Next-generation sequencing for diagnosis of thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections: diagnostic yield, novel mutations and genotype phenotype correlations.

Background: Thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD) are silent but possibly lethal condition with up to 40 % of cases being hereditary. Genetic background is heterogeneous. Recently next-generation sequencing enabled efficient and cost-effective examination of gene panels.

Relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and markers of cardiovascular alterations in never-treated hypertensive patients.

We addressed a question if there is a relationship between severity of newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and markers of cardiovascular alterations in middle-aged untreated hypertensive patients. In 121 consecutive patients with never-treated essential hypertension (mean age 35.9±10.

[Mid-aortic syndrome in 18 year-old woman with arterial hypertension and bilateral renal artery stenosis].

Mid-aortic syndrome (MAS) is characterised by narrowing of the abdominal aorta, often with involvement of the renal and splanchnic arterial branches. Although uncommon, MAS is an important cause of renovascular hypertension in children and adolescents and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypertension . Hypertension is typically severe and often difficult to manage.

Adrenomedullin concentrations at two time points following myocardial infarction and prediction of mid-term outcomes.

Introduction: Adrenomedullin (ADM) is a vasopeptide with multiple actions in the cardiovascular system and a potentially powerful tool in comparison to some of the well-established unimodal biomarkers of risk stratification in myocardial infarction (MI). Previous studies on ADM in acute MI were based on single assessment. Therefore the aim of the study was to examine the relation between ADM plasma concentrations assessed at different time points following MI and outcomes.

Reduced kidney function estimated by cystatin C and clinical outcomes in hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease: association with homocysteine and other cardiovascular risk factors.

Aims: To evaluate the association between serum cystatin C and homocysteine concentrations, cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: 260 patients with hypertension and CAD (mean age 56.9 +/- 9.

The 24-h blood pressure measurement may predict mortality and cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease.

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the relationship between 24-h blood pressure (BP) values and cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease in the long-term observation. Two hundred and seventy-four patients (mean age 56.9+/-9.

Genetic variants in hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease and coexisting atheromatous renal artery stenosis.

Background: Atheromatous renal artery stenosis (ARAS) often coexists with coronary artery disease (CAD). This study evaluated the prevalence of three polymorphisms: angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (Ins/Del), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) Glu298Asp, and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T, in hypertensive patients referred for coronary and renal angiography.

Material/methods: The study included 223 hypertensive patients divided into three groups: 72 patients without significant CAD or evidence of ARAS, 111 patients with significant CAD but no ARAS, and 40 patients with coexisting significant CAD and evidence of ARAS.

Carotid intima-media thickness as a marker of cardiovascular risk in hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the significance of ultrasound-measured carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in high-risk patients with hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD), as an independent prognostic factor in determining the risk of all-cause death or future cardiovascular events.

Methods: The study included 297 consecutive patients (mean age +/- SD, 57 +/- 9.4 years) with diagnosed hypertension and CAD, referred for coronary angiography.

Renal artery aneurysms: presentation of five cases.

We are presenting clinical characteristics, management and follow-up of five consecutive patients with renal artery aneurysm. Renal artery aneurysms are relatively uncommon, they rarely give rise to clinical manifestations and they are usually found incidentally. However with the introduction of Doppler ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the diagnosis of renal artery aneurysms became more frequent.

Cardiovascular risk factors in hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease and coexisting renal artery stenosis.

Objective: The aim of our study was to examine the association between the presence of atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (RAS) and coexisting cardiovascular risk factors in hypertensive patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: A total of 333 consecutive hypertensive patients (239 men, 94 women) with CAD underwent clinically indicated non-emergency coronary angiography, followed by renal angiography. Before catheterization clinical examination was performed to determine demographics, cardiac history, known duration of hypertension, cardiovascular risk factors, features of extracoronary vascular disease and related comorbidities.

Moderate exercise training reduces arterial chemoreceptor reflex drive in mild hypertension.

The aim of our study was to check the responsiveness the chemoreceptor reflex in 28 young mildly hypertensive men (HTS), aged 18-32 years and 25 normotensive male subjects (NTS) aged 19-32 years, before and after 3-months dynamic exercise training. We tested the hypothesis that dynamic training reduces arterial chemoreceptor drive in mild hypertension. Circulatory response to 3-min hyperoxic inactivation of arterial chemoreceptors induced by 70% oxygen breathing was measured before and after training.

Characterization of insomnia in patients with essential hypertension.

Introduction: Insomnia may increase risk of cardiovascular events. There is little data available reporting the prevalence and clinical relevance of insomnia in patients with essential hypertension. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between insomnia and different clinical and biochemical parameters in essential hypertension patients.

Effects of moderate physical training on blood pressure variability and hemodynamic pattern in mildly hypertensive subjects.

The objective of our study was to compare the cardiovascular effects of moderate exercise training in healthy young (NTS, n=18, 22.9+/-0.44 years) and in hypertensive human subjects (HTS, n=30, 23+/-1.

Decreased plasma concentration of a novel anti-inflammatory protein--adiponectin--in hypertensive men with coronary artery disease.

Aims: Recent studies indicate that adiponectin may have anti-inflammatory and anti-atherogenic properties, suggesting that hypoadiponectinemia can play a role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease. Therefore the aim of the study was to assess plasma adiponectin concentration in hypertensive male patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Associations of adiponectinemia with other cardiovascular risk factors were also analysed.

The role of biochemical tests and clinical symptoms in differential diagnosis of primary aldosteronism.

Background: Primary aldosteronism (PA) is a secondary form of hypertension resulting from the autonomous hypersecretion of aldosterone. The recognition of PA has an important impact on clinical management, since the choice of therapy is different - surgical for adenoma and medical for hyperplasia.

Aim: To evaluate patients with PA in regard to clinical and biochemical factors differentiating between adenoma of adrenal cortex (APA) and idiopathic adrenal hyperplasia (IHA).

[Takayasu's arteritis: underestimated cause of hypertension].

Unlabelled: Takaysu's arteritis (TA) is regarded to be a frequent cause of hypertension in Asian population. However some reports have recently informed about increasing frequency of its also in non Asian people. The aim of this study was to evaluated own experiences on diagnosis and treatment of TA as well as prevalence of TA in hypertensive patients in Caucasian population.

Persistent dissection of carotid artery in patients operated on for type A acute aortic dissection--carotid ultrasound follow-up.

Over a period of 5 years, 124 patients were operated on at the National Institute of Cardiology in Warsaw for acute aortic dissection, 27 of whom died. The 97 patients discharged from the hospital were included in the present analysis. The age of the patients ranged from 25 to 73 years with a mean of 50+/-10 years.

[Accelerated and malignant hypertension--clinical observation].

There were 101 (4.6%) cases of malignant and accelerated hypertension among 2195 hypertensives patients treated in Department of Hypertension of National Institute of Cardiology between 1981 and 1990. Almost 30% of these patients were diagnosed as having secondary cause of hypertension.

[Malignant arterial hypertension--clinical picture, prognosis, management].

Malignant hypertension is the most severe form of hypertension. Untreated--quickly leads to target organs damage and death. The most important things are early diagnosis and treatment, which can improve prognosis in the group of patients with malignant hypertension.

[Renovascular hypertension--clinical observations and long-term follow-up].

Renovascular hypertension is one of the most common causes of secondary hypertension. Its early diagnosis is particularly important, firstly because it is one of the few potentially reversible causes of chronic renal failure. In many centers, including our own, renal angioplasty (PTA) or surgery is the treatment of choice for patients with renovascular hypertension.

[Comparative studies on the effects of propranolol and acebutolol on blood pressure, serum lipids and lipoproteins in patients with primary hypertension].

A comparative studies on the effect of propranolol and acebutolol on blood pressure, cardiac function, blood serum lipids and lipoproteins were carried out in 48 patients with the primary hypertension double-blind method was applied. Tested drugs were given for 12 weeks. It was found, that both drugs are potent and comparable hypotensive agents normalizing blood pressure in the majority of treated patients.

[Ambulatory 24-hour blood pressure monitoring in patients with resistant hypertension].

The aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of 24-hour blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) monitoring in patients with "resistant" hypertension. 30 patients (44.1 +/- 9.

[Twenty-four hour automatic recording of blood pressure and cardiac rhythm in patients with borderline hypertension].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of 24-hour automatic recording of blood pressure and cardiac rhythm in patients with borderline hypertension. The study was performed in 50 patients aged 38.8 +/- 13.