[Glycogen content of the livers of rats poisoned with carbon monoxide].
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
W Jedrychowski
Publications and source records attributed to W Jedrychowski.
Functional status of the lower extremities in elderly males. A community study.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional status of the lower extremities (FSL) of elderly males from the community and to compare it with the self-assessment of health status (SHS) and ventilatory lung function based on measurement of forced expiratory vital capacity (FVC). The material covered a group of 559 males, age 65-89 years, who are residents of Krakow. The FSL was measured by the length of standing time on one leg (ST). There was a very strong declining trend in the ST with age in the elderly. The ST correlated significantly inversely with age (r=-0.32) and positively with FVC (r=0.29). The FSL was also associated strongly with the SHS score, while body-mass index (BMI) and occupational category (OC) appeared to have insignificant effect. The results of the study suggest that the ST may be used as a crude indicator of the general fitness of the elderly.
Journal Article↗
Effects of smoking and longevity of parents on lung function in the apparently healty elderly.
The assessment of the effects of smoking and longevity of parents on lung function in the elderly was carried out in a large sample of men (559) and women (1073) in Cracow. The lung function indices decreased linearly with age both in men and women. The mean levels of forced vital capacity (FVC) in the elderly males from long-lived parents were higher by about 400 ml and of forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) were higher by 330 ml in comparison to subjects of shorter-lived parents. No similar differences in elderly women have been found. The data showed that active smoking affected lung function into advanced old age and that its effect was similar in both men and women. It was found that a history of chronic cough was not related to the impairment of lung function after inclusion of smoking status in the multiple regression models.
Journal Article↗
Excessive weight and hypertension in the elderly - the results of the community study.
The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between excessive weight and systolic-diastolic and isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly. The sample covered 631 men and 1269 women of age 65-84 who took part in the screening program for chest diseases in Cracow city center (Poland). During the visit at the medical center, blood pressure measurements (BP), anthropometric data, as well as standardized interviews on symptoms and current medical treatment have been carried out. The findings show that the prevalence of hypertension, defined as self-reported antihypertension treatment by a doctor and/or blood pressure greater or equal to 160/95, was 32.3% in males and 46.1% in females. Adding the cases of isolated systolic hypertension, the prevalence rates would be 50.5% in men and 68.1% in women. There was strong association between body mass index (BMI) and hypertension, defined by self-reported antihypertension treatment. The association between systolic-diastolic hypertension and BMI was significant only in those persons who denied the treatment. Isolated systolic hypertension appeared not to be significantly related to excessive weight. Hypertension attributable to the excessive weight would be in the range of 38% in men and 41% in women. Beneficial effects of the weight reduction programs should not be expected with regard to isolated systolic hypertension. The data support the clinical opinion that both kinds of hypertension are distinct disorders.
Journal Article↗
Lung function level as a valuable predictor of survival among the elderly. A 5-year community-based mortality study in Cracow.
The objective of the study undertaken among the elderly was to assess the strength and importance of health variable predictors (ventilatory lung function, blood pressure) in comparison with that of sociodemographic variables (age, sex, education), smoking habit, obesity and health self-assessment. The study covered a sample of elderly inhabitants of Cracow (698 males and 1211 females) who attended the mass screening X-ray clinic. The sample examined did not include patients of old people's homes or geriatric wards. Statistical analysis of the relation between mortality over a 5-year period and chosen predictors was carried out with Cox proportional hazards model. It was found that besides age, forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) level is the strongest survival predictor among the elderly. Subjects who had better FEV(1) by 500 ml showed significantly lower death risk, by 18% in males and 27% in females after allowing for age and height. The results obtained confirmed the expectation that ventilatory lung function is one of the strongest predictors of survival in the elderly. In the sample studied, the impact of education, smoking habit, obesity, health self-assessment on mortality was not significant. The effect of hypertension appeared to be relevant only in the female group.
Journal Article↗
Height and lung function in preadolescent children of Kuwaitis and European origin: a pilot survey on health effects of gas cooking in the Middle East.
Spirometric testing, including forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in .5 s (FEV0.5), FEF25-75%, and peak expiratory flow resistance (PEFR), was conducted among 130 10-y-old children (67 Kuwaitis, 63 Europeans) who lived with their parents in the same area in Kuwait city. Lung function of children who lived in houses with gas stoves were compared with those who lived in homes supplied with electric cookers. The FEV0.5 for children who lived in households with gas stoves was significantly lower (average difference, 94 ml; p = .05; corrected to height and sex). Other lung function indices, i.e., FVC, FEF25-75%, and PEFR, were also lower but, after accounting for confounders, were not statistically significant. Children from households that were equipped with gas cookers were approximately 3 cm shorter than children who lived in homes with electric cookers. These findings suggest that children who live in a very hot and dry climate--even with efficient air conditioning systems--are susceptible to the same environmental hazards to which children from other climatic zones are exposed. This susceptibility may be more pronounced before or at the onset of puberty.
Air Pollution, Indoor↗
Environmental pollution in central and eastern European countries: a basis for cancer epidemiology.
The main objective of this paper is to discuss the environmental issues in the countries of central and eastern Europe (CCEE) and to show their significance for cancer epidemiology. Of known cancer risk factors that may be related to environmental exposure in the CCEE, tobacco smoking is probably the most important. The worsening trends in cancer mortality noted in middle-aged men in the CCEE can be attributed to smoking. Other lifestyle factors that interact with environmental hazards include high alcohol consumption and unhealthy nutrition. Among other factors, the most common environmental exposure in the CCEE that has potential adverse effects on health in terms of cancer incidence is related to high levels of ambient and indoor pollutants exceeding the air quality guidelines of the World Health Organization. Millions of people, usually in urban areas, are estimated to be exposed to such levels of pollution. Outdoor air pollution is a substantial environmental problem in many areas of the CCEE, where heavy industries are concentrated without adequate technology for emission control. Chemically contaminated drinking water provides a major route of exposure for many potential environmental health hazards. The pollution of water resources, including groundwaters, by industrial and agricultural wastes is a widespread problem in both the CCEE and the former USSR. An estimated 13% of treatment plants in the Russian Federation lack the necessary equipment to treat drinking water, particularly for disinfection, to meet the required standards. Many countries in the region have problems in rural areas, where the networks are small or consumers depend on private wells, and treatment of drinking water is either poor or nonexistent. Consequently, because the standards are difficult to meet, drinking-water accumulates high levels of arsenic and nitrates. The main concern is nitrate, arsenic, fluoride, and pesticides. In countries like Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia, locations are known where nitrate concentration in drinking water are high enough to cause methemoglobinemia. Lack of appropriate data hamper valid estimates of the extent of unhealthy working conditions or of poor housing conditions. Unsafe industrial installations are potential environmental health hazards, the possible scale of which is difficult to estimate reasonably.
Adolescent↗
A clinico-epidemiological study on gastritis in gastric carcinoma and in non-cancerous gastric pathology in Poland.
To investigate the risk of gastric cancer development in subjects with atrophic and nonatrophic gastritis, we studied 221 consecutive gastric cancer patients and 7647 non-cancer subjects for whom endoscopic biopsy of the gastric mucosa was available. In gastritis patients, the relative risk (RR) estimates of gastric cancer were as follows: corpus atrophic gastritis RR = 8.7 (95% CI = 5.4-14.1), antral atrophic gastritis RR = 4.5 (2.4-8.1), chronic atrophic pangastritis RR = 7.6 (3.8-15.3), corpus nonatrophic gastritis RR = 1.6 (0.9-2.7), antral non-atrophic gastritis RR = 1.2 (0.7-2.3), and pangastritis RR = 1.3 (0.6-2.8). The latter was of borderline significance (p = 0.07). In peptic ulcer, a significant excess risk was calculated for subjects with either corpus atrophic gastritis (RR = 3.1 [2.5-3.9] or antral atrophic gastritis (RR = 3.5 [2.6-4.8]). For stomach polyps, the risk was significantly increased only in subjects with corpus atrophic gastritis (RR = 2.1 [1.3-3.5]). The risks for both peptic ulcer and polyps, however, were significantly increased in chronic atrophic pangastritis. A substantial excess risk of gastric cancer was found for atrophy in the corpus (RR = 20.9 [9.0-48.9]) and in the antrum (RR = 14.9 [5.3-41.9]). An increased risk of peptic ulcer was also confirmed in subjects with atrophy in the corpus (RR = 3.0 [1.3-6.9]) and in the antrum (RR = 4.9 [2.0-12.1]).
Adolescent↗
Risk of colorectal cancer from alcohol consumption at lower vitamin intakes. A hospital-based case-control study in Poland.
The purpose of the study was to assess the relation between the simultaneous exposure to alcohol and consumption of micronutrients that have protective properties against colorectal cancer. A hospital-based case-control study of colorectal cancer was carried out between January 1998 and November 1999 at the University Hospital in Krakow, Poland. In total, 180 incident cases of colorectal cancer, confirmed by histopathology, were recruited and an equal number of controls, individually matched by gender and age (+/-5 y), were chosen amongst patients with no history of cancer. A food-frequency questionnaire for 148 food items, combined with the quantity of foods eaten, was used to assess the normal dietary pattern. The data confirmed the reported inverse association between the intake of retinol, thiamine, or antioxidant micronutrients (vitamins C, E) and the occurrence of colorectal cancer. Alcohol intake was found to be an important risk factor for this cancer site, and the risk escalated in parallel with increased intake of retinol, carotene, vitamins C and E, but with high consumption of alcohol ran a noticeably high risk of colorectal cancer (OR= 6.79; 95% CI: 2.08-22.18). The risk was markedly lower, however, among alcohol drinkers who reported a high intake of micronutrients (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 0.39-4.67). The data suggest that a combination of high consumption of alcohol and low intake of retinol and antioxidant vitamins may considerably increase the risk of colorectal cancer.
Adult↗
Reversibility of asthma-like symptoms and lung function growth over two-year follow-up in preadolescent children.
BACKGROUND: The interesting feature of childhood asthma is the great reversibility of symptoms. The main purpose of this study was to assess the effect of persistent and reversed asthma-like symptoms on lung function growth in preadolescent children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The follow-up respiratory health survey has been conducted in the sample of 1129 children aged 9 yrs over two years follow-up. The basic health end-points was the occurrence of asthma-like symptoms and the slower lung function growth (SLFG). RESULTS: Adjusted OR for SLFG(FVC) was significantly higher only in the children having the continued symptoms(OR = 3.40; 95% CI: 1.32-8.77). There was a consistent trend of adjusted ORs for SLFG(FEV1) with the category of symptoms, where OR was 1.46 (95% CI: 1.02-2.10) in children with recent new symptoms; 2.06; (95% CI: 0.93-4.58) in those with symptoms remitted, while 3.46; (95% CI: 1.43-8.40) in children who had persistent symptoms. The corresponding ORs for SLFG(FEF25-75%) were 2.03; (95% CI: 0.97-4.28), 2.63; (95% CI: 1.38-4.99), and 5.84; (95% CI: 2.53-13.50). CONCLUSIONS: The consistent association between reversibility of asthma-like symptoms and lung function gain in preadolescent children confirmed the clinical significance of the symptoms in question. The observed slower lung function gain in preadolescence may have implications for the development of chronic lung disease later in adulthood.
Asthma↗
Human exposure to pollutants in Poland.
Serious environmental problems caused by decades of mismanagement of Poland's natural resources have been brought to light in recent years. All environmental media--air, water, food, and soil--have been burdened with toxic chemicals. Some environmental problems are so severe that the sources of pollution and the mitigation techniques needed are obvious, requiring no further research, but rather common sense, monies, and determination to implement the necessary controls and mitigation procedures. This paper will not address these obvious cases. Rather it will address that spectrum of environmental problems which requires a better understanding of public health risk in order to develop effective risk management strategies. Because these problems are numerous and monies limited, policy makers will need to set priorities both for research projects and control options. Using environmental concentration data presently available from Poland (especially for air), the paper will estimate human exposures, will point out research and monitoring needs, and hopefully, will lend credence to the concept that environmental policies and risk reduction strategies will be most effective if the Total Human Exposure Concept is used as the guiding scientific principle in risk assessment and management programs.
Air Pollutants↗
Total human exposure to lead among the general population in Poland.
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Adult↗
Total exposure assessment in occupational epidemiology for risk management.
Exposure assessment is an integral and essential component of occupational epidemiology necessary for risk assessment, risk management as well as for diagnostic and intervention efforts. It is a multidisciplinary approach that usually requires the combined expertise of environmental and industrial hygienists, toxicologists, epidemiologists, physicians, social scientists and statisticians. Exposure-assessment methodology employs various direct and indirect techniques, including environmental measurements, personal monitoring, biological markers, questionnaires, and mathematical modelling. Exposure assessments for occupational environment must be considered in the framework of potential contributions from other media and adding the incremental exposure from other media when necessary. Furthermore, to achieve effective risk assessment, all media and routes of exposure must be assessed for the relative magnitude of their contributions before an assessment of one medium is conducted. In the paper the concept of total human exposure assessment is introduced and measurement approaches have been discussed focusing attention on environmental research surveys.
Humans↗
On improvement of communication between producers and users of epidemiological and statistical information on health of workers and their occupation.
In order to assess the health status of workers at the national or regional level there are necessary expensive studies on the morbidity of various occupational groups. The papers turns the attention to ambulatory care data that may be used successfully to measure directly through ambulatory medical encounters the health status of working population and its subgroups. To overcome a major weaknesses in primary health statistics a special form for survey of occupational morbidity in primary health center has been worked out. The form is very simply to fill in and most of the informations to be needed are in precoded form and it helps greatly in processing the items of information necessary for calculation of morbidity rates generated from health primary activities. This ambulatory care record should be filled in by a selected general practitioner at each visit in district ambulatories, chosen randomly from all ambulatories in the whole country or in the whole region, i.e., in Lombardy. In the statistical analysis the data collected through the survey continuously can be related to the population characteristics, such as sex, age distribution and minor or major occupational groups. The authors believe that this simple approach may be used sensible for monitoring the health status of the population in relation to occupational hazards and for the planning and management of primary health services.
Ambulatory Care↗
[Predictive value of ventilatory indices in elderly subjects].
Epidemiological studies of Kraków citizens enabled to calculate spirometric predictive values of elderly subjects. The study group was composed of 341 males and 843 females, aged 65-89 years. In every subject anthropomorphic and spirometric (FVC, FEV1.0, FEV0.5) calculations were carried out. Using the multiple regression analysis predictive indices of normal spirometric values were calculated. Monograms were also made, allowing easy access to normal values.
Aged↗
[Effect of parental longevity and smoking on the pulmonary function in elderly persons].
The significance of smoking habits and long age of parents on lung function in a large population of elderly people (559 males and 1073 females) living in the city of Cracow were analyzed. The lung function parameters correlated negatively with age of analyzed subjects (males and females). Mean values of FVC in men from long living families were 400 ml higher in comparison with other subjects, while the mean FEV1 was 330 ml higher. Such differences were not seen in females. Smoking also affected negatively lung function in the analyzed subjects. Chronic cough and sputum production did not hamper lung function, if such variables as age, height and smoking habits were not included in the analysis.
Age Factors↗
[Combined effects of tobacco smoking, occupational factors and atmospheric air pollution as risk factors of bronchial carcinoma. Results of retrospective studies in Cracow].
A case-control study was conducted in order to assess the combined effect of smoking, occupation and air pollution on lung cancer risk. Cases were male and female residents of Cracow whose deaths occurred within a 6 years period (1980-1985) and were attributed to primary lung cancer. The control series were selected by frequency matching to cases by sex and age (+/- 5 years) from the subjects who died of other causes than cancer or respiratory diseases. Through a mailed simple questionnaire data were collected on demographic variables, occupation, smoking habits and residency. Estimates of adds ratio were found to increase with the amount of prior cigarette consumption expressed in pack-years. In men the odds ratio estimates for suspected occupational exposure in men lasting longer than 20 years was 1.72 (1.39-2.17); for job category (manual vs nonmanual) 1.27 (1.01-1.62). Both occupational variable did not reach significance level in women. The standardized odds ratio for the highest air pollution level in men was 1.47 (1.08-2.01), while for women found to be insignificant.
Aged↗
Prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors in workers of petrochemical industry. The Pavia Study.
The survey carried out in the large sample (2379 workers) of petrochemical industry in Lombardia region was intented to provide current estimates of prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors in the industrial population. The prevalence of elevated blood pressure (borderline hypertension and definite hypertension) was 40% in men and 19% in women, the rate for definite hypertension were 17% in men and 7% in women. The relative impact of age and weight on blood pressure status appeared to be rather substantial. Estimated positive effects of the weight control program cold have reduced the prevalence of hypertension by about 45%. The survey data confirmed that subjects with hypertension were more often dyslipidemic, had higher blood glucose and serum uric acid levels than normotensive persons. It was rather intriguing to find very clear, however, not very strong effect of uric acid level on blood pressure also among normotensive workers. The importance of this factor may be strengthened by the fact that there was also statistically significant association between the changes in the optic fundi and serum uric acid level after controlling for age and blood pressure. The results of the study disclosed the positive effects of physical activity at leisure on blood pressure status and this was independent on weight and age. The high consumption of wine increased the relative risk of hypertension mainly in men. On the basis of the survey data collected it was not possible to confirm a definite relationship between smoking and hypertension.
Adult↗