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Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence of sleep disorders and the value of body mass index in seniors, taking into account their quality of aging and participation in classes at Universities of the Third Age (UTAs)., Methods: The study involved 631 (100%) seniors from the Silesian Voivodeship, aged 60 to 96 years (𝑥̅ = 70.28 ± 6.09 years). An original survey questionnaire was used, supplemented by the Successful Aging Scale and the Athens Insomnia Scale questionnaires., Results: The median of successful aging index (SAI) points obtained by UTAs "+" seniors was 11.71, while the median of SAI points obtained by UTAs "-" seniors was 11.18. Sleep disorders were more common in women than in men as well as among people aged 71-80 years compared to other groups. There were statistically significant weak negative correlations between the points obtained in Successful Aging Scale questionaire domains and the number of points in the Athens Insomnia Scale as well as body mass index value., Conclusions: The occurrence of sleep disorders and abnormally increased body weight were associated with a deterioration in the quality of aging in the studied seniors. Seniors participating in UTAs activities had a better quality of aging than people who denied participating in the mentioned activity. Actions should be constantly taken to improve the quality of the aging process of seniors, including providing them with access to contacts with other people, treating sleep disorders and educating them on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and maintaining a proper body weight. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2025; 25: 206-212., (© 2025 The Author(s). Geriatrics & Gerontology International published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japan Geriatrics Society.)

Background/Objective: The aim of this study was to assess stress-coping patterns among Polish doctors, taking into account their degree of resilience and sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: This study involved 832 (100%) Polish physicians working in the Silesian Voivodeship, Poland. All respondents gave their informed and voluntary consent to participate. This study was conducted using an original questionnaire and the Resilience Measurement Scale (SPP-25) Stress Coping Inventory (Mini-COPE). Results: Women used the strategies: Seeking Emotional Support and Seeking Instrumental Support significantly more often than men. Positive Re-evaluation strategy was used more often by doctors working in surgical wards, who also declared more frequent use of psychoactive substances. Younger doctors (≤30 years) were characterized by lower mental resilience compared to other age groups and doctors with high psychological resilience were characterized by higher scores in strategies belonging to the group of active coping with stress. Conclusions: The examined doctors with high resilience were mostly characterized by the use of active methods of coping with stress, in contrast to doctors with low resilience. Actions should be taken to increase the awareness of healthcare system employees in the field of active stress coping techniques and their adverse effects on health.

Background: Heart failure caused by myocardial ischemia is a common cause encountered in clinical practice. A significant problem in heart failure is its progressive, unfavorable course and the associated increased frequency of repeated hospitalizations, as well as a significant deterioration in the functioning of patients, leading to their inability to function independently and a significant decline in the quality of life. This study aimed to assess the quality of life of patients with heart failure due to myocardial ischemia, considering the left ventricular ejection fraction, the number of "diseased" coronary arteries, co-occurring diseases, and cardiovascular risk factors., Methods: A total of 204 patients with decompensated heart failure due to chronic myocardial ischemia were included in this study and examined twice: A: on the first day of hospitalization; A': from 4 to 8 weeks. For the individual assessment of the quality of life, the WHOQOL-BREF (The World Health Organization Quality of Life - BREF) questionnaire was used., Results: In the group of patients with heart failure in the decompensation stage a statistically significant positive relationship was observed between the number of comorbidities and the social domain (R(A) = 0.197; p (A) = 0.005), the number of diseased coronary arteries and the mental (R(A) = 0.184; p (A) = 0.184) and environmental (R(A) = 0.149; p (A) = 0.034) domains, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF%) and quality of life (R(A) = 0.235; p = 0.001) and satisfaction with health (R(A) = 0.235; p = 0.001) and somatic domain (R(A) = 0.194; p = 0.005). A similar result was observed among patients in the long-term follow-up. A statistically significant negative correlation was demonstrated in the mentioned group between the LVEF% value and the social domain (R(A) = -0.235; p = 0.001), as well as in the long-term follow-up (R(A') = -0.191, p = 0.026). The level of self-assessment of quality of life and satisfaction with health was statistically significantly higher among patients with heart failure in the long-term follow-up (3.20 ± 0.62) than in patients in the decompensation stage (1.98 ± 0.69)., Conclusions: The quality of life of the examined patients with heart failure caused by chronic myocardial ischemia was poor, although it improved to average in the long-term follow-up. It was determined by left ventricular ejection fraction, the number of "diseased" coronary arteries, comorbidities, and risk factors., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.)

Objective: Regardless of the fact that Universities of Third Age (UTA's) are becoming more and more popular among seniors there are not many available studies examining the impact of conducted educational activities on seniors' adherence to health-promoting activities. The aim of the study was to compare health behaviors (e.g.,: physical activity, eating habits, alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, preventive tests performance) between seniors attending and not attending UTA's classes., Methods: The study involved 631 (100%) seniors aged 60-92 years (x =70.28 ± 6.09 years). The majority of the study group were women (475; 75.28%). To conduct the study, a proprietary questionnaire was used, consisting of questions regarding the discussed topic and basic questions including: age, gender, place of residence and education. Polish versions of standardized questionnaire-" My eating behaviors" examine eating behaviors of the respondents. The Chi 2 test was used for qualitative data, and for quantitative data-the Mann-Whitney U test (No normal distribution: T S-W < 0.001). Linear and logistic regression models were used to check whether the associations would remain after adjustments for potential cofounders. The level of statistical significance was set at α < 0.05., Results: Number of seniors participating in UTA's activities was higher in terms of engaging in: actively spending free time (261; 73.73% vs. 93; 26.27%; p < 0.001), regular physical activity (270; 76.27% vs. 133; 48.01%; p < 0.001), self-assessment of physical activity (259; 73.16% vs. 95; 26.84%; p = 0.004), duration of physical activity (< 0.001), past tobacco smoking (133; 37.57 vs. 76; 27.44%; p = 0.007) and alcohol consumption depending on the habit frequency ( p < 0.001). Number of seniors not participating in UTA's classes was lower in terms of: regular annual dental controls (161; 58.12%; vs. 265; 74.86%; p < 0.001), regular self-examination of breasts/testicles (148; 53.43% vs. 218; 61.58%; p = 0.04) and regular laboratory tests (232; 83.75% vs. 318; 89.83%; p = 0.02)., Conclusions: Health-promoting behaviors of seniors attending classes at the UTA's were more correct in terms of physical activity, adequate attendance with preventive test and worst in terms of alcohol consumption. Overall picture allows to conclude that participation in UTA's classes seems to have a positive impact on the examined health-promoting behaviors of the surveyed seniors., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Dąbek, Szynal, Sierka, Łebek and Kulik.)

The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence of classic risk factors in the study group of patients with heart failure and to link them with the transcriptional activity of the examined genes: metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1 (TIMP-1) . A total of 150 (100%) patients qualified for the study, including 80 (53.33%) patients with heart failure in the course of coronary artery disease, 40 (26.67%) with coronary artery disease without heart failure, and 30 (20.00%) in whom the presence of atherosclerotic changes in the coronary arteries was excluded. The material for molecular tests was peripheral blood collected from patients within the first 24 h of hospitalisation. A quantitative analysis of transcriptional activity was performed using the RT-qPCR technique. The most common classic risk factors among the patients in the study group were arterial hypertension (117; 78.00%) and overweight/obesity (102; 68%). In the group of patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure burdened with overweight/obesity, a significantly higher transcriptional activity of the metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) gene was found in comparison to patients who were not burdened with this risk factor. The analysis also showed the statistically significant higher transcriptional activity of the metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) gene in a group of patients with coronary artery disease and heart failure who smoked. The examined patients with heart failure due to myocardial ischemia were burdened with numerous cardiovascular risk factors, the most common of which were arterial hypertension, obesity/overweight, and hypercholesterolemia. A significant increase in the transcriptional activity of the metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) gene in the presence of risk factors (male sex, overweight/obesity, smoking) indicates another pathomechanism of their action and participation in the development and progression of heart failure during myocardial ischemia. There is a need for systematic information and educational activities promoting a healthy lifestyle with the elimination of modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Introduction: UTA can provide older adult people with the satisfaction of needs and creates the opportunity to pursue youthful interests and passions. The aim of the study was to assess selected elements of the lifestyle of Silesian seniors, taking into account their participation in the activities of Universities of the Third Age., Methods: The study involved 631 (100%) senior residents of the Silesian agglomeration. The majority of the study group were women (475; 75.28%), and the average age of the participants was 70.28 ± 6.09 years. To conduct the study, an original survey questionnaire was used, complemented by PPS-10, PAQE and Yesavage Geriatric Depression Rating Scale., Results: Among the surveyed Silesian seniors who did not attend classes at the University of the Third Age, a statistically significantly higher score on the Yesavage's Geriatric Depression Rating Scale was found compared to those confirming their participation in the mentioned activity ( p  = 0.002). Almost 40% (107; 38.63%) of seniors who did not attend classes at the Universities of the Third Age showed a high level of stress, and every fourth (89; 25.14%) Silesian senior taking part in the above-mentioned activity had a low level of stress ( p  = 0.04). The median of points obtained on the physical activity assessment scale (PAQE) by seniors attending classes at Universities of the Third Age was statistically higher than seniors who denied participation in the mentioned activity ( p  = 0.017)., Conclusion: Participation in the various activities at the Universities of the Third Age influenced positively well-being, reduced stress and raised physical activity of examined seniors. It is important to promote and start actions leading to seniors' better and easier inclusion to the society life. Future research should concentrate on reasons why many seniors do not attend activities in their leisure time - especially on accessibility of various activities and financial reasons, which in the future will play crucial role in the aging societies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Dąbek, Szynal, Łebek and Sierka.)

The most common cause of heart failure (HF) is coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the transcriptional activity of the metalloproteinase 9 ( MMP-9 ) and tissue metalloproteinase inhibitor 1 ( TIMP-1 ) genes in a study group of patients with HF due to CAD and in the control group, as well as assess the transcriptional activity of the examined genes, taking into account the number of affected coronary arteries and the severity of heart failure. The study group consisted of a total of 150 (100%) patients. The material for the study was peripheral blood, and molecular tests were performed using the quantitative QRT-PCR technique. The transcriptional activity of the MMP-9 gene was significantly higher in the group of patients with CAD and HF. It was also significantly higher with the progression of heart failure. TIMP-1 gene transcriptional activity was significantly lower with the advancement of heart failure. The transcriptional activity of the MMP-9 and TIMP-1 genes differentiated the examined patients. The severity of HF, and a significant increase in the QRT-PCR transcriptional activity of the MMP-9 gene with a simultaneous decrease in the activity of the TIMP-1 gene, makes them useful diagnostic and prognostic markers in clinical practice.

Background: Protective vaccinations are one of the basic means of infectious disease prevention. The aim of the study was to assess the implementation of compulsory and additional protective vaccinations among adult Poles, their knowledge about the purpose of introducing a vaccination schedule and adverse events following immunization. Opinions about and support for anti-vaccination movements were also examined., Materials and Methods: A total of 700 (100%) people aged 18 to 80 (x̅  = 32,16 ± 16,46) took part in the study, conducted using the proprietary questionnaire. All the participants selected randomly from patients of the Department of Cardiology, their visitors, doctors, nurses, paramedics, medical students, and authors' acquaintances gave their informed consent to participate in the study., Results: About 10% of the respondents did not complete the compulsory vaccination schedule. Almost 80% of respondents believed that the main reason for vaccinations schedule occurrence was the desire to completely exclude certain diseases and their complications from the population. More than half of the respondents have never had any additional vaccination. A statistically significant correlation was found between intake of at least one additional vaccination and age (χ 2 =22.262, p = 0.002) and education level (χ 2 = 11.074, p = 0.004). Among the respondents, there was a group that classified autism as one of the adverse events following immunization. About 95% of respondents never experienced any adverse events following immunizationand as many as 30 respondents declared their support for anti-vaccination movements., Conclusion: The degree of the implementation of compulsory protective vaccinations in the study group was high, while additional vaccinations were insufficient. The purposefulness of introducing a vaccination schedule was correctly identified by the majority of the respondents, but the knowledge about adverse events following immunisation and their types was incomplete. Among participants were individuals who declared their support for anti-vaccination movements, so society should be constantly educated about vaccinations benefits., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Protective vaccinations are important in maintaining health and reducing suffering from infectious diseases. Also, vaccine-preventable infectious diseases are associated with the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases., Aim: The study aimed to test adults' knowledge of the role of protective vaccinations in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, and their opinions on the quantity of the information provided by doctors in this regard., Methods: A total of 700 adults participated in the study, most of whom were women (500; 71.43%). The study used an original questionnaire containing questions covering vaccinations and cardiovascular diseases, and the general characteristics of the participants. The inclusion criteria for the study were 18 years of age and written informed consent to participate in the study., Results: Over 60% of the participants did not know of, or denied the possibility of, developing cardiovascular diseases as a result of avoiding required preventive vaccinations. More than half of the participants stated that there is no need to recommend influenza vaccination to patients with cardiovascular diseases. Over 70% of participants stated that family doctors did not provide sufficient information about protective vaccinations., Conclusion: In these adults, knowledge of the role of preventive vaccinations in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases was low, and the quantity of the information provided by doctors about preventive vaccinations were considered to be insufficient. Public awareness of the effects of avoiding preventive vaccinations should be raised especially among people with CVD., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: The vaccine is a preparation of biological origin containing antigens that stimulate the body's immune system to produce acquired immunity. Vaccines can contain killed or "live" (attenuated) microorganisms as well as fragments of these (antigens). Although many vaccines are used routinely in pregnancy to provide a seroprotective immune response for mother, fetus and neonate there is much controversy over their use during this unique time. The aim of the study was to find out about the knowledge of adult Poles on the use of preventive vaccinations during pregnancy., Methods: The study involved 700 people (100%) aged 18 to 80 years ([Formula: see text] = 32.16 ± 16.46). Most of the respondents were women (511; 73%). The study consisted of 9 questions about preventive vaccinations of pregnant women and 5 questions about members of the studied group. The aforementioned questions formed the basis of the preparation of the presented article., Results: A significant part of respondents (322; 46%) did not have knowledge on the topic of safeness of using preventive vaccinations during pregnancy, 196 (28%) respondents believed that such procedure is not safe. Most of the respondents (371; 53%) did not know about the possibility of using "live" vaccines during pregnancy. 14 (2%) of respondents believed that pregnancy should be terminated in case of administration of a "live" vaccine to a pregnant woman. According to 294 (42%) respondents, vaccinations with "live" vaccines should be completed at least 3 months before the planned pregnancy. The subjects were not aware of the issue of post-exposure vaccination against tetanus and rabies among pregnant women. The respondents' responses were divided on the issue of the safest trimester of pregnancy for vaccine administration. Almost 1/3 of the respondents (203; 29%) indicated the third trimester as the safest for their performance., Conclusion: The knowledge of the surveyed group, the majority of whom were women, about the use of vaccinations before and during pregnancy was unsatisfactory. There is a need to educate the public about the benefits and risks of performing or avoiding preventive vaccinations during pregnancy., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Both architecture and medicine have accompanied man for centuries. Both architects and doctors make every effort to ensure that the objects of their interest (buildings and the human body) comply with the Vitruvian principles of ideal construction. Doctors take steps to restore these principles in the event of a disease, and like architects, they try to keep the subject of their activities as long as possible. It can be said that this two professions have a common ancestor: the first physician known by name in general history - Imhotep - was not only an outstanding doctor, but also an architect. He designed and built the funerary complex in Saqqara on the basis of a combination of different types of burials from lower and upper Egypt. He also was the author of the prototype of the Edwin Smith Papyrus, discovered in Luxor, a document containing the rational and scientific approach of ancient physicians to diseases for which science dominates over magic. Historians are debating whether it is Imhotep, and not Hippocrates, who should be called the father of medicine. The 21st century forces both doctors and architects to take up newer and newer challenges and change standards. Both of these professions today are based on the service provider-recipient relationship. According to modern technologies, they both work in accordance with the guidelines displayed on the computer screen. Doctors take responsibility for human health and life, while architects - for interpersonal relationships created in the buildings they have designed.