The problem of Lyme borreliosis infections in urban and rural residents in Poland, based on National Health Fund data.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Some fragmentary studies show that the incidence of Lyme borreliosis in Poland is increasing. It has been generally accepted that the most affected are forestry workers and farmers. The aim of the study is to compare the incidence of borreliosis in urban and rural residents in 2008-2016. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Databases on Lyme borreliosis from the National Health Fund and Central Statistical Office in Poland were analyzed. For each patient, ambulatory or discharged from every hospital, the diagnosis was compulsorily reported as encoded following the International Classification of Diseases. RESULTS: A steadily increasing number of patients with borreliosis in Poland was found, which doubled in 2008 - 2016. The incidence was similar in urban and rural residents. In all the provinces in Poland, an increase in incidence of borreliosis was observed, although there were big differences between them. The highest frequency of borreliosis was in Podlasie and Warmia-Masuria provinces. The lowest incidence of borreliosis was noticed in Wielkopolska province. In the most provinces the increase in the incidence of borreliosis was steady, except Warmia-Masuria, where it was very low in 2008, and soaring since 2011. The number of cases per year between 2008 - 2016 increased in both in males and females. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest the need for higher awareness of the risk of Lyme borreliosis in urban residents, because the incidence of Lyme borreliosis is growing independently of the place of residence. Prompt measures to prevent tick bites and appropriate education are urgently needed.

Analysis of National Health and Insurance Registers for All-Cause Mortality in Patients with Heart Failure with and without Diabetes Mellitus in Poland in 2012.

BACKGROUND This retrospective study aimed to analyze all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure with and without diabetes mellitus in 2012 in Poland using data from the National Health Fund [Narodowy Fundusz Zdrowia] (NFZ), the Central Register of the Insured [Centralna Baza Ubezpieczonych] (CBU), and the Polish Universal Electronic System for Registration of the Population (PESEL). MATERIAL AND METHODS Between 1st January 2012 and 31st December 2012, data were analyzed from the NFZ, CBU, and PESEL to include all patients with a primary diagnosis of heart failure, with and without diabetes mellitus and all-cause mortality data. Structured Query Language (SQL) was used to retrieve and manage data from NFZ, CBU, and PESEL. RESULTS In Poland, 32.58% of 201,586 patients with a primary diagnosis of heart failure who died in 2012 also had a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. The overall mortality rate in men with heart failure and diabetes was eight times higher than for men with heart failure without diabetes. The overall mortality rate in women with diabetes and heart failure was 5.5 times higher compared with women with heart failure without diabetes. More than 90% of deaths in female patients with heart failure, with or without diabetes, occurred in women >60 years. For male patients with heart failure with or without diabetes, 70% of deaths occurred in men >60 years. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the need for continued prevention programs, early diagnosis, and treatment of diabetes, and highlight the increase in mortality for patients with heart failure and diabetes.