Practice setting and secondary prevention of coronary artery disease.

Introduction: Patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) are at high risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. The aim of the analysis was to compare time trends in the extent to which cardiovascular prevention guidelines have been implemented by primary care physicians and specialists.

Material And Methods: Five hospitals with cardiology departments serving the city and surrounding districts in the southern part of Poland participated in the study.

Factors related to the effectiveness of hypercholesterolemia treatment following hospitalization for coronary artery disease.

INTRODUCTION    Patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD) are at high risk of recurrent cardiovascular events. OBJECTIVES    The aim of the study was to identify factors related to control of hypercholesterolemia in patients after hospitalization for CAD. PATIENTS AND METHODS    The study included consecutive patients from 5 hospitals with cardiology departments serving one city in southern Poland.

Cardiac Rehabilitation in Real Life.

Participation in cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRPs) improves prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, not much is known about the effectiveness of CRP in real life. The aim of this analysis was to identify factors related to the referral to CRP following hospitalization for CAD and estimate the effectiveness of the programs in real life.

Secondary prevention of coronary artery disease in contemporary clinical practice.

Background: The highest priority in preventive cardiology was given to patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of the study was to assess the implementation of guidelines for secondary prevention in everyday clinical practice by evaluating control of the main risk factors and the cardioprotective medication prescription rates for patients, following their hospitalization for CAD.

Methods: Five hospitals with cardiology departments serving the city and its surround-ing districts in southern part of Poland participated in the study.

Secondary prevention in patients after hospitalisation due to coronary artery disease: what has changed since 2006?

Background: The evidence concerning the quality of secondary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD) in Poland in recent years is scarce.

Aim: To compare the implementation of secondary prevention guidelines into everyday clinical practice between 2006-2007 and 2011-2012 in patients after hospitalisation due to CAD.

Methods: Five hospitals with departments of cardiology serving a city and its surrounding districts in the southern part of Poland participated in the study.

Age, sex, and secondary prevention of ischaemic heart disease in everyday practice.

Background: Many researchers have studied age- and sex-related differences in the management of patients with coronary artery disease. However, the results are inconsistent.

Aim: To assess sex- and age-related bias in the secondary prevention in patients hospitalised due to ischaemic heart disease.

Increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with acute coronary syndrome and indications for treatment with oral anticoagulation.

Background: Antiplatelet drugs currently constitute the basic treatment of coronary artery disease (acute coronary syndrome [ACS], stable angina and patients treated with percutaneous coronary interventions [PCI]). The number of patients with indication for dual antiplatelet therapy with comorbidities with high thrombo-embolic risk (such as atrial fibrillation [AF], venous thrombotic disease, valvular diseases) is increasing. That is why the need for simultaneous administration of dual antiplatelet and oral anticoagulant therapy (triple therapy) has become more common recently.

Changes in secondary prevention of coronary artery disease in the post-discharge period over the decade 1997-2007. Results of the Cracovian Program for Secondary Prevention of Ischaemic Heart Disease and Polish parts of the EUROASPIRE II and III surveys.

Background: Both in the European and Polish guidelines, the highest priority for preventive cardiology was given to patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). The Cracovian Program for Secondary Prevention of Ischaemic Heart Disease was introduced in 1996 to assess and improve the quality of clinical care in secondary prevention. Departments of cardiology of five participating hospitals serving the area of the city of Kraków and surrounding districts (former Kraków Voivodship) inhabited by a population of 1 200 000 took part in the surveys.

Secondary prevention of coronary artery disease in hospital practice over the decade 1996-2006. Results of the Cracovian Program for Secondary Prevention of Ischaemic Heart Disease and Polish parts of the EUROASPIRE II and EUROASPIRE III surveys.

Background: Both in the European and Polish guidelines the highest priority for preventive cardiology was given to patients with established cardiovascular disease. The Cracovian Program for Secondary Prevention of Ischaemic Heart Disease was initiated in 1996. The main goal of the program was to assess and improve the quality of clinical care in the secondary prevention of ischaemic heart disease.

[Variant Brugada syndrome--mild ST segment elevation in inferior leads and aborted sudden cardiac death].

We describe a case of an otherwise healthy 48-year-old man who survived aborted sudden cardiac death (SCD). His ECG showed ST segment elevation in inferior leads, therefore an acute coronary syndrome was suspected. However, serial troponin T and CPK-MB were negative, echocardiogram was unremarkable and exercise test was negative.

[Radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia and preexcitation syndrome].

Radiofrequency ablation is a standard tool for treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. It is most frequently performed in patients with nodal tachycardia, atrial flutter, and accessory atrioventricular pathway. The site for effective ablation is selected using an anatomical or electrophysiological method or both.

Early and late changes in myocardial function and heart rate variability in patients after myocardial revascularisation.

Background: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of myocardial revascularisation and associated improvement of left ventricular systolic function on heart rate variability in patients after myocardial infarction.

Material And Methods: The study population consisted of 35 patients, who within the previous 6 months had suffered from myocardial infarction and in whom low dose dobutamine ventriculography revealed hibernating myocardium, whereas coronary angiography provided indications to revascularisation. CABG was performed in 22 patients, PTCA of the infarct-related artery in 13 patients.

Synchronous primary heart liposarcoma and papillary renal carcinoma--a case report.

A case of synchronous primary cardiac dedifferentiated liposarcoma and papillary renal carcinoma is presented. The occurrence of typical areas of round cell liposarcoma made the pathological diagnosis of the sarcoma relatively easy; however the neoplasm was not diagnosed correctly before the autopsy. Cardiac liposarcoma is a very rare primary malignant neoplasm and its diagnosis based on image procedures may be extremely difficult especially at non-advanced stage of disease.

[Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia--ARVD--case study].

A case of 20-year-old male with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) is presented. The patient was admitted to hospital due to exercise-related syncope which was preceded by palpitations. ECG, echocardiography, radionuclide ventriculography and endomyocardial biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of ARVD.

Verapamil improves the pacing-induced vasodilatation in symptomatic patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of verapamil on the response of diastolic coronary flow velocity and coronary vascular resistance to pacing in symptomatic patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In 14 patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the coronary flow velocity was detected in the left anterior descending coronary artery using transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. The peak diastolic coronary flow velocity and coronary vascular resistance was measured at baseline and during pacing.