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Aim: To analyze the exercise tolerance and thoracic mobility of patients with systemic scleroderma treated at the Department of Dermatology of the PIM of the Ministry of Internal Medicine after 2 years of individually tailored rehabilitation. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of 55 patients aged 27 years to 80 (mean 56.4) with systemic scleroderma, who receive rheological treatment in the Department of Dermatology on a cyclical basis. In addition, the therapy was supported by individually tailored rehabilitation for 2 years. Before and after the therapy was completed, the results of the study were analyzed. Forty-two patients completed the project. Results: The results of the 6-minute walk test improved over the course of the project. More than half of the patients obtained results within the normal range 57.1% of the patients improved their results by completing the test compared to the beginning of the study. On the other hand, the chest circumference values obtained allow us to conclude that its momentum decreased after 2 years of rehabilitation. Conclusions: When interpreting the result of the 6-minute test measurements, it is also necessary to take into account gait altered by changes in the skin of the feet and limitations due to muscle function. The study also shows a significant reduction in joint mobility under the influence of the lesioned skin and subcutaneous tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subject and purpose of work: The research problem is wellness tourism and its connections with forest economy. The main goal is to determine the mutual connections occurring between wellness tourism and forest economy. Materials and methods: The research was carried out in three stages using various methods: a comparative analysis of 39 spas, standardised inspections of facilities offering health tourism services and the selection of a facility being a model of good practice (case study). Results: The most important forms of the small tourist infrastructure offered to patients in forest areas are hiking and bicycle paths (92%), as well as horse trails and viewing points (about 50%). Cluster initiatives and cooperation with local governments and forest districts, consisting in joint promotion, are important. A diagram was developed, showing the interactions of forest economy and wellness tourism. Conclusions: Providers of spa services and State Forests are natural partners, yet the level of cooperation is low and mainly involves promotional activities. It is advisable to create a nationwide forest and sanatorium spa organisation that would coordinate activities in the field of forest economy to take advantage of tourism and health-promoting assets of forests.

Aesthetic medicine is, next to the wellness and spa, one of the most rapidly growing segments of health tourism. Its dynamic growth is closely linked to innovative offers (perhaps better described as “product innovation”). To date, however, there have been no scientific studies focusing on this market. Services in the field of aesthetic medicine are usually discussed descriptively as a subcategory of medical tourism, and innovation in this sector remains unexplored.

Copyright of Wieś & Rolnictwo is the property of Instytut Rozwoju Wsi & Rolnictwa, Polska Akademia Nauk and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Systemic sclerosis is a chronic disease involving the connective tissue of the skin and internal organs. It is characterised by disorders of peripheral microcirculation, immune dysregulation, and deposition of collagen fibres and other substances in connective tissue. The most common organ complications in systemic sclerosis include interstitial lung disease, pulmonary arterial hypertension, renal tubular hypertrophy, and arthritis. Imaging findings often precede clinical symptoms, so all patients should be screened as soon as possible, preferably in the asymptomatic phase of the disease. Treatment options for systemic sclerosis include immunomodulatory therapies as well as therapeutic modalities targeting vascular mechanics and connective tissue fibrosis. Efforts are underway to discover new, more sensitive and specific prognostic factors that would help to personalize therapies and thus improve the final treatment outcomes. Identified biomarkers would accelerate the implementation of appropriate treatments, delaying the progression of irreversible complications and decreasing mortality rates in patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic recurrent inflammatory skin disease which is characterized by painful, recurrent nodules and abscesses. The overall prevalence of HS is estimated to be 11 per 100 000 individuals in the United States and 4% of the world's population. Women are three times more affected than men, especially patients between 18 and 29 years. Similarly to acne vulgaris, HS is primarily associated with follicular occlusion, which results from a number of biological processes, including follicular epithelial hyperplasia and hyperkeratinization. There are numerous available treatment options for cutaneous lesions in the course of HS. A combination of conservative therapy and appropriate surgical treatment conducted by an experienced surgeon ensures the best possible clinical outcomes. Presently, biologic therapy is the most effective pharmacological treatment in patients with a moderate-to-severe course of the disease. Numerous ongoing clinical trials provide hope for greater availability of new biologic therapy methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Oeconomia is the property of Wydawnictwo SGGW and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction: Scleroderma (Sc) is a connective tissue disorder associated with internal organ involvement, increased mortality, and unknown pathogenesis. It has been found that the more extensive the skin involvement the more severe internal organ manifestations and increased disability. The Rodnan skin score (RSS) is one of the established methods to examine skin thickness among patients with Sc. Due to RSS limitations, for instance, lack of detection of subclinical changes, a new tool is needed for the evaluation of Sc. In recent studies, shear wave elastography (SWE) has been examined as a potential tool to assess skin involvement through the evaluation of skin strain. Aim: To verify whether elastography is a reliable method to examine Sc progression and possibly provide one useful site to perform the examination - as an easy, cheap, and reliable examination tool. Material and methods: Forty Sc patients were examined, and 28 healthy individuals were recruited for the control group. Among the patients and control group, skin thickness was assessed using the RSS and skin strain measurements using elastography in 20 body locations. Results: SWE in the right-hand finger can be treated as an important diagnostic indicator of the severity of Sc. Conclusions: SWE is a reliable method for evaluating skin involvement among patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Right finger measurements correlate positively with Rodnan's results and can be a predictor of the severity of SSc. This study found SWE to be a reliable method for examining SSc progression and possibly one useful site for the examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]