Live Life! Get the most of your time – Innovation in chronic disease prevention

The aim of the session is to acquaint the audience with the knowledge of contemporary prevention in the prevention of chronic diseases and the formation of pro-health attitudes for the benefit of individuals and the general population.
The session will consist of two parts, hosted by Medical University of Silesia (SUM) and Academy of Physical Education in Katowice (AWF)
Each part will consist of an introductory lecture and a panel discussion (3 speakers, for each panel). Moderators have experience with such events.

I part of panel discussion – SUM

The aging of the growing population is a social and medical problem in many European countries, including Poland. The key consequence of becoming older is progressive functional decline that leads to loss of independence which results in the need for social and medical support and poses a high economic burden on national healthcare systems. Maintenance of the best possible functional integrity of essential organs is considered the most important part of healthy aging.

The decline in skeletal muscle function with increasing age, recently called sarcopenia and recognized as a distinct clinical syndrome, along with progressive loss of normal bone architecture and reduction in its strength, long known as osteoporosis, are the main reasons for poor quality of life, elevated risk of falls and fractures in elderly people.

In the elderly population living in the community, sarcopenia and osteoporosis frequently coexist and their natural trajectory in the individual patient may be accelerated by numerous risk factors and chronic inflammatory diseases.

Our discussion will focus on three emerging risk factors for sarcopenia / osteoporosis. In addition, we are going to discuss methods to limit the risk and reduce health consequences at the population level.

First, we will look at the impact of acidic load in the human diet.

The second newly identified risk factor for accelerated aging of muscles and bones is the addition of inorganic phosphorus to foods.

In the last section, our aim is to provide new information on the association between particulate and gaseous air pollution and the risk of sarcopenia development and accelerated trajectory.

II part of panel discussion – AWF

The second part of the panel is based on the presentation of broadly understood physical activity which has a direct impact on the health of socjety in both children and the elderly. The invited speakers will touch on the followings topics:

1. Ninanki GO!

Movement is a fundamental aspect of life, and in its correct form, it is the best gift which we can give a child. The aim of our project is to convey knowledge about the seven movement patterns in an exciting way. We assume that the project will be part of an educational program for children aged 4-10. You should remember to communicate with the child in a way that is understandable to him or her. We intend to promote motor learning for children by implementing a project called Ninanki.

Ninanki represent the animal world where movement is a natural biological need, just as it is in the case of a young person. Identifying animals with individual movements will allow children to learn the fundamental principles of movement in an attractive way, and a properly selected program of sports activities will positively affect their physical and emotional development.

2. New technologies in controlling physical activity

Providing adequate energy through physical activity, is a key goal for maintaining people’s health and self-sufficiency. At the same time, we observe that more and more people have problems with, carbohydrate metabolism disorders, high blood pressure, and cardiac diseases. In recent years, devices dedicated to monitoring physical activity, have become popular. However, there are many norms and different approaches to help appropriate the duration of workouts. Physical activity monitors allow to individualize human nutrition strategy during exercise and on a daily basis, contributing to improved health, well-being, and athletic performance.

3. Innovations in the diagnosis of postural disorders in the elderly 

Maintenance of upright posture is one of the most underestimated daily activities. It gives us independence in social life. Physiological involutionary processes occurring with age in the nervous system, such as reduced muscle strength, proprioception and impaired vision i influence on upright posture. Therefore, balance worsens with aging. Poor balance per- formance has been repeatedly shown to be a risk factor for falls. Unintentional falls among people over 65 yr. of age are an increasing problem and are the lead- ing cause ofinjury-related deaths.The early identification of balance disorders and their appropriate interpretation may prevent falls leading to injuries and, consequently, the loss of independence.

Speakers invited to the panel:

1. Chairman: Piotr Rozentryt, MD, PhD, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland,
2. Ph.D. Jolanta Malinowska-Borowska, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland,
3. Prof. Grzegorz Dziubanek, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland,
4. Ms. Małgorzata Piecuch, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland,
5. Chairman: Ph.D. Kajetan Słomka, Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Katowice, Poland,
6. MD PhD Krzysztof Ficek, Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Katowice, Poland,
7. Ph.D. Justyna Michalska, Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Katowice, Poland,
8. Ph.D. Petr Stastny, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Institutions involved:

• Medical University of Silesia
• Academy of Physical Education in Katowice