Prevalence of classical risk factors in Polish women with premature coronary artery disease.

Background: It is generally believed that in 50% of perimenopausal women several factors other than classical risk factors play a significant role in the development of premature coronary artery disease (CAD).

Aim: To determine the prevalence of five classical risk factors (cigarette smoking, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia and obesity) in women aged〈 55 years with premature CAD.

Methods: We performed a single-centre, case-control study in women〈 55 years with angiographically confirmed CAD or troponin-positive acute coronary syndrome.

Polymorphisms of the beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors in Polish patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Background: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disorder characterised by dilation and impaired contractility of the left or both ventricles. This multifactorial disease has a strong genetic component with familial occurrence. A number of genes have been associated with idiopathic DCM (IDCM) including beta-1 (b1-AR) and beta-2 (b2-AR) adrenergic receptors.