The evidence on the prevalence and distribution of diabetes and its determinants in Central Asia is sparse. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of diabetes and factors associated with these characteristics in the population of Astana (capital) city and adjacent rural area in Kazakhstan. Participants aged 50-75 years old, residing in Astana city (the capital) and Akmol village were invited to participate in a cross-sectional study. The subjects were randomly selected from polyclinic registers. A total of 953 adults were interviewed (response rate 59%), and their fasting plasma glucose, blood pressure, height and weight were measured. Diabetes was defined as fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥ 7.0 mmol/l (126 mg/dl) and/or being on diabetes medication. The overall prevalence of diabetes was 12.5%, and it was almost twice higher in the urban residents (16.3%) than in the rural population (8.6%). Diabetes prevalence was associated with age, men sex, hypertension, obesity, and Russian ethnicity. Among subjects with diabetes, 72.3% were aware of their condition; 65.6% were on treatment and 27.7% had controlled fasting plasma glucose. The awareness, treatment and control of diabetes were substantially higher in the urban population and among women. The large differences in all diabetes indices between urban and rural regions, if confirmed in larger studies, may suggest an impact of westernised and urbanised lifestyle as well as access to health care.

Very little is known about prevalence of common cardiovascular risk factors in Central Asia. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of arterial hypertension, and factors associated with these indices in a population sample of Astana, the new capital city of Kazakhstan. Cross-sectional study of subjects registered in eight outpatient policlinics in Astana. A total of 497 adults (response rate 56%) aged 50-75 years randomly selected from registers of the policlinics were examined. Hypertension was defined as a mean systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure of ≥140/90 mm Hg and/or antihypertensive medication use during the last two weeks. Awareness and treatment were based on self-report. Hypertension control was defined as blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg among hypertensive subjects. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 70%. Among hypertensive subjects, 91% were aware of their condition, 77% took antihypertensive medications, and 34% had blood pressure controlled (<140/90 mm Hg). The prevalence of hypertension and its awareness, treatment and control was more common in women, among persons aged 60 years or more and (except control) among those with high body mass index. None of several available socio-economic or lifestyle measures was associated with any of hypertension indices. The levels of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension were higher than in most Eastern European and Central Asian populations with available data, most likely reflecting high education and large proportion of civil servants in the new capital city. However, even in this privileged population the rates of successful control of hypertension were modest.

Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of mortality and morbidity in most populations. As the traditional modifiable risk factors (smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and obesity) were defined decades ago, we decided to analyze recent data in patients who survived acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The Czech part of the study included data from 999 males, and compared them with the post-MONICA study (1,259 males, representing general population). The Lithuanian study included 479 male patients and 456 age-matched controls. The Kazakhstan part included 232 patients and 413 controls. In two countries, the most robust ACS risk factor was smoking (OR 3.85 in the Czech study and 5.76 in the Lithuanian study), followed by diabetes (OR 2.26 and 2.07) and hypertension (moderate risk elevation with OR 1.43 and 1.49). These factors did not influence the ACS risk in Kazakhstan. BMI had no significant effect on ACS and plasma cholesterol was surprisingly significantly lower (P<0.001) in patients than in controls in all countries (4.80±1.11 vs. 5.76±1.06 mmol/l in Czechs; 5.32±1.32 vs. 5.71±1.08 mmol/l in Lithuanians; 4.88±1.05 vs. 5.38±1.13 mmol/l in Kazakhs/Russians). Results from our study indicate substantial heterogeneity regarding major CVD risk factors in different populations with the exception of plasma total cholesterol which was inversely associated with ACS risk in all involved groups. These data reflect ethnical and geographical differences as well as changing pattern of cardiovascular risk profiles.

The aims of this study were to analyze cytokine profiles in patients with COVID-19, gain insights into the immune response during acute infection, identify cytokines associated with disease severity and post-COVID complications, and explore potential biomarkers for prognosis and therapeutic targets. Using a multiplex analysis, we studied the cytokine pattern in 294 acute COVID-19 and post-COVID patients with varying severities of infection. Our findings revealed that disease severity was associated with elevated levels of IL-15, IL-8, and fractalkine. Severe/extremely severe forms in comparison with mild/moderate disease were associated with MCP-1, IFNa2, IL-7, IL-15, EGF, IP-10, IL-8, Eotaxin, FGF-2, GROa, sCD40L, and IL-10. The key cytokines of post-COVID are FGF-2, VEGF-A, EGF, IL-12(p70), IL-13, and IL-6. By the sixth month after recovering from a coronavirus infection, regardless of disease severity, some patients may develop complications such as arterial hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, glucose intolerance, thyrotoxicosis, atherosclerosis, and rapid progression of previously diagnosed conditions. Each complication is characterized by distinct cytokine profiles. Importantly, these complications can also be predicted during the acute phase of the coronavirus infection. Understanding cytokine patterns can aid in predicting disease progression, identifying high-risk patients, and developing targeted interventions to improve the outcomes of COVID-19.

Growing evidence supports a bidirectional relationship between the gut microbiome and mental health. This study investigated the association between gut microbiota, depression, and suicidal behavior by analyzing fecal samples from 35 individuals with varying depression levels and 36 completed suicide cases. Standardized psychometric assessments were used for depression evaluation. Analysis revealed significant taxonomic differences between groups, with increased abundance of Firmicutes, Clostridia, Lachnospiraceae, Blautia, and Dorea in suicide cases, which also positively correlated with depression severity. Metabolic pathway analysis demonstrated a notable dichotomy: suicide cases showed elevated pathways related to infection processes, inflammation, and antibiotic resistance, while the control group exhibited higher energy metabolism and vitamin synthesis pathways. The findings establish specific microbiome profiles associated with both depression symptoms and suicidal behavior, suggesting that gut dysbiosis may influence mental health through altered energy metabolism and inflammatory processes, potentially offering new perspectives for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

The article provides the analysis of death rates in road traffic accidents in Kazakhstan from 2004 to 2010 and explores the use of sanitary aviation. Data of fatalities caused by road traffic accidents were collected and analysed. Descriptive and analytical methods of epidemiology and biomedical statistics were applied. Totaly 27,003 people died as a result of road traffic accidents in this period. The death rate for the total population due to road traffic accidents was 25.0±2.10/0000. The death rate for men was (38.3±3.20/0000), which was higher (P<0.05) than that for women (12.6±1.10/0000). High death rates in the entire male population were identified among men of 30–39 years old, whereas the highest rates for women were attributed to the groups of 50–59 years old and 70–79 years old. In time dynamics, death rates tended to decrease: the total population (Tdec=−2.4%), men (Tdec=−2.3%) and women (Tdec=−1.4%). When researching territorial relevance, the rates were established as low (to 18.30/0000), average (between 18.3 and 24.00/0000) and high (from 24.00/0000 and above). Thus, the regions with high rates included Akmola region (24.30/0000), Mangistau region (25.90/0000), Zhambyl region (27.30/0000), Almaty region (29.30/0000) and South Kazakhstan region (32.40/0000). The identified epidemiological characteristics of the population deaths rates from road traffic accidents should be used in integrated and targeted interventions to enhance prevention of injuries in accidents.