Nadja Vasiljevic

The assessment of health-related quality of life in relation to the body mass index value in the urban population of Belgrade

BackgroundThe association between excess body weight, impairment of health and different co-morbidities is well recognized; however, little is known on how excess body weight may affect the quality of life in the general population. Our study investigates the relationship between perceived health-related quality of life (HRQL) and body mass index (BMI) in the urban population of Belgrade.MethodsThe research was conducted during 2005 on a sample of 5,000 subjects, with a response of 63.38%. The study sample was randomly selected and included men and women over 18 years of age, who resided at the same address over a period of 10 years. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire and nutritional status was categorized using the WHO classification. HRQL was measured using the SF-36 generic score. Logistic regression analysis was used to compare HRQL between subjects with normal weight and those with different BMI values; we monitored subject characteristics and potential co-morbidity.ResultsThe prevalence of overweight males and females was 46.6% and 22.1%, respectively. The prevalence of obesity was 7.5% in males and 8.5% in females.All aspects of health, except mental, were impaired in males who were obese. The physical and mental wellbeing of overweight males was not significantly affected; all score values were similar to those in subjects with normal weight.By contrast, obese and overweight females had lower HRQL in all aspects of physical functioning, as well as in vitality, social functioning and role-emotional.ConclusionThe results of our study show that, in the urban population of Belgrade, increased BMI has a much greater impact on physical rather than on mental health, irrespective of subject gender; the effects were particularly pronounced in obese individuals.

The Relationship Between Weight Loss and Health‐related Quality of Life in a Serbian Population

We examined changes in weight-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and the relation to weight loss in a Serbian population undergoing diet-induced weight loss treatment. HRQOL was assessed at intake and after 1 year using the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite (IWQOL-Lite) questionnaire. Study sample consists of 135 obese patients. After 1 year of diet therapy, patients experienced an average weight loss of ~12%, and significant improvements were noted in all IWQOL-Lite domains (Physical Function, Self-esteem, Sexual Life, Public Distress and Work). Amount of weight loss was closely linked to all domains (F = 27.49; p < 0.001), except Sexual Life (F = 2.08; p = 0.108). In patients with weight reductions of 5%-9.99%, there was a great improvement in physical function and self-esteem. In those with ≥10% weight loss, there was improvement in all dimensions of IWQOL-Lite. With the prevalence of obesity rising worldwide, including in Serbia, the positive effects of weight loss on weight-specific HRQOL are encouraging.

Sex inequalities in cardiovascular health: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine sex differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics according to the CVH status. METHODS The cross-sectional, population-based study involved 2250 women and 1920 men aged ≥18 years that participated in the 2010 National Health Survey in the Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Prevalence of CVH behaviours (smoking, body mass index, physical activity, diet), CVH factors (cholesterol, fasting blood glucose and blood pressure, plus smoking) and ideal CVH were estimated according to the American Heart Association criteria for ideal, intermediate and poor levels. Association between sex and ideal CVH categories was analyzed with multivariable logistic regression analysis across three age stratums. RESULTS A higher prevalence of ideal CVH metrics was seen in women for smoking status, body mass index, healthy diet score and blood pressure, and in men for physical activity and total cholesterol. Women from all age groups had better CVH behaviours (odds ratio [OR] = 1.40 for the youngest; OR = 2.05 for middle-aged; and OR = 2.03 for older-aged women), while only women from the youngest age group had better CVH factors (OR = 5.09). In line with this, ideal overall CVH prevailed in younger and middle-aged women in comparison to men of the same ages (OR = 3.01 and OR = 2.25, respectively), while disappeared in older ones. CONCLUSIONS Significant differences in the prevalence of CVH metrics between men and women in the Republic of Srpska should be considered in cardiovascular disease prevention.

Association Between C-Reactive Protein, Anthropometric and Lipid Parameters Among Healthy Normal Weight and Overweight Postmenopausal Women in Montenegro

OBJECTIVE Although C-reactive protein (CRP) is among the best cardiovascular disease risk predictors, data regarding the association of CRP and menopause are controversial. In this study, we measured CRP by a high-sensitivity method (hsCRP), cholesterol, lipoproteins, and triglycerides in normal and overweight postmenopausal women. METHODS Body weight, height, waist circumference (WC), hsCRP, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), triglycerides, and lipoprotein (a) were measured in 30 normal weight and 60 overweight healthy postmenopausal women. RESULTS Significantly higher triglyceride and hsCRP levels (P = 0.005 and P < 0.001 respectively), together with lower HDL-c levels (P = 0.001) were found in overweight compared to normal weight women. In the overweight group, positive correlations of hsCRP were observed with age, body mass index and WC (P = 0.016, P = 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively) and a negative correlation was observed with HDL-c (P = 0.007). In the normal weight group, positive correlations were found for hsCRP with age and WC (P = 0.023 and P = 0.014, respectively). WC was the best predictor of hsCRP level in both groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Elevated hsCRP levels in conjunction with abnormal lipid profiles may be strongly associated with weight gain in postmenopausal women. Efforts to reduce obesity and inflammation in this group may help correct abnormal levels of hsCRP and lipids.

Comparison of different anthropometric measures in the adult population in Serbia as indicators of obesity: data from the National Health Survey 2013.

OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to compare different indicators of obesity in the Serbian adult population. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. A stratified, two-stage, national-representative random sampling approach was used for the selection of the survey sample. Data sources were questionnaires created according to the European Health Interview Survey questionnaire. Measurements of weight, height and waist circumference (WC) were performed using standard procedures. Anthropometric measures included BMI, WC and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). SETTING Data for the study were obtained from the 2013 National Health Survey, performed in line with the EUROSTAT recommendations for performance of the European Health Interview Survey. SUBJECTS Adults aged ≥20 years. RESULTS According to BMI, out of the whole studied population (12 460 adults of both sexes) 2·4 % were underweight, 36·4 % overweight and 22·4 % obese. Using WC and WHtR as measures of adiposity showed that 22·5 % and 42·8 % of participants were overweight and 39·8 % and 25·3 % were obese, respectively. Men and women differed significantly in all variables observed. Overweight was more frequent in men and obesity in women regardless of adiposity measure used. CONCLUSIONS In spite of strong correlations between BMI, WC and WHtR, substantial discrepancies between these three measures in the assessment of overweight and obesity were found, especially in some age groups. Which of these anthropometric measures should be used, or whether two or all three of them should be applied, depends on their associations with cardiovascular or some other disease of interest.

New nutrition recommendations for healthy aging.

Population aging shows a global rising trend. The World Health Organization (WHO) foresees that 1.2 billion elderly will live on Earth in 2025, two thirds of them in underdeveloped regions . Actual studies have confirmed that most prevailing diseases in adults and/or elderly result from inadequate nutrition, that nutritional risk factors influence aged persons falling ill still in their early years and that risks only accumulate in time and affect synergistically the physiological changes in aging . Also, the WHO experts consider that nutrition risk prevention is a vital investment into the future .

Mogući značaj primene ketogene dijete u lečenju rezistentne epilepsije

Ketogena dijeta je dijeta sa precizno određenim odnosom sadržaja masti u visokom procentu prema sadržaju ugljenih hidrata i proteina koja se primenjuje kod dece sa epilepsijom refrakternom na konvencionalne antiepileptike. Uvođenjem ketogene dijete indukuje ce stvaranje ketonskihtela za koje se pretpostavlja da imaju terapijski efekat u smanjivanju epilepticnih napada kod neke dece sa epilepsijom. Poslednjih decenija zapaža se rezistencija epilepticnih napada i na novije antiepilepticne medikamente. Uvodi ce pojam refrakterne ili intraktabilne epilepsije, koji je definisan kao neadekvatna kontrola epilepticnih napada uprkos optimalnom lecenju konvencionalnom terapijom, sto podrazumeva da se pokusalo s lecenjem sa najmanje dva antiepileptika. S obzirom na to da je losa kontrola epilepticnih napada udružena sa vecom stopom mortaliteta i ostecenjem psihomotornih funkcija, kao i zbog zapažanja brojnih stetnih nusefekata novijih antiepileptika, ponovo raste interesovanje za ispitivanje efikasnosti ketogene dijete, objasnjenje mehanizma njenog dejstva, kao i mogucnosti njene sire primene.