Hemodynamic arterial changes in heart failure: a proposed new paradigm of "heart and vessels failure".

Background: Although heart failure (HF) is one of the most common conditions affecting the heart, little attention has been placed on the role of arteries in contributing to the progression of this disease. We sought to determine the hemodynamic change of arteries in HF patients subdivided according to left ventricular ejection fraction. The major goal was to establish the active compensatory role of arteries in HF.

Extrasystolic arrhythmia: is it an additional risk factor of atherosclerosis?

Background: Extrasystolic arrhythmia is not included in the list of risk factors of atherosclerosis. The aim of this investigation was to determine the relationship between atherosclerosis of main arteries and extrasystolic arrhythmia.

Methods: We included 286 patients in our investigation.

[Immunity indices in the diagnosis of persistent HBs-antigenemia in pregnant women].

The immunity parameters were studied in 42 pregnant women, HBsAg carriers, both clinically healthy and suffering from chronic liver diseases. Sixty pregnant women without liver diseases or HBs-antigenemia made up the reference group. A marked T-cellular immunodeficiency was revealed in pregnant women with persistent HBs-antigenemia and chronic persistent hepatitis, in contrast to the clinically healthy women whose cellular immunity parameters were the same as in healthy pregnant women.