Cor et Vasa, 2022 (vol. 64), issue 1

Original research articles

Carotid artery screening in asymptomatic individuals of different ethnic origins

Metin Onur Beyaz, Mehmet Akif Onalan, Didem Melis Öztas, Murat Ugurlucan

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):6-10 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.127

Background and aims: Certain chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), hypercholesterolemia, and smoking were well defined as a risk factor for carotid stenosis. However, the development of carotid stenosis in different ethnic groups has not been researched adequately. This study aims to evaluate the carotid artery stenosis in patients of different ethnic origins. Methods: This prospective study included 246 (61.2%) Turkish natives and 153 (39.8%) Syrian immigrants, and carried out during March and September 2018 in Istanbul. All of the 399 participants were between the age of 50 and 65 years, and have at least one of the risk...

The role of the CHA₂DS₂-VASc score as a venous thromboembolism predictor in cancer patients

Ekrem Şahan, Suna Kavurgaci

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):11-14 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.126

Objective: Cardiooncology is one of the subjects of interest of cardiology department recently. Venous thromboembolism is one of the cardiovascular problems encountered after cancer diagnosis and during cancer treatment. The CHA₂DS₂-VASc score is a score system that determines the risk of embolism in atrial fibrillation and determines the indication for anticoagulant therapy. In our study, we wanted to investigate the relationship between venous thromboembolism and CHA₂DS₂-VASc score in patients diagnosed with lung cancer. Material and method: 687 patients diagnosed with lung cancer between 1 July 2010 and...

Earlobe crease relationship with coronary atherosclerotic burden and pericardial adiposity

Abdulameer A. Al-Mosawi, Yasir Salah Alam, Fallah Radhi, Rasha Al-Darraji, Hussein Nafakhi

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):15-19 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.087

Background: There is still uncertainty or limited data regarding the relevance of earlobe crease (ELC) to coronary atherosclerosis burden and pericardial adiposity. Objective: We aimed to assess the association between ELC with coronary atherosclerotic burden, including coronary artery calcium score (CAC), plaque presence, and coronary stenosis severity and pericardial fat volume (PFV) in patients with suspected coronary artery disease. Methods: Seventy patients referred owing to clinical suspicion of coronary artery disease who underwent 64-slice coronary CT angiography, 33 of whom (47%) had ELC, were enrolled. Results: ELC presence showed a significant...

Review of non-insulin antidiabetic pharmacotherapy in patients with heart failure diabetes mellitus in the Czech Republic in 2018

Marek Vícha, Tomáš Skála, Klára Benešová, Ladislav Dušek, Jakub Flašík, Luděk Pavlů, Štěpán Hudec, Miloš Táborský

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):20-24 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.103

Aim: Retrospective observational analysis of non-insulin antidiabetic pharmacotherapy reported to the National Register of Paid Health Services (NRHHS) in the Czech Republic (CR) in patients with heart failure (HF) and concomitant diabetes mellitus (DM) in 2018. Methods: Individuals with a comorbid diagnosis of heart failure (I50.x) and diabetes mellitus (E10-E14) based on ICD-10 classification and reported ATC drug code. Results: In 2018, 117,265 people were diagnosed with both HF and DM. At least one antidiabetic drug (insulin or non-insulin) was reported in 88 749 patients (75.7% of the prevalence of HF and DM). Metformin was the dominant non-insulin...

Poststroke depression in obstructive cerebrovascular diseases of internal carotid and vertebrobasilar circulation system

Yalcin Guzelhan

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):25-33 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.121

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroanatomic feature of cerebrovascular circulation and the rating of poststroke depression in obstructive cerebrovascular disease involving anterior (internal carotid) and posterior (vertebrobasilar) systems. Materials and methods: One hundred and five patients with poststroke depression (PSD), 58 (55.2%) women and 47 (44.8%) men, mean age 61.3±10.2 years were enrolled in the study for correlation between potential risk factors and the incidence of poststroke depression (PSD). Demographic data, comorbidities and neurological symptoms were recorded. The correlations of the PSD with the factors:...

Review articles

Adipsin as a novel prognostic biomarker for cardiovascular diseases

Lutfu Askin, Husna Sengul Askin, Sabri Abus, Siho Hidayet

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):34-37 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.086

Increased vascular oxidative stress stimulates the secretion of adipokines from adipocytes. Many clinical studies have demonstrated that plasma adipsin levels are successful in predicting ischemic events. Increased adipsin levels are closely related to all-cause death and morbidity. Therefore, adipsin may be a new biomarker for atherosclerosis. In this review, we aimed to emphasize the association of adipsin with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and its beneficial role in the therapeutic field of CVDs.

(Del Nido cardioplegia in adult patients)

Jan Roček, Tomáš Vaněk, Vladislav Rogozov, Michal Smetana, Barbora Filipová, David Janda, Martin Jedlinský, Petr Kačer

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):38-45 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.088

Most cardiac surgeries are currently performed on a stopped heart. The basic premise of those procedures is a sufficient protection of the myocardium against ischemia. Cold blood cardioplegia is one of the most commonly used methods. Cardioplegic arrest allows working in a calm and bloodless operating field and significantly reduces oxygen consumption. Its principle is the application of oxygenated blood enriched with cold cardioplegic solution, which due to the supraphysiological concentration of potassium causes cardiac arrest in diastole and cooling of the myocardium. There are several different cardioplegic solutions, which differ in their composition...

(Cardiovascular complications in acromegaly)

Ivana Ságová, Daniela Kantárová, Marián Mokáň, Milan Dragula, Peter Vaňuga

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):46-52 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.105

Acromegaly is a rare, chronic, progressive disease which is usually caused by a pituitary adenoma. Long-term presence of elevated growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels accompanying this disease is associated with rheumatologic, cardiovascular, pulmonary and metabolic complica- tions. Cardiovascular disorders are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with acromegaly. Cardiovascular complications of acromegaly include an arterial hypertension, cardiomyopathy, arrhytmias, valvulopathy as well as endothelial dysfunction. The diagnosis of acromegaly has been delayed for several years due to slow progression...

Efficacy and safety of endocardial radiofrequency catheter ablation of interventricular septal hypertrophy in the treatment of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

Katarína Doležalová, František Lehár, Jiří Jež, Martin Pešl, Filip Souček, Zdeněk Stárek

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):53-59 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.124

Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy is characterized by abnormal thickening or enlargement of the left ventricular myocardium mass of non-dilated left ventricle not explained solely by loading conditions and presence of obstruction in outflow tract of left ventricle. Surgical septal myectomy was the first choice method of invasive treatment of septal hypertrophy in the past which was replaced by alcohol septal abla- tion in the nineties of the 20th century and nowadays it is still worldwide used, safe, and effective method in reduction of septal hypertrophy. This review introduces and describes new method in invasive reduction of septal hypertrophy...

(Diagnosis of laminopathy with predominant cardiac involvement during pretransplant assessment - a case report with a review of risk stratification and disease management of laminopathies)

Katarína Hromaníková, Miloš Kubánek, Alice Krebsová, Petra Peldová, Pavel Votýpka, Milan Macek, Markéta Hegarová, Vojtěch Melenovský, Josef Kautzner

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):67-71 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.066

We present a case of laminopathy, which was diagnosed in a sixteen-year-old female patient referred for heart transplant enlistment. In addition to advanced heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy, we detected mild contractures of elbow flexors. Molecular genetic analysis revealed a pathogenic variant of lamin A/C LMNA:c.241T>G, p.Tyr81Asp. These findings were compatible with Emery-Dreifuss myopathy with predominant cardiac involvement. Furthermore, we discuss clinical presentation of laminopathy, prognostic stratification of carriers of pathogenic LMNA variants and clinical management of patients with laminopathy.

Commentary

(Pharmacotherapy of chronic heart failure from the viewpoint of the new ESC 2021 guidelines)

Jaroslav Brotánek

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):61-65 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.141

Chronic heart failure is a disease exhibiting high mortality and morbidity and leading to a significant deterioration in the patients' quality of life. Our treatment of patients suffering from this disease aims to improve their clinical condition while reducing their mortality and frequency of hospitalizations for heart failure. In recent years a considerable progress has been made in the treatment of patients with chronic heart failure, which has led to improvements in the above factors. This article offers a brief summary of the pharmacotherapy of chronic heart failure as it was published in the new 2021 guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology.

Case reports

Tako-tsubo syndrome and atrial fibrillation. New trigger for cardiomyopathy. A clinical case

Elisabetta Demurtas, Rosalba De Sarro, Vito Maurizio Parato, Marianna Gigliotti De Fazio, Luana Orlando, Andrea Giovanni Parato, Michele Scarano

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):73-75 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.107

Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is well-known to be a stress-induced cardiomyopathy. TS is triggered by external or internal, physical or emotional stress associated with a catecholamine storm, overactivity of sympathetic nerves, or microvascular dysfunction in the setting of systemic inflammation. We report the case of a patient with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy associated with atrial fibrillation and fibromuscular dysplasia of the left anterior descending artery.

STEMI after replacement of a CRT-D electrode

Jakub Benko, Christer Bøhler, Michael Audne Thu, Tomáš Bolek, Peter Galajda, Matej Samoš, Marián Mokáň

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):76-79 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.102

Introduction: Coronary artery embolism is a rare cause of acute myocardial infarction. We present a case of coronary embolism causing extensive anterolateral ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) after an elective replacement of a cardiac resynchronization therapy/defibrillator (CRT-D) electrode. Case presentation: A 72-year-old male with atrial fibrillation was admitted for an elective reposition/replacement of CRT-D electrode. Anticoagulation was stopped before the procedure. After the procedure the patient developed sudden chest pain, dyspnea, and worsening of vital signs. These were accompanied by extensive ischemic anterolateral ECG changes...

(Junctional rhythm in verapamil intoxication)

Lubomír Ledvinka

Cor Vasa 2022, 64(1):81-83 | DOI: 10.33678/cor.2021.073

Junctional ectopic rhythm emanates from AV node, under the point of present conduction defect, with heart frequency usually between 40-50 beats per minute. Clinically significant SA node injury, which may be the trigger of junctional rhythm, may be inflicted e.g. by myocardial ischemia dominantly of the inferior heart wall or by the effect of some toxic agents. This case report depicts such junctional ectopic rhythm caused by the effect of a calcium channel blocker. Such poisoning is rare, but can have detrimental consequences. Calcium channel blockers function as antihypertensive, antianginal, and negatively inotropic drugs. They block slow calcium...

Expert consensus statement

(Cardiovascular disease and COVID-19: a consensus paper from the ESC Working Group on Coronary Pathophysiology & Microcirculation, ESC Working Group on Thrombosis and the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC), in collaboration with the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA). Translation of the document prepared by the Czech Society of Cardiology)