well-being were evaluated in a few studies. In accordance with our results the railway noise mostly disturbs sleep and rest of the respondents. Conclusion: The pilot survey showed the importance of sleep and rest disturbance by railway noise and the possibilities of getting worse health condition in the future. Noise abatement measures and strategies should, therefore, be implemented in an effective and manageable way increasing the environmental advantages of rail transport.
Exposure to ETS (environmental tobacco smoke) is one of the most toxic environmental exposures.
To investigate the association of ETS with physiological, biochemical, and psychological indicators, as ...well as with urine antioxidant capacity (AC) and oxidative damage to lipids in a pilot sample of healthy pregnant women.
Exposure to ETS was investigated via a validated questionnaire, and urine cotinine and the marker of oxidative damage to lipids via 8-isoprostane concentrations using an ELISA kit. Urine AC was determined by the spectrophotometric Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) method. From a sample of pregnant women (
= 319, average age 30.84 ± 5.09 years) in 80, the levels of cotinine and oxidative stress markers were analyzed.
Among the 80 pregnant women, 5% (7.4% confirmed by cotinine) reported being current smokers and 25% reported passive smoking in the household (18.8% confirmed by cotinine). The Kappa was 0.78 for smokers and 0.22 for ETS-exposed nonsmokers. Pregnant women in the ETS-exposed group had significantly reduced AC compared to both the nonsmoker (ETS-) and the smoker groups (
< 0.05). Nonsmokers had significantly lower levels of 8-isoprostane than smokers (
< 0.01) and ETS-exposed nonsmokers (
< 0.05). Correlations between urine levels of cotinine and AC were positive in ETS-exposed nonsmokers.
A harmful association of active and passive smoking and oxidative stress parameters among pregnant women has been indicated.
Research work on the adverse effects of noise on annoyance in adults is well documented in Western Europe, but there is a knowledge gap concerning this type of research in Central and Eastern Europe ...(CEE), South-East Europe (SEE), and Newly Independent States (NIS). The objective of this review was to present findings and to propose future research directions for the studies on the effects of environmental noise on annoyance in adults conducted in these countries. After systematic search in accessible databases, scientific journals, conference proceedings, international and national reports in English and other languages, the authors identified 29 papers to be included to this review: 24 papers related to annoyance due to road traffic noise and 5 papers related to annoyance from other noise sources. In most of the identified studies, a cross-sectional design prevailed and the evaluations were mainly performed subjectively. The lack of recent annoyance studies related to railway and aircraft traffic noise was identified. Only two studies from NIS countries used noise exposure data for the evaluation of population annoyance according to the European Environmental Noise Directive (END). Capacity building in CEE, SEE, and NIS countries is necessary to acquire the "know-how" on how to implement and use the different scenarios for evaluating population annoyance by environmental noise, depending on the availability and suitability of noise exposure data. Particular attention should be given to the possible use of END noise exposure data, where applicable.
Problems with the bedbug (Cimex lectularius) in Slovakia Totkova, Anna; Totka, Adrian; Sevcikova, Ludmila ...
AAEM. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine/Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine,
2019-Sep-19, Letnik:
26, Številka:
3
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
In the 1970s and 1980s, the occurrence of bedbugs (
Linnaeus, 1758) was noticed only sporadically in accommodation facilities in Slovakia. Under regular monitoring, it was possible to even eradicate ...its occurrence in the 1980s. Today, the problem is once again a major global health issue.
The aim of the study was to point out the occurrence of cimicosis in the case of atypical urticaria in patients referred to parasitological examination by inpatient and outpatient physicians.
During the period 2006-2015, 102 patients with suspected ectoparasitosis were examined in the Diagnostic Laboratory of Human Parasitology at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University in Bratislava. Specialists and general practitioners referred the patients with itching red efflorescences. Parasitological examination and entomologic analysis of insects confirmed in many of them the presence of skin ectoparasitosis caused by
, and in one case
.
A total number of 102 parasitologically patients were examined - 62 adults and 40 children. Among the 62 adults, there were 57 patients positive for cimicosis. In 5 patients cimicosis was not confirmed, in one of them (
Linnaeus, 1758) was detected. Among the 40 children, there were 34 positive for cimicosis. One female child was diagnosed with lesions caused by
.
The bed bug should again be subjected to the reporting service to public health authorities, and thus recording the monitoring of its incidence and spread in the population.
Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is one of the greatest and the most frequent environmental toxic exposures presenting a high risk to children and to their mothers as well. The aim of the study was ...to find determinants of the household ETS in the sample of pregnant women living in the household with smokers and to assess their physical and mental health. The survey was distributed to women being seen for follow-up at the obstetric/gynecology departments in hospitals and at gynecological out-patient departments in Bratislava, Slovakia. The medical outcomes short form-12 (SF-12) was included to quantify the mental and physical health of mothers. From the total sample of 617 women, 35.5% (219) were pregnant, 88.6% of them (194) non-smokers, 27.8% (54) lived with a smoking partner, the average mental component summary (MCS) score was 50.8±9.1 and physical component summary (PCS) score was 41.6±10.3. The average age was 31.3±5.1 years. In the sample of 309 non-pregnant non-smoking mothers 23% (71) lived with a smoking partner; the average age was 31.7±4.8 years. The average PCS score was 47.8±8.7 and MCS score 49.1±9. Non-smoking, pregnant women living with a smoker have fewer years of education (p=0.0003) and lower MCS scores (48.50±9.8) (p=0.03). Non-smoking, non-pregnant women living with a smoker are older (p=0.0042), with lower income (p=0.0145), have fewer years of education (p=0.002) and lower PCS score (45±9.1) (p=0.0056). Multivariate analyses revealed the decrease of MCS score in pregnant women and the decrease of PCS score in non-pregnant women living with a smoker. Our results show that living with a smoker is independently associated with worse physical and mental health in a selected sample of Slovak women, which represents an important argument for intervention in families.
Annoyance and sleep disturbance are the most common community responses to road traffic noise, and they account for the majority of the environmental noise burden in Europe. The findings of a ...cross-sectional study - a questionnaire survey of residents living in newly built apartment houses in some Slovak towns (Bratislava, Trencin, Martin, Piestany) are presented in this paper. The average age of the 543 respondents was 45 ± 4 years, 53 % were females, and 81 % had lived in their current home for more than five years. Traffic noise measurements on noisy facades
= 51.8 dB to 72.4 dB,
= 41.9 dB to 64 dB were supplemented by a standardized questionnaire. In comparison to respondents with bedroom windows facing quiet streets, those who face noisy streets are less satisfied with their quality of life, less sensitive to noise, and more irritable and restless during the day and night
= 2.54; 95 %
= 1.38-4.92. After the results have become completed, we hope to suggest temporary solutions for noisy apartment building facades, as well as intervention techniques, and to apply sound city planning principles.
The study focuses on current issues of adaptive behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and on the possible risk factor of environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Children examined at ...the Academic Research Center for Autism (ARCA) in Bratislava were involved in the study. The study sample included 84 children (71 boys) with ASD (average age 5.35 years) and a non-ASD group of 24 children (20 boys; average age 8.10 years). The "ETS Questionnaire" focused on the detection of parental smoking habits and other ETS exposures. The concentrations of cotinine in urine were measured by ELISA kit. A significant delay in adaptive behavior of children with ASD in comparison with the non-ASD group was identified. The significant differences were in adaptive behavior, communication, and everyday skills. Children with ASD were more likely to be exposed to ETS, especially in the household. Good agreement was found between objective and subjective ETS exposure indicators (kappa = 0.613). Self-reported exposure to ETS corresponded significantly with the median levels of urinary cotinine. In addition to evaluation and assessment of the quality of adaptive behavior, an important goal of further research should be to identify, investigate, and eliminate environmental factors that interfere with adaptive behavior.
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