Subclinical organ damage in perimenopausal women with essential hypertension.

Introduction: Hypertension and its complications are more common in postmenopausal women than before menopause. However, whether this is due to the effect of age or menopause is still unknown.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the effect of menopause on blood pressure (BP), left ventricular and vascular structure and function, as well as kidney function in perimenopausal women.

Adipocytokines and blood pressure, lipids and glucose metabolism in hypertensive perimenopausal women.

Background: The relationship between menopause and hypertension has been a topic of investigation for several years. In the pathogenesis of hypertension after menopause, metabolic disturbances play an important role.

Aim: To assess the relationship between adipocytokines and blood pressure, lipid and glucose metabolism in middle-aged perimenopausal women with essential hypertension.

Comparison of cardiac and gastric responses to vagal stimulation in hypertensive women.

Background: The aim was to evaluate the interactions between the effects of vagal stimulation by sham feeding (nonbaroreflex) and deep breathing (baroreflex) on heart rate variability (HRV) and gastric myoelectrical activity (GMA) in pre- and postmenopausal women with essential hypertension.

Material/methods: One hundred five post- and premenopausal women with hypertension and 60 premenopausal normotensive women were observed. The study protocol consisted of 5 min of resting HRV followed by 5 min of deep breathing (DB), then 6 min of sham feeding (SF) with 30-min electrogastrography (EGG) before and after SF.

Indices of autonomic nervous system activity in women with mild hypertension in the perimenopausal period.

Background: Hypertension is more common after menopause. Increased incidence of hypertension can be attributed to autonomic nervous system dysfunction. The relationship between the parameters of heart rate variability (HRV), the levels of norepinephrine (NE) and leptin, and the menopausal status is still poorly understood, although there is some evidence suggesting distinct influence of estrogens on the above-mentioned indicators.

[Hypertension in postmenopausal women --selected pathomechanisms].

Arterial hypertension is one of the major coronary risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. In women after menopause blood pressure is increased. The mechanisms responsible for the postmenopausal increase in blood pressure are complex and various factors may have some influence on it.

Ascending aortic blood pressure-derived indices are not correlated with the extent of coronary artery disease in patients with impaired left ventricular function.

Background: Ascending aortic blood pressure-derived indices were shown to be related to coronary atherosclerosis. Unfortunately, most studies published so far included patients with preserved left ventricular function. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the relation between ascending aortic blood pressure-derived indices and the extent of coronary atherosclerosis in patients with impaired left ventricular function.

[Percutaneous coronary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction in elderly patients].

Background: Over 1/3 of all patients treated for acute myocardial infarction are elderly (over 70 years of age). Blood flow restoration in the infarct-related artery is a fundamental therapeutic strategy, however reperfusion therapy is rarely used in the elderly as compared with younger groups. Mortality and complication rates are much higher in the elderly than in younger patients irrespective of the type of reperfusion therapy.

Ascending aortic, but not brachial blood pressure-derived indices are related to coronary atherosclerosis.

Unlabelled: A recent study has demonstrated that pulse pressure (PP) measured in the ascending aorta is related to the extent of coronary artery disease in patients undergoing coronary angioplasty. However, no study so far has analyzed the relation between pulsatility of the ascending aorta and the extent of coronary artery disease in consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography. Therefore, we investigated the relation between ascending aorta pulsatility and the extent of coronary atherosclerosis in unselected patients with angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease.

Fractional diastolic and systolic pressure in the ascending aorta are related to the extent of coronary artery disease.

Background: Ascending aortic fractional pulse pressure and fractional systolic pressure (FSP) were demonstrated to differentiate patients with and without coronary artery disease. However, no study so far has analyzed the relationship between FSP and fractional diastolic pressure (FDP) and the extent of coronary artery disease. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between ascending aortic FSP and FDP and the extent of coronary atherosclerosis in unselected patients with angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease.

[The probability of Kawasaki diseases in young patients with cardiac disorders--retrospective studies].

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is the leading cause of acquired heart disease in children in some countries. In Poland the diagnosis of KD is still rarely reported. KD is an acute systemic febrile illness of unknown aetiology, predominantly affecting children under five years of age.