Dietary Habits and Dietary Antioxidant Intake Are Related to Socioeconomic Status in Polish Adults: A Nationwide Study.

The aim of this study was to estimate dietary habits and dietary antioxidant intake in a Polish adult population in relation to socioeconomic status. The subjects (4774) were participants in the Polish National Multi-Centre Health Examination Survey (the WOBASZ II study) performed in 2013-2014. Socioeconomic status (SES) scores were calculated by multiplying ordinal numerical values assigned to consecutive categories of education level and monthly income per capita in a family. In the Polish adult population, a higher socioeconomic status was significantly associated with a better lifestyle (more physical activity and less smoking), a better health status (lower occurrence of overweight individuals and metabolic syndrome in both genders, and lower occurrence of central obesity, hypertension, and diabetes in women), and better dietary habits, including a higher intake of dietary antioxidants.

Population prevalence of electrocardiographic abnormalities: results of the Polish WAW­KARD study.

BACKGROUND: Electrocardiogram (ECG) is a very important instrument in the diagnostic workup of the heart disease, both in clinical and epidemiological studies. AIMS: The aim of the study was to evaluate ECG abnormalities in adult residents of Warsaw and to determine the time trends of ECG abnormalities in the years 1984 to 2012. METHODS: A total of 1081 individuals aged 20 years of older were examined in the years 2011 to 2012. All of them had resting ECG obtained, later coded using the Minnesota Code. To determine time trends, we additionally used the ECG data from Pol­MONICA studies. RESULTS: More than one­third of individuals had normal ECG, and that number increased to half of them when heart rate was ignored as the only abnormality (in young persons 44% and 69.8%, respectively, and in asymptomatic individuals 45.9% and 68.1%, respectively). The most prevalent abnormality in men was intraventricular conduction disturbances, and in women ST­segment depression and negative T­wave changes (repolarization changes). QRS­axis deviation and R wave of high amplitude were observed significantly more often in men compared with women. The frequency of ECG abnormalities and simultaneous occurrence of several ECG changes increased with the age of the study participants. CONCLUSIONS: Normal ECG was observed only in one­third of adult residents of Warsaw, and in half of those who were young or asymptomatic. The most frequent ECG abnormalities in men were intraventricular conduction disturbances and repolarization changes in women. Atrial fibrillation was the most prevalent arrhythmia. We did not find significant time trends for repolarization changes, conduction disturbances, and arrhythmia.

The Consumption of Nuts is Associated with Better Dietary and Lifestyle Patterns in Polish Adults: Results of WOBASZ and WOBASZ II Surveys.

In recent years, the concept of the health benefits of synergistic dietary patterns as opposed to individual foods or food constituents has been developed. The aim of this study was to determine whether nut consumption is associated with healthier nutrition and lifestyle. The research was based on complete data obtained during two Polish National Multi-Centre Health Examination Surveys-WOBASZ (2003-2005) and WOBASZ II (2013-2014). Of the 12,946 participants who completed dietary assessments, 299 subjects reported consuming any quantity of whole nuts. A control group of 1184 non-nut consumers from both surveys was randomly selected for the study, with age, gender, study (WOBASZ, WOBASZ II), educational level, and season-related interactions taken into account. In this study, nut consumption was associated with favorable food and lifestyle choices, excluding smoking. Better dietary quality consisted of having a higher Healthy Diet Indicator score, an increased intake of polyphenols and antioxidants, lower intake of red meat, but higher of poultry and fruit, more frequent consumption of antiatherogenic food products, and less frequent consumption of processed meats. There was also greater interest in special diets, such as weight-loss diet. In addition, nut eaters were more physically active in their leisure time. While limited by 24-h recall of nut intake and possible misclassification of nut/non-nut consumer status, this research supports the synergistic health-promoting attitudes of those who were classified as nut consumers.

Polyphenols and dietary antioxidant potential, and their relationship with arterial hypertension: A cross-sectional study of the adult population in Poland (WOBASZ II).

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress plays a key role in the development of most non-communicable diseases, including arterial hypertension (AH). Diet is the major source of exogenous antioxidants, which support the body in the elimination of excessive free radicals. OBJECTIVES: To assess dietary total antioxidant potential (DTAP) and dietary polyphenol intake (DPI), and to determine the relationship between DTAP, DPI and hypertension in the Polish adult population; to indicate dietary sources of DTAP and DPI in participants with and without AH. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Within the frame of the National Multicenter Health Survey (WOBASZ II), a random sample of the whole Polish population aged 20 years and above was screened during the years 2013-2014. Dietary habits and blood pressure were assessed in 2,554 men and 3,136 women. Dietary total antioxidant potential and DPI were calculated according to the amount of food consumed by the participants combined with the antioxidant potential and polyphenol contents in foods. RESULTS: The mean DTAP was 12.36 mmol/day in men and 12.27 mmol/day in women, and DPI was 2069 mg/day and 1989 mg/day, respectively. The DTAP and DPI were associated with reduced odds of AH in the Polish population. After adjusting for confounding variables, higher DTAP (by 1 mmol/day) had reduced odds of AH by 1.3% in men and by 1.8% in women and higher DPI (by 100 mg/day) by 1.1% and by 2.2%, respectively. Regardless of sex and AH, the main sources of DTAP and DPI were beverages, especially coffee and tea (over 50%), fruit (12-24%) and vegetables (12-18%). CONCLUSIONS: The intake of food with high antioxidant potential and rich in polyphenols was associated, slightly but independently of other factors, with a lower chance of hypertension in the adult Polish population. Irrespective of sex and AH, coffee and tea were the basic dietary sources of the antioxidants.

Are Total and Individual Dietary Lignans Related to Cardiovascular Disease and Its Risk Factors in Postmenopausal Women? A Nationwide Study.

The study objectives were to examine total and individual lignan intakes and their dietary sources in postmenopausal Polish women and to investigate the relationship between lignan intake and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and central obesity. A total of 2599 postmenopausal women, participants of the Multi-centre National Population Health Examination Surveys (WOBASZ and WOBASZ II) were selected. Of them, 916 had a history of CVD. Nutritional data were collected using a single 24-h dietary recall. Data on lignan content in food, i.e., lariciresinol (LARI), matairesinol (MAT), pinoresinol (PINO) and secoisolariciresinol (SECO), were collected from the available lignan databases. In postmenopausal women, total and individual lignan intakes (SECO, PINO, MAT) were not associated with the prevalence of CVD and its risk factors. The intake of LARI was linked by 30% to the reduced odds for hypercholestrolemia. This study reinforces the existing concept that dietary total lignans are not associated with the prevalence of CVD, and provides further evidence that they are not linked to CVD risk factors such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and central obesity. However, the intake of LARI should be taken into consideration in further studies with regard to its potentially beneficial effect in hypercholesterolemia.

Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity and Dietary Polyphenol Intake and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Polish Adults: A Nationwide Study.

Specific classes and subclasses of polyphenols have been studied for their potential effects on noncommunicable diseases, but studies on association between dietary polyphenol intake (DPI) and dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC) and MetS (metabolic syndrome) are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine associations between DTAC and DPI and the prevalence of MetS and its components in the Polish adult population. Subjects (5690) were participants of the Polish National Multicentre Health Examination Survey (WOBASZ II study) performed in 2013-2014. MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI) criteria. Daily food consumption was assessed by 24-hour dietary recall. DTAC and DPI were evaluated using the data of food consumption and antioxidant potential of foods, measured by FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant potential) method, and total polyphenol content in foods, measured by Folin-Ciocalteu assay. Logistic regression models were used to assess the relationship between DTAC and DPI and MetS and its components. Crude, age-adjusted, and multivariable-adjusted models were performed. This study demonstrated that in Polish women, high DPI and high DTAC were significantly associated with a reduced odds ratio for the prevalence of MetS components, such as elevated blood pressure and diabetes. In contrast, in men, high DPI and high DTAC did not have the potential to alleviate MetS components.

Dietary Polyphenol Intake, but Not the Dietary Total Antioxidant Capacity, Is Inversely Related to Cardiovascular Disease in Postmenopausal Polish Women: Results of WOBASZ and WOBASZ II Studies.

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the dietary polyphenol intake (DPI) and the dietary total antioxidant capacity (DTAC) and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in postmenopausal women. Participants were 916 postmenopausal women diagnosed with CVD and 1683 postmenopausal women without history of CVD, who took part in the population-based studies carried out in Poland: WOBASZ (2003-2005) and WOBASZ II (2013-2014). Nutritional data were collected using a single 24-hour dietary recall. DPI and DTAC in the CVD women were significantly lower and accounted for 1766.39 mg/d and 10.84 mmol/d, respectively, versus 1920.57 mg/d and 11.85 mmol/d in the women without CVD, but these differences disappeared after the standardization for energy input. Also, in the multiple-adjustment model, higher DPI, but not DTAC, was associated with the reduced odds ratio for the prevalence of CVD. Beverages, mainly coffee and tea, contributed in more than 40% to DPI and in more than a half to DTAC. In this study, higher dietary polyphenol intake, but not the dietary total antioxidant capacity, was inversely associated with CVD in postmenopausal women, which points to the health benefits of increased polyphenol intake from food sources for these women.

Are dietary habits of the Polish population consistent with the recommendations for prevention of cardiovascular disease? - WOBASZ II project.

BACKGROUND: Diet is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). AIM: To assess diet quality in the adult Polish population, taking into consideration consumption of various nutrients as well as the total diet quality. METHODS: Within the frame of the National Multicentre Health Survey (WOBASZ II), a random sample of the whole Polish population aged 20 years and above was screened during the years 2013-2014. Dietary habits were assessed in 5690 subjects (2554 men and 3136 women). Nutrient intakes were compared to the Dietary Reference Intakes. Total diet quality was measured using the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI) score, based on the World Health Organisation recommendations for CVD prevention, that includes 7 nutrients (saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, dietary fibre, fruits and vegetables, free sugars) and ranges from 0 (the least healthy diet) to 7 (the healthiest diet). RESULTS: The studied group was characterised by a high prevalence of overweight and obesity (69% in men vs. 59% in women), hypercholesterolaemia (56% vs. 55%, respectively), hypertension (50% vs. 42%), and diabetes (12% vs. 10%). At the same time, a significant percentage of Poles had improper dietary habits. A low fat and low cholesterol diet was reported by only 8% and a low calorie diet by 1% of the respondents. Adding salt to already seasoned dishes was reported by 27% of men and 18% of women, and 56% and 30% of them, respectively, consumed meat products with visible fat. The diet of most adult Polish citizens was found to be not balanced. Vitamins A, C, E, B1, B2, B6, and B12, protein, dietary cholesterol and fruits/vegetables were consumed in recommended doses only by 44-80% of the respondents. The recommended intake of fat, saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which significantly affect lipid levels, was found in 18-37% of the respondents. Dietary intakes of folate and minerals important for the prevention of hypertension were insufficient. The desired level of folate intake was found only in 13-26% of the respondents, and that of magnesium, calcium and potassium in 5-36% of them. The average HDI value was about 3.2 (out of the maximum of 7). A healthy diet (5-7 points) was noted in 15% of adult Poles. Most subjects (60%) were characterised by a low quality diet (0-3 points). Nevertheless, about 55% of respondents believed that their diet was appropriate. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of dietary habits of the majority of the adult Polish population falls far short of the recommendations relevant for CVD prevention.

Is the decrease of cardiovascular mortality in Poland associated with the reduction of global cardiovascular risk related to changes in life style?

BACKGROUND: After an ascending trend of cardiovascular mortality, which was observed up to the sixties, there was a declining tendency in western countries thereafter. The decrease in mortality rates in Poland has been noticed since 1991. There is an uncertainty whether this improvement in prognosis was only due to the improvement in health care level or was accomplished, to some extent, by population life style changes. AIM: To assess whether the decrease in cardiovascular mortality in Poland was accompanied by a simultaneous reduction in global cardiovascular risk profile. METHODS: The study was based on screened random samples from the Warsaw population aged 35-64 years, who were examined in the years 1984 (2646 subjects), 1988 (1433 subjects), 1993 (1539 subjects) and 2001 (853 subjects). The group evaluated in 1984 was followed up for 10 years with all fatal events recorded (364 deaths were registered including 166 cardiovascular deaths). The model of 10 years probability of total and cardiovascular death was developed, which was based on 11 risk factors (age, smoking cigarettes, systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, ratio of total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, symptoms of coronary heart disease or heart failure, death of mother before 65 or death of father before 55 years due to myocardial infarction or stroke, energy in daily food intake and percentage of energy derived from saturated fatty acids). This model was applied to assess the probability of deaths between years 1984 and 2001, utilising data from screenings. RESULTS: The probability of death (in %) decreased from 1984 to 2001 by 11% in men. However, it remained stable for women. On the other hand the probability of cardiovascular death decreased by 25% and 33%, respectively. The main role in global risk decrease was played by beneficial trends in mean systolic blood pressure (in both genders) and percentage of smokers in men. CONCLUSIONS: Modification of life style influencing risk factors profile decreased the probability of death in the Warsaw population, correlating with changes in mortality rates.