3D Echocardiography - A Useful Method for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of premature mortality, mainly due to cardiovascular causes. The association between hemodialysis and accelerated atherosclerosis has long been described. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis and recent studies indicate its utility as a predictor of future cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

3D Echocardiography - A Useful Method for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients.

Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of premature mortality, mainly due to cardiovascular causes. The association between hemodialysis and accelerated atherosclerosis has long been described. The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a surrogate marker of atherosclerosis and recent studies indicate its utility as a predictor of future cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

Guidance for the Management of Patients with Vascular Disease or Cardiovascular Risk Factors and COVID-19: Position Paper from VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine.

COVID-19 is also manifested with hypercoagulability, pulmonary intravascular coagulation, microangiopathy, and venous thromboembolism (VTE) or arterial thrombosis. Predisposing risk factors to severe COVID-19 are male sex, underlying cardiovascular disease, or cardiovascular risk factors including noncontrolled diabetes mellitus or arterial hypertension, obesity, and advanced age. The VAS-European Independent Foundation in Angiology/Vascular Medicine draws attention to patients with vascular disease (VD) and presents an integral strategy for the management of patients with VD or cardiovascular risk factors (VD-CVR) and COVID-19.

Treatment of lower extremity superficial vein thrombosis with low molecular weight heparin.

Aim: The aim of our study was to ascertain the efficacy of low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) in the treatment of patients with SVT.

Material And Methods: A group of 336 outpatients with clinical diagnosis of SVT was evaluated in this prospective study. At the beginning of the study all patients were examined by clinical investigation, laboratory tests and duplex ultrasound investigation (examination).

Baroreflex sensitivity and carotid intima-media thickness in risk stratification of prehypertensives and hypertensives.

BACKGROUNDː The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical significance of baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and carotid intima media thickness (IMT) in risk stratification of hypertensives and subjects with high normal blood pressure (SHNBP). METHODSː A total of 20 patients (61±13 years of age, 10 female/10 male) with essential, treated hypertension and 20 subjects (59±8 years of age, 10 female/10 male) with high normal blood pressure were enrolled. The interrelationship between BRS expressed in ms/mmHg (BRS) and IMT of common carotid artery (CCA) in hypertensives and subjects with high normal blood pressure (SHNBP, prehypertensives) was evaluated.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone concentration as an independent risk factor of venous thromboembolism regardless of thyroid function.

Introduction: Thyroid dysfunction has been recognised as playing a role in the coagulation cascade, but the clinical implications of this phenomenon are unclear. The aim of our study was to assess the predictive power of TSH measurement on the presence or absence of venous thromboembolism (VTE).

Material And Methods: From January 2009 to August 2012, all consecutive patients hospitalised for suspected VTE were included in the study.

Consensus Document on Intermittent Claudication from the Central European Vascular Forum (C.E.V.F.)-3rd revision (2013) with the sharing of the Mediterranean League of Angiology and Vascular Surgery, and the North Africa and Middle East Chapter of International Union of Angiology.

This paper is the review of the Consensus Document on Intermittent Claudication of the Central European Vascular Forum (CEVF), published in 2008, and and shared with the North Africa and Middle East Chapter of International Union of Angiology and the Mediterranean League of Angiology and Vascular Surgery. The Document presents suggestions for general practitioners and vascular specialists for more precise and appropriate management of PAD, particularly of intermittent claudication, and underlines the investigations that should be required by GPs and what the GP should expect from the vascular specialist (angiologist, vascular surgeon). The idea of the Faculty is to produce a short document, which is an easy reference in daily clinical practice, both for the GPs and vascular specialists.

Duplex ultrasound, clinical score, thrombotic risk, and D-dimer testing for evidence based diagnosis and management of deep vein thrombosis and alternative diagnoses in the primary care setting and outpatient ward.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) has an annual incidence of 0.2% in the urban population. First episodes of calf vein thrombosis (CVT) and proximal DVT are frequently elicited by risk factors, including varicose veins, cancer, pregnancy/postpartum, oral contraceptives below the age of 50 years, immobility or surgery.

Cancer as a risk factor for residual pulmonary embolism.

Aim: Despite anticoagulation in some patients after pulmonary embolism (PE) pulmonary emboli are not completely resolved. The goal of our prospective study was to evaluate the rate of residual pulmonary emboli in repeated CT pulmoangiography 13-17 weeks after setting the diagnosis of PE and to determine the relationship between primary risk factors for PE, the results of the primary entry tests and the incidence of residual pulmonary embolism.

Methods: Fifty-three patients aged 59.

Expression of constitutive nitric oxide synthase isoforms in varicose vein wall; preliminary results.

There are conflicting findings in literature about the structural changes of the primary varicose veins. NO (a potent vasodilatator) is synthesized by nitric oxide synthase (NOS). From 3 known NOS isoforms the two are constitutional: eNOS (endothelial NOS) and nNOS (neuronal NOS).

Nitric oxide synthases in varicose vein wall.

Introduction: Venous wall weakness is supposed to be the most probable reason of primary varicosis. There are conflicting findings in literature about its structural changes. NO is potent vasodilatator due to the smooth muscle relaxation.

Cryoglobulinemia manifested by gangraene of almost all fingers and toes.

Cryoglobulinemia is a rather rare condition accompanying quite a broad spectrum of different states and diseases. Mixed or polyclonal cryoglobulins can be seen in patients with autoimmune disorders, chronic infections and lymphoproliferative disorders. Monoclonal cryoglobulins are often revealed in patients with multiple myeloma or Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.

[Is our management of patients with claudicatio intermittens correct?].

Claudicatio intermittens is the major symptom of peripheral arterial disease of extremities. At the same time it is an important manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis. In spite of the fact that the diagnosis of claudicatio intermittens requires only simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive diagnostic methods, the disease is still underdiagnosed and often goes untreated.

Treatment of rat adjuvant arthritis with flavonoid (Detralex), methotrexate, and their combination.

In both adjuvant arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, edema and inflammation appear in synovial joints. Edema or effusion reflects an imbalance in lymph dynamics. Purified micronized flavonoid fraction is mainly used in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency.

[Superficial thrombophlebitis--diagnostics and treatment].

Superficial thrombophlebitis (ST) is a common disease, usually considered benign. However, the practice of systemic duplex ultrasonography has revealed a large number of deep-vein thromboses concomitant with ST. In contrast with extensive information on the management of deep vein thrombosis, little is known about the most appropriate treatment of the ST.

Effects of purified micronized flavonoid fraction (Detralex) on prophylactic treatment of adjuvant arthritis with methotrexate in rats.

Background: In both adjuvant arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, edema and inflammation appear in synovial joints. Edema or effusion reflects an imbalance in lymph dynamics. Purified micronized flavonoid fraction is mainly used in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency.

Comparison of collagen subtype I and III presence in varicose and non-varicose vein walls.

Study Objectives: The connective tissue alterations in varicose vein wall are supposed to be one of the main causes of primary varicose vein (main sign of human lower limbs chronic venous insufficency).

Methods: 5 varicose vein samples from 5 patients undergoing stripping surgery of long saphenous vein were compared with 5 control samples of healthy (non-dilated) long saphenous veins from necroptic material (with no history of varicosis). They were fixed in a Baker solution, processed by use of light microscopic method, cut to ultra-thin sections (4-5 microm) and stained with PicroSirius Red for collagen.

[Peripheral arterial disease of extremities--guidelines for diagnostic and treatment].

Diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines of peripheral arterial disease of extremities recommanded by five scientific societies of Slovak Medical Association (Slovak Angiological Society, Slovak Society for Vascular Surgery, Slovak Cardiologic Society, Slovak Internal Society and Slovak Radiologic Society) are discussed in this article. Peripheral arterial disease (PAO) of extremities is an important manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis The lower the ankle-brachial pressure index, the greater the risk of serious cardiovascular events (e.g.

Inflammation--a lifelong companion. Attempt at a non-analytical holistic view.

Inflammation is a key component of the immune system. It has important functions in both defense and pathophysiological events maintaining the dynamic homeostasis of a host organism including its tissues, organs and individual cells. On the cellular level it is controlled by more than 400 currently known genes.

[Polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis--first results of a year-long study].

Introduction: Due to ageing of population, gerontorheumatology becomes more and more important. Both polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) typically develop in later life and they have many other common features. The aim of our study was to explore diagnostic and prognostic markers and, prospectively, establish diagnostic and therapeutic algorithm for patients with PMR and GCA.