Diseases

Introduction: Minor digestive ailments are a common reason for individuals to visit pharmacies, and can be efficiently managed through structured pharmaceutical advice. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of advice provided by pharmacists in community pharmacies from the perspectives of both patients and pharmacists. The primary focus of the study was not on assessing the effectiveness of a specific medication, but rather on the pharmaceutical advice provided. Materials and Methods: This prospective multicenter observational study was conducted between January and March 2025 in community pharmacies across Poland among adult patients with dyspepsia without alarm symptoms and included two visits: an initial visit and a follow-up phone call after 7–14 days. Symptom severity across seven domains was assessed using a GSRS-based tool, and data on adherence, treatment regimen, patient satisfaction, and acceptable costs of the two-visit service were collected. Statistical analyses (p < 0.05) using both parametric and non-parametric tests were performed on data from 100 participants who completed the study, with cost data serving as a proxy for willingness to pay. Results: Most patients (92.7%) reported symptom improvement, with a median time to relief of 3 days and good treatment adherence. The greatest benefits were observed for abdominal pain and flatulence, and higher baseline symptom severity was consistently associated with greater improvement. Service acceptability was high, and patients’ reported willingness to pay suggests perceived value and potential economic feasibility of the service. Conclusions: Structured pharmaceutical advice for digestive ailments (including triage, education, management plans, and monitoring of effects) led to rapid and clinically significant improvements in most patients. This approach demonstrates high adherence rates and positive acceptability. The stability of effects across different demographic groups, along with a predictable pattern of changes in various domains, supports the expansion of this service and customization of educational messages.

Objective: To map and synthesize the published literature on the epidemiological burden of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in adults with spinal cord injury (SCI) or multiple sclerosis (MS) using intermittent catheterization (IC). Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature review following PRISMA guidelines, searching PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for studies published since 2014. A total of 30 studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: Reported UTI incidence varied widely from 24% to 93.1%, highlighting significant heterogeneity across the evidence base. Annually, 15–17% of patients experienced 4–6 UTIs, and up to 16.4% required hospitalization for UTI-related complications. A critical evidence gap was exposed, with only one study focusing specifically on the MS population. Conclusions: Despite its clinical benefits, IC remains underutilized and inconsistently supported. Addressing systemic delivery gaps is essential. UTIs in neurogenic bladder care should be recognized as a modifiable public health issue requiring equity-driven interventions and strengthened implementation frameworks. This review underscores the urgent need for methodologically rigorous research to establish clear best practices.

Background: Obesity substantially increases cardiovascular risk and contributes to the accumulation of cardiometabolic risk factors. Achieving optimal control of body weight and guideline-recommended targets is essential in high-risk patients, particularly in secondary prevention following acute coronary events. This study aimed to evaluate treatment strategies and lifestyle modifications undertaken by patients with obesity during long-term follow-up. Methods: This analysis included patients enrolled 6–18 months after acute coronary syndrome or coronary revascularization within the multicentre POLASPIRE II study. Standardized EUROASPIRE methodology was applied to collect clinical, anthropometric, and lifestyle-related data. Results: A total of 788 patients (mean age 65.4 ± 8.9 years; 25.8% women) were included, of whom 40.6% had obesity. No significant association between sex and BMI was observed (β = −0.48; 95% CI −1.30 to 0.31; p = 0.20). Increasing age was associated with lower BMI (β = −0.05; 95% CI −0.09 to −0.0001; p = 0.044), and higher education correlated with lower BMI (β = −1.10; 95% CI −2.00 to −0.22; p = 0.015). With advancing age (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.002–1.033; p = 0.023) and increasing BMI (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.076–1.138; p = 0.001), the number of risk factors and comorbidities increased. Higher BMI was associated with poorer control of medical risk factors (OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.03–1.10; p < 0.001), whereas patients with higher BMI demonstrated better control of lifestyle-related risk factors (OR 0.95; 95% CI 0.919–0.983; p = 0.003). Conclusions: Obesity is highly prevalent among high-risk cardiovascular patients and is associated with a greater burden of comorbidities and poorer control of medical risk factors. These findings support the need for strengthened, risk-stratified secondary prevention strategies and more personalized therapeutic approaches in patients with obesity.