OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to compare hearing loss in individuals at risk and those not at risk for occupational noise and to compare working loss by gender. MATERIALS and METHODS:The analysis used data from a current Czech Ministry of Health grant project called Epidemiological and Genetic Study of the Frequency of Hearing Loss (2011Loss ( to 2015 NT12246-5/2011). The analyzed sample comprised 4988 participants. Hearing was tested using pure-tone threshold audiometry, tympanometry, and measurement of the stapedius reflex. RESULTS:Females at risk and those not at risk for occupational noise who were younger than 44 years and older than 75 years were found to have no statistically significant differences at any pure-tone threshold audiometry frequency. In females aged 45 to 74 years, statistically significant differences were found. In males, hearing loss was observed as early as 18 years of age. When comparing males and females at no risk for occupational noise, there were no statistically significant differences at any of the frequencies in those younger than 29 years. In females aged 30 years or older, statistically significant differences were observed at various frequencies in all age groups. When comparing males and females at risk for occupational noise, statistically significant differences were more frequent than in employees not exposed to noise. CONCLUSION:Hearing loss in females does not significantly vary depending on occupational exposure. The opposite is true for males. However, the maximum differences in mean levels did not exceed 10 dB. It is therefore clear that noise is a preventable factor, and the use of personal protective equipment is warranted.
Úvod: Metoda palcového tlaku (toe brachial index -TBI) je doporučována k detekci ischemické choroby dolních končetin (ICHDKK) v případě snížené účinnosti metody ankle brachial indexu (ABI), ke které nejčastěji dochází u diabetiků. Předpokládá se, že v tomto případě TBI podává přesnější výsledky. Studií zabývajících se použitím TBI konkrétně u diabetiků není mnoho a ve výsledcích se liší. Cíl: Účelem této práce je prezentovat průběžné výsledky studie, jejíž hlavním cílem je vyhodnotit validitu metody TBI u diabetiků, a zjistit, zda tato metoda přináší zlepšení oproti metodě ABI. Metodika: V rámci první fáze studie bylo vyšetřeno 42 končetin u 21 pacientů s diabetem 2. typu. ABI byl měřen pomocí automatické oscilometrické metody (ABI OSC) a ruční metody za pomoci tužkového doppleru (ABI DPP). TBI byl stanoven pomocí automatické pletysmografické metody. Referenční vyšetření tepen dolních končetin bylo provedeno pomocí duplexní ultrasonografie (DUS). Pro srovnání jednotlivých metod TBI a ABI byl použit párový t-test. Pro vyhodnocení parametrů validity byly jako cut-off points použity hodnoty ABI < 0,9; TBI <0,7; DUS stenóza > 50 %. Výsledky: U osmi končetin z celkového počtu byla pomocí DUS prokázána ICHDKK. Jednotlivé metody ABI a TBI podávaly rozdílné výsledky (p < 0,05). Nejlepší parametry validity prokazovala metoda TBI -senzitivita 0,88; specificita 0,88; pozitivní prediktivní hodnota 0,64; negativní prediktivní hodnotou 0,97, pozitivní likelihood ratio 7,44; negativní likelihood ratio 0,14. Z metod stanovení ABI měla vyšší parametry validity metoda ABI DPP, která pro výpočet dosazuje do vzorce nižší hodnotu systolického krevního tlaku zjištěnou ze dvou míst měření na kotníku. Metoda ABI OSC v tomto souboru správně nezachytila ani jednu končetinu se stenózou > 50 %. Závěr: Dle průběžných výsledků této práce byla v daném souboru metoda TBI v porovnání s metodami ABI vhodnější pro záchyt ICHDKK u diabetiků. Klíčová slova: palcový tlak, toe brachial index, diabetes mellitus, ischemická choroba dolních končetin. Assessment of toe brachial index validity in diabetic patients -interim results Introduction:The toe brachial index (TBI) is recommended for the detection of lower extremity arterial disease (LEAD) in case of reduced efficacy of the ankle brachial index (ABI), which most often occurs in diabetics. In this case, TBI is expected to give more accurate results. There are not many studies dealing with the use of TBI specifically in diabetics and the results are different. Objective: The purpose of this work is to present the interim results of the study, whose main objective is to assess the validity of TBI in diabetics and to determine whether this method provides improvements over the ABI. Methods: In the first phase of the study, 42 limbs were examined in 21 patients with type 2 diabetes. ABI was measured using the automatic oscillometric method (ABI OSC) and the manual method using the pencil doppler (ABI DPP). TBI was determined
The WHO considers hearing loss to be a major global problem. A literature search was conducted to see whether high-frequency audiometry (HFA) could be used for the early detection of hearing loss. A further aim was to see whether any differences exist in the hearing threshold using conventional audiometry (CA) and HFA in workers of different age groups exposed to workplace noise. Our search of electronic databases yielded a total of 5938 scientific papers. The inclusion criteria were the keywords “high frequency” and “audiometry” appearing anywhere in the article and the participation of unexposed people or a group exposed to workplace noise. Fifteen studies met these conditions; the sample size varied (51–645 people), and the age range of the people studied was 5–90 years. Commercial high-frequency audiometers and high-frequency headphones were used. In populations unexposed to workplace noise, significantly higher thresholds of 14–16 kHz were found. In populations with exposure to workplace noise, significantly higher statistical thresholds were found for the exposed group (EG) compared with the control group (CG) at frequencies of 9–18 kHz, especially at 16 kHz. The studies also showed higher hearing thresholds of 10–16 kHz in respondents aged under 31 years following the use of personal listening devices (PLDs) for longer than 5 years. The effect of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) first became apparent for HFA rather than CA. However, normative data have not yet been collected. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a uniform evaluation protocol accounting for age, sex, comorbidities and exposures, as well as for younger respondents using PLDs.
Introduction: Dementia becomes a major public health challenge in both the Czech Republic and worldwide. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Objective: We conducted two successive epidemiological projects in 2012–2015 and 2016–2019. Their aim was to study the effect of selected potential genetic, vascular and psychosocial risk factors on the development of AD by comparing their frequencies in AD patients and controls. Methods: Epidemiological case-control studies were conducted. In total, data from 2106 participants (1096 cases, 1010 controls) were analyzed. Results: Three times more females than males suffered from AD. The highest proportion of cases were those with primary education, unlike controls. There were statistically significantly more manual workers among cases than among controls. Of selected vascular risk factors, coronary heart disease was found to be statistically significantly more frequent in cases than in controls. The onset of hypertension and diabetes mellitus was earlier in controls than in cases. As for hobbies and interests, there were statistically significant differences in physical activity, reading and solving crosswords between the groups, with these activities being more common in controls. Conclusion: The prevalence of chronic neurodegenerative diseases, in particular AD, is currently increasing. Given the aging of the population, these conditions may be expected to rise in prevalence. Potential risk of AD needs to be studied, analyzed and confirmed; a detailed knowledge of the risks of AD and early detection of the pathology may therefore be very beneficial for prevention and early treatment of this condition.
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