Polskie Archiwum Medycyny Wewnętrznej
-
Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · Apr 2022
Exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and its relationship with increased human epididymal secretory protein 4.
Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy, and its early detection is important for prognosis. Human epididymal secretory protein 4 (HE4) elevation has been studied as a crucial biomarker for this type of cancer. There are currently many organic pollutants in the environ-ment, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). ⋯ Exposure to PAHs was found to be associated with elevated HE4 levels and a higher risk for ovarian cancer, which was confirmed by epidemiological evidence. This finding should alert gynecologists and public health experts to pay more attention to the potential role of PAH metabolites in the tumorigenesis of ovarian cancer.
-
Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · Apr 2022
Prevalence of self-reported heart failure in the adult Polish population: results of the NATPOL 2011 study.
Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a growing medical and economic problem, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. However, only a few studies analyzed the prevalence of CHF in this region. ⋯ The results of our study indicated that the proportion of inhabitants of Poland aged 18 to 79 years with heart failure was somewhere between 2.4% and 4.3%. This corresponds to 720 000 to 1 200 000 of diagnosed CHF cases in Poland.
-
Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · Apr 2022
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease burden in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia: interpretation of data on involvement of different vascular beds.
Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a monogenic, autosomal dominant disorder that results in a rise of low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‑C) and markedly increased risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. FH is relatively common, treatable, and its clinical course can be improved through early detection and timely initiation of lipid‑lowering medications. The clinical picture of FH is highly variable, with a heterogeneous phenotype even within a single family, ranging from patients with very early onset of major cardiovascular events to those who do not develop overt cardiovascular disease even at an old age. ⋯ There is a paucity of data regarding the relationship between FH and the incidence of atherosclerosis in other vascular beds. There are no studies systematically evaluating several vascular beds in asymptomatic patients with FH. Providing a systematic characteristic of patients with FH with respect to the presence and extent of atherosclerotic lesions in different vascular beds may have implications for daily practice not only for patients with FH but also for a larger number of patients with very high plasma LDL‑C concentrations.