Previous research has raised concerns about high prevalence of drug-related problems, polypharmacy and inappropriate benzodiazepine prescribing in nursing homes (NHs) and confirmed lack of studies from Central and South-Eastern Europe. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of polypharmacy, hyperpolypharmacy and inappropriate benzodiazepine prescribing in NH residents in Croatia. Data from 226 older NH residents from five Croatian NHs were collected using the InterRAI Long-Term Care Facilities assessment form. The prevalence and determinants of polypharmacy/hyperpolypharmacy and patterns of inappropriate benzodiazepine prescribing were documented. The prevalence of polypharmacy (49.6%) and hyperpolypharmacy (25.7%) among NH residents was high. In our study, 72.1% of NH residents were prescribed at least one psychotropic agent, 36.7% used 2-3 psychotropics and 6.6% used 4+ psychotropics. Among benzodiazepine users (55.8%), 28% of residents were prescribed benzodiazepines in higher than recommended geriatric doses, 75% used them for the long term and 48% were prescribed concomitant interacting medications. The odds of being prescribed polypharmacy/hyperpolypharmacy were significantly higher for older patients with polymorbidity (6+ disorders, proportional odds ratio (POR) = 19.8), type II diabetes (POR = 5.2), ischemic heart disease (POR = 4.6), higher frailty (Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS ≥5); POR = 4.3) and gastrointestinal problems (POR = 4.8). Our research underscores the persistent challenge of inappropriate medication use and drug-related harms among older NH residents, despite existing evidence and professional campaigns. Effective regulatory and policy interventions, including the implementation of geriatrician and clinical pharmacy services, are essential to address this critical issue and ensure optimal medication management for vulnerable NH populations.

Background: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disease and the most common genetic cause of infant death. Although pharmacological treatment improves survival rates and functional capacity, physiotherapy remains a key component of care. A newly developed innovative equine-assisted physiotherapy method based on neuroproprioceptive “facilitation and inhibition” principles (NEUROEQUIP-SMA) is hypothesized to improve the quality and extent of motor development in children with SMA. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of NEUROEQUIP-SMA compared with standard individual outpatient physiotherapy based on the same neuroproprioceptive “facilitation and inhibition” principles (SMA-SOC-N) and to evaluate its effects on functional outcomes and quality of life (QoL). In addition, the response of molecular biomarkers to treatment will be assessed. Methods: In this crossover randomized controlled trial, 20 children with SMA types I-III, aged 2‐9 years, will participate in two 6-day therapy programs (A and B) of equal duration (50 min per day) and separated by a 10-week washout period. Each child will be randomly assigned to receive the therapies in either the AB or BA sequence. Therapy A consists of a newly developed NEUROEQUIP-SMA (15 min twice daily), whereas therapy B involves SMA-SOC-N (30 min once daily). Both programs include therapeutic horse grooming (20 min a day). The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Infant Test of Neuromuscular Disorders (CHOP INTEND) was selected as the primary outcome measure. Secondary outcomes included motor coordination assessed through 3D motion analysis, muscle fatigue, spirometry, and standardized clinical tests and rating scales, as well as monitoring of psychomotor development (via home-video analysis) and QoL (via questionnaires). Molecular biomarkers will be analyzed from blood samples. The immediate effect of the intervention will be evaluated for most outcomes, while psychomotor development and QoL will be monitored 28 days after therapy as longer-term outcomes. Treatment effect sizes will be reported alongside P values to illustrate the magnitude of changes in the outcomes. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, under the number UK3LF/658559/12025. Results: The study is designed for 20 participants. Data collection will begin in February 2026 and will be completed in May 2026. Data analyses are planned for autumn 2026, and study results are expected to be available in 2027. A paired t test comparing the primary outcome (CHOP INTEND) between treatments NEUROEQUIP-SMA and SMA-SOC-N in 20 children will have 80% power to detect moderate-to-large effect size (Cohen d =0.66) at a 5% significance level. Conclusions: This trial will be the first study to evaluate the effects of NEUROEQUIP-SMA in children with SMA. If preliminary findings confirm a benefit, this physiotherapy approach may represent a promising adjunct to care for the generation of children undergoing gene therapy.

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use and its associated risk factors in community-dwelling older adults from five Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. This secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey, which was part of the Horizon 2020 EuroAgeism ESR7 project, was conducted between February 2019 and March 2020 in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, and Serbia. We enrolled older adults aged ≥65 years who visited community pharmacies to acquire medications. The prevalence of PIM use was determined by applying all 282 criteria from the EU(7)-PIM list. Risk and protective factors for PIM use were evaluated using multiple logistic regression. R software version 4.3.2 was used in statistical analysis. Most of the 2,155 participants were women (63.3%) and aged 65-74 years (64.8%). The overall PIM prevalence was 56.0% (95% confidence interval 53.8%-58.1%), ranging from 29.5% in Czechia to 70.0% in Croatia. The most commonly used PIMs were benzodiazepines (16.7% of all PIMs), followed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (14.3%), and proton pump inhibitors taken for more than 8 weeks (14.1%). Multiple logistic regression revealed that residence, increasing comorbidity burden, and polypharmacy were significant risk factors associated with PIM use in older adults. Our findings demonstrate a high prevalence of PIM use among older patients from CEE countries and considerable cross-country differences, underscoring the need to improve medication prescribing for older adults to improve healthcare quality and patient outcomes.

Objectives: To describe longitudinal changes in functional performance, movement quality, respiratory function, and exploratory biological changes during intensive rehabilitation based on neuroproprioceptive “facilitation and inhibition” principles in a child with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Methods: This case report describes a girl with SMA type II receiving disease-modifying therapy, including gene therapy, who completed three intensive rehabilitation programs based on neuroproprioceptive “facilitation and inhibition” principles, alternating equine-assisted and individualized outpatient physiotherapy. Clinical, biomechanical, respiratory, and functional outcomes were assessed before and after each therapeutic block. Exploratory molecular analyses were performed only during the second and third programs. International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)-based documentation and home video recordings were obtained before each rehabilitation program and 28 days after completion. Results: Following rehabilitation, improvements were observed in cervical muscle endurance, gross motor function, upper-limb movement quality, spontaneous motor activity, and functional independence. After two rehabilitation blocks, the child successfully performed expiratory maneuvers yielding numerical spirometric results, although the absence of baseline values precluded quantification of changes in respiratory function. The Expanded Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale score increased from 48 to 54 points. The primary outcome, the standard Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Infant Test of Neuromuscular Disorders (CHOP INTEND) score, remained at its maximum of 64/64 throughout. This persistent ceiling effect precluded detection of further changes using the standard score. Three-dimensional motion analysis documented changes consistent with movement goals defined from the pre-intervention clinical assessment, particularly after Equine-Assisted Physiotherapy based on Neuroproprioceptive “Facilitation and Inhibition” (NEUROEQUIP-SMA). Exploratory analysis of peripheral blood long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression showed variable temporal changes across the rehabilitation periods, the biological significance of which cannot be determined from a single participant. Conclusions: This case illustrates continued motor development and changes in movement quality during intensive rehabilitation following gene therapy in a child with SMA type II. The contribution of physiotherapy cannot be separated from ongoing development and pharmacological treatment effects and warrants further investigation.

The aim was to explore the patterns of the coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates over the past almost 50 years (1968-2014) in the Czech Republic, and to predict the mortality rates in 2015-2019. The number of deaths from CHD and the population size were stratified by sex and age. The mortality rates were age-standardized to European population. Their values in 2015-2019 were estimated using the joinpoint log-linear regression, local log-linear regression and negative binomial log-linear regression, separately for males and females. A positive change in the trend of the age-standardized mortality rates from CHD was detected after the collapse of communism in 1989. In 1991-2000, the mortality trend was sharply downward, with an annual percent change of -5.8 % for males and -5.2 % for females. In 2000-2014, the decreasing trend was not so sharp (-1.3 % for males and -0.7% for females), yet it should continue in 2015-2019. The crude mortality rates for females are slightly higher than those for males since 2007, however, they are increasing for both sexes. The mortality rates are rising mainly in the age group of 85+ years (in 2014, 25.4% of CHD deaths of males and 54.4% of females occurred at the age of 85+ years). The age-standardized mortality rates are predicted to decrease in 2015-2019, but the crude mortality rates should increase due to increase in average life expectancy. The burden of deaths is moving to the age group of 85 years and older, mainly in females. A total of 26,039 CHD deaths were registered in the Czech Republic in 2014, and 29,653 are predicted for 2019, if the current trends continue.