The objective of the study was to determine some Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk factors in 174 Roma children and adolescents (88 males and 86 females) aged 7-18 in 3 Central Slovakian cities (44 from Žilina, 39 from Banská Bystrica and 91 from Rimavská Sobota). Venous blood samples were drawn in the morning, after a 12 hour overnight fast for biochemical analysis. Total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were determined enzymatically. HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) after selective precipitation lipoproteins containing apolipoprotein B and LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated by the Friedewald Formula. Serum levels of apolipoproteins (apo A, apo B) were analyzed immunochemically. Concentration of lipoprotein a [Lp(a)] was analyzed by immunonephelometric method (Beckman-Coulter System). Anthropometric measurements, including weight, height, waist and hip circumference were used to calculate the sum of the body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR). Measured blood pressure (BP) was used to classify for hypertension. Significant differences were determined in serum levels of LDL-C (p<0.05; by Tukey HSD test multiple comparison more significant difference was determined between Žilina and Rimavská Sobota p<0.046), TG (p=0.008), apo A (p<0.001), Lp(a) (p=0.042), WHR (p<0.001), BMI (p<0.001), sBP (p<0.001) and dBP (p=0.012) in Roma individuals of all locality groups. The Roma population from Rimavská Sobota had (in comparison to the examined populations) statistically higher values of TC, TG, LDL-C, lower HDL-C. The population showed significant relation of TG and stress at home (p=0.03) and at school (p=0.01), HDL-C and cigarette smoking (p=0.004), apo A and cigarette smoking (p=0.02) and socioeconomic status (p=0.006), WHR and cigarette smoking (p=0.02). Risk values of WHR, apo B and Lp(a) were mostly determined in Žilina's population (WHR significantly connected with family history CVD p=0.03, cigarette smoking p=0.02 and leisure time physical activity p<0.001) and BMI, apo A and BP in Banská Bystrica. WHR was positively correlated to BP and negatively to HDL-C and TG only in Roma participants from Rimavská Sobota. BMI was positively correlated to systolic BP in populations from Banská Bystrica and Rimavská Sobota. The results of the study should improve the paediatric health treatment and prevention of CVD risk predictors for Roma from different cities.

SUMMARYThe objective of the study was to determine some Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk factors in relation to cigarette smoking in 174 Roma children and adolescents (88 males and 86 females) and 131 non-Roma probands (males and females) aged 7-18 in central Slovakia.In this biethnic study, 26.4% of the Roma children and adolescents (more than twice contrary to the control group) were smokers. Among the studied ethnicities, the majority of smokers was Roma (79.3%, 46 subjects). Smoking Roma have higher means of TG, Lp(a) and WHR compared with non-smoking non-Roma. The most frequent CVD risk predictors of smoking Roma probands was low serum levels HDL-C, apo A (the Fisher test confirmed a significant relationship between cigarette smoking and HDL-C, apo A; p<0.01).The results of the research should help to develop an effective preventative health education programs focused on Roma education (who live in a higher-risk environment compared to the majority population) in order to stem the spread of CVD as well as morbidity and mortality in this ethnic group living in Slovakia.

The results of this study suggest an appreciable burden of major cardiovascular risk factors and also highlight differences that may aid the targeting of public health interventions.

To elucidate a higher rate of premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Asian Indian descendants (Roma) in Slovakia, we investigated frequency distribution, correlates and relationship of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] to family CVD risk factors in Roma children and their Caucasian neighbors. The study sample consisted of 607 healthy children aged 7-18 years (55% Roma, 48% male) as part of the biracial (Roma-Caucasian) Slovak Lipid Community Study. Overall, frequency distribution data of Lp(a) were highly skewed to low concentrations, with markedly higher Lp(a) levels in Roma than in Caucasian children (median and range, mg/dL: 14.5; 0-159.2 vs 6.2; 0-112.3, P \ 0.001), regardless of age and gender. Lp(a) was positively correlated with apo B (0.159, P = 0.004) in Roma, and LDL cholesterol (0.170, P = 0.005) in Caucasian children. In addition, daily income of the family was negatively related with Lp(a) in Roma (-0.134, P = 0.036) while positively in Caucasians (0.136, P = 0.047). For both race groups, no significant association was found between Lp(a) and age, body mass index, mean arterial pressure, smoking, and physical activity. Also, no significant relationships were examined between serum Lp(a) levels [30 mg/dL in children and family CVD risk factors, except for diabetes mellitus in parents of Caucasian origin (OR 4.46;. In a multivariate analysis, daily income, LDL cholesterol or apo B explained *7% of the variance of Lp(a). This study suggests a significantly higher serum Lp(a) levels in Roma than in Caucasian children and a small effect, in general, of relevant CVD risk factors on the variation of Lp(a) levels in childhood.

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Objectives: To create age-and sex-specific growth curves for serum lipids in Slovak children and adolescents, and to compare age-and sex-specific cut-off points with the currently recommended procedure using a single set of risk values for the whole child and adolescent population. Methods: Data were extracted from a cross-sectional Slovak Lipid Community Study conducted in 2005-2007; 873 healthy children and adolescents aged 7 -18 years were selected for this study. Smoothed percentile curves were generated by LMS Pro software. Results: All lipid parameters (except for total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in girls) were higher in puberty than in adolescence, with the lowest serum lipids between the ages of 15 and 16 years. Mean triglyceride levels were higher in girls than in boys in all age groups. At the age of 18 years, about 19% boys and 25% girls had borderline and 6% boys and 15% girls had elevated total cholesterol. Elevated triglyceride levels were seen in 13% of boys and 11% of girls while abnormally low levels of HDL-cholesterol were found in 17% of boys and 10% of girls. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that 1) age and gender play a strong role in lipid measurements in children and adolescents, 2) Slovak children and adolescents have a relative high proportion of abnormal lipid levels, and 3) age-and sex-specific cut-off points for serum lipids could be used to identify children and adolescents with an elevated risk of dyslipidemia in adulthood.

The aim of this study was to assess lipid peroxidation in chronic leg ischaemia by determining thiobarbituric acid reactants. Furthermore, Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities as well as the trace element profile (Zn, Cu, Se, Mg) were determined. Fasting blood samples from the common femoral artery and vein were taken from both legs of 15 patients (57 ± 7 years) with peripheral arteriosclerosis and 9 individuals (54 ± 9 years) of the control group without chronic leg ischaemia.Patients with peripheral arteriosclerosis showed significantly decreased venous thiobarbituric acid reactant levels (2.01 ± 0.37 vs 2.39 ± 0.59 μπιοΐ/ΐ in controls, ρ < 0.05). Both arterial and venous samples from patients showed lower Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase activities and higher glutathione peroxidase activities than controls. Venous activities of glutathione peroxidase were significantly higher than arterial activities in both groups (patients 0.52 ± 0.18 vs 0.43 ±0.15 μkat/g Hb, ρ < 0.001, control group 0.51 ± 0.12 vs 0.39 ±0.19 μkat/g Hb, ρ < 0.01). The trace element profile of the patients showed a highly significant decrease in magnesium levels (p < 0.001) and increased venous copper levels (p < 0.05). No significant changes were found in zinc and selenium levels. The results of this study show that during chronic leg ischaemia the production of free oxygen radicals at rest is well controlled, but the activity of antioxidant enzymes seems to be impaired.

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