Acta Clinica Croatica 

About: Acta Clinica Croatica is an academic journal published by Croatian Dairy Union. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Medicine & Population. It has an ISSN identifier of 0353-9466. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 1844 publications have been published receiving 10570 citations.

Pušenje kao čimbenik rizika za moždani udar

Abstract: Među brojnim rizicnim cimbenicima odgovornim za razvoj i nastanak moždanog udara pusenje se istice kao cimbenik koji istodobno na razlicite nacine ugrožava funkcioniranje cirkulacijskog sustava. Aktivnim i pasivnim pusenjem u tijelo se unosi nekoliko tisuca kemijskih sastojaka. Provedeno je niz istraživanja o mehanizmima djelovanja pojedinih komponenata duhanskog dima na vaskularni sustav i druge organske sustave u tijelu, dok se o njihovim međusobnim interakcijama, kao i interferiranju s uzimanjem razlicitih lijekova jos uvijek nedovoljno zna.

Anxiety During Pregnancy and Postpartum: Course, Predictors and Comorbidity with Postpartum Depression

Abstract: Previous findings on peripartum anxiety are inconsistent in respect to the prevalence and course of peripartum anxiety with comorbidity of depression. Our aim was threefold: (1) to examine the course of elevated anxiety during pregnancy, immediately after childbirth, and six weeks postpartum; (2) to establish comorbidity of postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression (PPD); and (3) to examine predictors of anxiety 6 weeks postpartum. A sample of women (N=272) who were below the cut-off score for clinical depression during pregnancy were assessed in the third trimester of pregnancy, then 2 days and 6 weeks postpartum. Questionnaires on anxiety, pregnancy specific distress, stress, coping styles, social support, and depression were administered at each assessment. Obstetric data were collected from the participants' medical records. The estimated rate of high anxiety was 35% during pregnancy, 17% immediately after childbirth, and 20% six weeks postpartum, showing a decrease in anxiety levels after childbirth. Comorbidity of anxiety and PPD was 75%. Trait anxiety and early postpartum state anxiety are significant predictors of postpartum anxiety. Anxiety is a common peripartum psychological disturbance. Anxiety symptoms overlap with PPD, but not com-pletely, indicating that screening for postpartum mental difficulties should include both depression and anxiety.

Post-stroke language disorders.

Abstract: Post-stroke language disorders are frequent and include aphasia, alexia, agraphia and acalculia. There are different definitions of aphasias, but the most widely accepted neurologic and/or neuropsychological definition is that aphasia is a loss or impairment of verbal communication, which occurs as a consequence of brain dysfunction. It manifests as impairment of almost all verbal abilities, e.g., abnormal verbal expression, difficulties in understanding spoken or written language, repetition, naming, reading and writing. During the history, many classifications of aphasia syndromes were established. For practical use, classification of aphasias according to fluency, comprehension and abilities of naming it seems to be most suitable (nonfluent aphasias: Broca's, transcortical motor, global and mixed transcortical aphasia; fluent aphasias: anomic, conduction, Wernicke's, transcortical sensory, subcortical aphasia). Aphasia is a common consequence of left hemispheric lesion and most common neuropsychological consequence of stroke, with a prevalence of one-third of all stroke patients in acute phase, although there are reports on even higher figures. Many speech impairments have a tendency of spontaneous recovery. Spontaneous recovery is most remarkable in the first three months after stroke onset. Recovery of aphasias caused by ischemic stroke occurs earlier and it is most intensive in the first two weeks. In aphasias caused by hemorrhagic stroke, spontaneous recovery is slower and occurs from the fourth to the eighth week after stroke. The course and outcome of aphasia depend greatly on the type of aphasia. Regardless of the fact that a significant number of aphasias spontaneously improve, it is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible. The writing and reading disorders in stroke patients (alexias and agraphias) are more frequent than verified on routine examination, not only in less developed but also in large neurologic departments. Alexia is an acquired type of sensory aphasia where damage to the brain causes the patient to lose the ability to read. It is also called word blindness, text blindness or visual aphasia. Alexia refers to an acquired inability to read due to brain damage and must be distinguished from dyslexia, a developmental abnormality in which the individual is unable to learn to read, and from illiteracy, which reflects a poor educational background. Most aphasics are also alexic, but alexia may occur in the absence of aphasia and may occasionally be the sole disability resulting from specific brain lesions. There are different classifications of alexias. Traditionally, alexias are divided into three categories: pure alexia with agraphia, pure alexia without agraphia, and alexia associated with aphasia ('aphasic alexia'). Agraphia is defined as disruption of previously intact writing skills by brain damage. Writing involves several elements: language processing, spelling, visual perception, visuospatial orientation for graphic symbols, motor planning, and motor control of writing. A disturbance of any of these processes can impair writing. Agraphia may occur by itself or in association with aphasias, alexia, agnosia and apraxia. Agraphia can also result from 'peripheral' involvement of the motor act of writing. Like alexia, agraphia must be distinguished from illiteracy, where writing skills were never developed. Acalculia is a clinical syndrome of acquired deficits in mathematical calculation, either mentally or with paper and pencil. These language disturbances can be classified differently, but there are three principal types of acalculia: acalculia associated with language disturbances, including number paraphasia, number agraphia, or number alexia; acalculia secondary to visuospatial dysfunction with malalignment of numbers and columns, and primary anarithmetria entailing disruption of the computation process.

Prooxidant activities of antioxidants and their impact on health.

Abstract: This review article is focused on the impact of antioxidants and prooxidants on health with emphasis on the type of antioxidants that should be taken. Medical researchers suggest that diet may be the solution for the control of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular complications, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and different cancers. In this survey, we found scientific evidence that the use of antioxidants should be limited only to the cases where oxidative stress has been identified. This is often the case of specific population groups such as postmenopausal women, the elderly, infants, workers exposed to environmental pollutants, and the obese. Before starting any supplementation, it is necessary to measure oxidative stress and to identify and eliminate the possible sources of free radicals and thus increased oxidative stress.

Coexistence of papillary carcinoma and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Abstract: The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of coexistence of papillary carcinoma and Hashimoto's thyroiditis in cytologic material. Cytologic findings were collected from 10508 patients that underwent ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the thyroid. Hashimoto's thyroiditis was found in 2156 (20.5%) and papillary carcinoma in 269 (2.6%) of 10508 patients with FNAC, whereas both Hashimoto's thyroiditis and papillary carcinoma were present in 42 (0.4%) patients. Among patients with FNAC diagnosis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, the prevalence of papillary carcinoma was 1.9%. Among patients with FNAC diagnosis of papillary carcinoma, the prevalence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis was 15.6%. There was no statistically significant association between the presence of papillary carcinoma and Hashimoto's thyroiditis in patients undergoing FNAC (p=0.0522). In conclusion, in a large series of patients, the incidence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and papillary carcinoma coexistence in cytologic material was 0.4%. There was no statistically significant relationship between Hashimoto's thyroiditis and papillary carcinoma in cytologic material.