Celiac disease (CD) is triggered by both genetic and environmental factors. More than 1% of the world’s population is affected by CD. In recent years, studies have confirmed a worldwide rising trend in CD prevalence. "Westernized diet" is one of the main factors of this increasing prevalence. However, the relationship between wheat consumption, its dynamics, and CD has not been adequately investigated on a global scale. This study aimed to perform a multilevel analysis of the association between wheat consumption and CD. Wheat consumption data from countries and continents were obtained from the database. The relative increase/decrease in wheat consumption over a long period (since 1961) and a short period (since 2004) were calculated using various statistical tools. The relationship between wheat consumption and celiac frequency was determined using the R-commander R package version 2.6-2. Pearson's correlation coefficient (r = 0.88) confirmed a high positive correlation between wheat consumption and the prevalence of biopsy-proven CD by estimating continent-wide wheat consumption data, but an insignificant correlation was found when the data were compared country-wide.

We examined Type D personality (combination of negative affectivity with social inhibition) and its assessment with the DS14 in 543 Lithuanian coronary patients. Psychometric analyses confirmed the two-factor structure, internal consistency (α = 0.84/α = 0.75), and test–retest reliability (r = 0.69/0.81) of the DS14 negative affectivity and inhibition components. Negative affectivity correlated (r = −0.58) with emotional stability and social inhibition (r = −0.46) with extraversion; correlations with other Big-Five traits ranged between r = −0.11 and −0.19. Type D patients (34%) had a ninefold increased odds of depression (95% confidence interval = 5.01–17.36) and a fivefold increased odds of anxiety (95% confidence interval = 3.47–7.97). These findings support the validity of the Type D construct in Lithuania.

Background: The following protocol pertains to a pioneer study, aiming to investigate how weather sensitivity and walking in different environments affects the psychophysiological responses to the stress of individuals with coronary artery disease (CAD) during rehabilitation (WE_SENSE_THE_NATURE). This randomised control trial will provide fresh insight on the influence of the environmental exposure in CAD patients, as it is seldom investigated in association to the disease. Additionally, findings on the link between personality traits and cognitive functions (especially cognitive flexibility), and weather sensitivity may help reveal a fine-grained perspective on the treatment possibilities for individuals with CAD at risk to stress-vulnerability. Methods: The proposed protocol is for a randomised control trial among individuals attending a cardiac rehabilitation program. We aim to recruit 164 individuals, collecting information related to demographic characteristics, weather sensitivity, functional capacity, personality traits, subjective mental health status, cognitive function, and basal cortisol level of participating individuals. Basal cortisol level refers to cortisol concentration in saliva and will be tested in the morning and the afternoon prior to the day of the experiment. After baseline measurements, the patients will be randomly assigned to either walking outdoors or walking indoors. All measures and their sequential order will remain the same within each group, while the treatment condition (i.e., walking environment) will vary between groups. On the day of the experiment, hemodynamic parameters (assessed via 6-hour blood pressure measurements), stress level (consisting of assessments of cortisol level), and mood (assessed using visual analogues scale) will be registered. Cold stress test will be administered to evaluate the effect of walking in different environments. Discussion: The outcomes of this study may have direct clinical applications for the use of different types of exercise environments in cardiac rehabilitation programs. Awareness about the potential influence of weather sensitivity on the psychophysiological reactions to stress in individuals with CAD may contribute to a timely planning and implementation of actions leading to improved medical care services and preventive measures, especially considering the expected weather oscillations and extreme weather events due to unfolding of the climate change. Trial registration: This protocol has been retrospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov with identifier code: NCT06139705 on November 20, 2023.

Comparing data from different years and the time of year during which data are collected can affect respondents’ answers or health status. This study investigated the possible association between seasonality and the self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) during rehabilitation and at a 2-year follow-up. The study included 1026 respondents (79% men; mean age 56 ± 9 years). Baseline characteristics covered socio-demographic, clinical factors, and psychological assessments using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. HRQoL was evaluated using the 36-item Short Form Medical Outcome Questionnaire (SF-36) and the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire (MLHFQ). The MLHFQ data were collected longitudinally. The results of the multivariable linear regression confirmed a potential association between seasonality and self-reported HRQoL as assessed during cardiac rehabilitation period in patients with CAD. According to the SF-36, the summer season was associated with improved mental health outcomes, while the winter season was significantly linked to better scores in the pain domain. Based on the MLHFQ data, the winter season was associated with better overall HRQoL both during rehabilitation and at the 2-year follow-up. Similarly, the MLHFQ physical dimension showed better scores in winter at the 2-year follow-up, but not at baseline.

Objective: We examined whether seasonal and monthly variations exist in the subjective well-being of weather-sensitive patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) during cardiac rehabilitation. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 865 patients (30% female, age 60 ± 9) were recruited within 2–3 weeks of treatment for acute coronary syndrome and during cardiac rehabilitation. The patients completed the Palanga self-assessment diary for weather sensitivity (PSAD-WS) daily, for an average of 15.5 days. PSAD-WS is an 11-item (general) three-factor (psychological, cardiac, and physical symptoms) questionnaire used to assess weather sensitivity in CAD patients. Weather data were recorded using the weather station “Vantage Pro2 Plus”. Continuous data were recorded eight times each day for the weather parameters and the averages of the data were linked to the respondents’ same-day diary results. Results: Weather-sensitive (WS) patients were found to be more sensitive to seasonal changes than patients who were not WS, and they were more likely to experience psychological symptoms. August (summer), December (winter), and March (spring) had the highest numbers of cardiac symptoms (all p < 0.001). In summary, peaks of symptoms appeared more frequently during the transition from one season to the next. Conclusion: This study extends the knowledge about the impact of atmospheric variables on the general well-being of weather-sensitive CAD patients during cardiac rehabilitation.