Effect of the transdermal low-level laser therapy on endothelial function

The effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the cardiovascular system is not fully established. Since the endothelium is an important endocrine element, establishing the mechanisms of LLLT action is an important issue.The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of transdermal LLLT on endothelial function.In this study, healthy volunteers (n?=?40, age?=?20–40 years) were enrolled. N?=?30 (14 female, 16 male, mean age 30?±?5 years) constituted the laser-irradiated group (LG). The remaining 10 subjects (6 women, 4 men, mean age 28?±?5 years) constituted the control group (CG). Participants were subjected to LLLT once a day for three consecutive days. Blood for biochemical assessments was drawn before the first irradiation and 24 h after the last session. In the LG, transdermal illumination of radial artery was conducted (a semiconductor laser λ?=?808 nm, irradiation 50 mW, energy density 1.6 W/cm² and a dose 20 J/day, a total dose of 60 J). Biochemical parameters (reflecting angiogenesis: vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), angiostatin; antioxidative status: glutathione (GSH) and the nitric oxide metabolic pathway: symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and l-arginine) were assessed. In the LG, a significant increase in GSH levels and considerable decrease in angiostatin concentration following the LLLT were observed. No significant differences in levels of the VEGF, FGF, SDMA, ADMA were observed.LLLT modifies vascular endothelial function by increasing its antioxidant and angiogenic potential. We found no significant differences in levels of the nitric oxide pathway metabolites within 24 h following the LLLT irradiation.     

Mediterranean Diet and Hip Fracture in Swedish Men and Women

A Mediterranean diet, known to have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health, may also influence the risk of hip fracture although previous studies present discrepant results. We therefore aimed to determine whether the rate of hip fracture was associated with degree of adherence to a Mediterranean diet. We combined two Swedish cohort studies consisting of 37,903 men and 33,403 women (total n = 71,333, mean age 60 years) free of previous cardiovascular disease and cancer who answered a medical and a food‐frequency questionnaire in 1997. A modified Mediterranean diet score (mMED; range, 0 to 8 points) was created based on high consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, whole grains, fermented dairy products, fish, and olive/rapeseed oil, moderate intake of alcohol, and low intake of red and processed meat. Incident hip fractures between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2012, were retrieved from the National Patient Register. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) adjusted for potential confounders were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Differences in age at hip fracture were calculated using multivariable Laplace regression. During follow‐up, 3175 hip fractures occurred at a median age of 73.3 years. One unit increase in the mMED was associated with 6% lower hip fracture rate (adjusted HR = 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92 to 0.96) and with a 3‐month higher median age at hip fracture (50th percentile difference = 2.8 months; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.2). Comparing the highest quintile of adherence to the mMED (6 to 8 points) with the lowest (0 to 2 points) conferred an adjusted HR of hip fracture of 0.78 (95% CI, 0.69 to 0.89) and a 12‐month higher median age of hip fracture (50th percentile difference = 11.6 months; 95% CI, 4.2 to 19.0). Results were similar in men and women. We conclude that higher adherence to a Mediterranean‐like diet is associated with lower risk of future hip fracture. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.     

The spread of medical fake news in social media – The pilot quantitative study

Objectives

Fake news: misinformation and falsehood of health news in social media constitute a potential threat to the public health, but the scope of this issue remains unclear. Our pilot study is an initial attempt to measure a number of the top shared health misinformation stories in the Polish language social media.

Fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of cholecystectomy: a prospective cohort study of women and men

Purpose

Epidemiologic data on whether consumption of fruit and vegetables (FVs) decreases the risk of gallstone disease are sparse. Therefore, we examined the association between FV consumption and the 14-year risk of symptomatic gallstone disease (defined as occurrence of cholecystectomy) in a large group of middle-aged and elderly persons.

Methods

Data from two population-based cohorts were used, which included 74,554 men and women (born 1914–1952). Participants filled in a food frequency questionnaire in the late fall of 1997 and were followed up for cholecystectomy between 1998 and 2011 via linkage to the Swedish Patient Register. Cox regression models were used to obtain hazard ratios (HRs).

Results

During 939,715 person-years of follow-up, 2120 participants underwent a cholecystectomy (1120 women and 1000 men). An inverse association between FV consumption and risk of cholecystectomy was observed in age- and sex-adjusted analyses (P _trend = .036) but not in confounder-adjusted analyses (P _trend = .43). The multivariable-adjusted HR was 0.95 (95 % CI 0.83–1.08) for the highest compared with the lowest sex-specific quartile of FV consumption. There was no evidence of interactions with age (P = .25) or sex (P = .72) in analyses pooled by sex. However, an age-by-FV consumption interaction was observed in separate analyses of women (P = .010), with decreased HRs of cholecystectomy for ages up to 60 years.

Conclusions

This study supports an inverse association between FV consumption and risk cholecystectomy in women, although the association was restricted to women aged 48–60 years. In contrast, the study does not support an association in men.

     

The photooxidative sensitization of bis(p-substituted diphenyl)iodonium salts in the radical polymerization of acrylates

The ability of two-component dyeing photoinitiating systems for the radical polymerization of 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) and 2-ethyl-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol triacrylate (TMPTA) is presented. The systems under study comprised a hemicyanine dye as a sensitizer and iodonium salts that played a role of a coinitiator. The kinetic parameters of the polymerization reaction, such as the rate of polymerization (R_p) and the degree of conversion of monomer (C_%), were estimated. The thermodynamic feasibility of an electron transfer process in the systems studied was verified and calculated using the Rehm–Weller equation. It was found that a benzoxazole derivative in the presence of iodonium salts effectively initiated the polymerization of acrylate monomers. The polymerization rates of about 10⁻⁷ s⁻¹ and the degree of conversion of acrylate groups from 20% to 50% were observed. The effects of photoinitiator structures on the initiating ability and spectroscopic properties of sensitizers are described in this article.

The ability of two-component dyeing photoinitiating systems for the radical polymerization of 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) and 2-ethyl-2-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-propanediol triacrylate (TMPTA) is presented.     

The Release of NSAIDs Such as Ibuprofen and Diclofenac from Magnetic Nanoparticles Coated with Dextran

Pharmaceutical Chemistry Journal - In this study, iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were synthesized using the Massart co-precipitation method followed by surface coating with dextran. Next, coated...     

Colorectal cancer mortality in Poland – analysis of regional variation

Introduction

In 1999 in Poland 7,139 people died of colon cancer, while in 2008 this number rose to 9,915. Among malignant tumours, colorectal cancer is the second most commonly occurring one, frequently leading to death. The main reason for this is the fact that in 50% of patients with this cancer the illness is diagnosed at an advanced stage already. The risk increases significantly after 60 years of age. The aim of study was analysing the mortality of patients with colorectal cancer over 10 years in Poland (1999-2008), in both men and women from all provinces in the country.

Material and methods

The basis for the study was the number of deaths caused by colorectal cancer taking into account sex. Statistical data were drawn from the National Cancer Registry.

Results

In 1999 in Poland 3,706 men and 3,433 women died of colorectal cancer, while in 2008 the number of deaths stood at 5,385 and 4,530 respectively. In the years 1999-2008, colorectal cancer mortality rates among men were approximately 1.5 times higher than among women, and the majority of provinces demonstrate an upward trend. Among women the differences in the values of the coefficients are less clear.

Conclusions

Early detection of cancer could significantly reduce mortality among patients with colon cancer. Screening for colorectal cancer and colonoscopy are tests that should permanently become a part of preventive measures aimed at detecting disease and teaching risk factors, particularly in males and people over 60 years of age.     

A prospective study of smoking and risk of prostate cancer

We evaluated the hypothesis that smoking increases the incidence of and mortality from prostate cancer. High-quality smoking information was collected in 1971–1975 in a nationwide cohort of 135,006 male construction workers in Sweden. We achieved virtually complete follow-up through record linkages and ascertained as of December 1991 2,368 incident cases of prostate cancer and 709 deaths due to this disease. Rate ratios (RR) of prostate cancer incidence and mortality, with 95% confidence intervals (CI), were estimated in Poisson-based age-adjusted models, with amount and duration of smoking as independent variables. We found no convincing association between current smoking status, number of cigarettes smoked or years since onset and risk of prostatic cancer. The age-adjusted incidence RR among previous smokers was 1.09 and among current smokers 1.11 compared with non-smokers. Weak and inconsistent trends were seen with increasing number of cigarettes smoked per day and increasing duration among current smokers. Smokers of 15 or more cigarettes daily for at least 30 years experienced an incidence RR of 1.30. Mortality in ex-smokers was similar to that in never-smokers; it was, however, slightly increased among current smokers without any trend with amount smoked or duration. The weak and inconsistent associations between smoking and prostate cancer could easily have arisen due to bias or confounding. We therefore conclude that smoking is most likely not causally linked to the occurrence of prostate cancer. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.