Guidewires used in first intentional single wiring strategy for chronic total occlusions of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

Background: Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion (CTO) of the left anterior descending (LAD) specifically is associated with improved long-term 5 year survival as compared to PCI failure. The procedure is associated with usage of different types of dedicated guidewires by simple or complex techniques aiming to reopen the occluded artery.

Aim: To describe types and outcome of guidewires used in LAD-CTO utilizing a first intentional single wiring simple strategy.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme I/D gene polymorphism affects early cardiac response to professional training in young footballers.

Background: The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system plays a role in physiological and pathological responses of the heart to both static and dynamic exercise. Previous studies showed that the level of angiotensin II is determined by the angiotensin-converting enzyme insertion/deletion (ACE I/D) polymorphism.

Aim: We aimed in this study to determine the effect of ACE I/D gene polymorphism on the extent of functional and structural cardiac changes in response to one year of professional football training in young footballers.