{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,18]],"date-time":"2026-03-18T10:16:42Z","timestamp":1773829002724,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,17]],"date-time":"2026-03-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773705600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) face greater morbidity, multimorbidity, and premature mortality than the general population. Medical data on this population in Gda\u0144sk remain scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, age distribution, comorbidity burden, and healthcare utilization of selected neurological and vascular diseases among homeless men in Gda\u0144sk, Poland. Methods: A retrospective secondary analysis was performed using data from 551 men residing in shelters operated by the largest PEH support organization in Gda\u0144sk. A random sample of 226 individuals (95% confidence level) was analyzed, selected by randomization in Microsoft Excel. Data were extracted from interviews, verified medical documentation, and staff records. Results: Mean age was 57.0 (SD 12.9) years (median 60). Among the studied sample, essential (primary) hypertension (20.4%), heart failure (10.2%), atrial fibrillation (8.9%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (8.4%) were the most common conditions. Sequelae of cerebrovascular disease (ICD-10: I69) affected 8.9% of participants; this subgroup was older and had higher rates of disability certification and hospitalization than the overall sample. Epilepsy (12.0%) and polyneuropathy (4.0%) differed in age distribution, disability rates, and comorbidity burden, with the epilepsy subgroup displaying high substance-use prevalence. Overall, 44.0% of the sample had been hospitalized since 2019. Conclusions: Homeless men in Gda\u0144sk present a high burden of neurological and vascular disease at comparatively young ages, along with substantial multimorbidity. These findings highlight structural inequalities in healthcare access and the need for integrated, equity-oriented health and social care interventions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15062278","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,17]],"date-time":"2026-03-17T10:21:41Z","timestamp":1773742901000},"page":"2278","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Health Challenges in Vulnerable Populations: Neurological and Vascular Diseases Among People Experiencing Homelessness in Gda\u0144sk, Poland: An Observational Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2429-2867","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Krzysztof B.","family":"Klimiuk","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gda\u0144sk, 80-214 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6404-0568","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Micha\u0142","family":"B\u0142aszczyk-Niezgoda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurophysiology, Neuropsychology and Neuroinformatics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gda\u0144sk, 80-214 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Neurology and Stroke, Nicolaus Copernicus Hospital, COPERNICUS PL Sp. z o. o., 80-803 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-8826-9272","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anna","family":"Kurek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Gda\u0144sk, 80-214 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Piotr","family":"Glimasi\u0144ski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Gda\u0144sk Branch, Saint Brother Albert\u2019s Aid Society, 80-518 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dawid","family":"Krefta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Warsaw School of Economics, 02-554 Warsaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8821-7911","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"\u0141ukasz","family":"Balwicki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Social Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gda\u0144sk, 80-214 Gda\u0144sk, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) (2026, March 01). 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