Background: Despite their high prevalence and potential for significant morbidity, hemorrhoidal symptoms remain underreported and undertreated. Misconceptions and stigma may delay care-seeking behaviors and negatively influence patient outcomes. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study in Romania to assess public awareness, attitudes, and barriers related to hemorrhoidal disease. The survey included 185 participants and evaluated variables such as symptom severity, understanding of the condition, perceived stigma, and willingness to consult a physician. Results: Only 30.8% of participants had sought medical advice for hemorrhoidal symptoms. Younger age (p < 0.001), male sex (p = 0.013), and lower levels of perceived severity were significantly associated with reluctance to seek medical care. The most frequently reported barriers were embarrassment and fear of invasive diagnostic procedures. Colonoscopy and digital rectal examination were identified as major deterrents by 39.5% and 38.9% of respondents, respectively. Educational level influenced both the perceived understanding of the disease (p = 0.001) and comfort in discussing anal symptoms (p = 0.002). Gender preference for physicians was significantly associated with respondent sex (p = 0.007) but not with education or age. Conclusions: Hemorrhoidal disease remains a stigmatized and underestimated condition. Public health efforts should prioritize educational interventions, destigmatization campaigns, and improved physician–patient communication to facilitate earlier diagnosis and better disease management.

Assessing patients' quality of life is frequently used in medical research. Patients di-agnosed with heart failure (HF) have reduced exercise tolerance and reduced quality of life due to reduced heart pump function. The objectives of the study are (i) to assess quality of life and comorbidities in HF patients; (ii) to compare quality of life in the physical and psychological do-mains according to drug treatment followed and (iii) to identify predictors of the two domains as-sessed. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2023 and May 2024. A total of 169 patients with HF were included and were distributed into two groups: the HF -S/V group (N=64) who received treatment with sacubitril/valsartan and the HF -CT group (N=105) received treatment with conventional therapy. Two questionnaires were used to assess patients: the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Results: The values determined for physical and psy-chological health were significantly lower for Group HF - S/V (51.391 ± 22.232 vs. 61.79 ± 20.04, p=0.002, respectively 59.203 ± 16.871 vs. 64.933 ± 17.448, p=0.038). Approximately 25% of all re-cruited patients distributed in the 2nd CCI category (CCI score 3-4) have an overall poor and moderately poor perception of quality of life vs. 35.5% of patients distributed in the 3rd CCI cate-gory (CCI ≤ 5); 55% of them belong to the HF - S/V group. A good perception of health status is held by 29 (17.16% of the HF group) of the patients distributed in the 2nd CCI category and 28 (16.56%) have a low and moderate perception. Conclusions: The values for the Physical health domain are moderately low, while the values obtained for the psychological domain show that this domain is less affected. Predictors identified for physical health and psychological well-being are patient age, weight, CCI. Keywords: heart failure; comorbidities; quality of life; physical dimension; psychological dimension

Background/Objectives: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a significant threat to people with persistent infections. In recent years, the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) has been transformed significantly with the use of Direct-Acting Antivirals (DAAs). Hematological changes are seen in patients suffering from CHC due to both the disease and its therapy. This study aims to address the gaps in knowledge by thoroughly evaluating the hematological parameter alterations in CHC patients treated with Mavyret. Methods: This study reported that it took place over six months in 2024 on 101 patients observed at the gastroenterology department of Pitesti County Hospital in Romania, who had confirmed diagnoses of CHC and who were receiving the DAA Mavyret. Results: The values of leukocytes significantly decreased after treatment (8.69 ± 2.96 vs. 7.93 ± 1.78, p = 0.009). Similarly, neutrophils showed a statistically significant decrease after using Mavyret (5.45 ± 2.06 vs. 4.91 ± 1.29, p = 0.018). In the case of lymphocytes, the values slightly increased from 2.14 ± 0.69 before treatment to 2.20 ± 1.19 after it, but without a statistically significant difference (p = 0.320). The values of monocytes and eosinophils significantly decreased after antiviral therapy (0.81 ± 1.02 vs. 0.59 ± 0.15, p = 0.020; 0.21 ± 0.15 vs. 0.14 ± 0.09, p < 0.001). For basophils, the mean values remained almost unchanged after DAA therapy (0.09 ± 0.08 vs. 0.09 ± 0.15, p = 0.433). Conclusions: Mavyret has proven to be a safe medication for administering to patients with CHC, but its minor adverse effects on red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets require constant monitoring, mainly when used for an extended period and in patients who are vulnerable in this regard.