Official journal of the Slovak Society of Cardiology,
Slovak Society of Hypertension and Slovak Association for Cardiac Arrhythmias

Cardiology Letters, 2026 (vol. 35), issue 2

Editorial

Komentár k odporúčaniam ESC pre manažment kardiovaskulárnych ochorení v gravidite 2025

Juraj Dúbrava, Miroslav Korbeľ

Cardiology Letters 2026, 35(2):69-75  

Original article

Right ventricular free wall longitudinal strain in heart failure with preserved and mild reduced ejection fraction. Application and prognostic implications

Daniel Grados-Saso, Juan Manuel Salvador-Casabón, Anyuli García-Gutiérrez, Ana María Martínez-Royo, Juan Ignacio Pérez-Calvo, Isaac Lacambra-Blasco

Cardiology Letters 2026, 35(2):83-89  

Aims: Right ventricle (RV) plays an important role in heart failure with preserved and mild reduced ejection fraction. Quantification of right ventricular functional parameters by echocardiography is challenging. In this context an advanced quantification parameter such as right ventricular strain (a measure of myocardial deformation) represents a tool that can provide useful information in the assessment of RV function, with potential prognostic implications. Methods: In a cohort of 71 prospectively included patients admitted for an episode of heart failure with preserved and mild reduced ejection fraction (LVEF >40%) right ventricular function...

Review

What a cardiologist should know about the need for thrombophilia screening - the latest recommendations

Juraj Sokol, František Nehaj, Peter Hlivák, Lenka Lisá, Ľudmila Lineková, Richard Jusko, Ivana Plameňová, Pavol Hollý, Ján Staško

Cardiology Letters 2026, 35(2):90-98  

Thrombophilia represents a congenital or acquired predisposition to thrombosis; however, its assessment is clinically meaningful only in situations where it can influence therapeutic or preventive management. The overuse of thrombophilia screening in cardiology practice remains a frequent problem despite its limited benefit in many clinical settings. Current evidence and the latest 2025 recommendations of the Slovak Society of Hemostasis and Thrombosis emphasize the need for a selective and rational approach. Screening is mainly indicated in young patients with unprovoked or recurrent venous thromboembolism, thrombosis at atypical sites, or specific...

Current approach to cardiogenic shock management

Elena Teringová

Cardiology Letters 2026, 35(2):99-112  

Cardiogenic shock is a severe syndrome that continues to be associated with high mortality despite advances in diagnostics and treatment. In recent years, significant progress has been made in establishing relevant definitions, classifications, and refining therapeutic approaches. The introduction of the SCAI staging systwem, the SHARC etiological classification, and hemodynamic phenotyping has enabled more accurate risk stratification and more effective therapeutic decision-making. Early diagnosis based on clinical, laboratory, and imaging parameters is essential for the prompt initiation of treatment. Management consists of a combination of initial...

Case report

Acute perimyocarditis as the initial manifestation of adult-onset Still's disease

Luís Cotrim, António Carvalho, Mariana Gaspar, Mariana Marques Silva, Pedro Custódio

Cardiology Letters 2026, 35(2):113-117  

Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare systemic autoinflammatory disorder characterized by quotidian high-spiking fever, inflammatory arthralgia, and an evanescent salmon-coloured rash. Cardiac involvement is uncommon but may include pericarditis and, less frequently, myocarditis. We report the case of an 18-year-old male presenting with persistent fever, myalgias, and arthralgia. Laboratory investigation demonstrated markedly elevated C-reactive protein (CRP 419 mg/L) and increased high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (10511 ng/L). Electrocardiography showed sinus tachycardia with T-wave inversion in the inferolateral leads, and transthoracic...

Opinion of professional societies

Medziodborové stanovisko k bezpečnosti perorálnej gestagénovej antikoncepcie u žien s prítomnosťou rizikových faktorov venózneho tromboembolizmu, kardiometabolického rizika alebo intoleranciou estrogénovej zložky hormonálnej antikoncepcie

Juraj Payer, Miroslav Borovský, Peter Jackuliak, Peter Turčáni, Mária Hulíková, Alexandra Krištúfková, Vladimír Cupaník, Eva Gonҫalvesová

Cardiology Letters 2026, 35(2):77-82