Management of patients with acquired valvular heart disease in noncardiac surgery

Valvular heart disease is widespread among general population, mainly in older age groups, who often require noncardiac surgery. As the population ages, the significance of this problem will only increase. The basic principles of perioperative managing such patients by a multidisciplinary team, necessarily including a cardiologist, are systematized and set out in international clinical guidelines, which are regularly updated. Currently, the Russian Society of Cardiology guidelines on management of valvular heart diseases are being prepared for publication. However, specifics of assessment and management of patients when planning noncardiac surgery require more detailed presentation for a cardiology practitioner

Bioaccumulation and Toxicity of Organic Chemicals in Terrestrial Invertebrates

Terrestrial invertebrates are key components in ecosystems, with crucial roles in soil structure, functioning, and ecosystem services. The present chapter covers how terrestrial invertebrates are impacted by organic chemicals, focusing on up-to-date information regarding bioavailability, exposure routes and general concepts on bioaccumulation, toxicity, and existing models. Terrestrial invertebrates are exposed to organic chemicals through different routes, which are dependent on both the organismal traits and nature of exposure, including chemical properties and media characteristics. Bioaccumulation and toxicity data for several groups of organic chemicals are presented and discussed, attempting to cover plant protection products (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and molluscicides), veterinary and human pharmaceuticals, polycyclic aromatic compounds, polychlorinated biphenyls, flame retardants, and personal care products. Chemical mixtures are also discussed bearing in mind that chemicals appear simultaneously in the environment. The biomagnification of organic chemicals is considered in light of the consumption of terrestrial invertebrates as novel feed and food sources. This chapter highlights how science has contributed with data from the last 5 years, providing evidence on bioavailability, bioaccumulation, and toxicity derived from exposure to organic chemicals, including insights into the main challenges and shortcomings to extrapolate results to real exposure scenarios

Flat footedness as a marker of systemic connective tissue and cardiac involvement in young patients with Marfanoid habitus

Aim. To assess the potential of plantography indices in the diagnostics of flatfootedness, as a manifestation of Marfanoid habitus, systemic connectivetissue involvement (SCTI), and cardiac involvement.Material and methods. In total, 50 young patients (mean age 22,5±2,1 years) were examined. In some participants, Marfanoid habitus and/or signs of SCTI were registered. All patients underwent phenotypic examination, polyposition echocardiography, and plantography (Scan complex). The predictive potential of the visual method and plantography indices (PI) for flat footedness diagnostics in individuals with Marfanoid habitus and SCTI was assessed. The correlation between minor cardiac abnormalities and PI was also examined.Results. The visual method was inadequately specific in the SCTI diagnostics, whilePI were highly specific in diagnosing SCTI and Marfanoid habitus. Moreover, therewas a strong correlation between the number of pathologic PI and the number ofminor cardiac abnormalities, as well as an inverse correlation between PI andejection fraction.Conclusion. The visual method is highly sensitive, but inadequately specific in thediagnostics of SCTI and Marfanoid habitus, while PI are highly specific. The strongcorrelation between PI and minor cardiac abnormalities suggests that flat footednesscould be regarded as an additional marker of cardiac extracellular matrix pathology inhereditary syndromes with Marfanoid phenotype

Cardiovascular risk profiles and stress echocardiography results in patients with hypertensive response to exercise

Aim. To compare markers of high cardiovascular risk and stress echocardiography results depending on the type of blood pressure (BP) response to exercise in patients without obstructive coronary artery disease.Material and methods. Our single-center cross-sectional study included 96 patients without hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenosis according to coronary angiography or multislice computed tomography angiography. All patients underwent physical examination, cardiovascular risk stratification, electrocardiography, extracranial cerebrovascular ultrasound, echocardiography, treadmill exercise stress echocardiography.Results. According to the test results, the patients were divided into groups with a hypertensive response (n=41) and a normal response to exercise (n=55). Patients with hypertensive response to exercise had significantly higher values of left ventricular mass index (100,0 (90,0; 107,0) g/m2 vs 76,0 (68,0; 91,0) g/m2, p<0,0000001) and left atrial volume index (36,7 (32,0; 46,0) ml/m2 vs 29,7 (26,3; 32,0) ml/m2, p=0,000003). There was also a higher level of cardiovascular SCORE risk (5,0 (2,0; 6,0) vs 2,0 (1,0; 3,0), p=0,004); patients more often had associated clinical conditions (36,6% vs 12,7%, χ2=7,57, p=0,006) and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (39,02% vs 78,18%, χ2=15,21, p=0,0001). Pathological BP increase during stress echocardiography was associated with worse exercise tolerance (7,4 (5,6; 10,0) METs vs 10,2 (8,4; 11,95) METs, p=0,000041) and more frequent transient regional contractility impairment (46,34% vs 1,8%, p<0,00001), mainly of the lateral and inferior left ventricular walls.Conclusion. Despite the absence of coronary artery stenosis, patients with hypertensive response to exercise are significantly more likely to have markers of high cardiovascular risk and require more careful monitoring of risk factors. Also, the hypertensive response to exercise is associated with more frequent regional contractility impairment even without coronary artery stenosis

Left ventricular function in mitral valve prolapse and severe mitral regurgitation

Aim. To assess systolic left ventricular (LV) function in patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and different morphological MV disorders. Material and methods. The study included 233 patients (mean age 53,8±12,9 years), who underwent MV surgery due to MPV and severe mitral regurgitation (MR) at the V. A. Almazov Federal Centre of Heart, Blood, and Endocrinology in 2009-2011. The resected MV segments underwent a pathomorphological examination; preoperative strain and strain rate were assessed with the speckle tracking method (EchoPAC’08). Results. Based on the pathomorphological data, Barlow’s disease was registered in 60 patients (25,8%), and fibroelastic deficiency in 173 patients (74,2%). The preintervention echocardiography did not demonstrate any significant difference between the two groups in terms of preoperative MR volume (70,5±9,6 ml vs. 71,6±8,5 ml, p=0,40), systolic LV function (ejection fraction 52,7±6,6% vs. 52,0±7,4%; p=0,53) and diastolicLV function (E/e’ 12,2±3,9 vs. 12,8±4,2; p=0,35). Despite no difference in ejection fraction, the Barlow’s disease group demonstrated a significant reduction inLV longitudinal systolic (-13,5±2,2% vs. -16,6±2,3%; p=0,008) and diastolic strain (1,14±0,20 s-1 vs. 1,34±0,18 s-1; p=0,04), as well as in strain rate (-0.89±0,15 s-1 vs. -1,14±0,15 s-1; p=0,002), compared to the fibroelastic deficiency group. Conclusion. Patients with Barlow’s disease, compared to patients with fibroelastic deficiency, have a lower preoperative LV systolic function, which might affect the postoperative long-term survival rates. The deteriorated LV function could be due to the damage of endocardial and intramyocardial extracellular matrix in Barlow’s disease

Left ventricular remodelling and diastolic dysfunction in mitral valve prolapse

Aim. To assess the severity and potential mechanisms of left ventricular (LV) myocardial remodelling and diastolic dysfunction in symptom-free young patients with mitral valve prolapse (MVP), but no arterial hypertension or significant mitral regurgitation. Material and methods. The study included 78 patients with MVP (mean age 19,7±1,6 years; 72% males). The control group, comparable by age and sex distribution, included 80 healthy people. Longitudinal diastolic strain rate (SRe) was assessed using the speckle tracking method (Vivid 7 Dim, EchoPAC’06, GE). Serum levels of transforming growth factors (TGF

MINOR HEART ANOMALIES

The paper attempts to revise the working classification of minor heart anomalies (MHA). It is proposed to exclude some syndromes and abnormalities which clearly have an independent clinical significance. The need for exclusion of prevalent normal variants, as well as anatomical and physiological characteristics of child’s heart, is justified. The inverse dynamics of selected MHA in older vs. younger age groups is demonstrated. The authors suggest that the current working classification should be modified