Can the result of a tilt test be predicted in the first five minutes?

Background: Head-up tilt testing (HUT) plays a pivotal role in the management of vasovagal syncope (VVS). Heart rate variability (HRV) is a well-known method used for noninvasive evaluation of autonomic nervous system activity. However, different results have been obtained in studies that have evaluated the HRV response to HUT in patients with VVS. Methods: One hundred fourteen patients with recurrent VVS were enrolled in the study. According to the results of HUT, patients were divided into five groups: positive (n = 30) and negative (n = 23) Westminster; positive (n = 44) and negative (n = 11) Italian. Fourteen healthy volunteers with no history of syncope comprised the control group. Spectral indices of HRV variability were analyzed for three short-term intervals. Results: Both protocols showed similar distribution of responses to tilt-testing. In the supine position, significant differences were observed between patients from groups 1, 2 and 3 in comparison with the control and Italian negative groups. They had significantly lower initial results of LF1 [nu] and LF1/HF1 ratio, and higher HF1 [nu] values. The onset of HUT in patients with positive Westminster protocol was characterized by an almost two-fold increase in LF [nu] and decrease in HF [nu] compared to all other patients. LF2/HF2 ratio in the Westminster positive group had increased more than five times since the baseline level, while during the last period, LF3/HF3 ratio had increased more than six times. Conclusions: Patients with VVS have disturbed sympathovagal balance at rest. Our data suggests that the results of HUT could be predicted by analyzing the spectral parameters of HRV during the first five minutes of the test. The reaction to orthostasis in patients with syncope during the Westminster protocol was more severe compared to the Italian protocol group and the control group. Vasovagal response during the Italian protocol may be triggered by drug-induced vasodilatation. (Cardiol J 2011; 18, 5: 521–526

Is it possible to accurately differentiate neurocardiogenic syncope from epilepsy?

Global cerebral hypoperfusion resulting in syncope, and asynchronous discharge of cerebral neurons leading to seizure, are two major mechanisms of transient loss of consciousness. They both have a lot in common in clinical and historical settings, although with a high prevalence of incorrect diagnosis, even by well-trained staff. The aim of this review was to try to combine data from both a cardiologist’s and a neurologist’s perspective (history taking, special questionnaires, serum prolactin, EEG, CT/MRI, tilt-testing, loop recorders). (Cardiol J 2010; 17, 4: 420-427

The management of acute myocardial infarction in the Russian Federation: Protocol for a study of patient pathways [version 2; referees: 2 approved]

Source at https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.12478.2. Background: Death rates from cardiovascular disease in Russia are among the highest in the world. In recent years, the Russian government has invested substantially in the healthcare system, with a particular focus on improving access to advanced technology, especially for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This protocol describes a study to understand the management of AMI in different Russian regions, investigating the role of patient, clinical, and health system characteristics. Methods: A prospective observational study has recruited a representative sample of AMI patients within 16 hospitals from 13 regions across Russia. Criteria for inclusion are being aged 35-70 years with a confirmed diagnosis of AMI and surviving until the day after admission. Information being collected includes health system contacts and features of clinical management prior to the event and in the 12 months following discharge from hospital. Following initial exploration of the data to generate hypotheses, multivariate analyses will be applied to assess the role of these characteristics in both treatment decisions and any delays in time critical interventions. Between June 2015 and August 2016, 1,122 patients have been recruited at baseline and follow-up to 12 months post-discharge is scheduled to be completed by autumn 2017. The study is unique in examining patient factors, clinical management prior to admission and in hospital in the acute phase and throughout the critical first year of recovery across a diverse range of geographies and facilities. It uses standardized instruments to collect data from patients and health care providers and includes regions that are diverse in terms of geography and development of cardiology capacity. However, given the limited health services research capacity in the Russian Federation, it was not possible to obtain a sample that was truly nationally representative

2021 Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology Consensus Recommendations on the Use of P2Y12 Receptor Antagonists in the Asia-Pacific Region: Special Populations

Advanced age, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease not only increase the risk for ischaemic events in chronic coronary syndromes (CCS) but also confer a high bleeding risk during antiplatelet therapy. These special populations may warrant modification of therapy, especially among Asians, who have displayed characteristics that are clinically distinct from Western patients. Previous guidance has been provided regarding the classification of high-risk CCS and the use of newer-generation P2Y12 inhibitors (i.e. ticagrelor and prasugrel) after acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in Asia. The authors summarise evidence on the use of these P2Y12 inhibitors during the transition from ACS to CCS and among special populations. Specifically, they present recommendations on the roles of standard dual antiplatelet therapy, shortened dual antiplatelet therapy and single antiplatelet therapy among patients with coronary artery disease, who are either transitioning from ACS to CCS; elderly; or with chronic kidney disease, diabetes, multivessel coronary artery disease and bleeding events during therapy

Pathophysiological mechanisms of cardiotoxicity in chemotherapeutic agents

Certain success has been achieved in the treatment of cancer due to the development of various effective chemotherapeutic drugs. However, an increase in their effectiveness (aggressiveness) was associated with a growth of undesirable effects on the entire human body, in particular, on the cardiovascular system. The damage to the cardiovascular system from chemotherapy in many cases is more significant than from the underlying disease. In recent years, a new direction of medicine has been formed - cardio-oncology. The major groups of cardiotoxic chemotherapeutic agents are anthracyclines, inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (anti-HER2), antimetabolites, microtubule inhibitors, proteasome inhibitors, platinum-based chemotherapeutic drugs, and angiogenesis inhibitors (inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor). This review discusses principal pathophysiological mechanisms of the cardiotoxicity of these chemotherapeutic drugs

Hospital stage of myocardial infarction treatment in 13 regions of Russian Federation by results of the international research

Aim: To describe the characteristics of the patient with MI who is admitted to a hospital and to characterize the main diagnostic and treatment interventions in clinic. Material and methods: This study is observational and the part of big international project. It includes a representative sample of patients with MI admitted to 16 clinics in 13 regions of Russian Federation (Arkhangelsk region, Belgorod region, Bryansk region, Tver region, Saratov region, Rostov region, Samara region, the Republic of Tatarstan, Perm region, Tyumen region, Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous district, Kemerovo region, Altai region). Patients were selected at random from among those experiencing a MI that were alive on the next morning after hospitalization. Enrollment took place from June 2015 to August 2016. Results: Of 1,128 patients included in the study, 872 were male (77.3%) and 256 females. 21.4% of patients had a previous MI, 8.3% had undergone PCI, and 2.2% CABG. Turning to cardiovascular risk factors, 46.2% of patients smoked prior to hospitalization, 34.6% were obese and 52.1% had a high cholesterol level. Only 40.0% of patients had no contact with the health care system within 12 months before the MI. Every fourth patient (25.1%) had undergone dispensarisation within 12 months before MI, women significantly often than men (33.5% and 22.6%, p<0.001). Initial revascularization was performed in 73.2% of patients, PCI was the initial revascularization attempt in 49.4% of patients, and PCI with stenting in 46.7%. Conclusion: Patient with a MI in Russian clinics is likely to have had a history of cardiovascular disease, and to have regular contact with the health care system within 12 months before the development of cardiovascular event. We demonstrated the high rates of appropriate MI treatment, without significant gender and age difference (except for thrombolysis), however, there is a reserve for increasing the proportion of patients who are undergoing revascularization.<p

2021 Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology Consensus Recommendations on the Use of P2Y(12) Receptor Antagonists in the Asia-Pacific Region: Special Populations

Advanced age, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease not only increase the risk for ischaemic events in chronic coronary syndromes (CCS) but also confer a high bleeding risk during antiplatelet therapy. These special populations may warrant modification of therapy, especially among Asians, who have displayed characteristics that are clinically distinct from Western patients. Previous guidance has been provided regarding the classification of high-risk CCS and the use of newer-generation P2Y(12) inhibitors (i.e. ticagrelor and prasugrel) after acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in Asia. The authors summarise evidence on the use of these P2Y(12) inhibitors during the transition from ACS to CCS and among special populations. Specifically, they present recommendations on the roles of standard dual antiplatelet therapy, shortened dual antiplatelet therapy and single antiplatelet therapy among patients with coronary artery disease, who are either transitioning from ACS to CCS; elderly; or with chronic kidney disease, diabetes, multivessel coronary artery disease and bleeding events during therapy

2017 ESC focused update on dual antiplatelet therapy in coronary artery disease developed in collaboration with EACTS: The Task Force for dual antiplatelet therapy in coronary artery disease of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS)

none107siNon presentemixedValgimigli, Marco*; Bueno, Héctor; Byrne, Robert A.; Collet, Jean-Philippe; Costa, Francesco; Jeppsson, Anders; Kastrati, Adnan; Kolh, Philippe; Mauri, Laura; Montalescot, Gilles; Neumann, Franz-Josef; Petricevic, Mate; Roffi, Marco; Steg, Philippe Gabriel; Zamorano, Jose Luis; Levine, Glenn N.; Badimon, Lina; Vranckx, Pascal; Agewall, Stefan; Andreotti, Felicita; Antman, Elliott; Barbato, Emanuele; Bassand, Jean-Pierre; Bugiardini, Raffaele; Cikirikcioglu, Mustafa; Cuisset, Thomas; De Bonis, Michele; Delgado, Victora; Fitzsimons, Donna; Galiè, Nazzareno; Gilard, Martine; Hamm, Christian W.; Ibanez, Borja; James, Stefan; Knuuti, Juhani; Landmesser, Ulf; Leclercq, Christophe; Lettino, Maddalena; Lip, Gregory; Piepoli, Massimo Francesco; Pierard, Luc; Schwerzmann, Markus; Sechtem, Udo; Simpson, Iain A.; Uva, Miguel Sousa; Stabile, Eugenio; Storey, Robert F.; Tendera, Michal; Van De Werf, Frans; Verheugt, Freek; Aboyans, Victor; Windecker, Stephan; Coca, Antonio; Coman, Ioan Mircea; Dean, Veronica; Delgado, Victoria; Gaemperli, Oliver; Hindricks, Gerhard; Iung, Bernard; Jüni, Peter; Katus, Hugo A.; Lancellotti, Patrizio; McDonagh, Theresa; Ponikowski, Piotr; Richter, DImitrios J.; Shlyakhto, Evgeny; Roithinger, Franz Xaver; Aliyev, Farid; Stelmashok, Valeriy; Desmet, Walter; Postadzhiyan, Arman; Georghiou, Georgios P.; Motovska, Zuzana; Grove, Erik Lerkevang; Marandi, Toomas; Kiviniemi, Tuomas; Kedev, Sasko; Massberg, Steffen; Alexopoulos, DImitrios; Kiss, Robert Gabor; Gudmundsdottir, Ingibjorg Jona; McFadden, Eugène P.; Lev, Eli; De Luca, Leonardo; Sugraliyev, Akhmetzhan; Haliti, Edmond; Mirrakhimov, Erkin; Latkovskis, Gustavs; Petrauskiene, Birute; Huijnen, Steve; Magri, Caroline Jane; Cherradi, Rhizlan; Ten Berg, Jurrien M.; Eritsland, Jan; Budaj, Andrzej; Aguiar, Carlos Tavares; Duplyakov, Dmitry; Zavatta, Marco; Antonijevic, Nebojsa M.; Fras, Zlatko; Montoliu, Antonio Tello; Varenhorst, Christoph; Tsakiris, DImitri; Addad, Faouzi; Aydogdu, Sinan; Parkhomenko, Alexander; Kinnaird, TimValgimigli, Marco*; Bueno, Héctor; Byrne, Robert A.; Collet, Jean-Philippe; Costa, Francesco; Jeppsson, Anders; Kastrati, Adnan; Kolh, Philippe; Mauri, Laura; Montalescot, Gilles; Neumann, Franz-Josef; Petricevic, Mate; Roffi, Marco; Steg, Philippe Gabriel; Zamorano, Jose Luis; Levine, Glenn N.; Badimon, Lina; Vranckx, Pascal; Agewall, Stefan; Andreotti, Felicita; Antman, Elliott; Barbato, Emanuele; Bassand, Jean-Pierre; Bugiardini, Raffaele; Cikirikcioglu, Mustafa; Cuisset, Thomas; De Bonis, Michele; Delgado, Victora; Fitzsimons, Donna; Galiè, Nazzareno; Gilard, Martine; Hamm, Christian W.; Ibanez, Borja; James, Stefan; Knuuti, Juhani; Landmesser, Ulf; Leclercq, Christophe; Lettino, Maddalena; Lip, Gregory; Piepoli, Massimo Francesco; Pierard, Luc; Schwerzmann, Markus; Sechtem, Udo; Simpson, Iain A.; Uva, Miguel Sousa; Stabile, Eugenio; Storey, Robert F.; Tendera, Michal; Van De Werf, Frans; Verheugt, Freek; Aboyans, Victor; Windecker, Stephan; Coca, Antonio; Coman, Ioan Mircea; Dean, Veronica; Delgado, Victoria; Gaemperli, Oliver; Hindricks, Gerhard; Iung, Bernard; Jüni, Peter; Katus, Hugo A.; Lancellotti, Patrizio; McDonagh, Theresa; Ponikowski, Piotr; Richter, DImitrios J.; Shlyakhto, Evgeny; Roithinger, Franz Xaver; Aliyev, Farid; Stelmashok, Valeriy; Desmet, Walter; Postadzhiyan, Arman; Georghiou, Georgios P.; Motovska, Zuzana; Grove, Erik Lerkevang; Marandi, Toomas; Kiviniemi, Tuomas; Kedev, Sasko; Massberg, Steffen; Alexopoulos, DImitrios; Kiss, Robert Gabor; Gudmundsdottir, Ingibjorg Jona; McFadden, Eugène P.; Lev, Eli; De Luca, Leonardo; Sugraliyev, Akhmetzhan; Haliti, Edmond; Mirrakhimov, Erkin; Latkovskis, Gustavs; Petrauskiene, Birute; Huijnen, Steve; Magri, Caroline Jane; Cherradi, Rhizlan; Ten Berg, Jurrien M.; Eritsland, Jan; Budaj, Andrzej; Aguiar, Carlos Tavares; Duplyakov, Dmitry; Zavatta, Marco; Antonijevic, Nebojsa M.; Fras, Zlatko; Montoliu, Antonio Tello; Varenhorst, Christoph; Tsakiris, DImitri; Addad, Faouzi; Aydogdu, Sinan; Parkhomenko, Alexander; Kinnaird, Ti