Publications by authors named "Sylwia Wisniowska-Smialek"
Aims: The prognostic significance of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) severity in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the association of LVDD severity and elevated left atrial pressure (eLAP) with patient outcomes in stable, non-acutely decompensated patients with DCM.
Methods: This single-centre, retrospective, observational study involved 740 DCM patients (either inpatients or outpatients) managed at our tertiary cardiac centre between 2010 and 2021.
Article Synopsis
- Prehabilitation is underutilized in cardiac surgery centers, but the Pre Surgery Check Team study aimed to assess its impact on postoperative pulmonary complications.
- A study involving 725 adult patients showed that a comprehensive prehabilitation program significantly reduced postoperative complications, including pneumonia and surgical site infections.
- The findings suggest that prehabilitation can effectively lower the risk of complications after elective cardiac surgery by providing patients with essential preoperative support and assessments.
Article Synopsis
- Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) often results in left ventricle dilation and systolic dysfunction, with evidence suggesting a significant presence of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) in these patients.
- The study involved 102 DCM patients who were assessed for cardiac fibrosis through late gadolinium enhancement and extracellular volume measurements, categorizing them based on left atrial pressure levels.
- Findings revealed that 42% of patients had elevated left atrial pressure, with larger extracellular volumes indicating more severe LVDD, making extracellular volume a key independent predictor of LVDD in DCM patients.
Introduction: The main purpose of the study was to assess the impact of preoperative interdisciplinary assessment by the PreScheck Team on optimization of the final selection for elective cardiac surgery.
Material And Methods: This is a single-centre prospective observational study. The examined population consisted of 933 adult patients planned for cardiac surgery.
Background: Donor organ shortages cause increasing demand for mechanical circulatory support in patients with end-stage heart failure not only as a bridge to heart transplantation but mainly as a destination therapy. Improved results and increased applicability and durability of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have established this treatment option as an alternative to heart transplantation in selected patients. One of the most common complications after LVAD implantation is driveline infections (DLIs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Heart transplantation is the treatment of choice for selected patients with end-stage heart failure. Persistent donor organ shortage causes a growing demand for mechanical circulatory support not only as a bridge to transplantation but mainly as a destination therapy (DT).
Methods: The aim of the study was to analyze the indications, comorbidities, and complications during the follow-up of all patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation with at least 12 months of follow-up time in one of the most experienced clinics in Poland between 2015 and 2023.
Background: To prospectively examine the dynamic evolution of fibrotic processes within a one-year in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
Methods: Between May 2019 and September 2020, 102 DCM patients (mean age 45.2 ± 11.
Clinical or subclinical malnutrition occurs in 30% to 70% of patients with advanced heart failure and increases the risk of postoperative adverse events. The main objective of this study was to assess the nutritional status of patients prior to left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation using different methods of malnutrition assessment and to evaluate the relationship between nutritional status and postoperative adverse events. A retrospective cohort study included 120 patients aged 26-74 years referred for LVAD surgery.
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- Cardiac fibrosis is a significant issue in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), and while replacement fibrosis has been studied extensively, interstitial fibrosis remains less understood.
- This study analyzed the relationship between serum biomarkers and interstitial fibrosis using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in 50 HCM patients, focusing on the extracellular volume (ECV) as a key measure.
- Results showed that galectin-3 emerged as an independent predictor of interstitial fibrosis, while traditional cardiac biomarkers (troponin T and NT-proBNP) also correlated with interstitial fibrosis levels.
Background: By definition, dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by enlargement of the left ventricular (LV) cavity, and systolic dysfunction. However, in 2016 ESC introduced a new clinical entity - hypokinetic non-dilated cardiomyopathy (HNDC). HNDC is defined as LV systolic dysfunction without LV dilatation.
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- Increasing interest in mechanical circulatory support devices like LVADs arises due to a shortage of donor organs, positioning them as viable alternatives for patients with end-stage heart failure.
- A study conducted in a Polish clinic between 2015 and 2020 compared two types of LVADs—HeartMate3 (HM3) and HeartWare (HVAD)—in 78 patients, highlighting differences in survival and complications between the two groups.
- Results indicated that patients with HM3 devices had better survival rates (77.4% vs. 53.2%) and fewer major complications compared to those with HVADs, suggesting HM3 is the more effective choice for heart failure support.*
Article Synopsis
- * A study of 50 HCM patients using cardiac MRI found that while replacement fibrosis (identified by late gadolinium enhancement or LGE) was common, only the extent of LGE correlated with nsVT occurrence.
- * Interstitial fibrosis showed no significant relationship with nsVT, suggesting that the amount of replacement fibrosis is a key factor in predicting nsVT risk in HCM patients.
Article Synopsis
- Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a leading cause of heart failure with a 20% mortality rate in 5 years, yet there's a lack of validated risk assessment tools for these patients.
- A study of 735 DCM patients calculated their mortality risk using the Krakow DCM Risk Score and followed them for about 42 months.
- The results showed that the Krakow DCM Risk Score effectively identified high-risk patients, with those having a >6% 2-year mortality risk experiencing significantly higher death rates compared to lower-risk patients.
Background And Aims: Large amounts of clot-bound lipoproteins were reported in proteomic analysis of plasma clot but their impact on fibrin clot properties is unknown. We investigated a contribution of lipid profile and apolipoproteins (apo) to the prothrombotic plasma fibrin clot phenotype in patients with aortic stenosis (AS).
Methods: In 138 patients with isolated severe AS, we determined serum apoA-I, A-II, B, C-II, C-III, E, oxidized low-density lipoprotein (OxLDL) and lipoprotein(a) concentrations.
The current stratification of arrhythmic risk in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is sub-optimal. Cardiac fibrosis is involved in the pathology of arrhythmias; however, the relationship between cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) derived extracellular volume (ECV) and arrhythmic burden (AB) in DCM is unknown. This study sought to evaluate the presence and extent of replacement and interstitial fibrosis in DCM and to compare the degree of fibrosis between DCM patients with and without AB.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe relationship between circulating fibrosis-related molecules and magnetic resonance-assessed cardiac fibrosis in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is poorly understood. To compare circulating biomarkers between DCM patients with high and low fibrosis burdens, we performed a prospective, single-center, observational study. The study population was composed of 100 DCM patients (87 male, mean age 45.
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- Galectin-3 is a potential biomarker in cardiovascular disease, specifically linked to cardiac fibrosis, but its role in circulation remains unclear.
- In a study of 70 patients with new-onset dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), factors like galectin-3 were analyzed alongside indicators of heart health over 12 months.
- While circulating galectin-3 did not show a direct correlation with tissue fibrosis, higher levels of galectin-3 were found to predict adverse cardiovascular outcomes in DCM patients.
Article Synopsis
- Despite advancements in treating heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), prognosis for patients remains poor, prompting the evaluation of sacubitril/valsartan in Polish patients over a year.
- In a study involving 89 stable chronic HFrEF patients, significant improvements were observed in heart failure symptoms, NT proBNP levels, ejection fraction, and walking distance after one year of treatment, with a favorable safety profile.
- The findings suggest early initiation and uptitration of sacubitril/valsartan could enhance outcomes, especially for patients with advanced heart failure who are at higher risk for hospitalization or death.
Aims: The aims of this paper were to investigate the analytical performance of the nine prognostic scales commonly used in heart failure (HF), in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), and to develop a unique prognostic model tailored to DCM patients.
Methods And Results: The hospital and outpatient records of 406 DCM patients were retrospectively analysed. The information on patient status was gathered after 48.