Background: an increased prevalence of gastro-duodenal ulceration was described almost sixty years ago as prodromal to idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, while duodenal ulcers have been rarely diagnosed in patients with schizophrenia. The cytoprotective role of dopamine in animal models of gastrointestinal ulcerations has also been described. Interestingly, Parkinson’s disease (PD) might share common pathophysiological links with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as epidemiological and genetic links already suggest. Thus, the aim of our study was to review the existing literature on the role of the gastrointestinal dopaminergic system in IBD pathogenesis and progression. Methods: a systematic search was conducted according to the PRISMA methodology. Results: twenty-four studies satisfied the predetermined criteria and were included in our qualitative analysis. Due to different observations (cross-sectional studies) as well as experimental setups and applied methodologies (in vivo and in vitro studies) a meta-analysis could not be performed. No ongoing clinical trials with dopaminergic compounds in IBD patients were found. Conclusions: the impairment of the dopaminergic system seems to be a significant, yet underestimated, feature of IBD, and more in-depth observational studies are needed to further support the existing preclinical data.

Peripheral arterial disease can involve tissue loss in up to 50% of patients with diabetic foot syndrome (DFS). Consequently, revascularization of narrowed or occluded arteries is one of the most common forms of comprehensive treatment. However, technically successful angioplasty does not always result in the healing of ulcers. The pathomechanism of this phenomenon is still not fully understood, but inadequate angiogenesis in tissue repair may play an essential role. Changes in pro- and anti-angiogenic factors among patients with DFS are not always clear and conclusive. In particular, some studies underline the role of decreased concentration of pro-angiogenic factors and higher levels of anti-angiogenic mediators. Nevertheless, there are still controversial issues, including the paradox of impaired wound healing despite high concentrations of some pro-angiogenic factors, dynamics of their expression during the healing process, and their mutual relationships. Exploring this process among diabetic patients may provide new insight into well-known methods of treatment and show their real benefits and chances for improving outcomes.

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Background/Objectives Pharmacists may play an important role in disease prevention through the public education about dietary and lifestyle behaviors, however their expertise is constantly ignored. The study primarily aimed to identify nutrition knowledge and dietary habits among Polish pharmacists. Subjects A total sample screened consisted of 1412 respondents, yet 667 (573 females and 94 males) pharmacists finally participated in the study. A validated questionnaire for Polish population, the Dietary Habits and Nutrition Beliefs Questionnaire, was used for the evaluation. Results The majority of pharmacists (94%) were current non-smokers with BMI levels below 25 kg/m 2 (66.5%). Female pharmacists had higher the Pro-Healthy (pHDI-10) score ( p < 0.001) and lower the Non-Healthy (nHDI-14) score ( p = 0.004) compared to the males. In the self-assessment of nutritional habits, the pHDI-10 was significantly higher in the “very good” group compared to the “poor” ( p < 0.001) and the “very poor” ( p = 0.015) group, and the “poor group” had higher nHDI-14 when compared to “very good” ( p < 0.001) and “good” ( p < 0.001) groups. The nutrition knowledge test score was above average in over 72% of respondents, was correlated with the pHDI-10 ( r = 0.16), yet the score decreased with age ( r = −0.19). Conclusions We believe that our analysis justifies the inevitability to benefit from pharmacists’ expertise. Pharmacists with around-the-clock accessibility should be eligible partners, as members of an interdisciplinary team, in the process of advancing population-based nutrition.

Polish pharmacists -their eating habits and quality of life Scientific reports suggest that pharmacists can play an important role, especially through nutritional consultation, in supporting patients in the treatment of chronic diseases. At the same time, it is worth noting that the quality of life of pharmacists may indirectly affect the quality of their services. The aim of our work was to examine nutritional habits and nutrition knowledge as well as the quality of life of Polish pharmacists using using two validated questionnaires questionnaires -KomPAN and SF-36. The form containing both questionnaires was available online and was addressed only to Polish pharmacists with an active licensure. Information about the survey was repeatedly published on the website of the Małopolska Apothecary Chamber and the E-farmacja.pl. More than half (61%) of respondents had a normal value of the body mass index (18.5-24.9 kg/m2), more than half (68%) of the respondents declared their physical activity in their free time as moderate or high. More than 70% of the respondents achieved a nutritional knowledge test result defined as "good" (17-25 points). Polish pharmacists declared more frequent consumption of vegetables, fruit and fish, and less frequent consumption of white bread, fast food, fried foods or sweets compared to the population data. The analysis of the SF-36 questionnaire showed a statistically significant correlation between the age of respondents and their physical and mental quality of life component scores. The analysis also revealed a statistically significant correlation between their body mass index and the physical component score. The results of the KomPAN questionnaire indicate that Polish pharmacists, having a very high level of nutritional knowledge, are a potentially useful source of widely available nutritional information. The results of the SF-36 questionnaire especially highlight the low value of the mental dimension of Polish pharmacists' quality of life, which might result from excessive workload and/or high levels of stress.