Biochemical and Clinical Effects of Vitamin E Supplementation in Hungarian Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome Patients.

Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is a severe monogenic disorder resulting in low cholesterol and high 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) levels. 7-DHC-derived oxysterols likely contribute to disease pathophysiology, and thus antioxidant treatment might be beneficial because of high oxidative stress. In a three-year prospective study, we investigated the effects of vitamin E supplementation in six SLOS patients already receiving dietary cholesterol treatment. Plasma vitamin A and E concentrations were determined by the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. At baseline, plasma 7-DHC, 8-dehydrocholesterol (8-DHC) and cholesterol levels were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. The clinical effect of the supplementation was assessed by performing structured parental interviews. At baseline, patients were characterized by low or low-normal plasma vitamin E concentrations (7.19-15.68 µmol/L), while vitamin A concentrations were found to be normal or high (1.26-2.68 µmol/L). Vitamin E supplementation resulted in correction or significant elevation of plasma vitamin E concentration in all patients. We observed reduced aggression, self-injury, irritability, hyperactivity, attention deficit, repetitive behavior, sleep disturbance, skin photosensitivity and/or eczema in 3/6 patients, with notable individual variability. Clinical response to therapy was associated with a low baseline 7-DHC + 8-DHC/cholesterol ratio (0.2-0.4). We suggest that determination of vitamin E status is important in SLOS patients. Supplementation of vitamin E should be considered and might be beneficial.

[Study on religious addiction as a potential novel type of behavioral addiction in an adolescent population]. / A vallásfüggoség mint egy lehetséges új viselkedési addikció vizsgálata serdülokorú populációban.

INTRODUCTION: Religious addiction is a new behavioral addiction, featured with pathologic religious activity. AIM: The authors examined whether this new phenomenon appears in adolescence, and whether it correlates with substance use and mental health variables. METHOD: The General Addiction Screening Tool was used to investigate the presence of religious addiction among youth (N = 656; mean age, 16.5 years; 49.2% females). Besides monthly and lifetime prevalence of substance use, variables of psychological well-being (e.g., depression, aggression, optimism) were also detected. RESULTS: Religiosity was relatively low among adolescents. Nearly 1% of the sample might be characterized as being addicted to religion, 16.2% belonged to the symptomatic group, while 83% of them were asymptomatic. Religious addicts were more likely to be more religious and the role of religion in one's life was more important. Also, they tended to pray more and attend church more frequently. It was also found that amphetamine use was more frequent among the addicts. In terms of mental health level, aggression scored lower and spiritual well-being reached higher level. CONCLUSIONS: Religiosity is a vague phenomenon, and further investigation is needed to detect when healthy enthusiastic religiosity turns into religious addiction.

"To believe or not to believe?" Religiosity, spirituality, and alcohol use among Hungarian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: A growing number of studies focus on the relationship between religiosity/spirituality and substance use, including drinking. Although these studies often find a negative association between religiosity and adolescent alcohol use, different religious variables may play an altering role in alcohol-related activities. The primary goal of the present study was to examine the relationship between a set of religious variables (religious denomination, church membership, religious attendance, praying, religiosity, spiritual beliefs, and well-being) and drinking patterns (current alcohol use, lifetime prevalence of drinking, and heavy episodic drinking) among a sample of Hungarian youth. METHOD: Data were collected among high school students (N = 592; ages between 14 and 17 years; 48.1% male) from a randomly selected set of schools in Szeged, Hungary, using a self-administered questionnaire and standardized procedures. Student participation was voluntary and confidential. RESULTS: Despite a high level of alcohol use and a relatively low level of religiosity in the sample, we detected a relationship between the importance of religiousness/religious well-being and alcohol use, although religious denomination and affiliation were not significant correlates. Religious attendance and private praying were associated with lower odds of alcohol use among girls; boys who reported a belief in traditional religion were less likely to engage in alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: These exploratory results provide further details to a growing body of research showing that despite adolescents' low religious involvement, religiosity can play an important role in some youth's lives and may serve as a protective factor against alcohol use and misuse.

[Is religiosity a protective factor? Social epidemiologic study of adolescent psychological health]. / Vallásosság mint védofaktor? Serdülôk pszichikai egészségének szociális epidemiológiai vizsgálata.

UNLABELLED: One of the important tasks of epidemiological analyses is mapping protective factors for health promotion. Religiosity is a protective factor which has an impact on all of the three dimensions of health status, among others, it goes together with a longer lifetime, better indicators of health status indicators and quality of life, less anxiety, depression and suicide, more effective coping strategies. In relation to adolescent health, less investigation has been available thus far. OBJECTIVE: The main goal of the present study was to investigate the relationship between religiosity and psychological health among adolescents. Regarding religiosity, religious affiliation, religiousness (subjective level of religiosity) and religious participation were assessed. Among health status indicators, occurrence of depressive symptomatology, level of satisfaction with life and self-perceived health were determined. METHODS: Data collection of the questionnaire survey was going on among 881 high school students in Szeged (age range between 14-20 years, mean = 16.6 years, S.D. = 1.3 years of age, 44.6% of the sample was female). Associations between health status indicators (as dependent variables) and religiosity factors (as independent variables) were assessed using Odds Ratios calculated by logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that youth's religiosity had the least effect on depressive symptomatology, whereas youth defined themselves as religious and those who actually participated at religious events perceived their own health better and they were more satisfied with their life. Girls tended to belong more to a religious community and their religiosity was more associated with life satisfaction and self-perceived health. CONCLUSIONS: Religiosity is a determinant factor in adolescent psychological health except for depression. Further research is needed to analyze protective factors related to adolescents' health status.