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We studied the respiratory activity of mitochondria in peripheral blood leukocytes from 36 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and a history of ventricular tachyarrhythmias required cardioverter-defibrillator implantation. The measurements were carried out in incubation buffers with different oxidation substrates (succinate and pyruvate-malate mixture). In pyruvate-malate incubation buffer, oxygen consumption rate and respiratory control coefficients in patients with triggered device did not differ significantly from those in patients without cardioverter-defibrillator triggering. At the same time, respiratory control coefficients were below the reference values. In succinate buffer, values of mitochondrial parameters were significantly lower in patients with triggered devices. Our findings indicate that mitochondria of patients with non-triggered cardioverters-defibrillators have better functional and metabolic plasticity. It was concluded that activity of respiratory processes in mitochondria could be an indicator that should be taken into the account when assessing the risk of developing ventricular tachyarrhythmias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a clinical observation of two patients with generalized sarcoidosis. The woman typical granulomatous changes in the lungs and lymph nodes combined with atrial fibrillation, kidney failure and hereditary thrombophilia, men with atherosclerotic coronary arteries, re-myocardial infarction, cholestasis, tubulointerstitial nephritis. The accession of systemic manifestations was accompanied by increase of level of angiotensin-converting enzyme in the blood serum, morphological examination of lung tissue in both cases there were high histological activity of vasculitis and granulomatous inflammation. Extrapulmonary symptoms regressed when conducting immunosuppressive therapy. Discusses modern aspects of diagnosis of sarcoidosis in clinical practice.

Aim. To investigate on the electrocardiographic specifics of sportsmen at various stages of training and competition processes according to the sport type, intensity and training load type.Material and methods. Totally, 136 male sportsmen assessed. Qualified sportsmen 116 persons (groups of improvement and mastery, age 22,07±4,10 y.o., in-sport time 5-15 years) were selected to the groups: I — wrestling (n=30), II — ski racing, biathlon (n=27), III — powerlifting (n=33), IV — volleyball (n=26). Group V — the controls (n=20), age 17,95±1,55 y.o., in-sport less than 3 years. Study methods were electrocardiography (ECG), Holter monitoring of ECG, echocardiography (EchoCG), veloergometry (VEM).Results. During the preparation period of training-competition process, ECG changes, including cardiac rhythm disorders (CRD), were found in 93 of 136, that is 86 (63,2%) of quality sportsmen and 7 (5,1%) of controls (p=0,00001); during competition period — in 104 (76,5%) and 8 (5,9%) (p=0,00001), respectively. The prevalence of ECG changes in quality sportsmen at preparation tranings was 116 cases, in competition period — 165 (p

Poorly tolerated cardiac rhythm disorders in the newborn are a real emergency requiring early and adequate management. We here report the case of 15-day old newborn with atrial tachycardia associated with acute heart failure requiring electrical cardioversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent cardiac rhythm disorder and presents a considerable public health burden that is likely to increase in the next decades due to the ageing population. Current management strategies focus on the heart rate and rhythm control, thromboembolism prevention, and treatment of underlying diseases. The concept of quality of life (QoL) has gained significant importance in recent years as an outcome measure in AF studies evaluating therapeutic interventions and as a relevant component of a comprehensive treatment plan. Quality of life is impaired in the majority of patients with AF, and both rate and rhythm control strategies show significant improvement in QoL measures in highly symptomatic patients. This article reviews generic and specialized instruments for measuring QoL in the context of AF, discusses their applications and limitations to integration in clinical practice, and addresses the potential of early therapy for improving QoL outcomes. The development and validation of new QoL assessment tools will have a central role in the advancement of therapies and treatment guidelines for AF. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Šinkovec M, Petrovič D, Volk M, Peterlin B. Familial progressive sinoatrial and atrioventricular conduction disease of adult onset with sudden death, dilated cardiomyopathy, and brachydactyly. A new type of heart-hand syndrome? We identified a family with 10 affected members in four generations suffering from adult-onset progressive sinoatrial and atrioventricular conduction disease, sudden death due to ventricular tachyarrhythmia, dilated cardiomyopathy, and a unique type of brachydactyly with mild hand involvement (short distal, middle, proximal phalanges and clinodactyly) and more severe foot involvement (short distal, proximal phalanges and metatarsal bones, short or absent middle phalanges, terminal symphalangism, duplication of the bases of the second metatarsals, extra ossicles, and syndactyly). The phenotype differences from other reported genetic abnormalities and linkage exclusion of Holt–Oram syndrome, ulnar–mammary syndrome, brachydactyly type B or Robinow syndrome, and cardiac conduction disease or Brugada syndrome loci suggest that we report on a new hereditary heart-hand syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a clinical observation of two patients with generalized sarcoidosis. The woman typical granulomatous changes in the lungs and lymph nodes combined with atrial fibrillation, kidney failure and hereditary thrombophilia, men with atherosclerotic coronary arteries, re-myocardial infarction, cholestasis, tubulointerstitial nephritis. The accession of systemic manifestations was accompanied by increase of level of angiotensin-converting enzyme in the blood serum, morphological examination of lung tissue in both cases there were high histological activity of vasculitis and granulomatous inflammation. Extrapulmonary symptoms regressed when conducting immunosuppressive therapy. Discusses modern aspects of diagnosis of sarcoidosis in clinical practice.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequent cardiac rhythm disorder and presents a considerable public health burden that is likely to increase in the next decades due to the ageing population. Current management strategies focus on the heart rate and rhythm control, thromboembolism prevention, and treatment of underlying diseases. The concept of quality of life (QoL) has gained significant importance in recent years as an outcome measure in AF studies evaluating therapeutic interventions and as a relevant component of a comprehensive treatment plan. Quality of life is impaired in the majority of patients with AF, and both rate and rhythm control strategies show significant improvement in QoL measures in highly symptomatic patients. This article reviews generic and specialized instruments for measuring QoL in the context of AF, discusses their applications and limitations to integration in clinical practice, and addresses the potential of early therapy for improving QoL outcomes. The development and validation of new QoL assessment tools will have a central role in the advancement of therapies and treatment guidelines for AF., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2014. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)