| Abstract [eng] |
Master's thesis of Viktorija Karteškina "Usage of herbal preparations sold in Lithuania for the prevention of atherosclerosis". Supervisor of the research: lecturer. Dr. Kostas Ivanauskas; Vilnius University Faculty of Medicine Institute of Biomedical Sciences Pharmacy Centre. The aim of the research: to analyse the attitude of the respondents towards preparations of plant origin for the prevention of atherosclerosis and the trends in the use of these preparations. Objectives: 1. To assess the correlations between the respondents' sociodemographic characteristics and the chosen lifestyle. 2. To analyse the features of the atherosclerosis prevention strategy indicated by the respondents. 3. To determine the peculiarities of the use of preparations of herbal origin for the prevention of atherosclerosis. Research methodology and object: in March - May 2023, an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted, in which adult residents of Lithuania participated. The questionnaire consisted of 19 questions about the trends in the use of herbal preparations, a total of 400 respondents participated in the study. The collected data were processed using IBM SPSS 29.0 and Microsoft Office Excel for statistical analysis. Results: More than half of the participants do not use anti-atherosclerosis preparations. Among those who use, the majority choose herbal preparations. Smoking was more common among men, and a significant association between smoking and cardiovascular disease was observed. Men consumed more alcohol than women, and age and social status influenced drinking patterns. Those with higher education had more knowledge and used herbal origin preparations more often for the prevention of atherosclerosis. Participants gave different reasons for using or not using herbal origin preparations, including recommendations from health care professionals or friends/relatives. It was observed that the participants usually ask a pharmacist for advice on the use of herbal preparations rather than a doctor. Conclusions: 1. In summary, it can be stated that after the analysis it was found that people with higher education are more knowledgeable about herbal preparations for the prevention of atherosclerosis. They are more likely to use these preparations regularly. Men are more likely to smoke and have more cardiovascular disease and drink more alcohol than women. It has been observed that younger people consume alcohol the most. Social status affects alcohol consumption, with employed respondents consuming less alcohol than unemployed respondents. 2. The conducted study revealed that the majority of participants (61.4%) preferred herbal preparations for the prevention of atherosclerosis, which indicates a preference for natural alternatives. Some participants also used chemical preparations (13.7%) or a combination of herbal and chemical preparations (24.9%). Green tea extract and spirulina were noted to be popular choices. 3. The study revealed that the majority of participants indicated that they felt a positive effect (82.6%) and expressed a desire to use the preparations repeatedly (68%). Reasons for use varied, including preventive measures (45.6%) and recommendations from healthcare professionals (38%). |
