Knowledge of Primary Care Patients Living in the Urban Areas about Risk Factors of Arterial Hypertension.

Arterial hypertension (AH), one of the most common diseases of civilization, is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This disease is the second, after lipid disorders, the most common cardiovascular risk factor and a significant cause of premature death. In Poland, one in three adults (approximately 11 million people) suffers from it. The aim of our survey was to determine patients' knowledge of the factors (e.g., age, smoking cigarettes, drinking coffee, shift work) that may influence the development of hypertension. The survey was conducted among 205 adult primary care patients living in urban areas. There was a high correlation between patients' education and risk factors of AH, such: as excess salt in the diet (p = 0.038), smoking electronic cigarettes (p = 0.005), moderate alcohol consumption (p = 0.028), moderate daily physical activity (p = 0.011), female and male sex (p = 0.032 and p = 0.012), air pollution (p < 0.001) and others. In addition, a statistically significant factor shaping patients' attitudes toward hypertension prevention was the correlation between the respondents' education and their parents' prevalence of hypertension (p = 0.40). This study increases the knowledge of patients' awareness of hypertension. It may serve as guidance for primary care providers to pay special attention to environmental interviews with patients and the patient's family history for the prevention of hypertension incidence.

Angiopoietin-like proteins inhibitors: New horizons in the treatment of atherogenic dyslipidemia and familial hypercholesterolemia.

Angiopoietin-like proteins (ANGPTL) are involved in the regulation of numerous physiological and biochemical processes. ANGPTL3, 4 and 8, which are involved in the regulation of lipoprotein metabolism, are particularly important. ANGPTL3, 4 and 8 have been shown to regulate triglyceride availability depending on the nutritional status of the body. In addition, a deficiency of these proteins has been found to cause hypolipidemia (reduction of all lipid fractions). Increases in ANGPTL3, 4 and 8 appear to be associated with cardiovascular risk. Animal studies indicate that the use of ANGPTL3 (evinacumab) inhibitors significantly reduces plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein concentrations. The use of evinacumab in clinical trials also led to the normalization of plasma lipid concentrations in patients with atherogenic dyslipidemia and homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia. The results of these studies indicate that evinacumab may in the future be used in the treatment of lipid disorders, especially those with hypertriglyceridemia.

Unexpected Relationships: Periodontal Diseases: Atherosclerosis-Plaque Destabilization? From the Teeth to a Coronary Event.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and periodontal disease (PD) are global health problems. High frequency of ASCVD is associated with the spread of many risk factors, including poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, obesity, smoking, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, hypertension, hyperhomocysteinemia, hyperuricemia, excessive stress, virus infection, genetic predisposition, etc. The pathogenesis of ASCVD is complex, while inflammation plays an important role. PD is a chronic, multifactorial inflammatory disease caused by dysbiosis of the oral microbiota, causing the progressive destruction of the bone and periodontal tissues surrounding the teeth. The main etiological factor of PD is the bacteria, which are capable of activating the immune response of the host inducing an inflammatory response. PD is associated with a mixed microbiota, with the evident predominance of anaerobic bacteria and microaerophilic. The "red complex" is an aggregate of three oral bacteria: Tannerella forsythia Treponema denticola and Porphyromonas gingivalis responsible for severe clinical manifestation of PD. ASCVD and PD share a number of risk factors, and it is difficult to establish a causal relationship between these diseases. The influence of PD on ASCVD should be treated as a factor increasing the risk of atherosclerotic plaque destabilization and cardiovascular events. The results of observational studies indicate that PD significantly increases the risk of ASCVD. In interventional studies, PD treatment was found to have a beneficial effect in the prevention and control of ASCVD. This comprehensive review summarizes the current knowledge of the relationship between PD and ASCVD.

Assessment of the Effect of A-PRF Application during the Surgical Extraction of Third Molars on Healing and the Concentration of C-Reactive Protein.

Extraction procedures for mandibular third molars are performed all over the world every day. Local inflammation resulting from surgery, and the pain that patients experience, often make it impossible to take up daily life activities, such as work or sports. Growth and anti-inflammatory factors, located in the fibrin network, have a positive effect on tissue-healing processes and should also reduce local inflammation. Advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) applied locally influences such processes as: angiogenesis, osteogenesis and collagenogenesis. It also affects mesenchymal cell lines and anti- and pro-inflammatory mediators. Due to the autologous origin of the material, their use in guide bone regeneration (GBR) is more and more widespread in dentistry. The results of previous studies indicate that the use of A-PRF in the treatment area significantly reduces postoperative pain, while the formation of edema is not affected. C-reactive protein (CRP), which is an acute phase protein, appears in the blood as a consequence of inflammation. Due to the dynamics of changes in concentration of CRP, it is a protein that is sufficiently sensitive and is used in studies to monitor the tissue healing process. The effect of A-PRF application on CRP concentrations, before and after surgery, has not been investigated yet. The study was conducted on 60 generally healthy patients. A faster decrease of CRP levels was shown in patients who used A-PRF after the procedure. Additionally, it accelerated healing and reduced the occurrence of a dry socket close to 0.