Publications by authors named "Ratko Lasica"

Article Synopsis
  • * The exact cause of peripartum cardiomyopathy is unclear, although factors like age, lifestyle, and genetics may play a role; recent theories suggest that an abnormal form of prolactin may contribute to the heart damage.
  • * Ongoing research explores treatments like bromocriptine, a drug that inhibits prolactin, and highlights the importance of safe medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, particularly to protect both mothers and their babies.
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Background: In the post-COVID-19 era, there is growing concern regarding its impact on cardiovascular health and the following effects on the overall quality of life of affected individuals. This research seeks to investigate cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) findings following COVID-19 and their impact on the quality of life of affected individuals.

Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted in consecutive patients with persistent cardiovascular symptoms after COVID-19 who were referred to CMR due to suspected myocardial injury.

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Background: stress hyperglicemia (SH) is common in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infraction (STEMI). The aims of this study were to analyze the impact of SH on the incidence of all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE-cardiovascular death, nonfatal reinfarction, target vessel revascularization, and stroke) in STEMI patients without diabetes mellitus (DM) who have been treated successfully with primary PCI (pPCI).

Method: we analyzed 2362 STEMI patients treated with successful pPCI (post-procedural flow TIMI = 3) and without DM and cardiogenic shock at admission.

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Background: A significant percentage of younger patients with myocardial infarction have premature coronary artery disease (CAD). The aims of this study were to analyze all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs cardiovascular death, non-fatal reinfarction, stroke, target vessel revascularization) during eight-year follow-up in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and premature CAD.

Method: We analyzed 2560 STEMI patients without previous CAD and without cardiogenic shock at admission who were treated with primary PCI.

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Article Synopsis
  • Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), involves long-term liver inflammation that causes damage and can lead to serious conditions like cirrhosis.
  • Patients with MASLD are at higher risk for cardiovascular diseases due to shared issues in lipid metabolism and the harmful effects of lipotoxicity.
  • Currently, there is no specific medication for MASLD, but lifestyle changes are recommended, and recent trials are exploring existing drugs that might also benefit MASLD patients.
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Although acute heart failure (AHF) is a common disease associated with significant symptoms, morbidity and mortality, the diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment of patients with hypertensive acute heart failure (H-AHF) still remain a challenge in modern medicine. Despite great progress in diagnostic and therapeutic modalities, this disease is still accompanied by a high rate of both in-hospital (from 3.8% to 11%) and one-year (from 20% to 36%) mortality.

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Coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is a clinical entity linked with various risk factors that significantly affect cardiac morbidity and mortality. Hypertension, one of the most important, causes both functional and structural alterations in the microvasculature, promoting the occurrence and progression of microvascular angina. Endothelial dysfunction and capillary rarefaction play the most significant role in the development of CMD among patients with hypertension.

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Article Synopsis
  • The incidence of myocarditis is rising due to better diagnostic criteria and methods, despite challenges in accurately determining its frequency in the general population.
  • The disease is complicated by various causes, changing clinical presentations, and the need for tailored diagnostic and treatment approaches, especially with the influence of immune-mediated processes and cancer treatments.
  • Diagnosis typically starts with clinical signs and non-invasive methods like cardiac MRI, while treatment options include managing heart failure, immunotherapy, and, in severe cases, heart transplantation, with the goal of reducing the high mortality associated with this condition.
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Introduction: Data on predictors and prognosis of hospital acquired pneumonia (HAP) in patients admitted for acute heart failure (AHF) to intensive care units (ICU) are scarce. Better knowledge of these factors may inform management strategies. This study aimed to assess the incidence and predictors of HAP and its impact on management and outcomes in patients hospitalised for AHF in the ICU.

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Background: We aimed to analyze the prevalence and long-term prognostic impact of non-cardiac comorbidities in patients with reduced and preserved left-ventricular ejection fraction (EF) following ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Method: A total of 3033 STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) were divided in two groups: reduced EF < 50% and preserved EF ≥ 50%. The follow-up period was 8 years.

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Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) could be the cause of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and sudden cardiac death. Clinical presentations can vary considerably, but the most common is the elevation of cardiac biomarkers associated with chest discomfort. Different pathological etiology in comparison with Type 1 AMI is the underlying infarct size in this population.

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. Most studies analyzing predictors of sudden cardiac death (SCD) after acute myocardial infarction included only high-risk patients or index reperfusion had not been performed in all patients. The aim of our study was to analyze the incidence of SCD and determine the predictors of SCD occurrence during 6-year follow-up of unselected patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI).

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Aims: Previous analyses on sex differences in case fatality rates at population-level data had limited adjustment for key patient clinical characteristics thought to be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outcomes. We aimed to estimate the risk of specific organ dysfunctions and mortality in women and men.

Methods And Results: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 17 hospitals within 5 European countries participating in the International Survey of Acute Coronavirus Syndromes COVID-19 (NCT05188612).

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates how declining kidney function affects the slow-flow/no-reflow phenomenon in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who undergo primary PCI, analyzing over 3,100 patients over 8 years.
  • - A low glomerular filtration rate (eGFR <90 ml/min/m) was found to be a significant predictor for the slow-flow/no-reflow occurrence, with risk increasing as kidney function worsened.
  • - The slow-flow/no-reflow phenomenon was identified as a strong predictor of both short-term (30-day) and long-term (8-year) mortality in these patients.
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Considering the pandemic of both cardiovascular diseases and oncological diseases, there is an increasing need for the use of chemotherapy, which through various pathophysiological mechanisms leads to damage to heart function. Cardio toxicity of chemotherapy drugs can manifest itself in a variety of clinical manifestations, which is why establishing a valid diagnosis is a real mystery for clinicians. Acute systolic heart failure (AHF) due to the use of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is a rare occurrence if it is not associated with myocardial infarction, myocarditis or Takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

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Introduction: Thrombotic complications, such as pulmonary embolism, are common in COVID-19 patients. Point-of-care ultrasound is a highly recommended tool for orientation in critically ill patients with suspected or confirmed complications.

Methods: An observational study was conducted on 32 consecutive patients with confirmed pulmonary embolism and COVID-19 infection treated in the Intensive Care Unit of the University Hospital Medical Center "Bežanijska kosa", Belgrade, Serbia, between April 2021 and March 2022.

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Pulmonary thromboembolism is a very common cardiovascular disease, with a high mortality rate. Despite the clear guidelines, this disease still represents a great challenge both in diagnosis and treatment. The heterogeneous clinical picture, often without pathognomonic signs and symptoms, represents a huge differential diagnostic problem even for experienced doctors.

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The present study aimed to establish the role of lipid abnormalities and inflammatory markers for developing cardiovascular risk, as well as to address the importance of obesity as a common comorbidity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The study was conducted as a prospective cohort study including 120 patients with newly diagnosed OSA between 2019 and 2020, at University Clinical Hospital Center "Bezanijska kosa", Belgrade, Serbia. The diagnosis was established by polysomnography.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to numerous negative implications for all aspects of society. Although COVID-19 is a predominant lung disease, in 10-30% of cases, it is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The presence of myocardial injury in COVID-19 patients occurs with a frequency between 7-36%.

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The incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) ranges from 2.3-23%. This difference in the incidence of AF is explained by the different ages of the patients in different studies and the different times of application of both reperfusion and drug therapies in acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

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Anticipation of stress induces physiological, behavioral and cognitive adjustments that are required for an appropriate response to the upcoming situation. Additional research examining the response of cardiopulmonary parameters and stress hormones during anticipation of stress in different chronic stress adaptive models is needed. As an addition to our previous research, a total of 57 subjects (16 elite male wrestlers, 21 water polo player and 20 sedentary subjects matched for age) were analyzed.

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Objective: In this study, we aimed to examine the prognostic impact of decreased kidney function at admission on the occurrence of new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI).

Methods: The study enrolled 3,115 consecutive patients with STEMI. Kidney function was assessed by estimation of the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at admission.

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Mortality decline in women to a lesser extent than in men with coronary artery disease (CAD) has provoked a bigger interest in some already existing dilemmas and questions. Many studies carried out in the past three decades did not provide us with precise conclusions. Moreover, various challenges in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and outcome of CAD in women are still remaining.

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