Cardiovascular Toxicity of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors in Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

In the present review the cardiovascular complications in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) are discussed. It covers current views on pathogenesis of TKI cardiovascular toxicity. The pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is considered as a part of the so-called pathophysiological continuum, i.e. a complex of processes developing at the molecular and cellular levels before clinical symptoms of the above diseases occur. Cardiovascular toxicity of certain TKIs can contribute to progression of pathophysiological processes in CML patients. The study of mechanisms underlying cardiovascular complications of TKI-based therapy is essential for evaluating the risks of their development in each patient. Identification of CVD predictors during TKI-based therapy can allow to elaborate a scheme for cardiovascular monitoring and safe patient management under consideration of individual risks and to avoid severe life-threatening complications

Is testosterone responsible for athletic success in female athletes?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the interrelationship between the resting serum testosterone (T) levels of female athletes from different types of sporting events and their athletic success. METHODS: The study involved 599 Russian international-level female athletes (95 highly elite, 190 elite, and 314 sub-elite; age: 16-35 years) and 298 age-matched female controls. The athlete cohort was stratified into four groups according to event duration, distance, and type of activity: 1) endurance athletes; 2) athletes with mixed activity; 3) speed/strength athletes; 4) sprinters. Athletic success was measured by determining the level of achievement of each athlete. RESULTS: The mean T levels of athletes and controls were 1.65±0.87 and 1.76±0.6 nmol/L (P=0.057 for difference between groups) with ranges of 0.08-5.82 and 0.38-2.83 nmol/L in athletes and controls, respectively. T levels were positively associated with athletic success in sprinters (P=0.0002 adjusted for age) only. Moreover, none of the sub-elite sprinters had T>1.9 nmol/L, while 50% of elite and highly elite sprinters had T>1.9 nmol/L (OR=47.0; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that the measurement of the serum T levels significantly correlates with athletic success in sprinters but not other types of athletes and in the future may be useful in the prediction of sprinting ability

Validation of the BPLab&reg; 24-hour blood pressure monitoring system in a pediatric population according to the 1993 British Hypertension Society protocol

Mikhail Y Ledyaev, Olga V Stepanova, Anastasia M Ledyaeva Department of Pediatric Disease, Volgograd State Medical University, Volgograd, Russian Federation Background: Automatic 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM) is a basic procedure performed in adults with arterial hypertension, but ABPM monitors have become widely used in pediatric practice only recently. The main problem is the lack of common normative data sets for ABPM in children and the small number of appropriate monitors that can be used for analysis of the 24-hour BP profile in this age group. The aim of this study was to validate the BPLab&reg; ABPM monitor according to the 1993 British Hypertension Society (BHS-93) protocol, as well as to work out solutions regarding the feasibility of this device in pediatric practice. Methods: Our study included 30 children of both sexes and aged 5&ndash;15 years, ie, &ldquo;older&rdquo; children according to the BHS-93 protocol. Before starting the study, we obtained ethical approval from the regional scientific ethics committee. All participants and their parents signed their written consent for participation in the study. The data were simultaneously obtained by three experts, who had completed a noninvasive BP measurement training course. BP values were measured using the Korotkoff auscultatory method (Phase I for systolic BP and Phase V for diastolic BP). Discrepancies in the systolic and diastolic BP measurements (n=180; 90 for each expert) were analyzed according to the criteria specified in the BHS-93 protocol. Results: The device was graded &ldquo;A&rdquo; for both systolic BP and diastolic BP according to the criteria of the BHS-93 protocol. Conclusion: The BPLab ABPM device may be recommended for extensive pediatric use. Keywords: ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, children, device, validation&nbsp