The potential impact of hereditary hemochromatosis on the heart considering the disease stage and patient age-the role of echocardiography.

Background: Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a genetic disease that leads to increased iron accumulation in several organs. Cardiomyocytes are highly susceptible to this damage owing to their high iron uptake, and cardiovascular complications account for 1/3 of the deaths in the natural course of HH. Additionally, excess iron intake and associated oxidative stress may accelerate the aging of the cardiovascular system, regardless of the age of patients with HH.

Application of Novel Technologies in Cardiac Electrotherapy to Prevent Complications.

(1) Background: Cardiac electrotherapy is developing quickly, which implies that it will face a higher number of complications, with cardiac device-related infective endocarditis (CDRIE) being the most frequent, but not the only one. (2) Methods: This is a retrospective case study followed by a literature review, which presents a patient with a rare but dangerous complication of electrotherapy, which could have been prevented if modern technology had been used. (3) Results: A 34-year-old female was admitted with suspicion of CDRIE based on an unclear echocardiographic presentation.

Left Ventricle Segmental Longitudinal Strain and Regional Myocardial Work Index Could Help Determine Mitral Valve Prolapse Patients with Increased Risk of Ventricular Arrhythmias.

Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) could associate with malignant ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). Mitral annular disjunction, a putative mechanism for an arrhythmic substrate, leads to excessive mobility, stretch, and damage of some segments. Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), with particular attention to the segmental longitudinal strain and myocardial work index (MWI), could be an indicator of the segments we aimed to check.

Vitamin B1 Deficiency and Perimyocarditis Fulminans: A Case Study of Shoshin Syndrome in a Woman Following an Unbalanced Dietary Pattern Followed by a Literature Review.

(1) Background: vitamin B1 level depletion, known as a beriberi syndrome, can lead to severe cardiovascular complications, from which perimyocarditis fulminans is one of the most severe. (2) Methods: this is a retrospective case study that includes an adult patient with clinical presentations of acute heart failure (HF) symptoms following perimyocarditis on the grounds of thiamine deficiency. (3) Results: A 49-year-old woman presented with acute HF symptoms due to perimyocarditis.

Eligibility of patients with temporary paced rhythm for a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

Background: A concomitant use of a pacemaker and a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-de-fibrillator (S-ICD) may be required in some patients.

Aims: Our study aimed to evaluate the influence of permanent cardiac pacing on the morphology of the QRS complex in the context of S-ICD screening.

Methods: One hundred patients with cardiac electronic implantable devices (CIEDs) were included in whom S-ICD screening could be performed both during intrinsic and paced rhythm.

A survey study of the use of a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in various clinical scenarios by expert electrophysiologists in Poland.

Background: A subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) has become a recognized alternative to a traditional transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (T-ICD). Despite the growing evidence of non-inferiority of S-ICD, there are no clear clinical guidelines for selection of either of the two available systems. The aim of the study was to analyze the decisions made in predefined typical clinical scenarios by Polish cardiologists experienced in the use of both S-ICDs and T-ICDs.

New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Myocardial Infarction Is a Different Phenomenon than Other Pre-Existing Types of That Arrhythmia.

(1) Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) could worsen the prognosis. Yet, there is no definitive answer to whether new-onset AF (NOAF) is a more aggravating diagnosis than other types of that arrhythmia. The purpose of our study was to compare in-hospital clinical course and outcomes of NOAF patients contrary to patients with other pre-existing types of AF.

Real-Life Inter-Rater Variability of the PRAETORIAN Score Values.

(1) Background: The PRAETORIAN score is a tool developed for postoperative evaluation of the position of subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator systems. The aim of our study was to evaluate the real-life inter-rater variability of the PRAETORIAN score, based on chest radiographs of S-ICD patients reviewed by independent clinical raters. (2) Methods: Postoperative chest X-rays of patients that underwent S-ICD implantation were evaluated by five clinical raters who gave values of the PRAETORIAN score.

Exercise-Induced Atrial Remodeling in Female Amateur Marathon Runners Assessed by Three-Dimensional and Speckle Tracking Echocardiography.

Endurance athletes have an increased risk of atrial remodeling and atrial arrhythmias. However, data regarding atrial adaptation to physical exercise in non-elite athletes are limited. Even less is known about atrial performance in women.

Post-marathon Decline in Right Ventricular Radial Motion Component Among Amateur Sportsmen.

Moderate physical activity has a positive impact on health, although extreme forms of sport such as marathon running may trigger exercise-induced cardiac fatigue. The explicit distinction between the right ventricular (RV) physiological response to training and maladaptive remodeling has not yet been determined. In this study, we aimed to analyze the impact of running a marathon on RV mechanics in amateur athletes using three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography (ECHO) and the ReVISION method (RV separate wall motion quantification).

Electromagnetic Field Associated With Dermoscope Magnets May Affect the Safety of Cardiac Implanted Electronic Devices Patients.

Dermoscopy is currently used as an auxiliary tool in general dermatology. Since some commercially available dermoscopes have built-in magnets, electromagnetic interference (EMI) may occur when examining cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) patients. The aim of the study was to create maps of electromagnetic fields defining a safe distance in terms of EMI.

Comprehensive Use of Routine Clinical Parameters to Identify Patients at Risk of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation in Acute Myocardial Infarction.

(1) Background: New-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF) is a significant complication of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Our study aimed to investigate whether routinely checked clinical parameters aid in NOAF identification in modernly treated AMI patients. (2) Patients and methods: Patients admitted consecutively within 2017 and 2018 to the University Clinical Centre in Gdańsk (Poland) with AMI diagnosis (necrosis evidence in a clinical setting consistent with acute myocardial ischemia) were enrolled.

Unusual echocardiographic evidence of hypercoagulation in usual left atrial appendage as the first and only sign of COVID-19.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a condition caused by a novel virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease's course ranges from entirely asymptomatic to severely ill patients. Hypercoagulation is often a complication of this disease, worsening the prognosis, which is extremely important in patients at higher risk of thromboembolic events, such as atrial fibrillation (AF), where thrombus formation in the left atrial appendage (LAA) is frequent.

Electrocardiographic Changes in Male and Female Amateur Marathon Runners: A Comparison Study.

Physical training is gaining popularity among amateurs. Males and females exhibit different cardiac adaptation to exercise. The aim of the study was to compare the incidence of electrocardiographic abnormalities before and after the marathon between sexes.

Two-year prognosis of patients hospitalized for decompensated heart failure in a district general hospital.

Background: Patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF) exacerbation tend to have a poor prognosis. Most previous studies were performed in large clinical centers and detailed analyses of patients with HF hospitalized in district general hospitals are lacking.

Aims: The aim of this study was to assess the outcomes of patients admitted with HF exacerbation to a district general hospital.

Cardiovascular events in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia and hyperlipoproteinaemia (a): Indications for lipoprotein apheresis in Poland.

Background: Lipoprotein apheresis (LA) is a safe method of reducing atherogenic lipoproteins and improving cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. We aimed to assess the reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] levels in patients undergoing regular LA therapy and to evaluate its influence on the incidence rate of adverse cardiac and vascular events (ACVE) and major adverse cardiac events (MACE).

Methods: A longitudinal study in Poland evaluated the prospective and retrospective observational data of 23 patients with hyperlipoproteinaemia (a) [hyper-Lp(a)] and familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), undergoing 1014 LA sessions between 2013 and 2020.

Segmental longitudinal strain as the most accurate predictor of the patchy pattern late gadolinium enhancement in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: The prognostic value of myocardial fibrosis in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has been well-established. Although cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is the method of choice in its revealing as the presence of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), this technique still has limited availability in daily clinical practice. Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2D STE) seems to be helpful in verification which HCM patient has the highest probability of LGE presence and hence needs to be qualified to CMR.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and Cardiac Toxicity in Patients Treated for Non-Small Lung Cancer: A Review.

Lung cancer is a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, both in men and women. The vast majority of patients are diagnosed with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC, 80-85% of lung cancer cases). Therapeutics named immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer treatment in the last decade.

Baroreflex sensitivity but not microvolt T-wave alternans can predict major adverse cardiac events in ischemic heart failure.

Background: Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) constitutes the main cause of morbidity and mortality in ischemic heart failure (HF) patients. The prognostic value of the autonomic nervous system parameters and microvolt T-wave alternans (MTWA) in this issue has not been identified to date. The aim herein, was to assess the usefulness of the abovementioned parameters in the prediction of MACE in HF patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction of ischemic origin.