Cent Eur J Public Health 2007, 15(3)

Short-term Effects of Air Pollution on Cardiovascular Mortality in Elderly in Niš, Serbia

Aleksandra Stanković, Dragana Nikić, Maja Nikolić, Dragan Bogdanović

Cent Eur J Public Health 2007, 15(3):95-98 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3425  

The short-term effects of air pollution on cardiovascular mortality in elderly were investigated in Niš, during the 2001-2005. Daily measurements of black smoke (BS) and sulphur dioxide (SO2), as well as the daily number of cardiovascular death among person ≥ 65 yrs of age, were collected. Generalized linear model extending Poisson regression was applied. The effects of time trend, seasonal variations, day of week, temperature, relative humidity and barometric pressure were analysed. The results did not support findings from previous studies that had shown an increase in the number of cardiovascular death in elderly in association with air pollution.

Asbestos Exposure, Legislation and Diseases in the Czech Republic

Daniela Pelclová, Zdenka Fenclová, Pavel Urban

Cent Eur J Public Health 2007, 15(3):99-102 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3424  

Asbestos manufacturing has been banned in the Czech Republic; however, about 280 workers in the 2nd-4th work category have been exposed during the remediation of asbestos, and the health consequences of the former use of asbestos will be apparent for many years. The incidence of mesothelioma in the Czech Republic is about 0.5/100,000 inhabitants, which places it among the lowest incidences of mesothelioma in Europe, and ranks the Czech Republic among the countries with the lowest rates in the world. The proportion of occupational mesotheliomas is only about one-tenth of these malignancies. These data show an underreporting of occupational cancers,...

Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Childhood

Dalibor Pastucha, Jana Malinčíková, Jiří Hyjánek, Dagmar Horáková, Luděk Čížek, Gabriela Janoutová, Vladimír Janout

Cent Eur J Public Health 2007, 15(3):103-105 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3437  

Obesity is a serious risk factor for insulin resistance leading to diabetes and other disorders. As it is also occurring at ever younger age groups the aim of this study was to compare average levels of the homeostatic indices HOMA and QUICKI in obese compared to healthy children in an effort to find convenient markers for insulin sensitivity in clinical pediatric practice. Twenty one obese and 29 healthy children were selected. The average level of HOMA in obese children was 3,6, in healthy children 1,7 while the average level of QUICKI in obese children was 0,33 and in healthy children 0,36. The results demonstrate the possibility of insulin sensitivity...

Reaching Target Lipid Levels in Patients at High Risk of Cardiovascular Event: The Experience of a Canadian Tertiary Care Lipid Clinic

Jennifer A. Klinke, Filip Málek, Min Gao, Dan Holmes, Jiri J. Frohlich

Cent Eur J Public Health 2007, 15(3):106-109 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3422  

Objectives: To determine the proportion of high risk patients followed at a tertiary care lipid clinic who met recommended lipid targets and to identify predictors of reaching goal lipid levels.Research design and methods: A retrospective cohort study of 502 high risk patients followed between 1983 and 2003. Clinical and demographic data and fasting lipid profiles were extracted from each patient's first two clinic visits as well as the most recent visit.Results: All patients in this study were at high risk of cardiovascular events due to dyslipidemia. At "Visit 1", only 55 (11.0%) of patients were at target TC/HDL-C < 4.0, and 97 (19.3%)...

Smoking Patterns in Croatia and Comparisons with European Nations

Rajeev K. Goel, Jelena Budak

Cent Eur J Public Health 2007, 15(3):110-115 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3430  

In recent years, tobacco use and its control have become increasingly the focus of attention of policy-makers and researchers due to ill health effects of smoking on both smokers and non-smokers. This paper contributes to a neglected research area by focusing on tobacco use and its regulation in Croatia. In particular, this study uses recent survey information to analyze the tobacco use patterns in Croatia and influence of tobacco campaigns and to compare these patterns to other EU candidate nations and the EU as a whole.Overall the results show that in some aspects of tobacco use and regulation Croatia fares better than other European countries,...

Influence of Tobacco Use in Dental Caries Development

Sajith Vellappally, Zdeněk Fiala, Jindra Šmejkalová, Vimal Jacob, Pilathadka Shriharsha

Cent Eur J Public Health 2007, 15(3):116-121 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3431  

This review article describes different forms of tobacco usage and its direct relationship with the prevalence of dental caries. Smoking along with co-existing factors like old age, bad oral hygiene habits, food habits, limited preventive dental visits and over all health standards, can be associated with high caries incidence. However, a direct etiological relationship is lacking. Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) causes dental caries in children but no studies have been reported in adults. Existing findings are not sufficient and conclusive enough to confirm that ETS causes dental caries. Oral use of smokeless tobacco (ST), predominantly tobacco...

Higher Cigarette Taxes - Healthier People, Wealthier State: the Hungarian Experience

Tibor Szilágyi

Cent Eur J Public Health 2007, 15(3):122-126 | DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a3421  

Objective: To prove that higher cigarette taxes eventually decrease smoking and do also increase state incomes from tobacco taxes by using Hungarian figures.Method: Collection and analysis of available data on tobacco use, levels of excise and value added taxes on tobacco products and state incomes originating from the tobacco sector.Conclusions: In Hungary, regular tobacco tax increases resulted in decreased cigarette consumption and its lower prevalence figures in some population groups. State incomes have increased in spite of regular cigarette tax raises. Therefore, there is on conflict of interest between the health and finance portfolios...

20^th Death-day of a Prominent Czech Epidemiologist Karel Raška, MD, DrSc

Editorial Board

Cent Eur J Public Health 2007, 15(3):127