This study examined ceruloplasmin levels in patients with HFrEF, depending on cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) parameters; a correlation was found between ceruloplasmin (CER) and iron and hepatic status, inflammatory and redox biomarkers. A group of 552 patients was divided according to Weber’s classification: there were 72 (13%) patients in class A (peak VO2 >20 mL/kg/min), 116 (21%) patients in class B (peak VO2 16–20 mL/kg/min), 276 (50%) patients in class C (peak VO2 10–15.9 mL/kg/min) and 88 (16%) patients in class D (peak VO2 <10 mL/kg/min). A higher concentration of CER was found in patients with peak VO2 <16 mL/kg/min and VE/CO2 slope >45 compared to patients with VE/CO2 slope <45 (escectively CER 30.6 mg/dL and 27.5 mg/dL). A significantly positive correlation was found between ceruloplasmin and NYHA class, RV diameter, NT-proBNP, uric acid, total protein, fibrinogen and hepatic enzymes. CER was positively correlated with both total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde. A model constructed to predict CER concentration indicated that TOS, malondialdehyde and alkaline phosphatase were independent predictive variables (R2 0.14, p < 0.001). CER as a continuous variable was an independent predictor of pVO2 ≤12 mL/kg/min after adjustment for sex, age and BMI. These results provide the basis of a new classification to encourage the determination of CER as a useful biomarker in HFrEF.

No abstract

No abstract

The aim of the study was the investigation of the generalized sense of self-efficacy, the intensification of health behaviors and the level of life satisfaction, as well as the analysis of the relationships between these variables in people with specific interests and knowledge related to health and its promotion. The study group consisted of 252 dietetics students. The following validated scales were used: Inventory of Health-Related Behaviors (IHRB), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). In the examined group the self-efficacy was significantly higher in relation to the Polish normative values. Similary, healthrelated behaviors were significantly higher in the examined group in comparison to the normative values. However, the level of satisfaction with life was comparable to that obtained in the Polish standardization studies. Further analysis revealed in the study group a weak but significant correlation between the generalized self-efficacy, the inventory of health-related behaviors, and the satisfaction with life. Dietetics students with high GSES scores had significantly greater life satisfaction, and therefore were more content with their current life and the educational choices they had made, which translate into the health-related behaviors.

BackgroundDifferential diagnosis of stenocardia on the background of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and cardialgia in neuro-circulatory dystonia (NCD) patients is very difficult. Looking for an additional information including chronobiological data on neurotransmitters by means of investigations of the sympatho-adrenal system (SAS) condition may be very useful.