Muscle strength and bone density in patients with different rheumatic conditions: cross-sectional study.

AIM: To explore the relationship between muscle strength and bone density in patients with different rheumatic diseases and to examine whether inflammatory arthritis was more harmful for muscle strength and bone loss than degenerative joint diseases. METHODS: The study included 361 men and women with a mean±standard deviation age of 60.5±11.4 years and different rheumatic conditions: regional syndromes, osteoarthritis of the hands, shoulders, knees, and hips, and inflammatory arthritis. Maximum voluntary back strength was measured by isometric dynamometry. Bone mineral density (BMD; g/cm2) of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and distal radius was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Anthropometry and lifestyle characteristics were also assessed. RESULTS: Back strength was lowest in patients with hand and shoulder osteoarthritis (20.0±17.9 kg), followed by patients with inflammatory arthritis (24.8±19.2 kg). Patients with inflammatory arthritis had the lowest BMD at the mid-radius (0.650±0.115 g/cm2) and femoral neck (0.873±0.137 g/cm2), while patients with hand and shoulder osteoarthritis had the lowest BMD at the mid-radius (0.660±0.101). In both sexes, muscle strength was significantly lower in patients who had lower BMD (T score<-1.0). Multiple regression analysis identified significant predictors of back strength to be spine BMD (P=0.024) and body mass index (P=0.004) in men and femoral neck BMD in women (P=0.004). CONCLUSION: Muscle strength decline may be connected to bone loss in patients with rheumatic conditions, especially those with inflammatory joint diseases.

Association of neuroticism with sick building syndrome, quality of life and psychomotor performance.

In a group of 221 healthy employees of both sexes the relationship between neuroticism, and perceived quality of life (WHOQOL), inadequate work organization (IWO), Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) and speed and accuracy of simple reaction time was studied. The level of neuroticism was assessed by Cornell Index (C.I.), and psychomotor speed and accuracy by electronic psychodiagnostic instrument Complex Reactionmeter Drenovac (CRD). All subjects underwent the same testing procedure completing C.I., SBS, IWO and WHOQOL-BREF questionnaires. The obtained results revealed that persons with more pronounced emotional stability perceive their life better in quality, their work environment with less SBS symptoms, and report more adequate work organization. Furthermore, they have better simple reaction time scores to visual stimuli.

Differences in peak bone density between male and female students.

As an important determinant of osteoporotic fracture risk, peak bone density tends to be higher in men than in women. The aim of this study was to see whether young men and women differed in the time and skeletal region of peak bone density. We also investigated the influence of diet and physical activity on bone mass. The study group included 51 male and 75 female students aged 19 to 25 years. Bone mineral density was measured for the spine, total femur, and the distal third of the radius using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Dietary data were obtained using a specially designed semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Bone mineral density (BMD; g cm(-2)) was higher in boys than in girls at all measured sites, while bone mineral apparent density (BMAD; g cm(-3)) was higher in girls. Age negatively correlated with bone mineral density in all measured sites except in the boys' spine. Sodium, protein, and fibres were nutrients that significantly correlated with bone mineral density. The study suggests that boys achieve peak bone density later than girls, and that this delay is the most prominent in the spine. In our study group, this difference could not be explained by different nutrition or the level of physical activity.

Sick building syndrome: psychological, somatic, and environmental determinants.

The authors aimed to examine potential relationships between work-related symptoms attributed to sick building syndrome (SBS) and certain psychological, somatic, and environmental factors. The multidisciplinary, cross-sectional study comprised 171 female subjects working in air-conditioned and naturally ventilated nonindustrial office buildings. The authors collected information concerning symptoms related to SBS and made assessments of quality of life by using appropriate questionnaires. They assessed the women's levels of emotional stability or neuroticism using the Cornell Index. They determined skin and airway reactivity markers and indoor microclimate data by using standardized methods. The study showed that the subjects had a high prevalence of fatigue (60.2%), sore and dry eyes (57.9%), and headache (44.4%), as well as a generally high score according to the SBS Index. Neuroticism and subjectively estimated physical health as well as the type of building ventilation significantly contributed to the prediction of the SBS Index, explaining 15% of the variance.

Smoking habits, signs of chronic diseases and survival in inland and coastal regions of Croatia: a follow-up study.

Aim of the study was to estimate, the relationship between survival, smoking habits, and the results of medical examinations in inland and coastal regions of Croatia. Age and sex stratified sample of general population (1,571 men and 1,793 women, 37-56 years old in 1972; followed in 1982: N = 1,090 men; 1,325 women and/or 1972-1999 controlling vital status). Relative risks and 95% confidence limits were estimated using Cox regression in the model with time dependent covariates, separately by sex. In all regions, the proportion of male smokers decreased between 1972 and 1982. The proportion of female smokers increased, differently in urban and rural regions. During the follow-up between 1972 and 1999, 568 deaths were recorded among men and 382 among women. In men, in addition to age, significant hazards of death were the number of smoked cigarettes per day, body mass index, sedative intake, vital lung capacity (FVC), 100FEV1/VC, systolic blood pressure, electrocardiogram, history of heart attack, and region. In women, in addition to age, significant predictors were the number of smoked cigarettes per day, systolic blood pressure, electrocardiogram, history of heart disease (excluding coronary diseases), and region. Survival relative risk increased with each additional smoked pack of cigarettes by 2.4% in women and 1.3% in men. Regional differences vs. smoking habit were observed. These data emphasize the need for prevention of smoking.

[Environmental tobacco smoke and children: assessment of exposure and health effects]. / Pasivno pusenje i djeca: procjena izlozenosti i zdravstvene posljedice.

AIMS: To assess prospectively 1) concentrations of metals and progesterone in placental tissue related to cigarette smoking; 2) the effect of parental smoking on the susceptibility to colds in preadolescent children during winter months. METHODS: The first study comprised healthy parturients with median age 28 years, 29 non-smokers and 27 women who smoked during pregnancy and/or within one year before last pregnancy. Placentas were collected after delivery at term and metals (by atomic absorption spectrometry) and placental progesterone (by specific radioimmunoassay) were analysed. A comparative study in 337 school children, second graders, was undertaken in central urban and suburban area. Information on children and families and on parental smoking was collected. During the six-month period incidence of acute respiratory diseases was followed-up. RESULTS: In placentas of smoking vs. non-smoking women a twofold increase in cadmium concentration, a decrease in iron and a half of progesterone concentration as a biomarker of effect of tobacco smoke exposure were found. Nearly 59 percent of Croatian children live in the household with at least one smoker. The incidence of colds in children was 25%. The study demonstrates an exposure-response relationship between the parental smoking and the reporting rates for doctor-diagnosed upper respiratory illness; in children exposed to both parents' smoke odds ratio was 2.03 and in children from the family with one smoker odds ratio was 1.65. CONCLUSIONS: Results support the established association of tobacco smoke exposure with increased placental cadmium concentration, and concomitant reduction of placental progesterone is a new evidence on health risk for mother and foetus. The higher risk of frequent colds in children related to environmental tobacco smoke is a relevant public health problem.