Balkan Medical JournalPub Date : 2025-03-03DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-10-40.response
Anıl Şahin, Tuğçe Çöllüoğlu, Ahmet Çelik, Naim Ata, Mehmet Birhan Yılmaz, Dilek Ural, Arzu Kanık, Mustafa Okan Ayvalı, Mustafa Mahir Ülgü, Şuayip Birinci
{"title":"In Response to \"The Importance of Age Standardisation in Comparing Regional Inequalities\".","authors":"Anıl Şahin, Tuğçe Çöllüoğlu, Ahmet Çelik, Naim Ata, Mehmet Birhan Yılmaz, Dilek Ural, Arzu Kanık, Mustafa Okan Ayvalı, Mustafa Mahir Ülgü, Şuayip Birinci","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-10-40.response","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-10-40.response","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":"42 2","pages":"181-182"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881540/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143539854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Balkan Medical JournalPub Date : 2025-03-03Epub Date: 2024-12-09DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-9-89
Nicholas G Kounis, Virginia Mplani, Alexandr Ceasovschih
{"title":"A Multidirectional Interrelationship: Iron Deficiency Anemia Begets Angular Cheilitis and Atrial Fibrillation, Atrial Fibrillation Begets Heart Failure and Heart Failure Begets Atrial Fibrillation and Anemia","authors":"Nicholas G Kounis, Virginia Mplani, Alexandr Ceasovschih","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-9-89","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-9-89","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":"172-173"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881548/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142794307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Balkan Medical JournalPub Date : 2025-03-03Epub Date: 2025-01-13DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-11-137
Leizhi Ku, Xiaojing Ma
{"title":"Multimodality Imaging Assessment of a Multi-Organ Hydatid Cyst","authors":"Leizhi Ku, Xiaojing Ma","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-11-137","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-11-137","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":"164-165"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881522/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142969493","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Balkan Medical JournalPub Date : 2025-03-03DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-12-110
Ahmet Çelik, Güzin Zeren Öztürk, Yüksel Çavuşoğlu, Cüneyt Ardıç, Sanem Nalbantgil, Seçil Arıca, Ahmet Temizhan, Hakan Altay, Mehmet Birhan Yılmaz, Haluk Özsarı, Dilek Ural
{"title":"Guideline for the Use of Natriuretic Peptides in the Early Diagnosis and Management of Heart Failure in Primary Care <i>(Joint Consensus Report by the Eurasian Society of Heart Failure and the Turkish Association of Family Medicine)</i>.","authors":"Ahmet Çelik, Güzin Zeren Öztürk, Yüksel Çavuşoğlu, Cüneyt Ardıç, Sanem Nalbantgil, Seçil Arıca, Ahmet Temizhan, Hakan Altay, Mehmet Birhan Yılmaz, Haluk Özsarı, Dilek Ural","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-12-110","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-12-110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and effective management at the primary care level are essential for improving patient outcomes and reducing the burden on the healthcare systems. The Eurasian Society of HF and the Turkish Association of Family Medicine developed a guideline that underscores the critical role of natriuretic peptides (NPs) in the early detection, diagnosis, and management of HF. NPs, particularly the N-terminal pro-B-type NP, are a reliable biomarker for identifying HF, guiding treatment decisions, and monitoring disease progression. This guideline emphasizes the importance of measuring the levels of these peptides in primary care so as to detect individuals at risk, confirm the diagnosis of HF in symptomatic patients, and evaluate the treatment response. The recommended thresholds for NP levels account for variations arising from factors such as age, gender, and the presence of other health conditions. B-type natriuretic peptides (BNP) levels ≥ 35 pg/ml or N-terminus-proBNP levels ≥ 125 pg/ml are used to confirm the likelihood of HF in symptomatic patients, enabling timely diagnosis and appropriate intervention. Incorporating NP testing into routine clinical practice enables timely referrals and ensures appropriate management at all stages of HF. Beyond diagnosis, the measurement of NPs provides valuable information about treatment effectiveness and prognosis, allowing clinicians to individualize the treatment. By integrating NP testing into primary care, healthcare providers can facilitate early detection, optimize treatment strategies, and improve the quality of life for patients with or at risk of HF. Thus, this guideline highlights the essential role of primary care physicians in addressing the growing challenges of HF through the effective and evidence-based use of NPs.</p>","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":"42 2","pages":"94-107"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881534/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143539891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Burden of Diseases Attributable to Low Physical Activity in the Middle East and North Africa: an Analysis Based on Global Burden of Disease Study.","authors":"Mohsen Farrokhpour, Bijan Forogh, Golsa Gholampour, Seyed Aria Nejadghaderi, Amirhossein Habibzadeh, Amin Nakhostin-Ansari, Homa Seyedmirzaei","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2025-1-20","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2025-1-20","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Research on low physical activity (LPA) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remains limited.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>To assess the disease burden associated with LPA using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study.</p><p><strong>Study design: </strong>Longitudinal epidemiological study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>GBD 2021 data were used to extract information on the burden of eight LPA-related conditions-breast cancer, chronic kidney disease, colorectal cancer, diabetes mellitus (DM), ischemic heart disease, lower extremity peripheral arterial disease, stroke, and tuberculosis-analyzed by age group, sex, country within MENA, and year (1990-2021).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The age-standardized disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rate for LPA-related diseases in MENA declined by 8.62%, from 431.84 per 100,000 people in 1990 to 394.64 per 100,000 in 2021. In 2021, Sudan (846.47 per 100,000), Iraq (630.29 per 100,000), and Afghanistan (626.88 per 100,000) recorded the highest age-standardized DALY rates. Across all age groups, females had higher DALY rates than males in both 1990 and 2021.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Despite a recent decline, the MENA region continues to experience a greater LPA-attributable disease burden than the global average. The increasing contribution of DM and breast cancer highlights evolving trends, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions such as lifestyle promotion and improved access to health facilities.</p>","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":"42 2","pages":"121-129"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881527/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143539845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Balkan Medical JournalPub Date : 2025-03-03Epub Date: 2025-01-15DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-9-31
Güllü Gencebay, Anıl Gülsel Bahalı, Didem Dizman, Melisa Özay, Özlem Su Küçük
{"title":"Baricitinib for the Treatment of Moderate-to-Severe Alopecia Areata","authors":"Güllü Gencebay, Anıl Gülsel Bahalı, Didem Dizman, Melisa Özay, Özlem Su Küçük","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-9-31","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2024-9-31","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":"176-179"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881537/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142982522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Balkan Medical JournalPub Date : 2025-03-03DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2025.180225
Alperen Vural, Marco Ferrari
{"title":"Advances and the Future of Skull Base Surgery.","authors":"Alperen Vural, Marco Ferrari","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2025.180225","DOIUrl":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2025.2025.180225","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":"42 2","pages":"90-91"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11881544/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143539928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Balkan Medical JournalPub Date : 2025-01-31DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-9-53
Sónia Barros, Margarida Portugal, Luís Miguel Relvas, Ana Margarida Vaz, Bruno Peixe
{"title":"Effective Management of Buried Bumper Syndrome with the Balloon Dilation Pull Technique.","authors":"Sónia Barros, Margarida Portugal, Luís Miguel Relvas, Ana Margarida Vaz, Bruno Peixe","doi":"10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-9-53","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-9-53","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8690,"journal":{"name":"Balkan Medical Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143062888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}