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Poles do not do basic preventive examinations – they do not measure blood pressure, do not check cholesterol or blood sugar levels. They go to the doctor only when something is wrong with them – according to the National Health Test of Poles. Perhaps that is why we live shorter than the average European.
In a free test prepared by the TvoiLokony website, the editors of MedTvoiLokony and the Department and Clinic of Internal Diseases, Hypertension and Angiology of the Medical University of Warsaw under the supervision of its head prof. Zbigniew Gaciong attended over 120 thousand. Internet users. The honorary patronage over the project was assumed by prof. Marek Krawczyk Rector of the Medical University of Warsaw.
– We wanted to check, through an internet survey, how often Poles have risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and cancer and what is the degree of their knowledge. We also studied the prevalence of the most common chronic diseases and conditions. In addition, the National Test of Health of Poles also played an educational role – emphasize the authors of the Test.
Participants completed an online questionnaire consisting of 20 questions. The program determined the respondent’s risk factors and, on the basis of the collected data, provided personalized information and displayed specific recommendations in the form of a Prescription for a healthy life.
women want to be healthier
The National Health Test of Poles is available on the TvoiLokony – MedTvoiLokony health website (www.medTvoiLokony). In the period from October 25 to December 6, 2010, data was collected for the preparation of a report on this special project. At that time, the questionnaire was filled by over 120 people. respondents. Interestingly, the test was more popular among women. They accounted for two-thirds of the respondents. Slightly more than half (51%) of the respondents were aged 18-39. The second largest group were people aged 50-64 (27%). The smallest group were Internet users aged 40-49 (19%), meanwhile they are entering the age of increased risk of civilization diseases. Almost half of the respondents declared higher education (49%) or secondary education (48%). The questionnaire was filled in by Internet users from both large and medium-sized cities and small towns. The number of respondents from individual voivodships roughly corresponded to their population.
getting fatter
Almost every second person who took part in the test has a problem with maintaining a healthy body weight. Meanwhile, according to the WHO report, excess body weight is one of the main causes of mortality in developed countries. Being overweight and obese increase the risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes, and developing cardiovascular complications, such as heart attack or stroke. 33% of participants in the test were overweight and 15% were obese. Only about 30% of men had the correct body weight, the percentage of women with normal body weight was two times lower. However, men were obese twice as often. There was a very clear increase in the percentage of overweight and obese people with age.
unknown cholesterol
Despite the fact that half of the test takers have problems with maintaining a healthy weight, as many as 3/4 do not know their cholesterol values. Total cholesterol should be tested by all healthy adults every 5 years. People who are obese or have high blood pressure or diabetes, smoke cigarettes, or have cardiovascular disease in their immediate relatives – they need to do tests more often. Cholesterol levels should be checked at least once a year in patients treated for hypercholesterolaemia. Too high its level is the main risk factor for a heart attack or stroke, i.e. the most common causes of death in Poles. Among the Internet users participating in the test, regardless of the age group and sex, the declared cholesterol concentration was higher than the recommended one.
undiagnosed diabetes
70% of people who completed the questionnaire do not know their blood sugar level. Meanwhile, diabetes mellitus is asymptomatic in half of the patients, and therefore it is recommended that fasting blood glucose levels be measured routinely after the age of 45 at least every 3 years. Earlier measurements of fasting glucose should be carried out annually in people at risk of: overweight or obesity, a family history of this disease, hypertension, hypertriglyceridaemia, in the presence of cardiovascular disease and in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, as well as in those who have given birth to a child weighing more than 4 kg. Untreated diabetes mellitus can cause complete renal failure, blindness, or the need for limb amputation. In addition, it increases the risk of many complications, such as heart attack or stroke. The test shows that half of the patients over the age of 64 had elevated fasting glycaemia.
pressure too high
Blood pressure values were known to over 60% of the participants of the National Health Test of Poles, both women and men. The knowledge of blood pressure values increased with age, from 50% of respondents up to 39 years of age, to over 80% in the elderly. People with primary education were less likely to know their blood pressure values. It is surprising that, unlike many Polish epidemiological studies, the percentage of patients with normal blood pressure values was high, reaching even 60% in the older age groups. However, this means that around 40% of the respondents had high blood pressure. Meanwhile, it is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack, and heart and kidney failure. – Given that by age 80, 90% of people will develop hypertension, earlier normal blood pressure measurement results do not rule out the possibility of developing hypertension later in life. Therefore, every adult should measure arterial pressure at least once a year and at each visit to the doctor, because only periodic measurements allow for an early diagnosis of hypertension before the development of complications – emphasizes Prof. Gaciong.
still too many smokers
1/4 of people taking part in the National Health Test of Poles smoke cigarettes. This is all the more dangerous because – according to the surveys – as many as 44% of respondents may have a family predisposition to a number of chronic diseases, the course of which is exacerbated by smoking. Almost 2/3 of the test participants are healthy, the rest are most often suffering from arterial hypertension, backache, headache, bone and joint pain, and depression. According to prof. Gacionga, the National Health Test of Poles, showed that the prevalence of disease risk factors, especially of the cardiovascular system and cancer, may be very high in the studied population. Knowledge on this subject is insufficient, especially among young people. Moreover, risk factors are insufficiently controlled in the elderly.
The statistics of the special website with the National Test of Poles’ Health available on the MedTvoiLokony website (https: //www.medTvoiLokony/) are as follows: 3 page views and 938 unique users (according to Gemius Traffic, data for the period 926/981/950 – 25.10.10/06.12.10/XNUMX ).