Tracking changes in the body during fasting takes into account indicators of mental well-being and physiological parameters. The aim of the study was to measure psychological and physiological reactions, along with their mutual relations, caused by 8 days of water-only fasting. Fourteen men aged 35 to 60 participated in the study, divided into two groups, younger and elder. In addition to physiological parameters, psychological data were collected using four different tests. The obtained results confirmed reduction in body weight, systolic blood pressure, resting diastolic blood pressure and glucose level, and increase in resting heart rate, cortisol and β-hydroxybutyrate concentration. However, no significant psychological changes were observed under the influence of fasting intervention. A significant interaction effect occurred for the state anxiety variable determined before and after the fasting intervention for both groups. Moreover, negative correlations between physiological (cortisol) and psychological factors of subjectively assessed stress were revealed. The only effect on cognitive ability was seen when responding to simple tasks. The study confirmed the beneficial effect of 8 days of water-only fasting on physiological variables without affecting mental well-being. The relatively high level of well-being after fasting intervention was independent of the physiological indicators of stress.

Background.Avascular necrosis of the femoral head continues to represent a major challenge for the orthopaedist and trauma surgeon. A fully effective method of treatment is yet to be introduced. After femoral head collapse, only total hip replacement can help the patient. Our study aims to assess the effects of treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head with extra corporeal focused shockwave therapy.Material and methods. A prospective study was carried out in patients with avascular necrosis of the femoral head, ARCO stage I-III, diagnosed by MRI imaging. Shock waves are applied under x-ray guidance. Four points are marked on the skin above the lesion. Each spot receives a dose of 1500 pulses at an energy flux density of 0.4 mJ/mm2 and a frequency of 4 Hz. Each patient undergoes 5 therapy sessions. A posturometric and stabilometric assessment is carried out before and after the therapy. Other examinations include a tensometric evaluation of the strength of the treated limb, and an assessment of pain intensity (VAS scale)and hip function (Harris hip score). Follow-up visits are scheduled at 6 weeks and 3, 6 and 12 months post-treatment.Results. Nine patients were treated with shockwave therapy at the Department of Orthopaedics and Musculoskeletal Traumatology, Medical Faculty, Medical University of Silesia, between 5 May 2011 and 1 June 2012. The patients demonstrated pain reduction and improved mobility of the treated joint (VAS score decreasing from 6.75 +/- 0.71 to 2.5 +/- 1.7; Harris hip score increasing from 55.21 +/- 15.45 to 89.21 +/- 8.26). Tensometric platform testing carried out after the treatment revealed a statistically significant difference between mean velocity of the centre of pressure (CoP) movement when walking with eyes open and closed (p<0.05) and mean CoP movement along the x (walking with eyes closed) and y (free standing with eyes closed) axes.Conclusions. 1. Extracorporeal focused shockwave therapy resulted in considerable improvement in the patients' quality of life at 6 weeks' follow-up. 2. At 6 months some patients reported intensified pain and worse hip function.

Background: The coronavirus–caused disease (COVID-19), first identified in China in December 2019, has spread worldwide becoming a global pandemic. Although people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus presented mainly respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms, an increase in cardiovascular incidents was observed in several scientific studies. SARS-CoV-2 virus has been shown to disrupt the normal immune response leading to a dysregulation of immune system function and massive production of inflammatory cytokines commonly known as “cytokine storm”. Methods: 57 patients eventually participated in the study, assigned to non–COVID (24 patients) and COVID (33 patients) groups. After signing consent to participate in the study, each patient was given a self–administered questionnaire to fill out prior to specimen collection, anthropometric measurements were taken and venous blood was collected for the following determinations: pro- and anti–inflammatory cytokines using a Bio–Plex 200 system, oxidative stress markers and basic hematological blood parameters. Results: showed statistically significant higher values of IL–1Ra and IL–1β in the COVID-19 group. Of the oxidative stress markers, only MDA levels were higher in the COVID-19 group. Conclusions: the results of our study provide evidence and support the occurrence of elevated levels of IL–1Ra, IL–1β and MDA in the COVID-19 group of patients, which are associated with a worse course and prognosis of COVID-19. A better understanding of the pathophysiology and dysregulation of the immune system associated with the cytokine storm is essential to select patients at risk and develop effective drugs and vaccines.

Study aim : The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of 8 days of water-only fasting and physical exercise on somatic variables, lipid profile, insulin resistance and cardiovascular function in middle-aged men. Material and methods : Body weight, body composition, lipid profile, serum concentrations of insulin, glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB), heart rate (HR), blood pressure and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were determined in 16 apparently healthy men at rest and after aerobic exercise. This test procedure was also repeated after 8 days of water-only fasting. Results : Fasting intervention resulted in a reduction in body weight and fat mass (p < 0.001). The simultaneous effect of fasting and exercise resulted in significant changes in lipid profile, carbohydrate metabolism and cardiovascular function. Post hoc analyses showed that the reductions in insulin and glucose concentrations as well as the HOMA-IR index were caused by the fasting, and changes in the lipid profile and cardiovascular function were caused by the exercise test. Conclusion : The combined use of fasting and physical effort resulted in an optimal effect on health indicators of the surveyed men.

Background: Innovative methods of physical therapy delivered via modern medical devices have significantly extended the possibility of applying conservative treatments in healing venous leg ulcers. The primary objective of this study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of selected mechanical physical therapies (intermittent pneumatic compression vs. radial extracorporeal shockwave vs. focal extracorporeal shockwave) vs. standard care in the treatment of venous leg ulcers over a 4-week period. Materials: This study included 69 patients, comprising 45 females (65%) and 24 males (35%), with a mean age of 67.1 ± 8.6 years (range: from 52.0 to 80.0 years). Methods: The patients were allocated into four groups: the IPC group was treated with intermittent pneumatic compression therapy, the R-ESWT group was treated with radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy, the F-ESWT group was treated with focal extracorporeal shockwave therapy, and the SC group was treated with standard care. Results: After one month of therapy, the median percentage decrease in wound total surface area after treatment was as follows: in the IPC group, there was a 52.9% decrease (range: 3.3–100%); in the R-ESWT group, there was a 31.6% decrease (range: 2.4–95.8%); in the F-ESWT group, there was an 18.0% decrease (range: 1.9–76.1%); and in the SC group, there was a 16.0% decrease (range: 1.5–45.8%). Conclusions: All the studied therapies caused a statistically significant reduction in the surface area of venous leg ulcers. The best results were observed with the intermittent pneumatic compression, while the radial and focal extracorporeal shockwave therapies appeared less effective. The standard care alone turned out to be the least effective. Our results did not show statistically significant changes in the values of RBC deformability at the investigated shear rates.

The available publications describing the beneficial effects of electrostimulation does not unequivocally confirm the clinical utility of high-voltage electrical stimulation (HVES) in the treatment of the lateral epicondylitis (LE). The aim of this study was the estimation of the effect of HVES on pain intensity and functional efficiency, both in the short and long term in patients with LE. The trial was registered by the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12621001389897). There were 58 patients allocated into two groups: the HVES group (n = 29, mean age 49.9 ± 11.0 years), treated with HVES (pulse duration: 200μs, frequency: 100 Hz, current amplitude in the range of 18–25 mA, voltage amplitude: 100 V), and the NORM group (n = 29, mean age 48.0 ± 12.6 years), who were healthy and untreated patients. The treatments were performed 5 days a week (from Monday to Friday) for two weeks. Treatment progress was measured by the visual analogue scale (VAS) for rest pain, night pain, and pain during activity; the Laitinen Pain Scale (LPS); and hand grip strength (HGS) before and after the treatment, as well as after 3, 6, 12, and 24 weeks. The reduction of pain (according to the VAS and LPS) and increase in the functional condition (according to the HGS) were observed in all HVES patients in the short- and long-term observation. Therefore, the HVES in treatment of LE was found to be effective and safe.