Men’s health and osteoporosis: modern treatment and prevention options

Osteoporosis (OP) has traditionally been seen as a pathology that mainly occurs in postmenopausal women and elderly men, and until recently, the problem of this disease among males has not been given sufficient priority. At the moment, however, OP in men is widely acknowledged to be an important issue of modern health care. Given the etiological and pathogenetic characteristics, two categories of OP have been identified: primary and secondary. In the structure of male OP, the secondary category of OP accounts for up to 40-60 % of all cases. Hypogonadism is one of the common causes of bone loss in men. Initially, males develop a larger bone mass compared to women and, accordingly, greater bone strength. Men over the age of 50 do not undergo rapid bone mass loss, as women do after menopause, and the bone mass decreases more gradually, in a linear manner. With ageing, the trabecular number (Tb.N) in men are relatively maintained with underlying more pronounced thinning of Tb. N associated with decreased osteoblast-forming activity. Although the prevalence of OP among men is significantly lower than among women, the clinical consequences of OP in men are of a great importance. The primary strategy of the anti-osteoporotic therapy is to prevent OP and low-traumatic fractures. According to the current guidelines for the treatment of OP in men, bisphosphonates (BP) are the drugs of choice. Zoledronic acid is a highly effective nitrogen-containing BP, the first drug to be injected once a year. Intravenous injection of zoledronic acid is as effective in reducing the risk of fractures in men as in women.

Indicators of Disability in Diseases of the Endocrine System of the Adult Population of Osh City (Kyrgyzstan)

The article examines the indicators of disability in diseases of the endocrine system of the population of Osh city (Kyrgyzstan). Health promotion, disease prevention, rehabilitation of disabled people are the main tasks in modern health care and social protection of the population. The number of people with disabilities is increasing from year to year in Kyrgyzstan. This growth is associated with a high level of morbidity and traumatism of the population, inadequate quality of medical care, and unfavorable environmental conditions. The study compares the five-year rate of disability in diseases of the endocrine system of the population of Osh. In the periods studied (2016, 2018, 2020), an increase in the number of primary disabilities in diseases of the endocrine system among residents of the city of Osh was revealed.

REGIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ETHICAL RISKS OF MEDICAL TOURISM (ОN THE EXAMPLE OF THE VOLGOGRAD REGION)

The article examines medical tourism as a promising area of modern health care within the framework of the federal project "Development of the export of medical services", part of the national project "Health". The authors examine the possibilities of regional health care within the framework of the project "Development of medical services export in the Volgograd region". The data on the number and geography of visitors, financial revenues to the regional budget for the ensuring, paid medical services are presented. The risks of regional health care that hinder the development of medical tourism are described and the ways to avoid them are indicated. At the present stage of the development of Russian healthcare, the provision of medical tourism services is not legally formalized, so more attention should be paid to ethical regulation in this area.

The impact of electronic medical records in the modern primary health care system on the interaction between doctor and patient in Moscow

Introduction. Digital technologies are an essential condition for the development of modern health care. New forms of interaction between the supplier and the consumer of medical services determine the need to understand the attitude of the doctor and the patient to this employment operation. Purpose. Assess the change in the quality of communications between the doctor and the patient with the widespread introduction of electronic medical records. Material and methods. Within the framework of the project, a content analysis of media materials was held. Mass (questionnaire) survey of doctors and patients in November-December 2020 was executed. The comprehensive survey had 482 respondents, including 168 doctors and 314 patients. Results. Most (61.5%) of medical professionals indicate a decrease in time costs during the patient’s reception, an increase in time to work with patients is noted in 47.4% of respondents. 55% of doctors report that the service helps better focus on the provision of medical care, and 47.6% of respondents believe that the conduct of medical documentation in electronic form allows reducing the frequency of passing a significant pathology. Among patients, 52.2% believe that introducing electronic medical records will enable you to increase the time that the doctor pays to the patient during the reception. 68.9% of patients indicate an improvement in the interaction between doctors and patients. Conclusion. High-quality results can be achieved only if there is a medical staff with the skills of using modern digital technologies and new communication skills with a patient when using electronic medical records.

possibilities of information technology in higher education

The conception of modernization of higher medical education in Ukraine is focused on the model of training physicians who have a broad outlook, able to integrate their potential into the activities of all medical workers, meet the current level of medical science and society, capable of self-improvement and self-development using innovative information technologies. The modern health care system is in need of specialists capable of continuous professional growth and self-improvement. The aim of the article is the formation of future physicians self-by means of information technology (IT). In the article review importance of IT in the professional activities of doctors, the prospects for the development of computer technology; formation and development of the knowledge base, skills and abilities necessary for the effective use of modern programs; development of the ability to independently master software and update and integrate the acquired knowledge. In a modern information society that is constantly evolving, it is important to develop the skills of IT skills among future doctors to make important decisions.

The role of philosophy and ethics at the edges of medicine

Background The edge metaphor is ubiquitous in describing the present situation in the world, and nowhere is this as clearly visible as in medicine. “The edge of medicine” has become the title of books, scholarly articles, media headlines, and lecture series and seems to be imbued with hype, hope, and aversion. In order better to understand what is at stake at “the edge of medicine” this article addresses three questions: What does “the edge of medicine” mean in contemporary debates on modern medicine? What are the challenges “on the edge of medicine” (in these various meanings of “on the edge”)? How can philosophy and ethics contribute with addressing these challenges? Methods Literature searches in PubMed and Google Scholar are used to identify uses of the phrase “the edge of medicine” while conventional content analysis is used to analyze meanings of and challenges with “the edge of medicine.” These results are then investigated with respect to how philosophy and ethics can address the identified challenges. Results The literature reveals that “the edge of medicine” has many meanings, such as: Border; Margin (of life); Frontier; Forefront; Fringes; Plunge (abyss); Brink (verge); Conflict; and Balancing. In general, the various meanings address four basic challenges: setting limits, keeping control, make meaning, and handling conflicts or aporias. The analysis of each of the meanings of “the edge of medicine” identifies a wide range of important and urgent tasks for the humanities in general, and for philosophy and ethics in particular: 1) clarifying concepts; 2) clarifying assumptions and premises of arguments, methods, advice, and decisions; 3) elaborate new concepts and new theories; 4) conceptualize and handle uncertainty, moral regret, and residue; 5) reveal “the emperor’s new clothes;” 6) identify trends and reflect on their implications; 7) demarcation; and 8) reflecting on goodness in medicine. Conclusion The phrase “the edge of medicine” expresses a wide range of challenges for modern health care. Together with other disciplines philosophy and ethics can and should make crucial contributions at “the edge of medicine,” which is where the future of human beings and societies is created and formed.

Towards a better understanding of attitudes and beliefs held by traditional healers and recipients of traditional medicine concerning mental health conditions in post-conflict Liberia: a qualitative investigation

Background: A better understanding of attitudes and beliefs held by traditional healers and utilizers of traditional medicine concerning mental health conditions in Liberia is important as Liberia seeks to improve its delivery of mental healthcare in the context of scarce resources and recovery from civil war. Methods: A qualitative research design was used to collect data from 24 Liberian traditional healers, and 11 utilizers of Liberian traditional medicine. Participants were queried about mental health problems in Liberia, treatments, and attitudes towards modern healthcare. Qualitative data were probed and aggregated using content analysis. Results: Mental health problems described by study participants included: Open Mole, African Science, Epilepsy, Depres- sion and Mental Illness (trauma/substance use). Mental health problems were often associated with socioeconomic distress, and participants described their attitudes and beliefs concerning mental healthcare, traditional medicine, and modern health- care. Conclusion: Traditional medicine is an important part of mental healthcare in Africa. Mental illness, social factors, and healthcare access were important problems in Liberia. Mental health problems blended local cultural beliefs with Western- ized nosology and social factors. Traditional healer’s attitudes towards Western medicine reflected ambivalence. There is a desire for collaboration with ‘modern’ health care providers, but this will require reciprocal trust-building. Keywords: Traditional healer; mental healthcare; Liberia; qualitative research.

Analysis of energy value of diets depending on diet in children and adolescents with overweight and obesity

The study of diet as a factor influencing the formation of an exogenous constitutional form of obesity in children and adolescents is an urgent task of modern health care. The distribution of energy by meals has a significant impact on the degree of overweight and the severity of obesity. In the course of the study, a weak positive correlation (r = 0.26) was revealed between the proportion of dinner in terms of calorie content and the degree of overweight: the higher the proportion of dinner in the overall structure of the caloric content of the diet, the higher the degree of obesity in a child. With regard to breakfast, an inverse negative relationship was revealed (r = -0.27): the lower the proportion of breakfast in terms of calorie content, the higher the BMI value by gender and age. The high proportion of calories in the evening meals (afternoon snack and dinner) is more important for the degree of obesity in boys (r = 0.40) than in girls (r = 0.34). The older the child, the stronger the correspondence between excess calorie intake in evening meals and the degree of excess weight (at 8-10 years old r = 0.26; at 11-13 years old r = 0.31; at 14-18 years old r = 0.48).