Prevalence of diabetes in Poland: a combined analysis of national databases.

AIMS: To assess the number of people with diabetes in Poland using combined national sources and to evaluate the usefulness of data from an insurance system for epidemiological purposes. METHODS: The data were collected from four sources: 1) 2013 all-billing records of the national insurance system comprising people of all age groups undergoing procedures or receiving services in primary healthcare, specialist practices and hospitals and also those receiving drugs; 2) an epidemiological study, NATPOL, that involved the assessment of people with undiagnosed diabetes; 3) the RECEPTOmetr Sequence study on prescriptions; and 4) regional child diabetes registries. RESULTS: In 2013, 1.76 million people (0.98 million women and 0.79 million men) had medical consultations (coded E10-E14) and 2.13 million people (1.19 million women and 0.94 million men) purchased drugs or strip tests for diabetes. A total of 0.04 million people who used medical services did not buy drugs. In total, the number of people with diabetes in the insurance system was 2.16 million (1.21 million women and 0.95 million men), which corresponds to 6.1% (95% CI 6.11-6.14) of women and 5.1% (95% CI 5.12-5.14) of men. Including undiagnosed cases, the total number of people with diabetes in Poland was 2.68 million in 2013. CONCLUSION: The estimated prevalence of diabetes (diagnosed and undiagnosed cases) in Poland is 6.97%. Data from the national insurance system with full coverage of the population can be treated as a reliable source of information on diseases with well-defined diagnosis and treatment methods, combined with an assessment of the number of undiagnosed individuals.

Coffee consumption and risk of hypertension in the Polish arm of the HAPIEE cohort study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Coffee consumption has been hypothesized to be associated with blood pressure (BP), but previous findings are not homogeneous. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between coffee consumption and the risk of developing hypertension. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Data on coffee consumption, BP and use of anti-hypertensive medicament were derived from 2725 participants of the Polish arm of the HAPIEE project (Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe) who were free of hypertension at baseline and followed up for an average of 5 years. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by multivariate logistic regression analyses and stratified for potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Coffee consumption was related to decreased age, smoking status and total energy intake. Compared with persons who drink <1 cup coffee per day, systolic BP was significantly associated with coffee consumption and the risk of hypertension was lower for individuals consuming 3-4 cups per day. Despite the analysis stratified by gender showed that the protective effect of coffee consumption on hypertension was significant only in women, the analysis after stratification by smoking status revealed a decreased risk of hypertension in non-smokers drinking 3-4 cups of coffee per day in both sexes (OR 0.41, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.79 for men and OR 0.54, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.99 for women). Upper category coffee consumption (>4 cups per day) was not related to significant increased risk of hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: Relation between coffee consumption and incidence of hypertension was related to smoking status. Consumption of 3-4 cups of coffee per day decreased the risk of hypertension in non-smoking men and women only.

The association between psychosocial characteristics at work and problem drinking: a cross-sectional study of men in three Eastern European urban populations.

BACKGROUND: Psychosocial factors at work are thought to influence health partly through health behaviours. AIMS: To examine the association between effort-reward imbalance and job control and several alcohol related measures in three eastern European populations. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Novosibirsk (Russia), Krakow (Poland), and Karvina (Czech Republic). The participants completed a questionnaire that included effort-reward at work, job control, and a number of sociodemographic variables. Annual alcohol intake, annual number of drinking sessions, the mean dose of alcohol per drinking session, and binge drinking (> or =80 g of ethanol in one session at least once a week) were based on graduated frequencies in the questionnaire. Data were also available on problem drinking (> or =2 positive answers on CAGE questionnaire) and negative social consequences of drinking. All male participants in full employment (n = 694) were included in the present analyses. RESULTS: After controlling for age and centre, all indices of alcohol consumption and problem drinking were associated with the effort-reward ratio. Adjustment for material deprivation did not change the results but adjustment for depressive symptoms reduced the estimated effects. Job control was not associated with any of the alcohol related outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The imbalance of effort-reward at work is associated with increased alcohol intake and problem drinking. The association appears to be partly mediated by depressive symptoms, which might be either an antecedent or a consequence of men's drinking behaviour.

Thrombin generation markers and coronary heart disease risk factors in a Polish population sample.

Thrombosis plays a major role in the development of atherosclerosis and its acute vascular complications. Epidemiological studies have shown that elevated levels of plasma fibrinogen are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). It is not clear whether this association is linked to hemostatic functions of fibrinogen which serves as a substrate for thrombin. Generation of thrombin in vivo can be evaluated by measurement of its specific markers in plasma, i.e. thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) and prothrombin fragment 1 + 2 (F1 + 2). We determined plasma levels of TAT and F1 + 2 in a population sample of southeastern Poland and evaluated relations of these markers with plasma fibrinogen, factor VII coagulant activity (FVIIc), and other known CHD risk factors. The population studied consisted of 215 men and 251 women, aged 43-75 years. Final analysis was performed on 195 men and 222 women. The distribution of plasma TAT and F1 + 2 concentrations were highly skewed with the higher median values for women than for men. Log values of TAT correlated with log values of F1 + 2 in men (r = 0.27, p < 0.01) and in women (r = 0.15, p < 0.05). In the regression analysis both markers were positively related to age in women but not in men. After adjustment to age there was a positive relation between TAT and fibrinogen in both sexes. In women, but not in men, F1 + 2 showed a positive association with FVIIc. Total plasma cholesterol was negatively related to TAT in women only. There was no association between thrombin generation markers and plasma triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, blood pressure, cigarette smoking and body mass index (BMI). The association of plasma fibrinogen and FVIIc with thrombin generation markers points to an important role of the hemostatic system in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease in humans.

[Cognitive impairment and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Project CASCADE Kraków. IV. Prevalence of cognitive impairment in relation to age, sex, education and history of myocardial infarction in men and women at age 65-78, residents of a rural province in Poland (Tarnobrzed)]. / Zaburzenia funkcji poznawczych a czynniki ryzyka chorób ukladu krazenia. Projekt CASCADE Kraków. Czesc IV: Wystepowanie zaburzen funkcji poznawczych w zaleznosci od wieku, plci, wyksztalcenia oraz od przebycia zawalu serca u mezczyzn i kobiet w wieku 65-78 lat, mieszkanców województwa tarnobrzeskiego.

Decrease in cardiovascular disease mortality below age of 65 years, which has been observed in Poland since 1992, is followed by increasing number of elderly people. One of the typical problems of ageing is deterioration of cognitive function. Little is known on prevalence of cognitive impairment and its correlates in Polish population. The goal of this paper was to assess the prevalence of cognitive impairment in the elderly Polish rural population and to study the differences in the distribution of cognitive function and frequency of cognitive impairment by age, sex, education and by history of previous MI. Studied group were 943 men and women at age 65-78 from the cohort representing the population of Polish rural province (Tarnobrzeg Voivodship). Participants were visited at their homes. Interview and cognitive function assessment by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) procedure were carried out according to the standard questionnaire. Participation rate was 94%--882 persons were examined. There were 58% women and 17% persons at age 75 or older in the examined group. 87% had only elementary (7 years of schooling) education or less. History of previous myocardial infarction was found in 15% of participants. In almost half of participants the result of MMSE < or = 25 points suggested cognitive impairment. More severe impairment (MMSE < or = 21 points) was found in 15% of examined persons. In participants at age 75 years or older and in those with low education, per cent of persons with cognitive impairement function was higher. Sex and history of previous myocardial infarction were not related to frequency of cognitive impairment. Results indicate the high prevalence of the cognitive impairment in elderly men and women in Polish rural population with low average level of education.

[Cognitive impairment and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Project CASCADE Kraków. V. Disorders of higher cerebral functions in elderly people (65-78 years old)]. / Zaburzenia funkcji poznawczych a czynniki ryzyka chorób ukladu krazenia. Projekt CASCADE Kraków. Czesc V: Zaburzenia wyzszych czynnosci nerwowych u osób w wieku podeszlym (65-78 lat).

Higher cortical dysfunctions, like dysphasia, dysgnosia and dyspraxia, relatively frequent in the elderly, are related to progressive neurodegenerative or vascular disorders with dementia. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence and the intensity of higher cerebral dysfunctions in the population over 65 years and to investigate the association between these disorders and the presence of other neurological abnormalities, i.e. extrapyramidal signs, primitive reflexes as well as cognitive impairment assessed by Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). There were 92 women and 90 men, aged from 65-78 years included in the study. All patients were interviewed for the presence of vascular risk factors. The battery of 21 detailed test of higher cerebral functions testing speech, calculation, reading, writing, praxia and gnosia were performed in each person. Extra-pyramidal signs and primitive reflexes were also examined. Among the disorders of higher cortical functions, slight dyspraxia was the most frequent (33.7%). Finger dysgnosia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia were found less frequently. 25.4% of studied group abnormally performed at least two tests assessing higher cortical functions and when compared with normal persons, they presented significantly more frequent the extrapyramidal signs (63.9% vs. 46.9%, respectively) and had significantly frequent impaired cognitive functions (p < 0.05). Patients with higher cortical dysfunction, when compared with other persons, had more frequent primitive reflexes (p < 0.05). The results of the study showed that slight disorders of higher cortical functions were found in about 25% of studied population; they were more frequent in people with cognitive impairment, primitive reflexes and extrapyramidal signs.

[Myocardial infarction--risks and procedures. Longitudinal observation of a population of 280,000 women and men--Project POL-MONI CA Krakow. III: Epidemiology and treatment of myocardial infarction]. / Zawal serca--zagrozenia i postepowanie. Dlugofalowa obserwacja populacji 280,000 kobiet i mezczyzn--Projekt POL-MONICA Kraków. Czesc III: Epidemiologia i leczenie zawalu serca.

There has been a large amount of progress in the methods of prevention and treatment of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), but the effect of these changes on mortality due to IHD has not been assessed. This paper presents the complex analysis of 10-year trends of incidence, case fatality and mortality due to myocardial infarction (MI) and changes in medical care in the acute phase of MI in residents of one province of Poland-Tarnobrzeg Voivodship, which was the target population of the POL-MONICA Kraków Project (over 280,000 men and women at age 25-64 years). In men, the incidence of MI, which was 335/100,000 in 1984, increased in 1986 to 463/1,000,000 and then was stable until 1993 when it felt to 362/100,000. Mortality from MI, which was 149/100,000 in 1984, increased to 212/100,000 in 1986 and then was stable until 1992, before falling to 173/100,000 in 1993. There were large fluctuations in the incidence and mortality from MI in women i.e. from 58/100,000 to 116/100,000 and from 21/100,000 to 55/100,000 respectively. In 1993 the incidence was 82/100,000 and mortality was 32/100,000. After adding sudden deaths and other fatal events attributed to IHD the mortality figures increased over the ten years of observation by an average of 29% in men and by 28% in women. The average total MI case fatality was 47% in men and 40% in women, with 86% of all deaths due to MI occurring out of hospital. Case-fatality of MI managed in hospital was 11% on average.

Childhood socioeconomic circumstances and adult height and leg length in central and eastern Europe.

BACKGROUND: Adult height and leg length have been shown to be positively associated with childhood socioeconomic circumstances in several studies in western populations. This study will determine whether similar associations are observable in settings with different social histories, and will assess whether adult leg length is more strongly associated than adult height. METHODS: Random samples of men and women aged 45-69 years were taken from population registers in Novosibirsk (Russia), Krakow (Poland) and six towns of the Czech Republic, recruiting nearly 29,000 people. Participants completed a questionnaire that included questions regarding their mother's and father's education (not available in the Czech Republic) and ownership of several household items when they were 10 years old. Participants' standing and sitting heights were measured and from these an estimate of leg length was derived. Associations between indicators of childhood socioeconomic circumstances and anthropometric measures were analysed using linear regression. RESULTS: Russian individuals were shorter and reported fewer household assets at the age of 10 years than Czech and Polish individuals. Parental education and household assets were strongly associated with each other and both were independently associated with height, leg length and trunk length. Height was associated with childhood circumstances more strongly than leg length. The associations of childhood circumstances with the leg/trunk ratio were weak and inconsistent. CONCLUSION: In these urban populations in eastern Europe, adult height is associated with childhood conditions at least as strongly as leg length.