Cardiology Letters, 2021 (vol. 30), issue 2

Komentár k novým Odporúčaniam ESC pre manažment pacientov s akútnym infarktom myokardu bez pretrvávajúcich elevácií ST segmentu (NSTEMI) z roku 2020

Orban M, Liška D, Fedáková L, Hudec M

Cardiology Letters 2021, 30(2):89-93  

Case fatality rate among elderly patients with acute coronary syndrome and its temporal changes during the early 21st century in Slovakia

Dúbrava M, Baráková A, Jánošiová J, Hatala R

Cardiology Letters 2021, 30(2):94-103  

Background: Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) account for a significant proportion of cardiovascular deaths. Precise information on age-specific case fatality rate (lethality) in elderly patients with ACS in Slovakia is missing. This study aimed to assess the temporal changes in the early and mid-term lethality of elderly patients during the last decade. Patients and methods: Based on the data from the Slovak "Registry of the Acute Coronary Syndrome" (part of the "National Registry of Diseases of the Circulatory System") we have analysed the 30-day lethality and 1-year lethality of patients with ACS in the years 2010, 2015 and 2018. During these years...

Spironolactone and its use in the treatment of arterial hypertension in real world practice in the Slovak Republic

Szalay T, Tulejová H, Mužik R, Halušťoková K, Hatala R

Cardiology Letters 2021, 30(2):104-110  

Spironolactone is a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist that has been used in internal medicine for over 60 years, especially in the treatment of fluid retention. Based on evidence-based medicine, an explicit indication for the administration of spironolactone for the treatment of resistant hypertension not sufficiently responsive to the triple combination of antihypertensives (optimal: renin angiotensin system blocker + calcium channel blocker + diuretic) was included in the European ESH/ESC Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension for the first time in 2018. The aim of the work was a retrospective analysis of the use of spironolactone...

The effect of age and hypertension on activity of circulating matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) in rats

Kollárová M, Púzserová A, Bališ P, Radošinská D, Tóthová Ľ, Barteková M, Barančík M, Radošinská J

Cardiology Letters 2021, 30(2):111-118  

Aims: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are important in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular. The aim of the proposed study was to monitor the activities of MMP-2 and MMP9 in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and their normotensive controls - Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) of different age categories. Methods: Animals were divided into 6 groups, based on age (7, 20, and 52 weeks) and normo/hypertension: WKY-7, WKY-20, WKY-52, SHR-7, SHR-20, and SHR-52. Plasma activities of MMPs were determined by gelatin zymography. In addition, parameters of oxidative stress and antioxidant status, as well as NT-proBNP, as a marker of cardiac function...

Prothrombotic milieu (arterial and venous thrombosis) in COVID-19 disease and its clinical impact

Nehaj F, Sokol J, Tomka J, Chudej J, Hatala R

Cardiology Letters 2021, 30(2):119-125  

COVID-19 disease (Corona Virus Disease 19), especially its severe forms, is frequently accompanied by thrombotic or thromboembolic events with various organ localizations. These life-threatening complications are due to enhanced prothrombotic milieu of multifactorial aetiology. Main pathogenetic factors are: 1. dysregulation of the renin-angiotensin aldosterone system (RAAS) with decreased protective activity of ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme), and 2. complex immune response of the infected organism. The incidence of venous thrombosis in studies on severe COVID-19 cases can be as high as 30% and is frequently refractory to prophylactic anticoagulation....

The value of transthoracic echocardiography in patients with left ventricular assist devices

Dlesk A, Lesný P, Beňačka O, Gonçalvesová E

Cardiology Letters 2021, 30(2):126-133  

Progress in the development of left ventricular assist devices in the last decade has resulted in a constantly increasing number of patients with these devices. Although this therapeutic modality is reserved for a small number of patients with advanced heart failure, an increasing number of left ventricular assist device implantations causes these patients to be seen more often by cardiologists in various health care providers due to a worsening health condition for various reasons. Further improvement and miniaturization of these devices is expected in the near future, which will allow their wider use. Transthoracic echocardiography plays a key role...