Browsing by Author "Pilipovic, Filip (57194021948)"

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed malignant neoplasms. The aim of the study was to evaluate and correlate most important epidemiological and economic indicators of CRC in 11 selected Balkan countries. The number of new CRC cases was 56,960, and the highest 5-year CRC prevalence was in Slovenia, Croatia, and Greece. Age-standardized CRC incidence rates were highest in Slovenia, Serbia, and Croatia, and age-standardized mortality rates were highest in Croatia, Serbia, and Bulgaria. Current Health Expenditure as % of Gross Domestic Product was the highest in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. The GDP per capita levels have shown positive correlation with the CRC incidence rate and prevalence. Absolute numbers of new and death-related CRC cases and 5-year prevalence in absolute numbers have shown strong positive correlation with GDP in million current US$. It has been shown that various economic indicators can be linked to the rate of incidence and prevalence of the CRC patients in the selected Balkan countries. Therefore, economic factors can influence the epidemiology of CRC, and heavy CRC burden in the Balkan region may be one of the indexes of the economic development. © Copyright © 2020 Vekic, Dragojevic-Simic, Jakovljevic, Kalezic, Zagorac, Dragovic, Zivic, Pilipovic, Simic, Jovanovic, Milovanovic and Rancic.

Background: Sarcopenia is an age-related progressive, generalized skeletal muscle disorder involving the accelerated loss of muscle function and muscle mass. The aim of this study was to assess the complex relationship between sarcopenia, malnutrition, cognitive impairment, physical activity, and depression in the elderly, with the potential role of quality of life as a mediator in these associations. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample (n = 298) of elderly patients admitted to Special Hospital for Rehabilitation “Termal”, Vrdnik, Serbia. Sarcopenia, the risk for malnutrition, cognitive impairment, physical activity, quality of life, and depressive symptoms were measured by standardized instruments. Additional data included sociodemographic characteristics. Simultaneous assessment of the direct and indirect relationships of all determinants was performed by path analysis. Results: A total of 40% (n = 120) of the elderly were diagnosed with sarcopenia, and 42.6% had depression symptoms. The risk of malnutrition was present in 23.5%, cognitive impairment in 5.4%, and a low level of physical activity was reported in 26.2% of elderly participants. The mean reported quality of life measured by Sarcopenia and Quality of Life Questionnaire was 60 (on the scale ranging from 0 to 100; where a higher score reflects a higher quality of life). The best-fitted model (χ2/DF = 1.885, NFI = 0.987, CFI = 0.993, GFI = 0.997, RMSEA = 0.055) highlighted the mediating effect of quality of life between sarcopenia, malnutrition, cognitive impairment, lower level of physical activities and depression. According to the model, quality of life was a direct negative predictor of depressive symptoms in the elderly, while malnutrition positively affected depression. Conclusions: The presented path model may assist rehabilitation centers in developing strategies to screen for sarcopenia and risk of malnutrition, and promote physical activity in elderly, aiming to prevent their negative effects on mental health. For the elderly currently affected by sarcopenia, we consider regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy, which, in view of their etiology, could be a potential therapeutic strategy for sarcopenia. © 2023 by the authors.

Background: Sarcopenia is an age-related progressive, generalized skeletal muscle disorder involving the accelerated loss of muscle function and muscle mass. The aim of this study was to assess the complex relationship between sarcopenia, malnutrition, cognitive impairment, physical activity, and depression in the elderly, with the potential role of quality of life as a mediator in these associations. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample (n = 298) of elderly patients admitted to Special Hospital for Rehabilitation “Termal”, Vrdnik, Serbia. Sarcopenia, the risk for malnutrition, cognitive impairment, physical activity, quality of life, and depressive symptoms were measured by standardized instruments. Additional data included sociodemographic characteristics. Simultaneous assessment of the direct and indirect relationships of all determinants was performed by path analysis. Results: A total of 40% (n = 120) of the elderly were diagnosed with sarcopenia, and 42.6% had depression symptoms. The risk of malnutrition was present in 23.5%, cognitive impairment in 5.4%, and a low level of physical activity was reported in 26.2% of elderly participants. The mean reported quality of life measured by Sarcopenia and Quality of Life Questionnaire was 60 (on the scale ranging from 0 to 100; where a higher score reflects a higher quality of life). The best-fitted model (χ2/DF = 1.885, NFI = 0.987, CFI = 0.993, GFI = 0.997, RMSEA = 0.055) highlighted the mediating effect of quality of life between sarcopenia, malnutrition, cognitive impairment, lower level of physical activities and depression. According to the model, quality of life was a direct negative predictor of depressive symptoms in the elderly, while malnutrition positively affected depression. Conclusions: The presented path model may assist rehabilitation centers in developing strategies to screen for sarcopenia and risk of malnutrition, and promote physical activity in elderly, aiming to prevent their negative effects on mental health. For the elderly currently affected by sarcopenia, we consider regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy, which, in view of their etiology, could be a potential therapeutic strategy for sarcopenia. © 2023 by the authors.

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM) is a diagnostic entity defined as cardiac dysfunction (diastolic and/or systolic) in patients with liver cirrhosis, in the absence of overt cardiac disorder. Pathogenically, CCM stems from a combination of systemic and local hepatic factors that, through hemodynamic and neurohormonal changes, affect the balance of cardiac function and lead to its remodeling. Vascular changes in cirrhosis, mostly driven by portal hypertension, splanchnic vasodilatation, and increased cardiac output alongside maladaptively upregulated feedback systems, lead to fluid accumulation, venostasis, and cardiac dysfunction. Autocrine and endocrine proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6), as well as systemic endotoxemia stemming from impaired intestinal permeability, contribute to myocardial remodeling and fibrosis, which further compromise the contractility and relaxation of the heart. Additionally, relative adrenal insufficiency is often present in cirrhosis, further potentiating cardiac dysfunction, ultimately leading to the development of CCM. Considering its subclinical course, CCM diagnosis remains challenging. It relies mostly on stress echocardiography or advanced imaging techniques such as speckle-tracking echocardiography. Currently, there is no specific treatment for CCM, as it vastly overlaps with the treatment of heart failure. Diuretics play a central role. The role of non-selective beta-blockers in treating portal hypertension is established; however, their role in CCM remains somewhat controversial as their effect on prognosis is unclear. However, our group still advocates them as essential tools in optimizing the neurohumoral pathologic axis that perpetuates CCM. Other targeted therapies with direct anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects still lack sufficient evidence for wide approval. This is not only a review but also a comprehensive distillation of the insights from practicing clinical hepatologists and other specialties engaged in advanced approaches to treating liver disease and its sequelae. © 2024 by the authors.

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[No abstract available]

Background: Increasing immunosuppressant consumption and expenditure is a quite a challenge in transplantation medicine. The aim of the study was to characterize the utilization and expenditure of tacrolimus, backbone, and standard of care in immunosuppression regimen in Serbian solid organ transplant recipients. Methods: This study was performed as retrospective cross-sectional study during a 3-year period (from 2013 to 2015) in Serbia. The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification/Defined Daily Doses (ATC/DDD) international system was used for consumption evaluation. Results: Two hundred and sixty-nine patients were transplanted in Serbia from 2013 to 2015 (185 recipients from deceased donors and 84 recipients from living donors). Total number of deceased donors in this period was 81. The consumption of tacrolimus increased (from 0.051 DDD/1,000 inhabitants/day to 0.069 DDD/1,000 inhabitants/day in 2013 and 2015, respectively). The total cost of tacrolimus was also increased; from 1,206,816€ to 1,483,472€ in 2013 and 2015, respectively. On the other hand, the number of all new solid organ transplants (from deceased and living donors) per million population per year was decreased from 17.39 to 10.02, from 2013 to 2015, respectively. Conclusion: In spite downward trend in the number of solid organ transplants, tacrolimus consumption and expenditure in the examined 3-year period in Serbia increased. Since tacrolimus is a high-cost and life-preserving drug, its increasing utilization and expenditure will most likely continue consuming an enhancing share of Serbian pharmaceutical expenditure, as well as its health care, as a whole. © Copyright © 2017 Rancic, Vavic, Obrencevic, Pilipovic and Dragojevic-Simic.

Introduction: Burnout syndrome is being increasingly recognized as a factor that affects the health status and is being examined among different professional groups. Consequently, there is a need for a reliable and valid instrument for its examination. Teachers are emerging as a professional group of interest in the area of burnout research, so the aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Serbian version of Copenhagen burnout inventory among teachers at preschool institutions in Serbia. Materials and Methods: This research was conducted as a cross-sectional study between October 2018 and April 2019 on a nationally representative sample of preschool teachers in Serbia. The internal consistency of the scale was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, and the construct validity was examined using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Results: The average score on total burnout was 39.1 ± 17.0, while the average score per scales on the Copenhagen burnout inventory was: 41.3 ± 18.7 for personal burnout, 41.2 ± 15.9 for work-related burnout, and 34.7 ± 22.0 for client-related burnout. The Cronbach’s alpha for the entire scale was 0.936, the Cronbach’s alpha for the personal burnout scale was 0.906, and the Cronbach’s alpha for the work-related burnout scale was 0.765, while the Cronbach’s alpha for the client-related burnout scale was 0.901. The EFA for the CBI showed three factors. The factor loadings varied from 0.575 to 0.859. The three factors explained 67.17% of the variance. Conclusions: Our study showed that the three-factor Serbian version of the Copenhagen burnout inventory can be used for the assessment of burnout syndrome among teachers. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Introduction: Burnout syndrome is being increasingly recognized as a factor that affects the health status and is being examined among different professional groups. Consequently, there is a need for a reliable and valid instrument for its examination. Teachers are emerging as a professional group of interest in the area of burnout research, so the aim of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Serbian version of Copenhagen burnout inventory among teachers at preschool institutions in Serbia. Materials and Methods: This research was conducted as a cross-sectional study between October 2018 and April 2019 on a nationally representative sample of preschool teachers in Serbia. The internal consistency of the scale was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, and the construct validity was examined using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Results: The average score on total burnout was 39.1 ± 17.0, while the average score per scales on the Copenhagen burnout inventory was: 41.3 ± 18.7 for personal burnout, 41.2 ± 15.9 for work-related burnout, and 34.7 ± 22.0 for client-related burnout. The Cronbach’s alpha for the entire scale was 0.936, the Cronbach’s alpha for the personal burnout scale was 0.906, and the Cronbach’s alpha for the work-related burnout scale was 0.765, while the Cronbach’s alpha for the client-related burnout scale was 0.901. The EFA for the CBI showed three factors. The factor loadings varied from 0.575 to 0.859. The three factors explained 67.17% of the variance. Conclusions: Our study showed that the three-factor Serbian version of the Copenhagen burnout inventory can be used for the assessment of burnout syndrome among teachers. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.