The Current Conditions and Lifestyles of Obese University Students

Nutritional Status Disorders in Student Population

Obesity is a global health problem associated with numerous pathological conditions. Unhealthy eating habits and the lack of regular physical activity are considered the most common cause of disordered nutritional status. The aim of the research was to determine the nutritional status in student population and the predictors which determine this condition. The cross-sectional study was conducted on 262 students of the Faculty of Medical Sciences in Kragujevac (130 males and 132 females). Body weight and height, body mass index (BMI) and visceral fat (VF) were measured. Each respondent completed a specially designed questionnaire considering sociodemographic data, eating habits and physical activity. The majority of students have normal BMI values (75.6%), 5.3% were classified as underweight, 14.9% as overweight and 4.3% as obese. Normal VF values were found in 93.1% of subjects, while high in 5.7% and very high in 1.1%. A statistically significant difference in BMI and VF values was found between male and female gender (24.41 vs. 21.05, Sig = 0.000 and 5.47 vs. 3.07, Sig = 0.000, respectively), as well as between students of the first 4 and the last 2 years of study (Sig = 0.019 and 0.000 respectively). Unhealthy eating habits, such as the consumption of sweets, snacks, fast foods and white bread, and the absence of regular physical activity were statistically more present in overweight/obese respondents. Given the significant presence of pre-obesity/obesity in the examined population, corrective measures should be taken in this population in order to avoid a major health problem in the future.

Relations Between Familial Hypercholesterolemia and Early Ischemic Heart Disease: An Analysis of Medical Documentation Data

Heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia is associated with a high risk of early ischemic heart disease onset and cardiovascular death. There is almost no data about the prevalence of the disease in the Ukrainian population. The aim of the study was to assess the incidence of familial hypercholesterolemia among patients who were treated in “L.T. Malaya Therapy National Institute of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine” due to early ischemic heart disease. Medical records data of 600 patients treated in the Institute during 2015-2017 were analyzed. Early ischemic heart disease was diagnosed in 89 patients. The disease verification has been conducted either on the basis of coronarography data, or on the basis of previous myocardial infarction with Q wave. To identify patients with familial hypercholesterolemia, the Dutch lipid clinic network criteria were used. The presence of familial hypercholesterolemia was suspected in more than 14.8% of patients with early ischemic heart disease. Among these patients, 2 (2.2%) had definite diagnosis; 27 (30.3%) were likely to have diagnosis, 26 (29.7%) had possible diagnosis and in 34 (38,2%) patients it was unlikely to diagnose them with familial hypercholesterolemia. The term “familial hypercholesterolemia” was not mentioned in the hospital diagnosis. This paper demonstrates that despite frequent occurrence of familial hyper-cholesterolemia, doctors’ alertness towards this disease has been noted to be quite low.