Background Sleep is an important regulator of metabolic and cardiovascular health. Insufficient sleep is associated with adverse health behaviors and increased cardiovascular risk in young adults. Understanding sleep patterns and risk awareness in this group is essential for prevention. Methods A nationally representative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 9,874 final-year Polish secondary school students. The questionnaire assessed sleep duration, physical activity, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, screen time, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure. Associations between weekday sleep duration and lifestyle factors and cardiovascular risk were analyzed. Results Over 46% of students reported sleeping less than 7 h on weekdays, with longer sleep on weekends (6.7 ± 1.3 vs. 9.0 ± 1.5 h, p < 0.001). Short sleep was associated with higher consumption of processed foods, alcohol use, tobacco smoking, lower winter physical activity, and greater screen time. Students sleeping <7 h were more often underweight or obese. Awareness of short sleep as a cardiometabolic risk factor was limited. Conclusions Insufficient sleep is common among Polish young adults and is associated with an unfavorable behavioral and cardiometabolic risk profile.
Dorota Godzina, A. Doryńska, Ludmiła Podgórska-Stawiecka et al.· Frontiers in sleep· 0 citations
Lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)) is an elusive yet powerful cardiovascular risk factor, largely independent of LDL cholesterol. Elevated Lp(a) increases the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, calcific aortic valve disease, heart failure, and abdominal aortic aneurysm. The challenge is that conventional lipid-lowering therapies have minimal impact on Lp(a), leaving patients with substantial residual risk. While observational and genetic studies generally support Lp(a) as a driver of cardiovascular events, results are not entirely consistent, and risk may differ between primary and secondary prevention. Novel therapies—including antisense oligonucleotides, siRNA therapeutics, CETP inhibitors, and experimental gene-editing approaches—show promising potential, reducing Lp(a) levels by up to 90%. Ongoing phase III trials will clarify whether these reductions translate into meaningful decreases in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This review critically examines the current evidence, highlights gaps in knowledge, and discusses emerging therapeutic strategies, emphasizing the need for individualized risk assessment. Lp(a) may soon shift from a “silent threat” to a precise, actionable target in cardiovascular prevention.
Michał Miszczak, P. Piwowarczyk, G. Sobieszek et al.· Biomedicines· 0 citations
