No abstract

Introduction: Hip fractures are a worldwide public health issue associated with significant mortality. Previous Polish studies reported an increasing trend in the number of hip fractures for both men and women, although lower than most other European countries. Materials and Methods: The Polish National Database was analyzed to examine osteoporotic hip fractures in the population aged 50 and over. Hip fracture incidence, rate, one-year mortality, and postoperative length of hospitalization were analyzed using the national health system data. Hospital discharge registry ICD-10 codes were reviewed from 2008 to 2015. Results: The incidence of hip fractures increased in both women and men by 19.4% and 14.2%, respectively. The female to male fracture ratio was 2.46. Mean postoperative hospitalization decreased from 13.6 to 11.2 days. The one-year mortality ranged between 30.45% to 32.8% for men and 26.2% to 28% for women. Of note, women aged 80–89 had the highest one-year mortality, 50.7%–55.4% after femoral neck fracture and 53%–58.5% after a pertrochanteric fracture. Conclusions: Hip fractures in Poland are increasingly more prevalent in the aging population. The unfavorable trends observed in this study indicate higher annual mortality after hip fracture, compared with other European countries.

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important aggravating factor for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) outcomes. CVD still seems to be one of the most common cause of death in the long-term post-transplant period. Nevertheless, there are some limited data regarding the optimal strategy of risk assessment during OLT candidate evaluation.Material/MethodsRoutine pre-transplant cardiac workup in 360 patients with end stage liver disease (ESLD) included electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and exercise stress testing. The aim of this retrospective study was an analysis of the impact of cardiovascular risk profile on overall mortality in the 2-year follow-up of 160 patients who underwent liver transplantation.ResultsCardiovascular risk factors or a history of CVD were found in 23.1% of patients who received transplants. The cardiovascular risk factors most common in our group of transplant recipients with ESLD were: diabetes (26.3%), hypertension (25.6%), and hepatopulmonary syndrome (23.1%). Only 3.8% of patients had a positive exercise test. Coronary angiography revealed at least 50% stenosis in some epicardial arteries in 1.9% of patients. The risk of death in long-term follow-up of liver transplant recipients was most strongly associated with 3 cardiac variables: history of coronary artery disease (CAD), angiographically confirmed coronary stenosis, and reduced ejection fraction (EF).ConclusionsOur study identified pre-transplant CAD with its consequences as a factor associated with increased risk of negative post-transplant outcomes.

Background: Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is a stress-induced disorder affecting mostly postmenopausal women. The aim of the study was to evaluate isoprenaline (ISO) dependent female rat model and histopathological characteristics in TTS. Methods: Forty-nine Sprague Dawley female rats, 12 weeks old, were injected intraperitoneally with a single dose of ISO at doses 50 (n = 8), 75 (n = 6), 100 (n = 3), 150 (n = 27) and 200 (n = 5) mg/kg body weight (bw). The control group (n = 6) was injected with physiological saline. The echocardiographic examination to assess wall motion abnormalities took place 24, 48, 72 h, and 7 days post-ISO. Histopathological analysis was performed on the basis of hematoxylin-eosin staining. Results: The total mortality rate was 3/49 (6.12%). The optimum dose of ISO to induce TTS was 150 mg/kg bw and 21/27 (77.77%) rats showed apical ballooning. Histopathological analysis revealed focal necrosis/apoptosis of cardiomyocytes with inflammatory and fibroblast-like cell infiltration. Foci were the most numerous in the central muscle layer with apical-basal gradient 24,48,72 h post-ISO (p < 0.05). Significant differences were noted 48 h post-ISO in the central layer in apical vs basal segments (p = 0.0032), in the endocardial layer in apical vs basal segments (0.00024) and in mid-cavital vs. basal segments (p = 0.0483). The number of foci in endocardium of apical region differ 48 h post-ISO in rats with a dose of 150 vs. 200 mg/kg bw (p = 0.0084). Conclusions: The ISO female rat model of TTS is associated with higher optimum dose and lower mortality in comparison with the male TTS model. TTS presents as a singles cardiomyocyte disorder, foci concerned mainly central muscle layer with apical-basal gradient.