Cardiology Letters, 2012 (vol. 21), issue 6

Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation. Where have we come from, where are we today, and where are we heading?

Hlivák P

Cardiology Letters 2012, 21(6):502-509

Rosuvastatin has therapeutic potential in patients after heart transplantation.

Luknar M, Lesny P, Varga I, Solik P, Kucerova D, Danova K

Cardiology Letters 2012, 21(6):469-473  

Background: Heart transplant (HTx) recipients are at high cardiovascular risk and strict risk factor control is warranted. Hypercholesterolemia is frequent after HTx and statins are routinely administered. Statins, however, are linked to a substantial risk of harmful side effects. Rosuvastatin has been proven effective and safe in the general population. Data on rosuvastatin use in HTx recipients are scarce. We evaluated the safety of rosuvastatin and its influence on blood lipids in patients after HTx. Patients and methods: Sixteen HTx recipients with inadequate hypolipidemic response to fluvastatin 80 mg (median age 57 (36-60) years, 11 men) were...

Characteristics and long-term survival in patients with advanced heart failure.

Lesný P, Luknár M, Varga I, Solík P, Šoóšová I, Wimmerová S

Cardiology Letters 2012, 21(6):474-481  

Background: The prognosis of patients with advanced heart failure (HF) is unfavourable. Patients who are heart transplant candidates constitute a selected group of patients with advanced HF. Aim: To analyze the demographic and descriptive characteristics, long-term course and survival in patients with advanced heart failure hospitalized at the Heart Failure and Transplant Department (OZaT) of the National Cardiovascular Institute in Bratislava. Patients and methods: Consecutive patients (pts) with HF hospitalized at the OZaT from January 1, 1998, to January 1, 2010, were included in the follow-up and evaluation. All pts were referred by regional cardiologists...

Do we know the situation of the patients hospitalized for acute heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in Slovakia?

Varga I, Líška B, Solík P, Luknár M, Babej Š, Lesný P

Cardiology Letters 2012, 21(6):482-492  

Background: Heart failure is the cardiovascular disorder that is still increasing in incidence and prevalence. Patients with acute heart failure (AHF) represent the subgroup at highest risk for growing in-hospital and postdischarge mortality. From one third to one half of them have a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Purpose: To define and compare characteristics and outcomes between heart failure with preserved and reduced LVEF in a non-selected population of hospitalized AHF patients as well as to identify the parameters independently associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF). Methods: We used the data...

Corrected transposition of the great arteries in senior with dextrocardia and chronic heart failure.

Maňoušek J, Sepši M, Vytiska M, Zatočil T, Špinar J

Cardiology Letters 2012, 21(6):510-514  

The authors describe the case of a 70-year-old man with chronic ischemic heart disease, repeated myocardial infarctions, congestive heart failure with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and dextrocardia. The patient was referred from a peripheral hospital for a primary-preventive cardioverter-defibrillator implantation (ICD), and possibility for resynchronization therapy (ICD-CRT). During an echocardiographic examination, we found to our surprise a corrected transposition of the great arteries (right ventricle in the position of pump for the systemic circulation). Prior myocardial infarctions affected mostly the nonsystemic ventricle. Due to the...

Diabetes and heart failure

Murín J

Cardiology Letters 2012, 21(6):493-501  

Diabetes mellitus and heart failure are nowadays both diseases having epidemic characteristics. Diabetes seems to be an engine of heart failure development. More severe heart failure forms show more frequently the presence of diabetes. This is true for both systolic and diastolic heart failure types. In the pathophysiology of heart failure in diabetics there is an influence of myocardial ischaemia, of metabolic (lipidic and diabetic) serum changes and of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Also activation of the reninangiotensin-aldosterone system is important: mainly the alternative pathway where enhanced activity of ACE-2 enzyme seems to be present. The author...