Social awareness about psoriasis: Misconceptions, negative prejudices and discriminatory behavior.

Psoriasis patients experience negative attitudes and behaviors exhibited by people who have insufficient knowledge about psoriasis. In this study, the knowledge level of the society about psoriasis; people's attitudes toward such patients were investigated. A questionnaire that investigates the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to psoriasis according to age, gender, and education levels was applied to the participants. About a quarter of participants in the study did not have any knowledge about psoriasis, 22.9% participants who thought that they knew about psoriasis believed that psoriasis was an infectious disease, 34.2% indicated that they were afraid of shaking hands with patients who had psoriasis, 45.4% did not wish to eat any food prepared by such patients, and 13.4% did not want to work with them in the same workplace. Female participants were more concerned that psoriasis was contagious (P = .030) than male participants, and they were more concerned about shaking hands (P = .022) and eating food prepared by psoriasis patients (P = .009). Both the psoriasis is little known and the level of knowledge of the participants who think they have knowledge about psoriasis was insufficient and prejudiced attitudes and behaviors are common in patients with psoriasis.

Examination of Patients' Regular Participation at an Obesity Center to Evaluate the Effects on Mental Status and Blood Parameters.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is the main cause of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, musculoskeletal disorders, some cancers, and mental disorders, and many other diseases leading to mortality. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of participation in an obesity center on patient mental status and blood parameters within 3 months and to show the relationship of this participation with depression, anxiety, and other parameters. METHODS: This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study. Of 2,591 patients admitted to an obesity center between November 1, 2018 and November 1, 2019, 317 met the inclusion criteria. This study was a descriptive and cross-sectional study of the data from those 317 patients. RESULTS: Of the patients enrolled in the study, 90.5% were female and 9.5% were male. Weight, occupation, body mass index, body fat percentage, waist circumference, hip circumference, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), Beck Depression Scale, and Beck Anxiety Scale were important determinants in our univariate analyses associated with the regular receipt of center education. HbA1c (odds ratio, 1.661; 95% confidence interval, 1.140-2.421; P=0.008) was shown to be multivariate predictors of amount of participation in center education. CONCLUSION: These results support that regular participation in obesity center education has a positive effect on patients mental status, blood parameters, and anthropometric measurements. Thus, increasing the number of obesity centers is of great importance in treating obesity and improving obese patient mental status.

Evaluation of varenicline usage on ventricular repolarization after smoking cessation.

BACKGROUND: Varenicline, which is a selective partial agonist of the alpha4-beta2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, is used for the smoking cessation pharmacotherapy. Cardiovascular adverse effects have been reported after varenicline usage in patients who stop smoking. We investigated the effect of varenicline usage on ventricular repolarization after smoking cessation. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated the cardiac arrhythmic effects of varenicline by comparing smoking patients (n = 214) before and after varenicline usage. Varenicline administered patients were also compared to ex-smoker individuals (n = 50) who quit smoking without varenicline usage in terms of ventricular repolarization parameters. RESULTS: After calculated according to Fridericia's and Framingham's formulas, QTc intervals were significantly increased when patients compared before and after smoking cessation with varenicline (402.9 ± 24.5 ms vs. 409.1 ± 25.0 ms p < 0.001 and 376.5 ± 15.2 ms, vs. 380.6 ± 13.5 ms; p < 0.001, respectively). There was no arrhythmic event during the follow-up. The change in Tp-e and QTc following varenicline usage was negatively correlated with the smoking packet/year. (ρ: -0.443, p < 0.001 and ρ = -0.601, p < 0.001) CONCLUSION: Varenicline usage was demonstrated to prolong ventricular repolarization parameters similar to animal studies. Varenicline may have a role to predispose cardiac dysrhythmias after utilization in smoking cessation.

Predictors of In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Complicated With Cardiogenic Shock.

BACKGROUND: ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) complicated with cardiogenic shock (CS) remains as an unresolved condition causing high morbidity and mortality despite advances in medical treatment and coronary intervention procedures. In the current study, we evaluated the predictors of in-hospital mortality of STEMI complicated with CS. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we evaluated the predictive value of baseline characteristics, angiographic, echocardiographic and laboratory parameters on in-hospital mortality of 319 patients with STEMI complicated with CS who were treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients were divided into two groups consisting of survivors and non-survivors during their index hospitalisation period. RESULTS: The mortality rate was found to be 61.3% in the study population. At multivariate analysis after adjustment for the parameters detected in univariate analysis, chronic renal failure, Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) ≤2, plasma glucose and lactate level, blood urea nitrogen level, Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion (TAPSE) and ejection fraction were independent predictors of in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Apart from haemodynamic deterioration, angiographic, echocardiographic and laboratory parameters have an impact on in-hospital mortality in patients with STEMI complicated with CS.

Complementary and alternative medicine use amongst Turkish type 2 diabetic patients: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: There is a worldwide tendency in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Type 2 diabetic patients' attitude towards CAM use differs depending on several patient characteristics. OBJECTIVE: To determine the awareness, knowledge and the frequency of CAM use; to determine the independent demographic characteristics making it more probable to use CAM in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: 400 patients with T2DM visiting outpatient diabetes education clinic in Turkey from September 2015 to June 2016 were included in this cross-sectional study. On the basis of patients' responses to our questionnaire interrogating the CAM use, all participants were divided into 2 groups: CAM users and non-users. The independent predictors of CAM use were determined after a multivariate analysis including the parameters with a p value <0.25 in univariate analysis. RESULTS: In our study the rate of CAM use was 36,7% (n = 147) and CAM use among female gender was significantly more frequent. HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, post-prandial blood glucose serum levels were significantly higher in CAM non-user group. (p < 0.001,p < 0.001 and p < 0.001 respectively). The independent predictive factors proved to be a determinant of CAM use were the age of 50-64 years, female gender and healthy eating habits. CONCLUSIONS: The use of CAM methods in the field of T2DM is growing. Our study reported the prevalence of CAM use, the baseline comparison of CAM users and non-users and demonstrated three independent notable predictors of CAM use among patients with T2DM.