Cardiology Letters, 2023 (vol. 32), issue 2

Comment on 2022 ESC Guidelines on cardio-oncology

Slanina M

Cardiology Letters 2023, 32(2):77-81  

Hypertension in pregnancy. How to manage patients according to the latest recommendations

Beňová K, Vachulová A, Sirotiaková J

Cardiology Letters 2023, 32(2):82-91  

Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are some of the most frequent complications of pregnancy, including a wide spectrum of a nosological unit of various etiology, course, and prognosis. Pregnant patients with hypertension require regular follow up. It is important to identify women with a high risk of developing preeclampsia. In each patient, it is necessary to administer effective antihypertensive treatment for the mother while maintaining the safety of the administered treatment for the fetus. The review outlines the definition, classification and treatment of patients with hypertension during pregnancy, taking into account the availability of medications...

Lyme carditis - one face of Lyme borreliosis

Dúbrava M, Koščálová A, Jánošiová J

Cardiology Letters 2023, 32(2):92-102  

Lyme borreliosis (LB) belongs to clinically significant anthropozoonoses. It is caused by spirochetes of the genus Borrelia, which is transmitted to humans by a tick. Due to climate change, we must expect that LB will occur even more often than before in our country as well. The leading clinical manifestation of LB is self-limiting erythema migrans. However, after dissemination of the pathogen from the skin to various tissues, LB becomes a systemic disease and can manifest as a target organ disease that has the potential to significantly reduce the quality of life. Such organ localizations also include the heart, although rarely. Lyme carditis (LC)...

Heart failure screening and prevention in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Klabník A, Murín J

Cardiology Letters 2023, 32(2):103-114  

Physicians have traditionally overlooked prevention of heart failure (HF) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and considerable effort was focused on ischemic macrovascular complications. Diabetes promotes development of HF through hyperinsulinemia rather than hyperglycemia. Several clinical risk scores can robustly identify high-risk DM patients who may benefit most from earlier HF prevention and innovative therapies. We propose a two-step approach for HF screeening using a clinical risk score followed by selective biomarker testing on at least a yearly basis in low or intermediate risk individuals. In addition, open access echocardiography...

Complications in patients with Fontan circulation

Záhorec M

Cardiology Letters 2023, 32(2):115-128  

It has been 50 years since the Fontan operation was introduced and it is still used in clinical praxis as the final interventional solution for complex congenital heart disease with single ventricle physiology. As a results of its modifications, improvements in patient selection and perioperative care, survival has steadily increased. A growing number of longterm survivors is discovering the challenges of this non-physiologic circuit. The absence of a subpulmonary ventricle is characterized by chronically elevated systemic venous pressures and decreased cardiac output. Systolic and more importantly diastolic dysfunction, arrhythmia, thromboembolism...

"FBI" tachycardia

Šimurda M

Cardiology Letters 2023, 32(2):129-137  

The case report presents a case of preexcited atrial fibrillation, the so-called FBI (fastbroad-irregular) tachycardia. It discusses the characteristic ECG signs of this dysrhythmia, the diagnostic procedure, differential diagnosis and recommended acute and chronic management of patients with atrial fibrillation and accessory pathway.

12. stretnutie zástupcov centier pre pľúcnu artériovú hypertenziu

Anton Dlesk, Ján Postulka, Jana Poláková Mištinová, Eva Gonçalvesová

Cardiology Letters 2023, 32(2):142-148  

Prediction of left ventricular reverse remodelling. Mini review on clinical aspects

Chudy M, Goncalvesova E

Cardiology Letters 2023, 32(2):138-141