Dorota Szostak-Wegierek

• MD, PhD, PhD, MPH
• Head of Department at Medical University of Warsaw

Introduction: Early identification of patients at risk of dysphagia is of paramount importance. To date, no dysphagia screening questionnaire has been validated and translated into Polish that can be widely used in a multidisciplinary setting. Our study aimed to validate and adapt the Polish version of the Eating Assessment Tool-10 questionnaire (E...

Objectives: This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the associations between lifestyle factors (diet, physical activity, and sleep) and resting energy expenditure (REE) in a group of 75 healthy adults aged 30–45 years without obesity, and to explore its relationship with body composition parameters and selected biochemical markers that could po...

Objectives: epidemiological data show growing numbers of patients with Alzheimer´s disease. Cognitive decline and progressive swallowing impairment lead to a significant deterioration of the nutrition status in this population. Early detection and treatment of malnutrition is important for the prognosis of the disease. Method: a systematic revie...

Background/Objectives: Meat is an important source of nutrients, but the excessive consumption of red and processed meat raises concerns related to its association with chronic diseases. This study aimed to analyze the consumption of red and processed meat in Poland, compare it to dietary recommendations and examine sociodemographic factors affecti...

Introduction The Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) is a widely used instrument for assessing oral intake in dysphagic patients. Despite its frequent use, a validated version for the Polish population has been lacking. Methods This study aimed to validate the Polish adaptation of FOIS (FOIS-PL) by examining its concordance with Fiberoptic Endosco...

Background Kidney transplantation (kTx) is by far the most effective method of treating end-stage renal disease, with immunosuppressive therapy being obligatory for all, except identical twins. Despite kTx being the most effective treatment for end-stage renal disease, the patients face significant morbidity. They are often burdened with diabetes,...

In this study, we investigated the associations between lifestyle factors (diet, physical activity, sleep), body composition, and resting energy expenditure (REE) in a cohort of 80 healthy, non-obese adults aged 30–45 years. Using indi-rect calorimetry, accelerometers, and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), we assessed REE, physical activity l...

Introduction: Excessive body weight, particularly the abdominal distribution of adipose tissue, has remained an important public health concern for years. Objectives: The study aimed to assess the prevalence of general overweight status and obesity, as well as abdominal overweight status and obesity in the adult Polish population. Material and meth...

Introduction Dietary fiber is a key component of a healthy diet, associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, chronic inflammation, or depression. The aim of the study was to perform an in-depth analysis of dietary fiber intake in the Polish population, taking account of the consumption of gro...

Background: Kidney transplantation (kTx) is by far the most effective method of treating end-stage renal disease, with immunosuppressive therapy being obligatory for all, except identical twins. Despite kTx being the most effective treatment for end-stage renal disease, the patients face significant morbidity. They are often burdened with diabetes,...

Background: Patients during radiotherapy due to head and neck cancers experience a lot of side effects which may have a considerable impact on the patients’ ability to meet individual daily energy demands by means of oral diet. Methods: The study included 104 head and neck cancer patients who qualified for radical radiotherapy. Radical treatment ta...

The main objective of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the influence of lifestyle factors (diet, physical activity, sleep) that can affect the concentration of fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and SCFAs’ potential role in modulating cardiometabolic disease risk by interacting with biochemical and body composition parameters. The study...

The main objective of this this cross-sectional study was to analyze the influence of lifestyle fac-tors (diet, physical activity, sleep), which can affect the concentrations of fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and SCFAs potential role in modulating cardiometabolic disease risk by interact-ing with biochemical and body composition parameters....

(1) Background: Kidney transplantation is widely recognized as the most effective method of treating end-stage renal disease. Immunosuppressive therapy plays a pivotal role in the treatment of kidney transplant patients, encompassing all patients (except identical twins), and is administered from organ transplantation until the end of its function....

Abdominal obesity is a common feature of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and it is known to exacerbate insulin resistance (IR). Improper dietary and physical activity patterns are crucial environmental factors involved in the development of obesity, and they can significantly influence the central deposition of adipose tissue. Therefor...

Introduction and objective: Being overweight or obese increases the risk of numerous serious diseases and health conditions. It is also a reason for an increased risk of disability. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of general and abdominal obesity and overweight in Polish adults. Material and methods: A total of 2,000 individuals...

Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for obesity and its complications. However, failure to adhere to dietary recommendations can result in both unsatisfactory weight loss and metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of bariatric surgery on the anthropometric parameters and selected nutrient intake. A tota...

Insulin resistance (IR) is a prominent feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The importance of lifestyle interventions in the management of PCOS is strongly highlighted and it is suggested that diet and physical activity may significantly influence insulin sensitivity. Therefore, we evaluated the link between diet and physical activity and v...

Introduction and objective: The COVID-19 pandemic led to the introduction of sanitary restrictions in many countries which necessitated numerous lifestyle changes, especially in the diet. The study aimed to compare the diet and selected lifestyle elements in the Polish population during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: The study group...

Objectives: This systematic review analyzed the prevalence of malnutrition in patients with Parkinson's Disease. Study design: a systematic review. Method: Four databases-Cochrane, PubMed, Embase and Web of Science-were searched from October 2021 to June 2022 by two independent researchers. The inclusion criteria were as follows: patients abov...

Sarcopenia in the elderly population is a public health challenge, and there are few data on its prevalence in Europe. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of sarcopenia in the elderly Polish population and its association with the level of obesity and co-existing diseases. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study involving 82...

Obesity is one of the important risk factors for a severe course of COVID-19. Maintaining a healthy body weight through diet and physical activity is a reasonable approach to preventing a SARS-CoV-2 infection or in alleviating its course. The goal of the study was to determine the influence of obesity on nutrition and physical activity during the C...

Flavonols are one of the most plentiful flavonoid subclasses found in natural products and are extensively used as dietary supplements. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have shown the cardioprotective properties of flavonols, especially quercetin. This group of substances exerts positive impacts primarily due to their antiatherogenic, antithro...

Malnutrition is a poor prognostic factor in cancer disease. In case of head and neck cancer, there are multiple disease symptoms and side effects of treatment that increase the risk of malnutrition. The aim of the study is to assess the association between nutritional status at the time of qualification for home enteral nutrition (HEN) and overall...

Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) present multiple symptoms that increase the risk of malnutrition. Nutritional care, including enteral nutrition (EN), plays a crucial role in the management of this group of patients. The aim of the study was to determine the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM)-based stages of malnutrition an...

Background: Overnutrition is one of the risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The factors related to both obesity and CKD are adiponectin and ghrelin. The aim of the study was to assess if there is a link of nutritional status and selected nutrients intake with adiponectin and ghrelin in patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods:...

The paper presents the designs and methods of a cross-sectional study of two groups of randomly selected Polish inhabitants aged 19–64, and 65 and over, carried out as part of the National Health Program. The aim of the study was to illustrate the current health situation of the respondents in terms of nutrition and physical activity level. The qua...

The adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ which synthesizes and secretes a variety of adipokines, including adiponectin with its anti-inflammatory properties. Its expression is influenced by numerous factors such as age, sex, body weight and adipose tissue content. However, dietary factors, i.e., diet structure and the percentage of individua...

NutritionDay (nDay) is a project established by the Medical University of Vienna and the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) to audit the nutritional status of hospitalized patients and nursing home residents. This study aimed to evaluate nDay data describing the prevalence of hospital malnutrition, nutritional risk facto...

Introduction Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is characterized as the cooccurrence of sarcopenia and obesity. It is associated with many adverse health consequences, also in oncological patients. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of SO in postmenopausal women with a history of breast cancer depending on adopted methodology. Materials and Methods The...

Milk and dairy products are considered an important component of healthy and balanced diet and are deemed to exert a positive effect on human health. They appear to play a role in the prevention and treatment of carbohydrate balance disturbances. The products include numerous valuable components with a potential hypoglycemic activity, such as calci...

The Western, diet rich in acidogenic foods (e.g., meat, fish and cheese) and low in alkaline foods (e.g., vegetables, fruits and legumes), is deemed to be a cause of endogenous acid production and elevated dietary acid load (DAL), which is a potential cause of metabolic acidosis. Multiple authors have suggested that such a dietary pattern increases...

The present study investigates the influence of selected infant and maternal factors on the energy and macronutrient composition of mature human milk (HM). The study enrolled 77 mothers at 4–8 weeks postpartum. Each mother provided 1 sample of HM. Each extracted HM sample was formed by mixing four subsamples of HM, each of which were obtained in on...

Improper nutrition is an important risk factor for many chronic diseases. The presented study is a part of the Polish population representative epidemiological studies on the diet and nutritional status, the identification of food-related diseases risk factors, the physical activity level, nutritional knowledge level, and health inequities, impleme...

Background. Nutrition education is one of the most important factors determining the effectiveness of treatment and maintaining an adequate quality of life (QoL) in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Material and Methods. A randomized single-blind study was conducted between October 2017 and April 2019 at the Children's Clinical Hospit...

Accurate estimation of energy expenditure in a breastfeeding woman is crucial for maintaining the proper nutritional status of the woman and healthy development of the infant. The current literature does not contain data regarding resting energy expenditure (REE) in breastfeeding women. Using mathematical equations is the most common method of REE...

Introduction Effectively conducted nutrition education is one of the key elements of the therapy of type 1 diabetes. The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of two methods of nutrition education. Material and methods A noninvasive interventional randomized single-blind study included 151 patients (13.7±2.2 years old) with poorly cont...

Background: Studies show that dysphagia is a common problem in patients with demyelinating diseases. However, there are no published studies on dysphagia in this group of patients, which would include the individual phases or the safety and effectiveness of the swallowing process. Objective: The main objective of this study was to assess the preval...

Introduction Appropriate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes constitutes one of the most important factors that determine treatment effectiveness. There are numerous studies which tackle the issue of the relationship between HRQOL and various clinical and demographic factors, including gender. The...

Background: It seems that one of the factors affecting the way of nutrition in Poland was the dietary habits of countries that in the late 18th century made partitions, ie. Russia, Prussia and Austria. Therefore, nutrition models in the areas of individual partitions have undergone significant changes. Objective: The aim of the study was to chec...

Background: Breast cancer is the first in the structure of the incidence of neoplastic diseases in women, with the number of affected individuals becoming higher every year. The risk of breast cancer is influenced not only by genetic factors, but also by the lifestyle. Proper dietary habits, a high level of physical activity and normal body weight...

This study determined fatty acid (FA) concentrations in maternal milk and investigated the association between omega-3 fatty acid levels and their maternal current dietary intake (based on three-day dietary records) and habitual dietary intake (based on intake frequency of food products). Tested material comprised 32 samples of human milk, coming f...

Birth weight is a key determinant of perinatal outcomes which affect physical development and metabolic function. In this study, we evaluated the potential role of maternal body composition and nutritional status in programing fetal birth weight. This was a longitudinal study that included 29 pregnant women and their full-term newborns. Maternal di...

Introduction The dietary habits of patients with type 1 diabetes are key elements of treatment as they facilitate the normalization of glycemia and maintenance of normal body weight (BW), lipid concentration, and the level of blood pressure. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze dietary habits and to verify the influence of the quality of...

The composition of human milk is dynamic and can vary according to many maternal factors, such as diet and nutritional status. This study investigated the association of maternal nutrition and body composition with human milk composition. All measurements and analyses were done at three time points: during the first (n = 40), third (n = 22), and si...

Background: The potential influence of disorders of acid/base homeostasis on cardiovascular risk factors has been suggested. Objectives: The aim of the study was to estimate the relationship between dietary acid load and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and the prevalence and intensity of cardiovascular risk factors (i.e., hypertension,...

Body mass loss and insufficient nutrition are common phenomena among hospitalized elderly patients. These abnormalities can lead to malnutrition, which in turn is associated with frequent complications and increased mortality. Aim: The aim of study was to check the relationship between body mass loss and insufficient nutrition of patients over 65...

Background Malnutrition in hospitalised patients is associated with frequent complications and increased mortality. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of abnormal nutritional status in patients aged over 65 years with a diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases and also to determine its relationship with the duration of hospitalisation...

Background: Wrong dietary practices and excessive body mass may not only influence the risk of primary breast cancer but also the risk of its recurrence. Objective: Evaluation of dietary practices and identification of nutritional factors which may influence the risk of tumor recurrence in women with prior breast cancer. Materials and methods:...

In recent years, growing attention has been focused on the use of natural sources of antioxidants in the prevention of chronic diseases. Flavonoids are the examples of such substances. It is a group of bioactive compounds that are widely distributed in many plant-based foods and beverages. Flavonoid-rich products include, among others, berries, cit...

Background Abnormal body mass and related metabolic disorders may affect female reproductive health. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of underweight, overweight, obesity, lipid and glucose metabolism disorders, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome, among Polish women of childbearing age. Methods One thousand five hundred ei...

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, principally cardiovascular disease (CVDs), diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer, continue to be a burden for health systems in both developed and developing countries. NCDs and their complications are responsible for an increased number of deaths and expensive medical cost...

Rationale: Dysphagia in disabled patients usually receives limited attention. Unfortunately is not diagnosed and managed appropriately, what increase risk of complications. It is commonly known that swallowing disorders can lead to aspiration pneumonia, dehydration and malnutrition. Methods: In total, 116 patients (40.5% men and 59.5% women) with d...

Background: Diet is a modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Aim: To assess the diet quality in adult Polish population taking into consideration consumption of various nutrients as well as the total diet quality. Methods: Within the frame of the National Multicenter Health Survey (WOBASZ II), a random sample of the whole Pol...

Background: Flavonoids are a group of bioactive compounds that are extensively found in foodstuffs of plant origin. Their regular consumption plays an important role in the prevention of degenerative diseases, particularly cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Objective: The purpose of the study was to estimate dietary flavonoid intake among Polis...

Background: Abnormal body mass and related metabolic disorders may affect female reproductive health. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of under- and overweight, and also related metabolic disorders, among women at procreative age in Warsaw. Material and methods: 164 non-pregnant women at procreative age (20-49 years) living in Warsaw, w...

Unlabelled: Apart from the classic role of vitamin D, its hormonal active form, calcitriol is also characterized by pleiotropic effects on various organs and tissues. For the last several years, many researchers have shown an association between deficiency of vitamin D and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Recent investigations suggeste...

Flavonoids are a group of bioactive compounds that are extensively found in foodstuffs of plant origin. Their regular consumption is associated with reduced risk of a number of chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and neurodegenerative disorders. Flavonoids are classified into subgroups based on their chemical structure:...

Vitamin D is a compound responsible for maintaining mineral homeostasis. It protects against calcium and phosphate deficiency through the effects on the intestine, kidney, parathyroid gland and bone. All mechanisms that help maintain mineral homeostasis of the body are regulated by the vitamin D hormonal form - calcitriol. Synthesis of vitamin D st...

There is a growing body of evidence that improper intrauterine nutrition may negatively influence vascular health in later life. Maternal malnutrition may result in intrauterine growth retardation and, in turn, metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia, and also enhanced risk of atherosclerosis and car...

At the present, there is a pandemic of chronic non-communicable disease (NCD) affecting most countries of the world. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has identified the main contributing determinants to be cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, malignant cancer and chronic disease of the respiratory system. Unhealthy nutrition, as well as other...

There is a growing body of evidence that nutritional habits may have a significant effect on both male and female fertility. Maintenance of normal body mass may be effective in the prevention of infertility resulting from ovulatory disorders. Underweight and, to a larger degree, overweight and/or obesity, are related to the enhanced risk of inferti...

Autopsy and ultrasonographic studies reveal atheromatous lesions in many young subjects. The progression of these changes depends on the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. Some studies have suggested that coronary risk may depend also on birthweight. To estimate the relationship between carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), atherosclerosis r...

The fetal origin hypothesis of adult cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia in persons born with low birthweight, independently of their extrauterine risk factors, has been well established in the last decade of the twentieth century. However, mechanisms responsible for this relationship are still under investigatio...

In the developed countries nowadays, there is an epidemy of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), what is caused by aging of the populations. Macular concentration of lutein and zeaxantin decreases with age, what exacerbates harmful effect of blue light on photoreceptors. Lutein and zeaxantin act as a filter of the high energy blue light. Besides...

Atherosclerosis starts in childhood and develops with age. Its intensity depends on risk factors, such as overweight and obesity, disturbed lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, arterial hypertension, and smoking. The prevalence of these factors in Polish children and young adults is high and requires implementation of prevention measures to improve n...

Results of other studies indicate at increased predisposition of metabolic diseases in the adulthood in subjects born with low birthweight. To estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in adults in relation to birthweight and current body mass. Patients and methods. The study was performed in 498 subjects aged 24-29 years, born in Wars...

Atherosclerosis starts in childhood and develops with age. Its intensity depends on risk factors, such as overweight and obesity, disturbed lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, arterial hypertension, and smoking. The prevalence of these factors in Polish children and young adults is high and requires implementation of prevention measures to improve n...

Fish oils are the source of nutrients important for health maintenance. The most significant are essential fatty acids (EFA) of n-3 family, alkylglycerols and squalene. N-3 EFA are of great importance in atherosclerosis prevention. Alkylglycerols and squalene are modulators of immunity to infections and cancer. Shark liver oil contains great amount...

The aim of the study was to examine relation between maternal prepregnancy BMI, pregnancy weight gain and infant birthweight. In 1998 the questionnaire was sent to 227 women who were pregnant in 1993. 56.4% of the women under study responded the questionnaire. We excluded 33 answers because of miscarriage, stillbirths, twin pregnancies and also mis...

Hypertriglyceridemia contributes to atherosclerosis by many mechanisms. Fructose consumption aggravates triglyceridemia and physical exercise attenuates its effect.

Saturated and trans fatty acids play important role in atherogenesis. Coronary mortality is very high in Poland. High consumption of saturated fat is one of its main reasons. It is possible to decrease coronary mortality by reduction of animal fat consumption.

Maternal nutrition before and during pregnancy may influence the course of the pregnancy, foetal development and the child's health in its early and also adult life. Maternal underweight before pregnancy (BMI<19.8 kg/m2) and low pregnancy weight gain may increase the risk of low infant birth weight. There is accumulating evidence that persons who w...

Syndrome X is known as a coexistence of abdominal obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, hyperuricaemia and haemostatic disorders. They are precursors of type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and stroke. According to the new idea, 'the Barker hypothesis' the elements of syndrome X are programmed during fetal li...

Smoking exerts influences on the secretion of several hormones which are abnormal in obesity. Previous studies have mainly been performed in non-obese men, and data from non-obese and obese women are scarce. The aim of the present study was therefore to identify the effect of smoking on hormone secretions in obese and lean female smokers. The study...

The influence of fish oil on the level and composition of lipoprotein fractions in hypertriglyceridemic men was evaluated. The observation was performed in 2 groups of patients, 10 cases each (a cross-over study). In the group I subjects received fish oil first, in the dose of 12 grams daily (3.6 g of EPA and DHA) for 3 weeks, and then, for the nex...

Hypolipemic action of fish oil and gemfibrozil was compared. The study was performed in 12 men with endogenous hypertriglyceridemia. Subjects received fish oil 12 grams daily (3.6 g of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic fatty acids) for 3 weeks, and then, after an interval of at least 6 weeks, gemfibrozil in the dose of 900 mg daily. Results afte...

In a group of 18 patients with essential hyperlipidaemia the influence was studied of multivitamin CRP preparation given for 12 weeks, on lipid peroxides, cholesterol and triglycerides in the serum. The level of lipid peroxides was decreased significantly. This effect was associated with the increase of the serum level of vitamin E. A decrease was...