Mental illness and metabolic syndrome--a literature review.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Researchers' opinions are divided on whether metabolic syndrome is a separate clinical entity. Undoubtedly, the components of the syndrome, such as abdominal obesity, hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance, hypertriglyceridaemia, adversely affect metabolism, bringing with it a number of consequences, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease which significantly impair the quality of life. ABBREVIATED DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF KNOWLEDGE: In recent years, much attention has been paid to research on the prevalence of metabolic disorders in mentally ill patients. This is due to a growing awareness that some antipsychotic medications contribute to weight gain in patients suffering from mental illness, and consequently lead to the development of a number of interrelated somatic factors, such as abdominal obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, hypertriglyceridaemia, and hypertension. Weight gain and other metabolic syndrome components have been noticed not only in patients, but also in their families. This paper presents current research on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in people with mental illness. An analysis of the causes of metabolic disorders in this population has been conducted, including the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and cortisol secretion in the development of components of metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Components of the metabolic syndrome are especially observed in mentally ill people. The mechanisms of their formation are not fully understood. A large role in their formation besides the negative effects of antipsychotic medication and specific lifestyle, play a specific dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Undoubtedly, further research and analysis in this area is necessary.

Altered tissue electrical properties in women with breast cancer--preliminary observations.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: In the United States, breast cancer (BC) is the most common non-skin cancer. In Poland, it is estimated that the number of new breast cancer cases affects about 13,500 women each year. There are many methods for nutritional status assessment. One of them is bioimpedance analysis (BIA). Direct bioimpedance measures (resistance, reactance, phase angle (PA)) determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) detectf changes in tissue electrical properties. The study was conducted to investigate whether there are any tissue electrical differences in patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The direct bioimpedance measures determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) were performed on 34 patients with BC and 34 healthy volunteers. The measurements were made with ImpediMed bioimpedance analysis SFB7 BioImp v1.55 (Pinkenba Qld 4008, Australia). RESULTS: Reactance and resistance at 50 kHz was found to be significantly greater in patients with BC than in the control group (53.59° ± 1.53 vs. 47.26° ± 1.25, respectively, p=0.0031; 603.24° ± 15.38 ohm vs. 515.87° ± 11.48 ohm, respectively, p=0.00004). CONCLUSION: Pre-surgical patients diagnosed with BC have altered tissue electrical properties. Further observations of a larger patient group would be valuable to calculate survival, validate the prognostic significance of PA, and monitor nutritional and therapeutic interventions in this patient population.

Bioimpedance vector pattern in women with breast cancer detected by bioelectric impedance vector analysis. Preliminary observations.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to evaluate soft tissue hydration and mass through pattern analysis of vector plots as height, normalized resistance, and reactance measurements by bioelectric impedance vector analysis (BIVA) in patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Whole-body measurements were made with ImpediMed bioimpedance analysis SFB7 BioImp v1.55 (Pinkenba Qld 4008, Australia) in 68 adult, white, female subjects: 34 adult, white female (age 31-82) patients with breast cancer and 34 healthy volunteers matched by age, gender and BMI as a control group. The measurements were performed prior to oncological and surgical treatment, without the need for active nutritional interventions. RESULTS: Mean vectors of women with breast cancer versus the healthy women groups were characterized by a slight increase of the normalized resistance and reactance components (separate 95% confidence limits, p < 0.05) indicating that there were slight differences of soft tissue hydration and mass. CONCLUSION: The results observed in the presented study provide valuable information on the nutritional status of the patient prior to surgery. This quick assessment of the patient nutritional status can allow for early corrective intervention. Further observational research investigating these properties in larger groups would be beneficial to elucidate and/or confirm these findings.