Cardiology Journal 2009, tom 16, nr 5

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an acknowledged treatment for advanced heart failure in acquired dilated cardiomyopathy, resistant to pharmacotherapy. Although there are no therapeutic standards regarding heart failure originating from congenital heart defects with systemic right ventricle, a number of CRT implantations by transvenous approach in congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) have been reported since 2001, even though none of them expressly referred to a case concomitant with dextrocardia and situs inversus anomaly....

Atrial fibrillation (AF) may result in endocardial endothelium dysfunction. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the plasma concentration of endothelin-1 (ET-1) during persistent AF and after sinus rhythm recovery following direct-current cardioversion and to assess the predictive value of ET-1 in AF patients...

The precise mechanisms that cause atrial fibrillation (AF) are not completely understood. Clinicians should ask themselves whether AF is truly ‘lone’ or is the effect of an underlying, ‘masked’ disorder...

This article examines the relationships between allergic rhinitis and hypertension, chronic sinusitis and hypertension, and asthma and hypertension. Previous studies have demonstrated that men reporting seasonal or chronic rhinitis had on average a 3.5 mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure than those without allergic rhinitis...

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) has increased exponentially in recent years, with 100 million people expected to develop diabetes in the coming 15 years. The impact of medical therapy on the incidence of new onset DM is not clear...

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the liver component of the metabolic syndrome. We investigated the diastolic and systolic functional parameters of patients with NAFLD and the impact of metabolic syndrome on these parameters...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability of pacemaker diagnostic function in diagnosing ventricular arrhythmias...

Whereas coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare abnormality of the coronary arteries, co-existent coronary artery disease (CAD) is commonly seen in CAE patients. Since a causative relationship has been shown to exist between oxidative stress and CAD, we sought to determine whether any relationship exists between oxidative stress and CAE...

Autonomic dysregulation (also called diencephalic epilepsy) has been reported following traumatic brain injuries (TBI). However, until now, postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) has not been reported as a long-term complication in patients who have suffered a TBI. We report on a series of patients who developed POTS after suffering TBI...

Background: This study was designed to examine the influence of exercise training on leptin levels in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: Sixty-four male patients, mean age 55.6 ± 6.0 years, were randomized either to six weeks of aerobic training, three times a week, at 60–80% of maximal heart rate (training group, Ex, n = 32) or to a control group (n = 32). Exercise stress test was performed and body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist circumference and plasma leptin levels were measured at the beginning and end of the study..