Publications by authors named "Ewa Kwiecien"
Introduction: Originally thought unsuitable due to proneness to myocardial motion and susceptibility artefacts, spin-echo echo planar imaging (SE-EPI) has gained attention for the cardiac diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) offering higher SNR and lower achievable echo time (TE).
Aim: The application of DTI for patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) using our methodology developed on the basis of the SE-EPI sequence.
Material And Methods: Twelve patients with AMI and six healthy controls were enrolled in the preliminary DTI study within the CIRCULATE STRATEGMED 2 project.
Objective, observer-independent evaluation of myocardial perfusion and function: role of SPECT.
Postepy Kardiol Interwencyjnej
December 2022
Article Synopsis
- The prevalence of coronary artery disease and heart failure is on the rise, despite advancements in treatment methods, and this trend is expected to continue in the coming decades.
- Objective imaging techniques are essential for evaluating traditional and new heart treatments, allowing for better assessment of heart health and function.
- This review focuses on single-photon emission computed tomography, highlighting its potential as a reliable, observer-independent method for measuring left ventricular performance and blood flow.
Article Synopsis
- The CHART-1 study found that multiple injections of cardiopoetic cells in patients with chronic ischemic heart failure may diminish their therapeutic effects over time.
- Patients with low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) underwent either cell transplantation or a sham procedure, and their heart function was assessed using echocardiography.
- Results indicated that a significant percentage of those receiving cardiopoetic cells experienced decreased heart contractility and increased wall motion score, suggesting that the injection technique may cause myocardial injury that outweighs potential benefits.
Article Synopsis
- The CIRCULATE-AMI study is a clinical trial that tests the safety and effectiveness of Wharton jelly multipotent stem cells (WJMSCs) for treating patients with acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), compared to a placebo.
- In a pilot study of 10 patients, the administration of WJMSCs showed no adverse cardiovascular effects and resulted in significant improvements in heart function and reduction of infarct size over three years.
- The initial findings suggest that using WJMSCs shortly after a heart attack is safe and might lead to lasting improvements in heart health, setting the stage for further investigation in a larger randomized controlled trial.
Article Synopsis
- The study examines factors influencing patient enrollment in clinical trials for chronic ischaemic heart failure (CIHF), specifically comparing characteristics between those who were eligible and enrolled (E-E) and those who were eligible but not enrolled (E-NE).
- A total of 5,436 hospitalized patients were evaluated over four recruitment periods, revealing that the characteristics and medical treatment of E-E and E-NE patients were largely similar, except for those enrolled showing more severe left ventricular impairment.
- The main reasons for non-enrollment included participation in other trials and lack of consent, while ineligibility was mainly due to recent cardiac interventions, age, and coexisting diseases.
Despite unquestionable progress in interventional and pharmacologic therapies of ischemic heart disease, the number of patients with chronic ischemic heart failure is increasing and the prognosis remains poor. Repair/restoration of functional myocardium through progenitor cell-mediated (PCs) healing and renovation of injured myocardium is one of the pivotal directions in biomedical research. PCs release numerous pro-angiogenic and anti-apoptotic factors.
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