Carotid artery stenting outcomes in high-risk patients receiving best medical therapy: results from a single high-volume interventional cardiology practice

Karlis Trusinskis, Deniss Vasiljevs, Evija Knoka, Dace Sondore, Andis Dombrovskis, Indulis Kumsars, Karlis Strenge, Kristine Bumeistere, Gurjoat S. Kareer, Andrejs Erglis

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):e569-e575 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2015.09.005  

Background: Carotid artery stenting (CAS) is now being widely used in the treatment of carotid artery stenosis. Recent clinical studies have demonstrated low adverse event rates after CAS. This study evaluates the 30-day and 1-year results in patients treated with CAS and receiving intensive medical therapy in a high-volume percutaneous coronary intervention centre.Methods: A total of 184 patients underwent CAS between January 2011 and December 2013. In addition to antiplatelet therapy, patients received intensive antihypertensive treatment, high intensity statin and heart rate normalization therapy. Patients were stratified according to age and...

Changing profile of infective endocarditis in patients hospitalised in a tertiary Czech hospital from 2000 to 2013

Jana Bínová, Miloš Kubánek, Eva Koudelková, Jana Vrbská, Jiří Kettner, Petr Kačer, Tomáš Kotulák, Dana Němcová, Josef Kautzner, Jan Pirk

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):e576-e583 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2015.10.008  

Introduction: Despite advances in diagnostics and treatment of infective endocarditis (IE), the high morbidity and mortality of this disease remains a substantial problem for health-care systems. Our aim was to describe the spectrum of IE in individuals hospitalised in a tertiary Czech hospital. In addition, we decided to identify risk factors for the mortality and recurrence of IE.Materials and methods: We performed a retrospective analysis in 334 patients diagnosed with definite IE according to modified Duke Criteria. The patients were hospitalised in the cardiac centre at IKEM during the years 2000-2013. This time period was divided into two...

The impact of diabetes on electrocardiographic ST resolution and clinical outcome of acute ST elevation myocardial infarction following fibrinolytic therapy

Mir Milad Pourmousavi, Arezou Tajlil, Behzad Rahimi Darabad, Laleh Pourmousavi, Leili Pourafkari, Samad Ghaffari

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):e584-e590 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2015.11.001  

Objective: To investigate the association of diabetes with ST segment resolution and clinical outcomes after fibrinolysis in patients with first ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).Methods and results: Clinical information from 275 consecutive patients with first STEMI, who received streptokinase within six hours of chest pain initiation, was collected prospectively. ST resolution ≥ 50%, ninety minutes after fibrinolysis was considered as a sign of successful reperfusion. Association of diabetes with the risk of reperfusion failure, development of heart failure and in-hospital mortality was determined before and after controlling for...

Diagnostic value of color-coded duplex sonography in patients with ischemic stroke and congenital changes in the circle of Willis

Ivan Staikov, Ivan Stoyanov, Milena Staneva, Neyko Neykov, Galina Kirova, Petar Polomski, Ivo Petrov

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):e591-e599 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2015.11.008  

The circle of Willis (CoW) forms the main circulatory system in the human brain. A large number of variations of the CoW is known, and also their association with ischemic stroke.Three cases of young patients with combination of ischemic stroke and anomalies in the CoW are presented, and the value of the color-coded duplex sonography (CCDS) is compared to other imaging diagnostics such as magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA).In these patients we found multiple risk factors such as: stenosis or thrombosis of intracranial brain vessels, mechanical compression of vessels, a genetic mutation associated...

Elevated levels of miR-499 protect ischemic myocardium against uric acid in patients undergoing off-pump CABG

Fatemeh Pourrajab, Marzieh Sharifi, Seyedhossein Hekmatimoghaddam, Masoud Khanaghaei, Mahdi Rahaie

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):e600-e608 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2016.01.002  

Objective: This study screens the miR-499 differences in off-pump CABG and evaluates the relationship of miR-499 with heart ejection fraction (%) and uric acid (UA) levels.Methods and results: 70 candidates undergoing CABG were selected and left ventricular EF, blood samples and hemodynamic data were taken at different time points. Statistically significant correlation was found between circulating levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), UA and miR-499, after off-pump CABG (p < 0.001). Furthermore, post-operative EF was strongly affected by pre-operative miR-499 expression levels vs. UA (p < 0.005).Conclusion: Pressure overload and ischemia...

Comparison of therapy of heart failure patients in the Czech Republic and Europe. Data from the ESC Heart Failure Long-Term Registry

Jan Krupička, Anna Andrušková, Markéta Hegarová, Marie Lazarová, Filip Málek, Monika Mikolášková, Hana Poloczková, Dagmar Vondráková, Jaromír Hradec

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):e609-e614 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2016.01.017  

Introduction: The ESC Heart Failure Long-Term Registry (ESC-HFLTR) is a prospective observational study which takes place in 211 cardiology centres of 21 European and Mediterranean countries, members of the European Society of Cardiology.Aim: To compare pharmacological and device therapy of both, the patients hospitalized for acute heart failure (HF) and the patients observed in outpatient clinics for chronic HF in the Czech Republic with published European-wide data.Methods: Altogether 692 consecutive patients were included into the Czech part of HFLTR (5.6% of the whole registry) from May 2011 to April 2013. These patients were either admitted...

Echocardiographic evaluation of cardiac structure and function in children with hypertension

Jan Pavlíček, Jiří Strnadel, Tomáš Gruszka, Terezie Šuláková

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):e615-e622 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2016.04.002  

Arterial hypertension is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in adult population. In recent years, the prevalence of hypertension in children has been increasing, mainly due to increased prevalence of obesity. Similar to adult population, arterial hypertension can also manifest with target organ damage such as left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), increased arterial stiffness, microalbuminuria, brain damage or retinopathy in children and adolescents. Therefore, for diagnostic and therapeutic reasons, echocardiography is recommended as a primary tool for evaluating patients for target-organ abnormalities by assessing the presence or absence of...

The importance of pulse wave velocity measurement in paediatric population with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases - Type 1 diabetes and chronic kidney disease

Terezie Šuláková, Janusz Feber, Jiří Strnadel, Jan Pavlíček, Barbora Obermannová, Lenka Petruželková, Tomáš Seeman, Zdeněk Šumník

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):e623-e630 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2016.03.007  

Arterial stiffness reflects the rigidity of the arterial wall. The studies in adult patients confirmed that arterial stiffness is a marker and risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Non-invasive methods for arterial stiffness measurement as pulse wave velocity have been increasingly used in both the research and clinical practices to determine arterial stiffness also in the paediatric population. With widespread use of these non-invasive techniques use in children and adolescents, the knowledge of factors and conditions associated with arterial stiffening has expanded rapidly over the last years. These factors include traditional cardiovascular...

2016 ESC Guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation developed in collaboration with EACTS. Summary of the document prepared by the Czech Society of Cardiology

Robert Čihák, Luděk Haman, Miloš Táborský

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):e636-e683 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2016.11.005  

High residual platelet reactivity - Does the problem persist even with new antiplatelet drugs?

Martin Hajšl, Pavel Sedloň, Miroslav Zavoral, Martin Malý

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):e631-e635 | DOI: 10.1016/j.crvasa.2016.09.006  

High residual platelet reactivity (HRPR) in patients taking dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) is closely associated with serious ischaemic events, particularly in-stent thrombosis. Literature reports many cases of patients taking the combination of acetylsalicylic acid and clopidogrel with early in-stent thrombosis and the detection of high residual platelet reactivity, but cases in patients using a combination of new antiplatelet drugs are rare. The following case report presents the case of a patient with early in-stent thrombosis in whom HRPR was detected while he was on prasugrel therapy and describes the subsequent management of the complication.

Edoxaban v klinických studiích

Prof. MUDr. Jindřich Špinar, CSc., FESC, prof. MUDr. Jiří Vítovec, CSc., FESC, prof. MUDr. Lenka Špinarová, Ph.D., FESC

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):788-794  

Edoxaban is a direct oral inhibitor of Xa factor with an anticoagulant and antiaggregant effect. The recommended dose is 60 mg perorally once daily. The effectivness and safety of the drug was confirmed in a large clinical trial ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 with more than 21 000 patients. The ENSURE-AF trial has shown effectiveness and safety if compared with enoxaparin plus warfarin strategy in patients with electrical cardioversion for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. The number of included patients was 2 199 and the primary effectiveness endpoints and safety endpoints were about 1% in both arms.

Hereditární plicní arteriální hypertenze - od farmakoterapie k transplantaci plic

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):797-800  

14. konference Akutní kardiologie. Karlovy Vary, 4.-6. prosince 2016

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):774-786  

Editorial Board

Editorial board

Cor Vasa 2016, 58(6):i | DOI: 10.1016/S0010-8650(16)30130-8