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During the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients with rheumatic diseases were left without specialized care and information support, however, the current level of digitalization makes it possible to transfer the training and education of patients and their relatives to an online format. Objective: to analyze the experience of holding a rheumatological school in an online format as a method of improving the medical literacy of the population.Patients and methods. A cross-sectional study was performed by voluntary anonymous questioning of 157 patients who, from September 2020 to November 2021, took part in the online school on rheumatology held at the Clinical Rheumatology Center "New Hospital" (Yekaterinburg). All patients filled out an online questionnaire that included 15 questions related to age, place of residence, motivation of students, sources of information about the school, assessment of the form and content of lectures, quality and novelty of the information provided, and degree of doctor’s credibility.Results and discussion. Analysis of the results of the survey demonstrated the interest of patients in obtaining high-quality medical information on rheumatology problems, a positive assessment of the format and content of the online school, its positive role in clarifying the essence of the disease and related problems.Conclusion. Online schools for patients seem to be a relevant and promising area of medical prevention.

Objective. The aim of the work was to study the features of cerebral blood flow in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) associated with hypertension (HTN). Design and methods. A crosssectional study was conducted, which included 90 males 40–60 years old. Of these, 30 patients with chronic COPD associated with HTN (COPD + HTN) were included in the study group, 30 individuals with isolated COPD were in the comparison group, 30 healthy volunteers were included in the control group. All participants underwent physical examination, spirography, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring and ultrasound examination of cerebral vessels. Results. Patients with COPD + HTN in comparison with the control showed an increase in the diameter (p = 0,018) and complex of the intima-media of the common carotid artery (p = 0,003) while the velocities, resistance index (RI) and pulsation index (PI) did not change. In the basin of the internal carotid artery an increase in RI values was noted (p = 0,018). At the intracranial level there was a decrease in the end-diastolic velocity (p = 0,03) and the time-averaged average blood flow velocity (TAV) (p = 0,033) without due changes RI and PI. At the same time no changes in speed indicators and indices were noted in the vertebral artery basin. Among the indicators of cerebral perfusion in patients with COPD + HTN, hydrodynamic resistance (p = 0,0015), intracranial pressure (ICP) (p = 0,0048) significantly increased, and the cerebral blood flow index was comparable with the control. Assessment of venous cerebral blood flow showed an increase in the diameter of the internal jugular vein (p = 0,021) with unchanged TAV together with an increase in ICP indicating the formation of venous dysfunction. It was shown that the body mass index, forced expiratory volume at the first second, systolic and diastolic blood pressure together determine the peak systolic blood flow velocity from the midbrain artery. Conclusions. The cerebral blood flow in patients with COPD + HTN is characterized by a change in arterial blood flow at the level of both intra- and extracranial vessels, while maintaining a normal cerebral blood flow index, as well as the formation of arteriovenous dyshemia against the background of remodeling of the cerebral vascular bed.