The importance of indicators of the initial phase of atherosclerosis in patients with microvascular angina.

Endothelial dysfunction (ED) is generally considered to be the initial step in the progression to atherosclerosis but there is still much uncertainty about the role of the microvascular form of angina in patients with a normal coronary angiogram with regard to ED. The authors investigated the extent of endothelial perturbation and thereby whether the microvascular form of angina precedens macroscopic atherosclerosis by means of non-invasive ultrasound measurement of the intima-media thickening (IMT) in common carotid artery and flow mediated dilatation (FMD) in the brachial artery. 28 patients with stable angina with positive exercise test and ST segment depression (22 females, 6 males, average age 54 years) were compared with a control group consisting of 28 patients with no clinical signs of coronary artery disease (18 females, 10 males, average age 53 years).

[Diagnosis and therapy of anemia in chronic diseases].

The article deals with contemporary views on anaemia associated with chronic diseases. The authors present the definition of this nosological unit, draw attention to its high incidence in clinical practice and fact that it is frequently mistaken for iron deficiency anaemia. The authors submit a review of the most frequent diseases which cause the development of this type of anaemia and analyze the role of activation of the system of cellular immunity, the monocyte-macrophage system, agents of the cytokine network in inhibition of proliferation and differentiation of erythroid precursors, reduced production of endogenous erythropoietin with a reduced sensitivity of erythroid progenitor cells to its action and impaired iron homeostasis and inhibition of its reutilization.

Carotid and lower extremity arterial disease in acute myocardial infarction.

The authors present the results of noninvasive ultrasound examinations of the carotid and the arteries of the lower extremities in 111 patients with acute myocardial infarction. Carotid arterial disease was detected in 45 (41%). In 85% it was asymptomatic, haemodynamically significant lesions of the internal carotid artery were asymptomatic in more than half of the patients.

Carotid and lower extremity arterial disease in hypertensions.

Atherosclerotic changes of carotid and lower extremity arteries were studied in the selected industrial population represented by 58 men with arterial hypertension. Affection of peripheral arterial system was detected by means of non-invasive ultrasound methods. Stenoses of carotid arteries were recorded in 19% of cases (11 of 58), stenoses of lower extremity arteries in 7% (4 of 58).