Anxiety and depression can adversely affect the prognosis following cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and may be associated with resistance to hypertension (HT) treatment. A better understanding of the complex biological substratum of resistant HT complicated by depression and anxiety is crucial for designing future primary care strategies. To evaluate the relationship between anxiety and depression and resistant HT, which will help to look at resistant HT from a broader perspective and aid the development of new strategies for diagnosis and treatment. We used a stratified random sampling method to select HT patients aged 18 and older in primary care setting. A total of 300 consecutive patients with persistent HT who were diagnosed with essential HT and uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) despite antihypertensive therapy were prospectively included in the study. Anxiety and depression were investigated, and scoring was evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The study included 108 controlled and 91 uncontrolled HT patients. The HADS scales were higher in the controlled HT group compared to the uncontrolled HT group (6 (0-18) compared to 9 (0-20), p = 0.001; 5 (0-17) compared to 7 (0-16), p < 0.001, respectively). Body mass index (BMI) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also significantly higher in the uncontrolled HT patients compared to the normotensive group. Anxiety was associated with a 2.18 times increased risk of HT and a 1.99 times increased risk of depression. Thus, anxiety and depression predicted resistant HT in both univariate and multivariate analyses. During the treatment of HT, efforts should be made to improve the psychological and social functions of the patients beyond the primary therapy for control of the disease. As such, we hope to draw attention to the importance of psychological factors, especially anxiety and depression, in any field of medicine related to managing resistant HT.

Background: This study aimed to assess the illness perceptions of patients diagnosed with hypertension from a primary care perspective. It also sought to identify the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with illness perception. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between February and March 2025, involving 116 hypertensive patients who attended family medicine outpatient clinics at Rize Training and Research Hospital, Turkey. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ). Nonparametric tests, including the Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis H test with Dunn’s post hoc analysis, and Spearman’s correlation analysis, were employed to evaluate the data. Results: The mean age of the participants was 69.01 ± 6.07 years, with 76.7% of the participants aged over 65 years. The median total BIPQ score was 47.0, indicating a moderate illness perception. A significant negative correlation was observed between age and the total BIPQ score (Rho = −0.443, p < 0.001). Higher illness perception levels were significantly associated with lower educational attainment, shorter duration of antihypertensive treatment, and attribution of hypertension to stress, genetic predisposition, diet, and occupational factors (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Illness perceptions among patients with hypertension are shaped by various sociodemographic and clinical determinants. Enhancing awareness of these perceptions in primary care may support improved treatment adherence and better health outcomes. Interventions that strengthen health literacy and offer psychosocial support may contribute to more effective hypertension management.

Background and Aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is related to an increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. This study investigated a potential relationship between liver fibrosis scores (LFS) reflecting NAFLD and ascending aortic dilatation (AAD). Methods: This is an observational and cross-sectional study. Patients were consecutively enrolled from a cardiology clinic. The NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio (APRI), and BARD scores of each patient were calculated. The ascending aortic diameters were evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography according to current clinical guidelines. The patients were allocated into two groups with and without AAD. Results: A total of 272 patients were included in the study. In AAD group, age, patients with hypertension (HT), coronary artery disease (CAD), FIB-4 index, BARD score and the NFS were significantly higher. As compared to the AAD group, body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin, and diuretic use were significantly higher in patients without aortic dilatation. The NFS with AAD, and NFS and FIB-4 index with indexed aortic diameter (AI) showed significant positive correlation (R=0.546, R=0.332, R=0.314 with p<0.001, respectively). In multivariate logistic regression analysis hemoglobin levels (OR=0.728, 95%CI: 0.553-0.958; p=0.023), BMI (OR=0.762, 95%CI: 0.668-0.869, p<0.001), HT (OR=3.269, 95%CI: 1.045-10.220; p=0.042), BARD score (OR=1.248, 95%CIL 0.815-1.955; p=0.044), and FIB-4 index (OR=2.432, 95%CI: 1.395-4.246; p=0.002) were found to be independently related to AAD. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated a statistically significant relationship between NFS, FIB-4 index, BARD score and AAD. The presence of positive correlation among LFS and AAD in our study is remarkable. This may emphasize the increased risk of AAD in NAFLD.

Besin; tüketilebilen ve hayatın sürdürülebilmesi için gerekli besin ögelerini sağladığımız bitkilerden ve hayvanlardan elde edilen ürünlerdir. Bireylerin sağlık durumlarını değerlendirirken yeterli ve dengeli beslenmeyi gözardı etmemek açısından temel besin öğeleri hakkında yeterli bilgiye sahip olmamız gerekmektedir. Aşağıda besin öğeleri hakkında temel bilgilere değinilmiştir. Food; They are products obtained from plants and animals that can be consumed and from which we provide the nutrients necessary to sustain life. In order not to ignore adequate and balanced nutrition when evaluating the health status of individuals, we need to have sufficient information about basic nutrients. Basic information about nutrients is mentioned below.

Objective: Food allergy (FA) is an important public health problem which affects children and adults, its prevelance is increasing with the change of dietary habits in recent years. FA is a life-threatening allergic reaction which can lead to anaphylaxis and is very difficult to treat. In our study, we wanted to contribute to the literature by investigating the prevalence of FA in the Eastern Black Sea Region based on a questionnaire. Methods: This study was planned as a cross-sectional web-based survey study. The questionnaire was prepared including 12 questions related with health problems that develop following food intake. Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey was chosen as the target group of the study population. The questionnaire was published in local online and printed media during three months and the participants were allowed to fill it out. Results: The study included 920 people (604 female, 316 male) who completed the questionnaire and 157 (17%) of the participants noted that they had food allergies. The most common allergen foods were spices (15%), tomatoes (10.9%), and cow's milk (7.5%). The most common symptoms were urticaria (63.5%), gastrointestinal symptoms (30.2%), rhinitis (15.1%), oral allergy syndrome (OAS) symptoms (11.3%). Young age (p= 0.004), presence of atopic disease or family history of atopy (p=0.001) were found to be risk factors for the development of food allergy. Conclusion: The prevalence of self-reported FA based on web-based survey in Eastern Black Sea residents is relatively high and specific to the region.