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Hypertension is a global health problem that causes significant morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study is to determine the hypertension knowledge level of hypertension patients. This descriptive study is carried on with 207 patients who applied to a private medical clinic in Ankara, Turkey between January and March 2022. A semi-structured interview method was employed in the study to collect data. The questionnaire contains two sections. In the first section, the Sociodemographic characteristics form,, and in the second section, Hypertension Knowledge-Level Scale (HK-LS) are used. The data were analyzed with the SPSS 21.0. The age range of the patients participating in the study varies between 18-73 years, and the mean age is 54.3±4.2. Among the participants, 53.1% of them are women, and 70.5% of them are married. The HK-LS average of the participants is found (16.3±3.45). As a result, the hypertension knowledge level of the patients is found to be high in the study. The hypertension knowledge level is higher among the young than the elderly, those who pay regular visits to doctors than those who do not, and university graduates compared to primary school graduates. In order to increase the patients' knowledge level, it is believed that it will be useful to offer training and organize seminars, especially for the elderly, primary school graduates, and those who do not pay regular visits to doctors.

Aim: Diabetes is a common and important health problem. With this study, it was aimed to assessment the diabetes knowledge level of students studying in the field of health. Materials-Methods: The research was carried out between January-February 2022 with students studying at a university’s health vocational school and who will work in the sector with the title of health technician in the future. Sample selection was not made in the study and 93% (n=175) of the students were reached. In this descriptive study, a questionnaire was used as the data collection method. The first part of the questionnaire, which consists of two parts, included sociodemographic characteristics. In the second part, “Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ-24)” was used to examine the diabetes knowledge of the students. Results: The age range of the students is 18-26 years and the mean age is 21.01±2.21. 54.9% of them were 20 years old and under, 88% were women, 60.6% were first class, 51.4% had income equal to their expenses. The average knowledge level of the participants in the diabetes knowledge questionnaire was found to be 69.1%. Conclusion: In our study, it was observed that the diabetes knowledge level of the students was limited. It was found that the second graders had a higher level of knowledge than the first graders. Improvements should be made in the education curriculum to increase the knowledge and awareness of students about diabetes.

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the levels of adiponectin, leptin, resistin and RBP-4 in the serum of NAFLD with non-obese and non-diabetic cases. METHODS: A total of 81 people aged between 25-72 were included in the study. 56 obese and non-diabetic NAFLD cases with fatty liver detected by ultrasonography (US) were compared with a control group of 25. Liver function tests and lipid profile analysis of all cases were performed, insulin resistance (HOMA –IR) was evaluated. Liver biopsy was performed in 18 patients. Biopsy patients were staged according to their groups. Serum values of adiponectin, leptin, resistin and RBP-4 were measured in all cases by ELISA method. RESULTS: Waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) and HOMA-IR values were higher in the NAFLD group and were considered statistically significant. Lipid profiles and adipokine levels were similar in both groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups. The mean values of adiponectin, resistin, leptin and RBP-4 were compared according to the biopsy stage, and the mean of leptin and resistin was not associated with the biopsy stage. A positive correlation was found between HOMA-IR and biopsy stage, and a negative correlation between averages of adiponectin and RBP-4. CONCLUSION: Unfortunately, not being overweight or fit doesn’t always lead to better health. Obese and non-diabetic individuals may also be at risk of fatty liver and steatohepatitis. Adipokines, which have roles in the pathogenesis of NAFLD, are increasingly important in detecting steohepatitis at an early stage. However, in our study, we did not find any significant differences between the groups in terms of adipokine profiles. For this purpose, studies with larger biopsy-based cases are needed.

Background & Objective: Obesity has become a serious health problem that has become increasingly important in recent years. Since patients with high levels of obesity have dyslipidemia and an unbalanced lipid profile, they have a high risk of both diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to evaluate the short (3 months) and long term (12 months) effects of mini-gastric bypass surgery from the current bariatric surgical techniques on the lipid profile. Methods: Of the patients undergoing Mini-gastric bypass operation between January 2016 to December 2018 at the General Surgery Clinic of Private Samsun Büyük Anadolu Hospital, demographic data and changes in lipid concentrations at 3 and 12 months were analyzed. Patients were grouped according to age, sex, body mass index (BMI), cardiologic risk groups, bypass lengths, and obesity classes. Total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol values of the patients were examined at the time of admission to the outpatient clinic before the operation, at the postoperative third month and at the post-operative twelfth-month. Patients who did not go for a checkup during the one-year follow-up and whose data could not be reached or missing were excluded from the study. Results: There was no significant difference in terms of age, sex, and cardiovascular risk (p>0.05). Although the HDL-C level was initially low (p

Background Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection triggers both local inflammation, usually in gastric mucosa, and chronic systemic inflammation. It is assumed that this local and systemic inflammation is caused by extracellular products excreted by H. pylori. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between H. pylori infection and a local inflammatory response in the airway by using exhaled breath condensate technique. Materials and Methods This study includes 41 H. pylori seropositive patients who have gastric symptoms and 27 healthy control subjects. Pulmonary function tests (PFT), chest X ray, and physical examination were performed in all patients and interleukin-6 (IL-6), 8-isoprostane and nitrotyrosine levels were measured in exhaled breath condensate. Results Levels of IL-6 and 8-isoprostane in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) were significantly higher in H. pylori positive patients than control subjects (p < 0.05). Nitrotyrosine levels were also higher in H. pylori positive patients but the difference was not statistically significant. Both groups had similar leukocyte counts, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and PFT parameters. Conclusion H. pylori infection causes an asymptomatic airway inflammation which can be detected by exhaled breath condensate. The clinical importance of this inflammation remains unclear.

Objectives The relation between nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and iron metabolism is still controversial. Free fatty acids, iron, and other sources of oxidative stress probably result in cell damage, and necroinflammation mediated by various cytokines. Design and methods Sixty patients were diagnosed with NASH were included in the study, and the patient group was divided into three subgroups. Iron metabolism markers, inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8, MDA and nitric oxide levels were measured. Results Serum ferritin, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress markers were significantly higher in the patient group. Among three patient groups, divided according to the results of ultrasonic examination, there were significant changes with regard to these parameters. Conclusion The study results suggest that liver iron and fat accumulation, oxidant stres, and inflammatory cytokines are closely related. Therefore, levels of serum ferritin, MDA, IL-6, TNF-α and IL-8 could represent the indices of activity and progression of NASH.

maTERial and mETHOdS: Eighty-eight (88) consecutive patients with decreased renal function (glomerular filtration rate (GFR) between 90 and 30 ml/min), undergoing cardiac catheterization for proven or clinically suspected coronary artery disease were enrolled at the study. Serum levels of creatinine, ADMA, nitric oxide (NO), calcium, phosphate, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL fractions, triglycerides were determined using measurement techniques. The Gensini scoring system was used for the detection of the severity of coronary atherosclerosis.

WOS: 000290313300006, PubMed: 21389698, Background and Objectives: Cardiovascular disease is prevalent in chronic kidney disease (CKD). Uric acid is increased in subjects with CKD and has been linked with cardiovascular mortality in this population. However, no study has evaluated the relationship of uric acid with angiographically proven coronary artery disease (CAD) in this population. We therefore investigated the link between serum uric acid (SUA) levels and (i) extent of CAD assessed by the Gensini score and (ii) inflammatory parameters, including C-reactive protein (CRP) and pentraxin-3, in patients with mild-to-moderate CKD. Material and Methods: In an unselected population of 130 patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between 90 and 30 ml/min/1.73 m(2), we measured SUA, serum pentraxin-3, CRP, urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio, lipid parameters and the severity of CAD as assessed by coronary angiography and quantified by the Gensini lesion severity score. Results: The mean serum values for SUA, pentraxin-3 and CRP in the entire study population were 5.5 +/- 1.5 mg/dl, 6.4 +/- 3.4 ng/ml and 3.5 +/- 2.6 mg/dl, respectively. The Gensini scores significantly correlated in univariate analysis with gender (R = -0.379, p = 0.02), uric acid (R = 0.42, p = 0.001), pentraxin-3 (R = 0.54, p = 0.001), CRP (R = 0.29, p = 0.006) levels, eGFR (R = -0.33, p = 0.02), proteinuria (R = 0.21, p = 0.01), and presence of hypertension (R = 0.37, p = 0.001), but not with smoking status, diabetes mellitus, and lipid parameters. After adjustments for traditional cardiovascular risk factors, only uric acid (R = 0.21, p = 0.02) and pentraxin-3 (R = 0.28, p = 0.01) remained significant predictors of the Gensini score. Conclusions: SUA and pentraxin-3 levels are independent determinants of severity of CAD in patients with mild-to-moderate CKD. We recommend a clinical trial to determine whether lowering uric acid could prevent progression of CAD in patients with CKD. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel, NIHUnited States Department of Health & Human ServicesNational Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA [HL-68607], R.J.J. is supported by NIH grant HL-68607.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an important cause of liver failure. Whatever its cause, the liver failure is accompanied by multiple changes in the hemostatic system. The objective of the current report was to study several homeostasis parameters such as protein C, protein S, factor 7, factor 8 levels, platelet counts, prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time, and plasminogen activator inhibitor in patients with fatty liver. A total of 28 consecutive patients with ultrasound proven NAFLD and 33 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Plasma prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were within normal ranges in both NAFLD and control groups. Plasma factor 7, factor 8, protein S, and protein C levels were decreased in NAFLD patients but the difference was not statistically significant, whereas plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 levels were significantly increased in patients with NAFLD compared to controls. In conclusion, in all types of liver disease, some alterations in hemostatic parameters are awaited. As fatty liver disease is very common in clinical practice, clinicians should be aware of this kind of alterations.

The aim of this study was to evaluate mean platelet volume (MPV), thrombopoietin (TPO), and platelet levels in patients with ischemic stroke and compare this with healthy controls.We prospectively studied 50 patients with ischemic stroke and compared them with 37 control participants who have evaluated in internal medicine polyclinic and had no history of cerebrovascular events. All patients were within 24 hours after stroke; MPV and TPO were measured on admission.Both TPO and MPV values were significantly higher in patients with stroke (P = .00; P = .001).Increased TPO levels may increase both platelet count and platelet size, resulting in more hemostatic tendency, which may contribute to the progression of ischemic stroke.

To observe thrombopoietin (TPO) levels in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).The study was performed between November 2010 and March 2011 at the Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Fatih University, Ankara, Turkey. A total of 60 consecutive patients with ultrasound proven NAFLD (study group), and 28 healthy volunteers (control study) were included in the study. The patient group was divided into 3 subgroups according to the ultrasonographic images as follows: minimal, intermediate, and marked hepatosteatosis. The TPO levels of the patient subgroups were compared with the healthy controls. All the data were collected prospectively, and recorded in FUHIS data collecting system, which is produced by our data-knowledge team. Quantitative measurements of thrombopoietin level were carried out by using the Human Thrombopoietin Quantikine ELISA Kit (RD Systems, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA).Thrombopoietin levels were significantly increased in the patient subgroups compared with the controls. The TPO levels were also higher in the patient subgroup of grade 1-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (grade 1- NAFLD) compared with the control group.The TPO increased in patients with NAFLD possibly as an acute phase reactant to decreased inflammation. In clinical practice, physicians should be alerted to increased TPO levels in patients.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Recent data implicate disordered bone and mineral metabolism, including changes in serum levels of calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone (PTH), vitamin D, fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), and fetuin A, as novel risk factors for arterial calcification. The potential role of calcitonin, another hormonal regulator of mineral and bone metabolism, has not been studied in detail. We investigated the link between serum calcitonin and the total burden of coronary artery disease (CAD) using the validated Gensini score, in a cross-sectional study of 88 patients with estimated GFR (eGFR) between 46 and 87 ml/min/1.73 m² who underwent coronary angiography. We evaluated the associations between serum calcitonin, minerals (calcium, phosphate), calcium × phosphate product, and other factors that regulate mineral metabolism (intact PTH, 25-OH-vitamin D, FGF-23, and fetuin A) and the severity of CAD. The mean serum calcitonin was 11.5 ± 7.8 pg/ml. In univariate analysis, the Gensini CAD severity score correlated significantly with male gender, eGFR, and serum levels of 25-OH-vitamin D, iPTH, FGF-23, fetuin A, and calcitonin (R = 0.474, P = 0.001 for the latter). In multivariate analysis adjusted for calcium, phosphate, 25-OH-vitamin D, iPTH, FGF 23, fetuin A, and calcitonin, only calcitonin (β = 0.20; P = 0.03), FGF-23, fetuin A, and 25-OH-vitamin D emerged as independent predictors of Gensini score. In the second step, we adjusted for the presence of traditional risk factors, proteinuria, and GFR. After these adjustments, the FGF-23 and fetuin A remained statistically significant predictors of the Gensini score, while calcitonin did not. Our study suggests that, in addition to other well-known components of mineral metabolism, increased calcitonin levels are associated with greater severity of CAD. However, this relation was not independent of traditional and nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors. Longitudinal studies in larger populations including patients with more advanced CKD are needed.

Background and objectives: Cardiovascular disease in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is explained in part by traditional cardiovascular risk factors; by uremia-specific factors; and by abnormalities of mineral metabolism, factors involved in its regulation, and in the vascular calcification process. Design, setting, participants, & measurements: In an unselected population of 177 patients with calculated GFR (eGFR) between 90 and 30 ml/min per 1.73 m2, the link between the mineral metabolism abnormalities (calcium, phosphorus, calcium-phosphorus product), regulatory factors (parathyroid hormone [PTH], intact PTH [iPTH], vitamin D, fibroblast growth factor 23 [FGF 23], and fetuin A), and the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) assessed by coronary angiography were evaluated in three subgroups defined by tertiles of Gensini lesion severity score. Results: The mean serum values for FGF 23 in the entire study population was 28.1 ± 17.3 RU/ml and for fetuin A was 473.1 ± 156.2 μg/ml. Patients with eGFR 60 ml/min per 1.73 m2. The Gensini score values significantly correlated with gender; arterial hypertension; and HDL cholesterol, eGFR, iPTH, FGF 23, and fetuin A levels. After the adjustments for traditional and uremia-related cardiovascular risk factors, the FGF 23 and fetuin A remained significant predictors of the Gensini score. Conclusions: This study suggests that in a relatively young population with mild-to-moderate alteration of kidney function and with less traditional cardiovascular risk factors, anomalies of the serum FGF 23 and fetuin A levels appear early in the course of disease and are independent major predictors for extent of CAD.