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BACKGROUND: Excessive body weight is known to cluster with cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, but it is not clear which anthropometric obesity measure provides best independent predictive value of coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS AND RESULTS: We explored associations between CAD and four different obesity measures (body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, waist/height and waist/height(2)) in a cohort of 16 657 subjects (40.4% men; 20.8% CAD patients), recruited by 700 primary care physicians in 444 Polish cities. 42.8% of subjects were classified as overweight, 31.7% as obese and 39.8% had abdominal obesity. In univariate analyses all obesity measures correlated with CAD (p>0.001), but waist/height(2) was the strongest discriminator between CAD patients and controls. Age-adjusted and sex-adjusted analyses confirmed a graded increase in CAD risk across distributions of all four obesity measures-1 standard deviation (SD) increase in BMI, waist, waist/height and waist/height(2) increased the odds of CAD by 1.23, 1.24, 1.26 and 1.27, respectively (all p<0.001). In models fully adjusted for CV risk factors, waist/height(2) remained the strongest obesity correlate of CAD, being the only independent associate of CAD in men. In a fully adjusted BMI-waist circumference stratified model, sarcopenic obesity (waist > median, BMI < median) and simple obesity (waist and BMI > median) were the strongest independent associates of CAD in men (p = 0.008) and women (p>0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION: This cross-sectional study showed that waist/height(2) may potentially offer a slightly higher predictive value of CAD than BMI or waist circumference and revealed an apparent sexual dimorphism in correlations between obesity measures and CAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

May Measurement Month 2021 (MMM21) is the fourth edition of the global initiative in Poland initiated by the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) and aimed at raising awareness of hypertension and the need for blood pressure (BP) screening. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in 132 sites - between May and September 2021. Blood pressure was measured in 1699 subjects (mean age: 40.8 ± 17.0 years; 68.8% females). After multiple imputation, the age and sex standardized systolic and diastolic BP was 126.6/78.7 mmHg for the entire group, 133.8/81.9 mmHg in individuals on antihypertensive medication, and 125.4/78.6 mmHg in those not taking antihypertensive drugs. The proportion of subjects with high BP (≥140/90 mmHg) were: 30.9% for the entire group, 40.4% in subjects taking antihypertensive drugs, and 17.9% in those not taking antihypertensive drugs. Of all participants, 33.9% were in the age range of 18-29 years and we observed higher BP levels and more frequent BP elevation in males in this age group. These data provide unique insights into the hypertension rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the associated restrictions, only limited data could be obtained for older adults. Interestingly, among young Polish participants, the rate of hypertension and the level of BP were higher in males compared to females, suggestive perhaps of a higher susceptibility of males to experience a rise in BP during specific circumstances associated with a pandemic., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: All co-authors none declared., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology.)

Background: An obesity paradox has been described in relation to adverse clinical outcomes (e.g., mortality) with lower body mass index (BMI)., Aims: We sought to evaluate the association between BMI and weight loss with long-term all-cause mortality in adult populations under the care of family physicians., Methods: LIPIDOGRAM studies were conducted in primary care in Poland in 2004, 2006, and 2015 and enrolled a total of 45,615 patients. The LIPIDOGRAM Plus study included 1627 patients recruited in the LIPIDOGRAM 2004 and repeated measurements in 2006 edition. Patients were classified by BMI categories as underweight, normal weight, overweight and class I, II, or III (obesity). Follow-up data up to December 2021 were obtained from the Central Statistical Office. Differences in all-cause mortality were analyzed using Kaplan‒Meier and Cox regression analyses., Results: Of 45,615 patients, 10,987 (24.1%) were normal weight, 320 (0.7%) were underweight, 19,134 (41.9%) were overweight, and 15,174 (33.2%) lived with obesity. Follow-up was available for 44,620 patients (97.8%, median duration 15.3 years, 61.7% females). In the crude analysis, long-term all-cause mortality was lowest for the normal-weight group (14%) compared with other categories. After adjusting for comorbidities, the highest risk of death was observed for the class III obesity and underweight categories (hazard ratio, HR 1.79, 95% CI [1.55-2.05] and HR 1.57, 95% CI [1.22-2.04]), respectively. The LIPIDOGRAM Plus analysis revealed that a decrease in body weight (by 5 and 10%) over 2 years was associated with a significantly increased risk of death during long-term follow-up-HR 1.45 (95% CI 1.05-2.02, p = 0.03) and HR 1.67 (95% CI 1.02-2.74, p < 0.001). Patients who experienced weight loss were older and more burdened with comorbidities., Conclusions: Being underweight, overweight or obese is associated with a higher mortality risk in a population of patients in primary care. Patients who lost weight were older and more burdened with cardiometabolic diseases, which may suggest unintentional weight loss, and were at higher risk of death in the long-term follow-up. In nonsmoking patients without comorbidities, the lowest mortality was observed in those with a BMI < 25 kg/m 2 , and no U-curve relationship was observed., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aims: We aimed to evaluate the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and long-term all-cause mortality., Methods and Results: The LIPIDOGRAM studies were carried out in the primary care in Poland in 2004, 2006, and 2015. MetS was diagnosed based on the National Cholesterol Education Program, Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP/ATP III), and Joint Interim Statement (JIS) criteria. The cohort was divided into four groups: non-obese patients without MetS, obese patients without MetS, non-obese patients with MetS, and obese patients with MetS. Differences in all-cause mortality were analysed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. A total of 45 615 participants were enrolled (mean age 56.3, standard deviation: 11.8 years; 61.7% female). MetS was diagnosed in 14 202 (31%) by NCEP/ATP III criteria and 17 216 (37.7%) by JIS criteria. Follow-up was available for 44 620 (97.8%, median duration 15.3 years) patients. MetS was associated with increased mortality risk among the obese {hazard ratio, HR: 1.88 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.79-1.99] and HR: 1.93 [95% CI 1.82-2.04], according to NCEP/ATP III and JIS criteria, respectively} and non-obese individuals [HR: 2.11 (95% CI 1.85-2.40) and 1.7 (95% CI 1.56-1.85) according to NCEP/ATP III and JIS criteria, respectively]. Obese patients without MetS had a higher mortality risk than non-obese patients without MetS [HR: 1.16 (95% CI 1.10-1.23) and HR: 1.22 (95% CI 1.15-1.30), respectively in subgroups with NCEP/ATP III and JIS criteria applied]., Conclusions: MetS is associated with increased all-cause mortality risk in non-obese and obese patients. In patients without MetS, obesity remains significantly associated with mortality. The concept of metabolically healthy obesity should be revised., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: J.J. and M.B. have received an unrestricted educational grant from Valeant and have served as consultants or speakers for Valeant. P.P. owns four shares in AstraZeneca PLC and has received honoraria and/or travel reimbursement for events sponsored by AKCEA, Amgen, AMRYT, Link Medical, Mylan, Napp, and Sanofi. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest concerning the results of this analysis. All authors revised the article critically for important intellectual content. All authors gave final approval of the work, have participated sufficiently in the work, and take public responsibility for appropriate portions of the content., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The detection of antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) is dependent on many factors and varies between the populations. The aim of the study was first to assess the prevalence of ANA in the Polish adult population depending on age, sex and the cutoff threshold used for the results obtained. Second, we estimated the occurrence of individual types of ANA-staining patterns. We tested 1731 patient samples using commercially available IIFA using two cutoff thresholds of 1:100 and 1:160. We found ANA in 260 participants (15.0%), but the percentage of positive results strongly depended on the cutoff level. For a cutoff threshold 1:100, the positive population was 19.5% and for the 1:160 cutoff threshold, it was 11.7%. The most prevalent ANA-staining pattern was AC-2 Dense Fine speckled (50%), followed by AC-21 Reticular/AMA (14.38%) ANA more common in women (72%); 64% of ANA-positive patients were over 50 years of age. ANA prevalence in the Polish population is at a level observed in other highly developed countries and is more prevalent in women and elderly individuals. To reduce the number of positive results released, we suggest that Polish laboratories should set 1:160 as the cutoff threshold., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: The anti-DFS70 autoantibodies are one of the most commonly and widely described agent of unknown clinical significance, frequently detected in healthy individuals. It is not known whether the DFS70 autoantibodies are protective or pathogenic. One of the factors suspected of inducing the formation of anti-DFS70 antibodies is increased oxidative stress. We evaluated the coexistence of anti-DFS70 antibodies with selected markers of oxidative stress and investigated whether these antibodies could be considered as indirect markers of oxidative stress., Methods: The intensity of oxidative stress was measured in all samples via indices of free-radical damage to lipids and proteins such as total oxidant status (TOS), concentrations of lipid hydroperoxides (LPH), lipofuscin (LPS), and malondialdehyde (MDA). The parameters of the non-enzymatic antioxidant system, such as total antioxidant status (TAS) and uric acid concentration (UA), were also measured, as well as the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Based on TOS and TAS values, the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. All samples were also tested with indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and 357 samples were selected for direct monospecific anti DFS70 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) testing., Results: The anti-DFS70 antibodies were confirmed by ELISA test in 21.29% of samples. Compared with anti-DFS70 negative samples we observed 23% lower concentration of LPH ( P  = .038) and 11% lower concentration of UA ( P  = .005). TOS was 20% lower ( P  = .014). The activity of SOD was up to 5% higher ( P  = .037). The Pearson correlation showed weak negative correlation for LPH, UA, and TOS and a weak positive correlation for SOD activity., Conclusion: In samples positive for the anti-DFS70 antibody a decreased level of oxidative stress was observed, especially in the case of samples with a high antibody titer. Anti-DFS70 antibodies can be considered as an indirect marker of reduced oxidative stress or a marker indicating the recent intensification of antioxidant processes., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Jacek J. Jóźwiak and Maciej Banach have received an unrestricted educational grant from Valeant, and has served as a consultant or speaker for Valeant. Paweł Krzemień is employed by Euroimmun Polska Sp. z o.o. (Wroclaw, Poland), whose autoantibody reagents were used in the study. Peter E. Penson owns 4 shares in AstraZeneca PLC and has received honoraria and/or travel reimbursement for events sponsored by AKCEA, Amgen, AMRYT, Link Medical, Mylan, Napp, Sanofi. All others authors declare no conflicts of interest concerning the results of this analysis., (© The Author(s) 2022.)

A nationwide cross-sectional study, LIPIDOGRAM2015, was carried out in Poland in the years 2015 and 2016. A total of 438 primary care physicians enrolled 13,724 adult patients that sought medical care in primary health care practices. The prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, and CVD were similar in urban and rural areas (49.5 vs. 49.4%; 13.7 vs. 13.1%; 84.2 vs. 85.2%; 14.4 vs. 14.2%, respectively). The prevalence of obesity (32.3 vs. 37.5%, p < 0.01) and excessive waist circumference (77.5 vs. 80.7%, p < 0.01), as well as abdominal obesity (43.2 vs. 46.4%, p < 0.01), were higher in rural areas in both genders. Mean levels of LDL-C (128 vs. 130 mg/dL, p = 0.04) and non-HDL-C (147 vs. 148 mg/dL, p = 0.03) were slightly higher in rural populations. Altogether, 14.3% of patients with CVD from urban areas and 11.3% from rural areas reached LDL <70 mg/dL ( p = 0.04). There were no important differences in the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and CVD, or in mean levels of blood pressure, cholesterol fractions, glucose, and HbA1c between Polish urban and rural primary care patient populations. A high proportion of patients in cities and an even-higher proportion in rural areas did not reach the recommended targets for blood pressure, LDL-C, and HbA1c, indicating the need for novel CVD-prevention programs.

Background: The purpose of the study was to evaluate secondary stroke prevention in Poland and its association with sociodemographic factors, place of residence, and concomitant cardiovascular risk factors., Material and Methods: From all patients in LIPIDOGRAM2015 Study ( n = 13,724), 268 subjects had a history of ischaemic stroke and were included., Results: 165 subjects (61.6%) used at least one preventive medication. Oral antiplatelet and anticoagulation agents were used by 116 (43.3%) and 70 (26.1%) patients, respectively. Only 157 (58.6%) participants used lipid-lowering drugs, and 205 (76.5%) were treated with antihypertensive drugs. Coronary heart disease (CHD) and dyslipidaemia were associated with antiplatelet treatment ( p = 0.047 and p = 0.012, respectively). A history of atrial fibrillation, CHD, and previous myocardial infarction correlated with anticoagulant treatment ( p = 0.001, p = 0.011, and p < 0.0001, respectively). Age, gender, time from stroke onset, place of residence, and level of education were not associated with antiplatelet or anticoagulant treatment. Only 31.7% of patients were engaged in regular physical activity, 62% used appropriate diet, and 13.6% were current smokers., Conclusions: In Poland drugs and lifestyle modification for secondary stroke prevention are not commonly adhered to. Educational programmes for physicians and patients should be developed to improve application of effective secondary prevention of stroke.

Introduction: Oxidative stress is one of many factors suspected to promote antinuclear autoantibody (ANA) formation. Reactive oxygen species can induce changes in the antigenic structure of macromolecules, causing the immune system to treat them as "neo-antigens" and start production of autoantibodies. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between oxidative stress markers, lifestyle factors and the detection of ANA., Material and Methods: We examined measures of oxidative stress indices of free-radical damage to lipids and proteins, such as total oxidant status (TOS), concentration of protein thiol groups (PSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA), activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in 1731 serum samples. The parameters of the non-enzymatic antioxidant system, such as total antioxidant status (TAS) and uric acid (UA) concentration, were also measured and the oxidative stress index (OSI-index) was calculated. All samples were tested for the presence of ANA using an indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA)., Results: The presence of ANA in women was associated with lower physical activity ( p = 0.036), less frequent smoking ( p = 0.007) and drinking of alcohol ( p = 0.024) accompanied by significant changes in SOD isoenzymes activity ( p < 0.001) and a higher uric acid (UA) concentration ( p < 0.001). In ANA positive males we observed lower concentrations of PSH ( p = 0.046) and increased concentrations of MDA ( p = 0.047)., Conclusions: The results indicate that local oxidative stress may be associated with increased probability of ANA formation in a sex-specific manner., Competing Interests: JJJ and MB have received an unrestricted educational grant from Valeant, and have served as consultants or speakers for Valeant. PK is employed by Euroimmun Polska Sp. z o.o., (Wroclaw, Poland), whose autoantibody reagents were used in the study. PEP owns four shares in AstraZeneca PLC and has received honoraria and/or travel reimbursement for events sponsored by AKCEA, Amgen, AMRYT, Link Medical, Mylan, Napp, Sanofi. All other authors have no conflict of interest concerning the results of this analysis., (Copyright: © 2021 Termedia & Banach.)

May Measurement Month 2019 is the third edition of a global initiative organized by the International Society of Hypertension aimed at raising awareness of hypertension and the need for blood pressure (BP) screening. We present data analysis from Poland. To evaluate the potential of opportunistic BP measurements as a tool for cardiovascular disease prevention programmes. To collect new country data for further annual comparisons. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in 201 sites in May 2019. BP was measured in 7072 subjects (mean age: 54 ± 15 years; 62.3% females). After multiple imputation, the age- and sex-standardized systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) was 125.4/78.5 mmHg in the whole group, 133.3/82.8 mmHg in individuals on antihypertensive medication and 123.3/77.7 mmHg in those not taking antihypertensive drugs. The proportion of subjects with high BP (≥140/90 mmHg) were 41.8% in subjects taking antihypertensive drugs, and 19.6% in those not taking any antihypertensive drugs. Overall, hypertension was present in 55.4% of participants (3917 out of 7072), of whom 83.0% were aware of their diagnosis. 80.4% of hypertensives were taking antihypertensive medication. 46.7% of all hypertensives had BP controlled to target (<140/90 mmHg). Higher BP correlated with body mass index and age but not tobacco smoking. SBP but not DBP was higher in diabetic participants. These data provide evidence on the current epidemiology of hypertension and may serve as a source of information to introduce primary and secondary prevention programmes to reduce cardiovascular risk in Poland., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. © The Author(s) 2021.)

Background and Aim: To estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) disease and CV risk factors among Polish patients., Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study, LIPIDOGRAM2015, was carried out in Poland in the 4th quarter of 2015 and 1st and 2nd quarters of 2016; 438 primary care physicians enrolled 13,724 adult patients that sought medical care in primary health care practices., Results: Nearly 19% of men and approximately 12% of women had cardiovascular disease (CVD). Over 60% of the recruited patients had hypertension (HTN), >80% had dyslipidaemia and <15% of patients were diagnosed with diabetes (DM). All of these disorders were more frequent in men. In 80% of patients the waist circumference exceed norm for the European population. Less than half of the patients were current smokers or had smoked in the past. Patients with CVD had significantly higher blood pressure and glucose levels but lower low density lipoprotein-cholesterol level., Conclusions: The prevalence of CVD and CV risk factors among patients in Poland is high. CVD is more common in men than in women. The most common CV risk factors are excess waist circumference, dyslipidaemia and HTN. Family physicians should conduct activities to prevent, diagnose early and treat CVD in the primary health care population., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest JJJ has received research grant/support from Valeant, and has served as a consultant or speaker for Valeant, Amgen, Teva, Servier, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Bioton, Microlife and ALAB Laboratories. TT has served as a consultant or speaker for Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Shire, Biofarm, Eli Lilly. AW has served as a consultant or speaker for Merck, Boehringer Ingelheim, Sanofi Aventis, Bausch Health. ALC reports grants from Amgen, Sanofi, Regeneron personal fees from Merck, Sanofi, Regeneron, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Novartis, outside the submitted work. DPM has given talks and attended conferences sponsored by Amgen, Novonordisk and Libytec. MTM has no direct competing interests in regards to this paper. His dept holds or has held research grants from Pfizer, Amgen, Ipsen, Shire, Teijin & Menarini. He was or has been the principal investigator on trials paid for by: Pfizer, Novartis, Ipsen, Teijin & Menarini. In the last 5 years have been paid consulting or speakers fees by Novartis, Takeda, Shire, &AstraZeneca. ŁS has given talks and attended conferences sponsored by Janssen-Cilag, Pfizer, Krka. SK has served as a speaker for Novartis. MB has received research grant(s)/support from Amgen, Mylan, Sanofi and Valeant, and has served as a consultant for Amgen, Daiichi-Sankyo, Esperion, Freia Pharmaceuticals, Herbapol, Kogen, KRKA, Mylan, Novartis, Novo-Nordisk, Polfarmex, Polpharma, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier, and Zentiva., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: An inverse relationship between lipid levels and atrial fibrillation (AF) has been suggested, but whether the association is upheld for all age groups remains unclear. The aim of the study was to examine associations between lipid levels and AF by age groups in a nationwide study in Poland., Methods: Multivariate Poisson regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) for AF by lipid levels. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), non-HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios were grouped into quartiles., Results: Of the 13,724 participants, 5.2% (n = 708) had AF. People with AF were older with more comorbidities, but lower lipid levels (all p < 0.05). The prevalence of AF was inversely associated with LDL-C (Adjusted PR (95% Confidence Interval) highest versus lowest quartile: 0.60 (0.48, 0.75)), TC (0.61 (0.49, 0.75)) and non-HDL-C (0.63 (0.51, 0.78)). The prevalence of AF was inversely associated with HDL-C (0.58 (0.46, 0.74)), but this was not statistically significant for people aged 75 years and older. For the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio, the prevalence of AF was only inversely associated with higher levels for people aged 75 years and older (0.75 (0.61, 0.94)). There was no statistically significant difference in prevalence of AF by TG levels., Conclusions: The results suggest an inverse relationship between lipid levels and AF. The inverse association between higher HDL-C and AF was only significant for people aged <75 years, whereas the inverse association between higher LDL-C/HDL-C ratio and AF was only significant for people aged 75 years and older., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Hypertension remains the most important cardiovascular risk factor in Poland. May Measurement Month is a global initiative organized by the International Society of Hypertension aimed at raising awareness of hypertension and the need for blood pressure (BP) screening and demonstrating the potential of the opportunistic BP measurements. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in 146 sites in May 2018. Blood pressure was measured in 6450 subjects (mean age: 41 ± 15 years; 59% females). After multiple imputation, the age and sex standardized systolic and diastolic BP was 126.7/78.4 mmHg in the whole analysed group, 132.8/81.3 mmHg in subjects taking antihypertensive drugs, and 125.7/78.0 mmHg in those not taking any antihypertensive drugs. After multiple imputation, the proportions of subjects with high BP (systolic ≥140 mmHg or diastolic ≥90 mmHg or on treatment for raised BP) were 22.2% in the whole analysed group, 39.2% in subjects taking antihypertensive drugs, and 18.6% those not taking any antihypertensive drugs. Overall, hypertension was present in 32.8% of participants, among them 38.7% were not aware of the disease, 53.1% were taking antihypertensive drugs, and 32.3% had BP controlled to target (<140/90 mmHg). Blood pressure was increasing with increasing body mass index and alcohol intake. Smokers and project participants with diabetes had increased average BP. In conclusion, this project provides additional evidence for a considerable potential for further reduction of cardiovascular risk through improvement in detection and treatment of hypertension in Poland., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. © The Author(s) 2020.)

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. The LIPIDOGRAM2015 study was performed to estimate the prevalence of risk factors for atherosclerotic diseases as well as cardiovascular and related disorders in the primary care setting in Poland. The LIPIDOGEN2015 sub-study was designed to include a random cohort of patients in order to analyse parameters related to lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, autoimmune disorders, and gene variants that confer susceptibility to cardiometabolic and atherosclerotic diseases., Material and Methods: The recruitment was carried out by 438 primary care physicians in Poland. The expected number of patients recruited for the LIPIDOGRAM2015 study was 13,000-14,000 with 13-15% (1700-2000) also participating in the LIPIDOGEN2015 sub-study. Each patient had to complete a questionnaire concerning medical and family history, concomitant diseases, and pharmacotherapy. Anthropometric measurements were performed at the doctor's office. For the LIPIDOGEN2015 sub-study, saliva samples for DNA isolation and blood samples for measurement of glycated haemoglobin, oxidative stress parameters, autoantibody levels, and inflammatory cytokine profile and apolipoprotein profile were collected. Follow-up data will be obtained from the National Health Fund in Poland., Results: The LIPIDOGRAM2015 and LIPIDOGEN2015 study cohort reflects the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and concomitant diseases, markers of oxidative stress, the presence of autoantibodies, inflammatory cytokine profile, and apolipoprotein profile, as well as genetic variants potentially conferring susceptibility to cardiometabolic and atherosclerotic diseases., Conclusions: This study presents the prevalence of different CV risk factors, with special emphasis on lipid disorders, and it assesses the relationship between inflammation, oxidative stress, and mutations in genes encoding proteins regulating lipid metabolism, as well as genes conferring susceptibility to cardiovascular, cardiometabolic, and related diseases., Competing Interests: JJJ has received research grant/support from Valeant and has served as a consultant or speaker for Valeant, Amgen, Teva, Servier, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Bioton, Microlife, and ALAB Laboratories. MB has received research grant(s)/support from Sanofi and Valeant and has served as a consultant for Akcea, Amgen, Daiichi-Sankyo, KRKA, MSD, Mylan, Polfarmex, Polpharma, Sanofi-Aventis, Servier, Esperion, and Resverlogix. SK has served as a speaker for Novartis. GYHL: Consultant for Bayer/Janssen, BMS/Pfizer, Medtronic, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Verseon, and Daiichi-Sankyo, and Speaker for Bayer, BMS/Pfizer, Medtronic, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Daiichi-Sankyo. No fees were directly received personally. DPM has given talks, acted as a consultant, or attended conferences sponsored by Amgen, Novo Nordisk, and Libytec. PPT has served as a speaker for Amarin, Amgen, Esperion, Novo-Nordisk; consultant to Amarin, Amgen, Novartis, Resverlogix, and Theravance. TT has served as a consultant or speaker for Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, Shire, Biofarm, and Eli Lilly., (Copyright: © 2020 Termedia & Banach.)

Elevated blood pressure (BP) is a worldwide burden, leading to over 10 million deaths yearly. May Measurement Month (MMM) is a global initiative organized by the International Society of Hypertension aimed at raising awareness of hypertension and the need for BP screening. An opportunistic cross-sectional survey of volunteers aged ≥18 was carried out in May 2017. BP measurement, the definition of hypertension and statistical analysis followed the globally approved MMM17 Study Protocol. In Poland 5834 (98.9%, Caucasian) individuals were screened. After multiple imputation, 2601 (35.3%) had hypertension. Of individuals not receiving anti-hypertensive medication, 976 (20.6%) were hypertensive. Of individuals receiving anti-hypertensive medication, 532 (49.1%) had uncontrolled BP. In the crude screened group, 81.4% declared to not receive any anti-hypertensive treatment, while the remaining 18.6% were on such medications. In overweight and obese patients both systolic and diastolic BP were significantly higher than in normal weight and underweight subjects. In addition, BP measured on Sundays was significantly lower than on Mondays. MMM17 was one of the largest recent BP screening campaigns in Poland. We found that over 1/3 of participants were hypertensive. Almost half of the treated subjects had uncontrolled BP. These results suggest that opportunistic screening can identify substantial numbers with raised BP.

Objective: The impact of fast changes in obesity indices on other measures of metabolic health is poorly defined in the general population. Using the Polish accession to the European Union as a model of political and social transformation we examined how an expected rapid increase in body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference relates to changes in lipid profile, both at the population and personal level., Methods: Through primary care centres in 444 Polish cities, two cross-sectional nationwide population-based surveys (LIPIDOGRAM 2004 and LIPIDOGRAM 2006) examined 15,404 and 15,453 adult individuals in 2004 and 2006, respectively. A separate prospective sample of 1,840 individuals recruited in 2004 had a follow-up in 2006 (LIPIDOGRAM PLUS)., Results: Two years after Polish accession to European Union, mean population BMI and waist circumference increased by 0.6% and 0.9%, respectively. This tracked with a 7.6% drop in HDL-cholesterol and a 2.1% increase in triglycerides (all p<0.001) nationwide. The direction and magnitude of the population changes were replicated at the personal level in LIPIDOGRAM PLUS (0.7%, 0.3%, 8.6% and 1.8%, respectively). However, increases in BMI and waist circumference were both only weakly associated with HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides changes prospectively. The relation of BMI to the magnitude of change in both lipid fractions was comparable to that of waist circumference., Conclusions: Moderate changes in obesity measures tracked with a significant deterioration in measures of pro-atherogenic dyslipidaemia at both personal and population level. These associations were predominantly driven by factors not measureable directly through either BMI or waist circumference.

Aims: To determine: (1) achievement of cholesterol therapy goals in patients receiving lipid-lowering drugs in Polish primary care between the years 2004 and 2006; (2) the characteristics of patients that are associated with attainment of these goals., Design: Cross-sectional study in randomly selected Polish primary care practices., Method: 5248 patients aged over 30 years in 2004 and 5386 patients in 2006, who were taking cholesterol-lowering treatment took part in the study. Physicians recorded demographic and medical history data using a standardized questionnaire, including weight and height, and collected blood samples of patients to determine their cholesterol level., Results: 18.5% of patients attained their optimal goals of therapy (total cholesterol, TC; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C) in 2004 compared to 25.2% in 2006 (p < 0.001). In both 2004 and 2006, more patients achieved their target levels for LDL-C than for TC and statins were the most commonly used medication (85% and 91%, respectively). Male sex, smoking, and higher education were the strongest correlates of the therapeutic outcome. The odds ratio of achieving cholesterol therapy goals in men, non-smokers, and university graduates was estimated at 1.51, 0.70, 1.38 in 2004 and 1.50, 0.73, 1.34 in 2006, respectively., Conclusion: There was a measurable improvement in the effectiveness of hypercholesterolaemia treatment between 2004 and 2006 but the majority of patients remain inadequately treated, with goals not being achieved. There is a need to raise the standard of lipid-lowering management in Poland.

An increase of the body mass often aggravates cardiovascular risk factors. In Poland, over the past 25 years, some epidemiological studies, focused on body mass disorders were conducted. Their results suggest an increase of the prevalence rate of overweight and obesity. The goal of the studies LIPIDOGRAM2004 and LIPIDOGRAM2006 was to assess the prevalence rate of abnormal body mass among adult patients remaining under the care of family physicians in Poland. 17.065 patients in 2004 and 17.152 in 2006, older than 30 years, recruited by 675 study physicians in 444 sites across Poland, were involved into these studies. It was found that approximately 3/4 of the patients included into these studies had BMI > or = 25 kg/m2. Overweight rate was much more prevalent among men than women (48,0% vs. 39,2% in 2004, p<0,0001; 47,4% vs. 39,7% in 2006, p<0,0001). In 2004, obesity was present in above 30% of the participants, including small, but statistically significant difference in the population of men (32,8% vs. 31,2%, p<0,05). In 2006, an increase in the prevalence of obesity in men, compared to women was reported (34,7% vs. 31,6%, p<0,001). Health care actions aimed at decreasing these phenomena would require targeted efforts of family physicians, in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team of specialists.

Purpose: Despite major advances in cardiology dyslipidemia continues to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. The study aimed to evaluate current prevalence of dyslipidemia and treatment efficacy in both coronary and non-coronary subjects., Methods: 17,065 subjects aged 30-95 years (20.51%--coronary heart disease (CHD) patients), seeking medical help for disparate reasons from 675 family physicians, were randomly enrolled. Family physicians completed pertinent questionnaires against available medical records and measured patients' lipid levels during a single appointment., Results: Dyslipidemia was detected in 73% of the CHD subjects vs. 46% of the non-CHD ones (p = 0.00001); its severity differing regionally. Hypolipemic treatment was administered to 82% of the CHD subjects vs. 12% of the non-CHD ones (p = 0.00001). Mean concentrations of LDL-cholesterol were higher in the treated subjects (p = 0.00002). Only 10% of the CHD subjects and 20% of the non-CHD ones were treated effectively for dyslipidemiae., Conclusions: Dyslipidemia was found widely prevalent nationwide, as well as poorly pharmacologically controlled in both primary and secondary prevention. Diversity of economic factors notwithstanding, this was mainly attributable to ineffective patient educational policies, meriting therefore immediate expansion and enhancement of existing disease management system in terms of adequate monitoring and effective treatment of key coronary risk factors.

30 patients with primary mild to moderate hypertension (DBP 95-110 mm Hg) were treated with long acting diltiazem (120 or 240 mg) once daily in the morning (7.00-8.00 a.m.) for at least 3 weeks and after that the administration time was changed to evening dose (19.00-20.00 p.m.) for next 3 weeks. 24-hours ABPM was performed in all patients on the last day of each period. Obtained recordings were compared in different periods of time: total 24 hours, 6.00-23.00, 23.00-6.00, 4.30-8.00, 5.00-11.00, 20.00-2.00. Mean values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate and pressure load (defined as percentage of records above 140/90 mm Hg in day and above 120/80 mm Hg at night) did not differ significantly between investigated dosage regimens. The evening administration of diltiazem did not produce greater decrease of BP at night than the morning dose. For this reason slow release formulation of diltiazem (oxycardil in doses of 120 to 240 mg) can be safely administered in the evening if needed.

Conjugates between monoclonal antibodies recognizing human cancer cells and the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A (mAb-SEA) represent a potential novel approach to tumor therapy. Such mAb-SEA conjugates direct T-cells to lyse colon carcinoma cells in vitro. The synthesis of mAb-SEA conjugates which were prepared by introducing thiol groups on SEA and iodoacetyl or maleimide groups on mAb forming a stable thioether linkage between SEA and mAb is described. A hydrophilic spacer, composed of repeated ethylene oxide units, was constructed to increase the distance between SEA and mAb, preserving biological activity of both proteins. The degree of modification of mAb with SEA was determined with SDS-PAGE. Variables influencing the composition of the conjugates and their effect on the tumor-cell cytotoxicity were studied and optimal conditions for the synthesis were established. Functionally active mAb-SEA conjugates were prepared from a panel of different mAb and T-cell-dependent cytotoxicity against several human cancer types including colon, ovarial, breast, and renal cancer was obtained. This suggests that mAb-SEA conjugates may be of value in the treatment of human neoplastic disease.