[Pharmacological therapy for chronic heart failure].

Pharmacotherapy of chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is based on convincing evidence of both, the efficacy and the safety of drugs we are using. This evidence was obtained in big and carefully controlled randomised morbidity/mortality trials; therefore we are talking about evidence-based medicine. The basis for the pharmacological treatment is inhibition of pathologically long-term activated neurohumoral systems, mainly of the sympatoadrenal one by betablockers as well as of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone one by ACE inhibitors/sartans and by mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists.

European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Long-Term Registry (ESC-HF-LT): 1-year follow-up outcomes and differences across regions.

Aims: The European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Long-Term Registry (ESC-HF-LT-R) was set up with the aim of describing the clinical epidemiology and the 1-year outcomes of patients with heart failure (HF) with the added intention of comparing differences between participating countries.

Methods And Results: The ESC-HF-LT-R is a prospective, observational registry contributed to by 211 cardiology centres in 21 European and/or Mediterranean countries, all being member countries of the ESC. Between May 2011 and April 2013 it collected data on 12 440 patients, 40.

[Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus therapy in a mature age].

Type 2 diabetes mellitus represents a serious medical, social and economic problem, since it has become a pandemic in recent years, affecting up to 1/3 of the Czech population in old age. It is the clinically most significant metabolic disease in older age. A pharmacotherapeutic approach needs to be adjusted to the presence of multiple comorbidities in the elderly and to the patients ability to cooperate with treatment, and owing to the feared hypoglycemia which may contribute to increased morbidity, it detracts from the quality of life and limits the possibilities of treatment in many cases.

[Chronic heart failure].

Incidence of chronic heart failure (HF) is increasing steadily in all developed countries, predominantly due to population ageing. The prevalence of HF in population is 1-2%, reaching up to 10% in higher age categories. At present HF is classified according to left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) value to HF with reduced EF (formerly systolic HF) and HF with preserved EF (formerly diastolic HF).

[Controversies accumulated around betablockers].

Betablockers are one of the most successful drug classes in cardiology. They have many indications - starting with treatment of arterial hypertension, continuing with secondary prevention post myocardial infarction up to the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. Recently, many analysis and information were published which are questioning yet unshakable role of betablockers in some cardiovascular diagnosis.