Clinical reasearches

Bronchiectasis refers to the infection of bronchiectases, which are permanent dilations resulting from damage to the muscular elements that form the walls of the bronchi. The widening of the bronchi can be caused by congenital anomalies, bacterial infections, and other factors. Common causes of the condition include stress, social tension or isolation, unfortunate events such as the loss of a relative, long-term illnesses, and hormonal imbalances.

The disease is characterized by symptoms such as chronic cough, accompanied by abundant sputum, often mixed with blood or pus. The illness may present with alternating periods of exacerbation and remission.

Hypertriglyceridemia is diagnosed when plasma triglyceride levels are elevated above 2.0 mmol/L. Triglycerides can be exogenous—obtained through food—or endogenous, synthesized in the liver and transported in the blood as VLDL.

When triglyceride levels are high, there is a risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Critically high levels increase the risk of acute pancreatitis. Elevated triglycerides can lead to clinical manifestations such as pain in the back, chest, or abdomen, nausea, shortness of breath, and dermatological symptoms like xanthomas.

The causes of hypertriglyceridemia are varied: hereditary conditions, obesity, hypothyroidism, pregnancy, diabetes mellitus, certain medications, and more.

The primary means of preventing influenza and its associated complications and premature death is seasonal influenza vaccination.

Bulgaria is one of the countries in the European Union with a very low immunization coverage – 4 to 5 doses of influenza vaccine per 100 individuals.

A direct task of the public health system in Bulgaria is to create an effective organization for conducting routine annual pre-season influenza vaccination primarily targeting high-risk groups of the population. Increased use of influenza vaccines in accordance with the recommendations of the World Health Assembly since 2003 will lead to a reduction in the burden and losses from influenza epidemics – results that not only have significant health importance but also have proven economic effectiveness. Modern influenza vaccines are trivalent and contain one antigenic representative of subtypes A/H3N2/ and A/H1N1/ of influenza viruses of type A and one of the influenza virus type B.

Influenza vaccines are recommended for annual immunization of:

• Individuals who, due to their age or the presence of predisposing conditions, are at increased risk of complications from influenza.
• Individuals who are at increased risk of influenza infection.
• Everyone who is in contact with individuals at increased risk of complications from influenza.
• Individuals of all age groups who wish to protect themselves from the disease.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that causes mild symptoms similar to the common cold. Typically, individuals infected with RSV recover in about a week without requiring medical treatment. However, RSV can cause severe illness and death in infants under six months of age, individuals over 65 years of age, and people with compromised immune systems.

Each year in the EU, Norway, and the United Kingdom, RSV is responsible for hospitalizing approximately 213,000 children under the age of five and about 158,000 adults with some requiring intensive care. Every year, one in twenty elderly individuals in Europe becomes infected with RSV.

RSV affects different age groups differently but the most common symptoms of the disease include:

• Coughing
• Sneezing
• Fever
• Wheezing
• Hoarseness
• Sore throat
• Headache
• Nasal congestion
• Fatigue

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a condition in which the myelin, the substance that insulates and protects the nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord, is damaged.
 

The damage disrupts communication between the nervous system and the rest of the body. In addition to myelin loss, there may sometimes be damage to the nerve fibres themselves, leading to increased disability that may occur over time.

The disease usually begins between the ages of 20 and 40 and is twice as common in women as in men. Symptoms of MS are highly varied and vary significantly among different patients, as well as at different stages of the disease in the same individual. Some MS patients may not develop symptoms for a varying period of time. Others experience 2-3 attacks per year. Symptoms can be categorized into several groups:

• Numbness and tingling;
• Pain and spasms;
• Fatigue and weakness;
• Balance and dizziness issues;
• Bladder and bowel dysfunction;
• Sexual dysfunction;
• Cognitive problems;
• Changes in emotional health.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is among the lung diseases characterized by partial or complete restriction of airflow. It results from inflammation of the lung tissue due to inhaling gases and particles from the air.

It can manifest as chronic bronchitis or as pulmonary emphysema. A primary risk factor for the disease is smoking. Those affected are mainly men around the age of 50 who are smokers.

Symptoms typical of COPD include coughing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and phlegm production, among others. Periods of exacerbation may alternate with symptom-free periods.

Asthma is a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the airways. The inflammation and swelling of the airway wall lead to narrowing of their lumen.

Because of this inflammation, the muscles around the airways become more sensitive to various irritants. This can cause their contraction and also lead to narrowing of the bronchial tubes’ lumen, making breathing difficult. The smaller the diameter of the airways, the harder it is to breathe. More mucus may also be produced, which further obstructs breathing by accumulating in the bronchial tubes’ lumen.

The condition is characterized by recurrent episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing, triggered by nonspecific irritants (toxic gases such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, dust, cold air and odours).

The severity of asthma attacks varies from mild to life-threatening. The characteristic feature of asthma is that the attacks are periodic.