Cardiology Letters, 2011 (vol. 20), issue 4
Original article
Gender differences and early mortality in acute myocardial infarction.
Tomasek A, Janousek S, Nemec P, Adamkova R
Cardiology Letters 2011, 20(4):292-300 
Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of cardiovascular mortality in European countries. Despite a lower incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), its mortality is higher in women than in men. The reasons for this phenomenon have been widely discussed in literature. Aims: To analyse the clinical course, treatment, complications and early (in-hospital) mortality of AMI patients with the focus on identification of sex differences and analysis of their causes. The key question is whether gender is an independent risk factor of mortality in AMI. Methods and study group: The retrospective analysis of 889 consecutive...
Alterations of myocardial NOS activity and connexin-43 expression in rats suffering from hypertension and hypertriglyceridemia are attenuated by omegy-3 fatty acids
Radosinska J, Bacova B, Bernatova I, Navarova J, Benova T, Tribulova N
Cardiology Letters 2011, 20(4):301-310
Introduction: Our previous and others studies´ suggest that NO bioavailability and cell-to-cell coupling protein, connexin-43 (Cx43), are abnormal in diseased hearts of humans as well as experimental animals. Consequently, it can contribute to deterioration of heart function and occurrence of life-threatening arrhythmias. Objective: We tested our hypothesis that the cardioprotective compounds, omega-3 PUFA, may be beneficial in hypertensive and hypertriglyceridemic rats in respect to disease-related abnormalities in NO production and Cx43 expression. Methods: Myocardial nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and Cx43 expression were investigated in young...
Review
Copeptin as novel and significant marker in the diagnostics and prognosis of acute cardiovascular diseases and hyponatremias
Hrnčiar J
Cardiology Letters 2011, 20(4):311-317
In contemporary clinical praxis copeptin, a C-terminal polypeptide of the prohormone molecule of arginine vasopressin (AVP) or the antidiuretic hormone (ADH), has proved to be (given the stability of its molecule) a timely and sensitive marker of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), congestive heart failure and cerebrovascular accident (CVA) where the V1 AVP receptors are pathogenetically more involved. The levels of copeptin and levels of troponin T in AMI even enable mortality prognosis of the disease. Normal levels of copeptin and troponin 4-6 hours after first symptoms appear rule out AMI and have a 99 percent negative predictive value. Copeptin...