Post-COVID-19 Status and Its Physical, Nutritional, Psychological, and Social Effects in Working-Age Adults-A Prospective Questionnaire Study.

BACKGROUND: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the evolution of physical and daily routine, dietary habits, and mental and social health in individuals with recent COVID-19 infection. METHODS: A qualitative prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from 01 October 2021 to 01 March 2022, which included 80 working-age adults from the territory of Central Serbia who had PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in the previous six months. Two structured pre-coded closed-ended questionnaires were submitted to the participants: a questionnaire about post-COVID-19 status (pCOVq) and a shortened version of the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF). RESULTS: The presence of the COVID-19 disease in the previous period of 6 months among the working-age participants significantly affected the duration of aerobic, anaerobic, and high-intensity physical activities, but also the possibility of performing certain activities such as walking, which represents basic aerobic activity and a measure of general health among middle-aged participants. In the majority of cases (78%), in the post-COVID-19 period, participants indicated a decline in educational and productive activities. CONCLUSION: Post-COVID status in working-aged participants consists of reduced physical activity, lower quality of life, and similar nutritional habits. Health policies should be more focused on these findings.

Burnout of Physicians, Pharmacists and Nurses in the Course of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Serbian Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Study.

This research was a prospective, cross-sectional observational study of 128 health workers in the central part of the Republic of Serbia. The study surveyed health workers (physicians, pharmacists and nurses) who worked during peaks of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Serbia in June and November 2020. The Maslach Burnout Survey for Medical Personnel addresses three scales: (a) emotional exhaustion (EE) measures feelings of being emotionally overextended and exhausted by one's work; (b) depersonalization (DP) measures an unfeeling and impersonal response toward recipients of one's service, care treatment, or instruction; and (c) personal accomplishment (PA) measures feelings of competence and successful achievement in one's work. Linear regression and the chi-square test were used to test a relationship between the input variables (x) and the single output variable (y). We can conclude that most health workers had a high degree of emotional exhaustion, but also a low degree of depersonalization and a high degree of sense of personal achievement. Nurses and physicians had similar answers on the pandemic during their work, but pharmacists had different answers.

The influences of chokeberry extract supplementation on redox status and body composition in handball players during competition phase.

The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of 12 weeks of consumption of chokeberry extract on redox status, body composition, lipid profile, and biochemical parameters in active handball players. The study included 16 handball players aged 16-24 years (20.26 ± 2.86 years). Every morning before training, players received 30 mL of liquid chokeberry extract for 12 weeks during the regular competition season. The research consisted of morphofunctional and biochemical testing, which was performed at three points (at the beginning of the study and at 6 and 12 weeks after extract consumption). After the chokeberry extract treatment, we observed significant changes in three main aspects. The 12 week supplementation with chokeberry extract decreased the levels of prooxidants (TBARS and nitrites) and increased catalase activity. Analyzing the dynamic of body composition showed a decrease in body fat (9.4 ± 0.5 vs. 7.3 ± 0.6 kg) as well as its percent in a body (11.4 ± 0.4% vs. 8.8 ± 0.4%). On the other hand, the analysis showed an increase of high-density lipoprotein (1.3 ± 0.3 vs. 1.6 ± 0.2 mmol/L) and hemoglobin (144.4 ± 11.7 vs. 151.7 ± 9.9 g/L) after 6 weeks of treatment. At the same time, a decrease in leukocytes (7.2 × 109 ± 2.8 vs. 6.5 ± 1.2 × 109/L) and an increase in red blood cells count (4.9 ± 0.4 × 109 vs. 5.5 ± 0.5 × 109/L) were observed. Overall, these results emphatically show that the use of chokeberry extract dietary supplement induced a wide range of beneficial effects in the examined group of athletes.

The impact of high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training regimes on cardiodynamic parameters in isolated heart of normotensive and hypertensive rats.

This study aimed to assess the impact of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) vs. moderate-intensity continuous training (MIT) on cardiodynamic parameters in isolated rat heart. Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned to groups according to running protocol: sedentary control, MIT, and HIIT; spontaneous hypertensive rat (SHR) sedentary control, SHR + MIT, and SHR + HIIT. HIIT groups performed the running in 5 sprints × 45-55 m/min for 30-90 s, with 2 min of rest after each sprint, while MIT groups performed the running of 10-15 m/min for 1 h with 3 min of rest every 100 m; both protocols were implemented 5 days/week over 4 weeks with 1 week of adaptation before protocols started. Isolated rat hearts were perfused according to Langendorff technique at gradually increased coronary perfusion pressures (40-120 cmH2O). Using a sensor placed in the left ventricle, we registered maximum and minimum rate of pressure development in the left ventricle, systolic and diastolic left ventricular pressure, and heart rate. Coronary flow was measured flowmetrically. MIT was connected with cardiac depression in normotensive conditions, while HIIT leads to cardiac depression in hypertensive rats. HIIT induced more significant increase of contractile and relaxation parameters of the isolated rat heart, especially in hypertensive animals.

The impact of aerobic and anaerobic training regimes on blood pressure in normotensive and hypertensive rats: focus on redox changes.

This study was aimed to assess the impact of aerobic and anaerobic type of exercise on blood pressure and redox status in normotensive and hypertensive rats. After 1 week of preconditioning feeding and 1 week of preconditioning running regimen, Wistar albino rats (n = 72; bw: 270 ± 50 g) were randomly assigned to three groups according to running protocol (high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or moderate-intensity training (MIT)): sedentary control, MIT, HIIT; spontaneous hypertensive sedentary control (SHR), SHR + MIT and SHR + HIIT. Blood pressure (BP) measurement was performed by a tail-cuff noninvasive method BP system. After 48 h of rest following the final training, the rats were fasted for 24 h and sacrificed under ketamine/xylazine anesthesia and blood samples were collected. The level of the next prooxidants were measured: superoxide anion radical (O2-); hydrogen peroxide (H2O2); nitrite level (NO2-) and index of lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances), and the activity of antioxidative enzymes: reduced glutathione (GSH) superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity. After the last week of running, HIIT strongly affected SP, DP, and HR in SHR rats compared to other hypertensive rats, as well as after MIT in normotensive conditions. We have found that HIIT training protocol induced a higher increase of O2- and H2O2 as compared to MIT. Findings of the present study pointed out that contrary to normotensive conditions, in hypertensive conditions both training regimes reduced the BP levels, which was more prominent in case of HIIT. In addition, MIT seems to be connected with milder disturbance of pro-oxidant production and better antioxidant response.

Homocystein as a risk factor for developing complications in chronic renal failure.

AIM: Cardiovascular diseases are leading cause of death in patients with chronic renal failure. The aim of our study was to establish connection between levels of homocysteine and traditional and nontraditional risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases in dialysis and pre dialysis patients. METHODS: We included 33 pre dialysis (23 in stage three and 10 in stage four of chronic kidney disease) and 43 patients receiving hemodialysis longer than six months. Besides standard laboratory parameters, levels of homocysteine and blood pressure were measured in all patients. Glomerular filtration rate was measured in pre dialysis patients and dialysis quality parameters in dialysis patients. RESULTS: Homocysteine levels were elevated in all patients (19±5.42mmol/l). The connection between homocysteine levels and other cardiovascular diseases risk factors was not established in pre dialysis patients. In patients treated with hemodialysis we found negative correlation between homocysteine levels and patients' age (p<0.05) and positive correlation between homocysteine levels and length of dialysis (p<0.01) as well as between homocysteine and anemia parameters (erythrocytes, hemoglobin), (p<0.01). Homocysteine and LDL (and total cholesterol) were in negative correlation (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Homocysteine, as one of nontraditional cardiovascular diseases risk factors, is elevated in all patients with chronic renal failure and it's positive correlation with some other risk factors was found.

Detection of pulmonary calcification in haemodialised patients by whole-body scintigraphy and the impact of the calcification to parameters of spirometry.

The early diagnosis of metastatic pulmonary calcification is beneficial, as some patients may develop restrictive changes in respiratory function or in some cases lethal acute respiratory distress. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether scanning with 99(m)Tc DPD might be useful in early diagnosis of pulmonary calcification in setting of chronic renal failure and hemodialysis and if presence of pulmonary calcification is associated with an abnormality in respiratory parameters. Forty-two patients with end-stage renal disease, who were treated by regular haemodialysis, were investigated. Twenty five (59.5%) out of forty two patients had increased lung uptake of 99(m)Tc DPD at whole body scintigraphy-grade 2 group. These patients were on dialysis 149±26 months compared with 57±16 months in 17 patients with a normal lung uptake of 99(m)Tc DPD at whole body scintigraphy- grade 1 group (p<0.01). In grade 2 group 22 patients (88%) had significantly lower (p<0.01) parameters of spirometry (FEF25-75, FEF75 FEF50, FEF25) compared to predicted values while in grade 1 group the parameters were significantly lower in only six patients (35.3%). There was statistically insignificant difference between these two groups regarding parathyroid hormone level (p>0.05). These observations confirm previous findings that scintigraphy with 99(m)Tc DPD may be efficious in early diagnosis of pulmonary calcification in hemodialised patients as well as the fact that spirometry is useful in patients with confirmed pulmonary calcifications.