Associations of couples' balanced time perspective with maternal prenatal hair cortisol concentration and perceived stress.

OBJECTIVE: The stress experienced by a woman during pregnancy not only has a negative impact on her well-being and physical health but also adversely affects the fetus. Stress is strongly linked with time perspective, defined as the tendency to focus on the past, present, or future. The study aimed to investigate how couples' balanced time perspective was related to maternal prenatal hair cortisol concentration and perceived stress in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. METHOD: The participants were pregnant women and their male partners (84 couples). Women completed online questionnaires: the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), the Dark Future Scale (DFS), and the Perceived Stress Scale, while men completed online versions of the ZTPI and the DFS. These questionnaire measurements were conducted in the first and third trimesters. Maternal cortisol levels were measured in hair samples taken during gynecological visits, in the first and third trimesters. RESULTS: The study revealed that the more unbalanced the partner's time perspective, the more unbalanced the pregnant woman's time perspective and, consequently, the higher the stress perceived by the pregnant woman. This effect was present in both the first (B = 1.06, SE =.36, p <.001, 95 % CI [.398, 1.826]) and the third trimesters (B =.98, SE =.36, p <.001, 95 % CI [.327, 1.774]). Moreover, the more unbalanced the partner's time perspective, the more unbalanced the woman's time perspective and, consequently, the lower the hair cortisol concentration in the first trimester (B = -.08, SE =.04, p <.05, 95 % CI [-.171, -.010]). Partner's unbalanced time perspective in the first trimester was also a predictor of stress perceived by the woman in the third trimester (t = 2.38, p <.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest the significance of the partner's time perspective for the pregnant woman's mental health. The partner's unbalanced, negative time perspective in the first trimester may increase the pregnant woman's stress in the third trimester. This effect can be even stronger than that of the woman's time perspective.

Subclinical Mood and Cognition Impairments and Blood Pressure Control in a Large Cohort of Elderly Hypertensives.

BACKGROUND: Blood pressure (BP) control in the elderly is often limited by poor compliance with prescribed regimen. Both can be influenced by clinical cognitive or mood impairments; however, the impact of subclinical alterations of cognition or mood remains unknown. OBJECTIVES: To assess the relation between cognition, mood, and BP control in treated older hypertensive patients. DESIGN: Cross-sectional association study. SETTING: Predefined substudy to the POLFOKUS nationwide survey investigating the correlates of poor BP control in patients randomly drawn from primary and specialist practices across Poland. PARTICIPANTS: 1988 outpatients ≥65 years of age treated for hypertension for at least 1 year. MEASUREMENTS: BP was mean of at least 2 office measurements. We assessed adherence to antihypertensive medications using a questionnaire and performed screening tests for cognitive deficits [Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS)] and mood disorders [Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)]. In all patients, we used a unified (BP <140/90 mm Hg) and in ≥80 years old a unified or age-specific (<150 mm Hg systolic BP) definition of BP control. We fitted logistic regression models to assess the probability of poor BP control in association with cognitive and mood disturbances. RESULTS: The mean [standard deviation (SD)] age of 1988 (65.6% women) patients was 73.9 (6.0) years (19.3% ≥80 years old). Cognitive and mood impairments were observed in 8.0% and 37.2%, respectively. Mean systolic and diastolic BP were 141.8 (16.4) and 83.6 (9.5) mm Hg, respectively. According to age-stratified and unified definition of proper BP control, goal BP was achieved in 65.4% and 38.5% patients ≥80 years of age, respectively. In younger patients, the control reached 46%. Globally, 66% patients adhered to antihypertensive medications. Poor compliance was related to cognitive and mood impairments. When unified goal was applied, there was a 15.0% higher risk of finding poor BP control per 1 score lost in AMTS and an 8.0% increase per 1 score gained in GDS (all P < .001). CONCLUSION: Poorer BP control is related to subclinical worsening of cognition and mood, which supports widespread use of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment even in apparently self-dependent older patients with hypertension.

Pharmacokinetics of mycophenolate sodium co-administered with tacrolimus in the first year after renal transplantation.

We assessed the relations between MPA, free MPA (fMPA) and MPA glucuronide (MPAG) pharmacokinetics and the clinical condition of renal transplant recipients treated with EC-MPS and tacrolimus (Tac) in the first post-transplant year. In 18 adult patients blood samples were collected up to 12 h after EC-MPS oral administration. EC-MPS metabolites' plasma concentrations were determined using validated HPLC methods. All patients reached MPA area under the time-concentration curve (AUC0-12) above 30 µg h/mL. Most of the MPA, fMPA and all MPAG concentrations correlated significantly with respective AUC0-12 values. Some fMPA and all MPAG pharmacokinetic parameters correlated negatively with creatinine clearance and positively with creatinine concentration, whereas no such correlation was observed for MPA. Lower hemoglobin concentrations were observed in patients with higher MPA or fMPA C 0. The significant correlations between MPA C 3 as well as MPA C 4 and MPA AUC0-4 and MPA AUC0-12 may be of importance in further studies including larger number of patients in regard to establishing LSS. In patients treated with EC-MPS and Tac, monitoring MPA C 0 may be important, as too high MPA C 0 may contribute to anemia onset. In EC-MPS treated patients, MPAG concentration is related to renal function as MPAG pharmacokinetics were higher in patients with renal impairment.

Characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes of short duration in Poland: Rationale, design and preliminary results of the ARETAEUS1 study.

INTRODUCTION: There is a paucity of Polish data describing the characteristics of and assessing treatment goals in patients with relatively newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to describe the baseline characteristics of patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, who participated in the ARETAEUS1 study, and to assess to what degree diabetic control criteria recommended by the Polish Diabetes Association clinical practice guidelines are met. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted from January to April 2009. It involved patients of any age and gender, diagnosed with type 2 diabetes after January 1, 2007, and recruited by randomly selected physicians, both diabetologists and non-diabetologists. RESULTS: We analyzed 1714 valid questionnaires from 333 physicians: 1150 from non-diabetologists and 564 from diabetologists. Mean age of patients was 60 years, mean body mass index -- 30.6 kg/m2, proportion of females -- 50%. The levels of median glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol and triglycerides, mean low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, as well as blood pressure were above the thresholds recommended in the guidelines (i.e., <6.5% for HbA1c, <4.5 mmol/l for total cholesterol, <2.6 mmol/l [or <1.8 mmol/l in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD)] for LDL cholesterol, <1.7 mmol/l for triglycerides, and <130/80 mmHg for blood pressure). Cardiovascular disease risk factors were common: hypertension was reported in over 75% of patients, lipid disorders in nearly 75%, CHD in 27% (previous acute coronary syndrome or stable CHD), previous stroke in 4%, and previous transient ischemic attack in 5.5%. Diabetic foot was reported in 1.7% of patients, nephropathy in 7%, retinopathy in 9% (in the group of diabetologists) and in 21% of patients (in the group of non-diabetologists). CONCLUSIONS: We observed a relatively high prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors and late diabetes complications in patients with diabetes diagnosed within the previous 2 years.