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Voluntary Blood Donation in Modern Healthcare: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
No full textVoluntary blood donation plays a crucial role in public health by ensuring a stable supply of blood and its components, essential for medical treatments including surgeries, trauma care, and chronic disease management. Voluntary donors, often healthier individuals, enhance the safety of the blood supply and play a vital role in emergency preparedness. Beyond its societal benefits, regular blood donation may offer health advantages for donors, including improved cardiovascular health due to reduced iron levels and psychological benefits stemming from altruism and a sense of social responsibility. Public health initiatives are instrumental in fostering blood donation through education, awareness campaigns, and targeted donor recruitment strategies. These efforts encourage a culture of social responsibility, inspiring community participation and improving overall healthcare system sustainability. Despite these efforts, challenges such as fluctuating donation rates, aging populations, and shifting demographics underscore the need for ongoing initiatives to ensure a sufficient blood supply. As a public health priority, voluntary blood donation demands continuous promotion and innovation to meet the growing demand for blood products and maintain healthcare system resilience. This review highlights the public health significance of voluntary blood donation, with particular focus on its benefits for donors and its role in supporting healthcare systems
Prevalence of potential risk of eating disorders among young, unprofessional European athletes: results of the ERASMUS+ project SCAED
No full textPoboljšanje zdravlja u urbanim područjima putem naprednih tehnologija mapiranja i vizualizacije: Projekt HORUS
No full textArterial hypertension after influenza, COVID-19 disease and Covid-19 vaccination
No full textIn recent decades, the incidence and prevalence of arterial hypertension has been increasing both in the world and in the Republic of Croatia and represents a major public health problem. Almost every year, the healthcare system is faced with an epidemic of influenza, and in the last few years with an new epidemic of the Covid-19 disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Hypertension is one of the most important risk factor for the development of severe forms of Covid-19 disease and influenza. On the other hand, after the recovery from these diseases the onset of the de novo development or worsening of existing hypertension is noticed. The association of influenza with the onset of arterial hypertension has been known for many years and occurs in about 16% of hospitalized and about 5% of non-hospitalized patients after the recovery from the flu. More recently, an even higher and more significant incidence of hypertension has been noticed after the Covid-19 disease and occurs in about 21% of hospitalized and 16% of non-hospitalized patients. Pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of hypertension after influenza have not been fully elucidated. It is most likely the interference of viral proteins with the transcription of the ACE 2 (angiotensin converting enzyme 2) gene into a protein. In the case of SARS-CoV-2 viral infection, numerous studies show the destruction of the ACE 2 enzyme expression by the binding of the viral spike protein to this receptor. The ACE 2 enzyme is crucial in the activation of the counter-regulatory mechanism of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) that lowers arterial pressure. This mechanism involves the formation and function of angiotensin peptides, especially peptides 1-7. Loss of ACE 2 function leads to the predominance of the classic part of the RAAS system and the prohypertensive effects of angiotensin II and the development of hypertension. Similar effects to SARS-CoV-2 infection are also shown by vector vaccines against Covid-19 disease. They stimulate the synthesis of the spike protein of the coronavirus according to the genetic instructions they carry. Spike proteins in this free, soluble form can bind to ACE 2 and reduce its expression, thereby causing hypertension. It was observed in about 4% individuals, while the proportion of hypertension of the III degree and emergency cases related to hypertension was recorded in 0.6% of the vaccinated individuals. The significance of this unwanted vaccine effect is important considering the wide vaccination coverage of about 67% of the world's population and delivered 13.59 billion doses of the Covid-19 vaccine
Genetic counselling legislation and practice in cancer in EU Member States
No full textAbstract
Background: Somatic and germline genetic alterations are significant drivers of cancer. Increasing integration of new technologies which profile these alterations requires timely, equitable and high-quality genetic counselling to facilitate accurate diagnoses and informed decision-making by patients and their families in preventive and clinical settings. This article aims to provide an overview of genetic counselling legislation and practice across European Union (EU) Member States to serve as a foundation for future European recommendations and action. Methods: National legislative databases of all 27 Member States were searched using terms relevant to genetic counselling, translated as appropriate. Interviews with relevant experts from each Member State were conducted to validate legislative search results and provide detailed insights into genetic counselling practice in each country. Results: Genetic counselling is included in national legislative documents of 22 of 27 Member States, with substantial variation in legal mechanisms and prescribed details (i.e. the ‘who, what, when and where’ of counselling). Practice is similarly varied. Workforce capacity (25 of 27 Member States) and genetic literacy (all Member States) were common reported barriers. Recognition and/or better integration of genetic counsellors and updated legislation and were most commonly noted as the ‘most important change’ which would improve practice. Conclusions: This review highlights substantial variability in genetic counselling across EU Member States, as well as common barriers notwithstanding this variation. Future recommendations and action should focus on addressing literacy and capacity challenges through legislative, regulatory and/or strategic approaches at EU, national, regional and/or local level
Interplay of Physical, Psychological, and Social Frailty among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Five European Countries: A Longitudinal Study
No full textAbstract
Frailty is a dynamic condition encompassing physical, psychological, and social domains. While certain factors are associated with overall or specific frailty domains, research on the correlations between physical, psychological, and social frailty is lacking. This study aims to investigate the associations between physical, psychological, and social frailty in European older adults. The study involved 1781 older adults from the Urban Health Centres Europe project. Baseline and 1-year follow-up data were collected on physical, psychological, and social frailty, along with covariates. Linear regression analyzed unidirectional associations, while cross-lagged panel modeling assessed bi-directional associations. Participants’ mean age was 79.57 years (SD = 5.54) and over half were female (61.0%). Physical and psychological frailty showed bi-directional association (effect of physical frailty at baseline on psychological frailty at follow-up:
= 0.14, 95%CI 0.09, 0.19; reversed direction:
= 0.05, 95%CI 0.01, 0.09). Higher physical frailty correlated with increased social frailty (
= 0.05, 95%CI 0.01, 0.68), but no association was found between social and psychological frailty. This longitudinal study found a reciprocal relationship between physical and psychological frailty in older adults. A relatively higher level of physical frailty was associated with a higher level of social frailty. There was no association between social and psychological frailty. These findings underscore the multifaceted interplay between various domains of frailty. Public health professionals should recognize the implications of these interconnections while crafting personalized prevention and care strategies. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and investigate underlying mechanisms
Maternal genetic risk factors for spontaneous preterm birth: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
No full textSynopsis The current study represents a comprehensive systematic review and meta‐analysis of maternal genetic risk factors for spontaneous preterm birth, highlighting the lack of systematization and standardization in this area
Breaking the Chains: Advances in Substance Addiction Research through Single-Cell Sequencing, Epigenetics, and Epitranscriptomic
No full textAddiction is a complex brain disease influenced by genetic, environmental, and neurological factors. Psychostimulants, cocaine, and methamphetamine influence different cell types in different brain regions, with a focus on the neurons responsible for rewarding effects in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Known markers for psychostimulant-induced neuronal plasticity in combination with droplet-based high-throughput single-cell sequencing divided the heterogeneity of cell populations in NAc and VTA into clusters, where all cells of the same type do not respond equally to exposure to psychostimulants. To explain psychostimulant-induced neuronal plasticity as changes in the amplitude and phase shifts of gene expression, we focused on epigenetic mechanisms of DNA and chromatin modifications, as well as DNA accessibility. We also comment on epitranscriptomics as a novel approach in the study of messenger RNA posttranslational modification, which regulates translation and potentially localized transcription in synapses in order to address the molecular chains that connect addiction from changes in gene expression to synaptic and, finally, neuronal plasticity
Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and thrombotic risk in polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythemia
No full textPismo urednik
General neurology: Current challenges and future implications
No full textIn the coming decades, the world will face an increasing burden of neurological disorders (ND) and an urgent need to promote brain health. These challenges contrast with an insufficient neurological workforce in most countries, as well as decreasing numbers of general neurologists and neurologists attracted to work in general neurology (GN). This white paper aims to review the current situation of GN and reflect on its future.
Methods
The European Academy of Neurology (EAN) task force (TF) met nine times between November 2021 and June 2023. During the 2023 EAN annual meeting, attendees were asked to answer five questions concerning the future of GN. The document was sent for suggestions and eventually approval to the board and the presidents of the 47 national societies of the EAN.
Results
The TF first identified four relevant current and future challenges related to GN: (i) definition, (ii) practice, (iii) education, and (iv) research. The TF then identified seven initiatives to further develop GN at both the academic and community level. Finally, the TF formulated 16 recommendations to promote GN in the future.
Conclusions
GN will remain essential in the coming decades to provide rapid, accessible, and comprehensive management of patients with ND that is affordable and cost-effective. There is also a need for research, education, and other initiatives aiming to facilitate improved working conditions, recognition, and prestige for those pursuing a career in GN