Differences in cardiac adaptation to exercise in male and female athletes assessed by noninvasive techniques: a state-of-the-art review.

Athlete's heart is generally regarded as a physiological adaptation to regular training, with specific morphological and functional alterations in the cardiovascular system. Development of the noninvasive imaging techniques over the past several years enabled better assessment of cardiac remodeling in athletes, which may eventually mimic certain pathological conditions with the potential for sudden cardiac death, or disease progression. The current literature provides a compelling overview of the available methods that target the interrelation of prolonged exercise with cardiac structure and function.

Exercise-Induced Atrial Remodeling in Female Amateur Marathon Runners Assessed by Three-Dimensional and Speckle Tracking Echocardiography.

Endurance athletes have an increased risk of atrial remodeling and atrial arrhythmias. However, data regarding atrial adaptation to physical exercise in non-elite athletes are limited. Even less is known about atrial performance in women.

The Influence of Radiotherapy on the Function of the Left and Right Ventricles in Relation to the Radiation Dose Administered to the Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery-From a Cardiologist's Point of View.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of radiotherapy involving the heart on LV and RV function using modern speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE), and in relation to the radiation dose applied to the LAD. This retrospective, single-centre study included 12 patients after a median of 51 months after irradiation for mediastinal lymphoma, in whom we were able to delineate the LAD. Correlations between doses of ionising radiation and echocardiographic parameters reflecting the systolic function of the LV and RV were analysed.

Post-marathon Decline in Right Ventricular Radial Motion Component Among Amateur Sportsmen.

Moderate physical activity has a positive impact on health, although extreme forms of sport such as marathon running may trigger exercise-induced cardiac fatigue. The explicit distinction between the right ventricular (RV) physiological response to training and maladaptive remodeling has not yet been determined. In this study, we aimed to analyze the impact of running a marathon on RV mechanics in amateur athletes using three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography (ECHO) and the ReVISION method (RV separate wall motion quantification).

Electrocardiographic Changes in Male and Female Amateur Marathon Runners: A Comparison Study.

Physical training is gaining popularity among amateurs. Males and females exhibit different cardiac adaptation to exercise. The aim of the study was to compare the incidence of electrocardiographic abnormalities before and after the marathon between sexes.

Myocardial Injury and Overload among Amateur Marathoners as Indicated by Changes in Concentrations of Cardiovascular Biomarkers.

Marathons continue to grow in popularity among amateurs. However, the impact of intensive exercise on the amateur's cardiovascular system has not yet been studied. Analysis of the influence of the marathon on kinetics of biomarkers reflecting cardiac injury and overload may bring new insights into this issue.

Right Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction after Marathon Run.

It has been raised that marathon running may significantly impair cardiac performance. However, the post-race diastolic function has not been extensively analyzed. We aimed to assess whether the marathon run causes impairment of the cardiac diastole, which ventricle is mostly affected and whether the septal (IVS) function is altered.

The "athlete's heart" features in amateur male marathon runners.

Background: Training on a professional level can lead to cardiac structural adaptations called the "athlete's heart". As marathon participation requires intense physical preparation, the question arises whether the features of "athlete's heart" can also develop in recreational runners.

Methods: The study included 34 males (mean age 40 ± 8 years) who underwent physical examination, a cardiopulmonary exercise test and echocardiographic examination (ECHO) before a marathon.

Acute coronary syndrome in patients undergoing anticancer therapies: A single-center, controlled case study.

Background: Anticancer therapies can be accompanied by cardiovascular complications, including acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In turn, the presence of cancer can influence therapeutic decisions if ACS occurs.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to analyze ACS treatment in patients with cancer.

Cardiovascular complications after radiotherapy.

Over the past decades, effective cancer therapies have resulted in a significant improvement in the survival rates for a number of cancers and an increase in the number of cancer survivors. Radiation therapy is widely used in the treatment of cancer, and it can induce various cardiotoxicities that differ considerably from chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity. They occur primarily as late radiation-induced complications, several years from the end of anticancer treatment and present as coronary artery disease, heart failure, pericardial disease, valvular heart disease and arrhythmias.

Electrocardiographic abnormalities in amateur male marathon runners.

Background: Sports activity has become extremely popular among amateurs. Electrocardiography is a useful tool in screening for cardiac pathologies in athletes; however, there is little data on electrocardiographic abnormalities in the group of amateur athletes.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyze the abnormalities in resting and exercise electrocardiograms (ECGs) in a group of amateur athletes, and try to determine whether the criteria applied for the general population or for athletes' ECGs should be implemented in this group.

Predictors of poor outcome in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: A single center study.

Objectives: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disorder with unfavorable prognosis despite implementation of specific PAH-oriented therapy. The aim of the study was to define predictors of poor prognosis in patients from one center treated according to the Polish National Health Fund program.

Patients And Methods: Forty-seven consecutive patients (30 women; aged 39±17 years) with PAH diagnosis were enrolled to the study.

Microvolt T-wave alternans profiles in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension compared to patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and a group of healthy volunteers.

Objective: Microvolt T-wave alternans (MTWA) is a well-examined parameter for the risk stratification of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in patients with left ventricular dysfunction (LVD). However, the role of MTWA in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains obscure. Consequently, the present study aimed to analyze the profile of MTWA among PAH patients in comparison with LVD patients and healthy volunteers.