Cardiology Letters, 2019 (vol. 28), issue 4-5

Štvrtá univerzálna definícia infarktu myokardu. Komentár k ESC/ACC/AHA/WHF 2018 odporúčaniam

Studenčan M

Cardiology Letters 2019, 28(4):145-147  

ESC/EACTS Odporúčania pre revaskularizáciu myokardu z roku 2018. Komentár k odporúčaniam

Kovář F, Fridrich V

Cardiology Letters 2019, 28(4):148-150  

Patient management after myocardial infarction

Kmec J, Studenčan J, Kmec M

Cardiology Letters 2019, 28(4):158-167  

The in-hospital mortality of unselected patients with STEMI in the national registries of the ESC countries varies between 4 - 12%. Key lifestyle interventions include cessation of smoking, optimal blood pressure control, diet advice and weight control, and encouraging physical activity. Europe and US guidelines for optimizing post-MI drug therapy recommend intensive hypolipidemic therapy, ACE inhibitors/ARB, antithrombotic therapy and beta-blockers. Low treatment adherence is an important barrier to achieving optimal treatment targets and is associated with worse outcomes. A suitable strategy to reduce the lack of adherence is to use fixed combinations...

CLARIFY registry: focus on the subgroup of patients with stable angina pectoris

Murín J, Kamenský G

Cardiology Letters 2019, 28(4):168-173  

The CLARIFY registry helps us in focusing on patients with stable angina pectoris who are suffering from angina symptoms. It also helps us to compare characteristics of Slovak patients (55 persons) with the characteristics of European patients (without Slovakia, 4864 persons). Furthermore, it enables comparison of our treatments here. Slovak patients are more severely ill (more severe hypertension, obesity, diabetes, less non-smokers, less exercising patients, more patients suffered myocardial infarction, stroke and atrial fibrillation and more patients have heart failure). These patients are less frequent in achieving the targets of blood pressure...

The potential effect of LHRH angonists on myocardial angiogenesis

Valášková Z, Hulín I, El Hassoun O, Polák Š, Mladosievičová B

Cardiology Letters 2019, 28(4):174-177  

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists have anti-angiogenic effects in tumor tissue. They are also likely to be associated with an increased cardiovascular risk in patients with prostate carcinoma, especially in those with preexisting cardiac and vascular disease. Studies aiming to elucidate the mechanisms by which androgen deprivation therapy causes cardiovascular effects are rare. We believe that luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists can impair myocardial angiogenesis. In patients with myocardial disease can deepen hypoxia, significantly worsen the condition of the myocardium, and therefore increase the risk of heart failure. Careful...

Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors in the treatment of a patient with dyslipidemia and myopathy

Nesvadba M, Cmorej PCh, Vostrý M, Peřan D, Bureš P, Kohlová A

Cardiology Letters 2019, 28(4):184-187  

We present a 46-year-old patient with mixed dyslipidaemia and muscle pain. This patient, despite his low age, had a myocardial infarction and was subsequently indicated for the treatment of dyslipidaemia in secondary prevention. Significant elevation of creatine kinase occurred at the beginning of statin therapy. For this reason statins were discontinued and the patient was referred to a lipidology clinic. Ezetimibe and fenofibrate were used in the clinic. These drugs did not achieve the LDL-cholesterol target and therefore the proprotein convertase inhibitor subtilisin / kexin type 9 (PCSK9), with excellent tolerance and desirable reduction in LDL-cholesterol...

Permanent stimulation of His bundle - initial experiences

Ťažký V, Čambál D, Hojerová S, Beňačka J

Cardiology Letters 2019, 28(4):151-157  

Goal of the paper: Permanent cardiac pacing of the right ventricle is an effective therapeutic option for patients with bradycardic rhythm disorders. Pacing of the right ventricle, especially its apex, currently remains the most widely used method due to simple implantation. The unfavourable effect of long-term pacing on hemodynamic condition led to the development of novel implantation methods. His bundle pacing (HBP) is currently the most topical physiologic alternative to permanent pacing. HBP gives a real chance for achieving physiologic cardiac pacing by the prevention of ventricular dyssynchrony. Methods: Permanent cardiac pacing by stimulating...

SynCardia total artificial heart as a bridge to transplant: Current results at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Slovakia

Hulman M, Artemiou P, Hudec V, Olejarova I, Goncalvesova E

Cardiology Letters 2019, 28(4):178-183  

In this case series we present our initial experience with the implantation of the SynCardia total artificial heart (TAH) in three patients, the first of which was the first SynCardia TAH implantation in the Visegrad Four (V4) countries. The first and the third patients, after 195 and 126 days of TAH support respectively, experienced successful heart transplants, while the second patient on postoperative day 11 died due to a ruptured undiagnosed brain aneurysm. Our results show that the SynCardia TAH is an alternative therapy in patients with severe end-stage biventricular heart failure waiting for heart transplantation. It is an intermediate step...