[Indicators of inflammation in patients with coronary atherosclerosis - role of usCRP in diagnosis and disease progression prediction]. / Indikátory zápalu u pacientov s koronárnou aterosklerózou - úloha usCRP v diagnostike a predikcii prognózy ochorenia.

Atherosclerosis is being nowadays defined as chronic subclinical inflammatory disease. Recently published clinical and laboratory studies have shown that subclinical inflammation represents main role in initiation of creation, in progress and destabilization of atherosclerotic plaque. Screening including traditional cardiovascular risk factors fails in identification in more than 50% of individuals with later development of acute coronary syndrome. According to above mentioned reason indicators are being searched for, which would be usable to monitor the activity of atherosclerotic process. According to role of subclinical inflammatory process in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, the determination of C-reactive protein using ultrasensitive method is being showed as perspective marker. Ultrasensitive C-reactive protein represents a strong, independent predictor of future cardiovascular events in apparently heal-thy individuals and has also prognostic utility in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Predictive capacity of C-reactive protein determination is independent of traditional risk factors and offers prognostic advantage as opposed to determination of lipids alone. The paper provides a review of currently available knowledge of possibilities for utilization of C-reactive protein laboratory assessment, as the main representative of acute phase proteins, in monitoring of creation and severity of coronary atherosclerosis, in possibilities of the disease prognosis determination and prediction of its acute complications, and also in prediction of prognosis in patient with already existing acute complication.

[Causes of hospitalization in patients on chronic hemodialysis]. / Príciny hospitalizácií u chronicky hemodialyzovaných pacientov.

UNLABELLED: Patients taking dialysis regularly form a group with higher morbidity and mortality compared with common population. The risk factors of the hospitalization in future in these patients are supposed to be: older age, history of cardiovascular disease, comorbidity, vascular access other than arterio-venous fistula, certain types of nephropathy and serum albumin level < 30 g/l. The number of patients in chronic dialysis treatment in Slovakia rises. Therefore we have performed a retrospective study. It's aim was to evaluate the main reasons and risk factors of hospitalizations in chronic haemodialysis patients in Turciansky region. METHODS: 80 patients undergoing regular haemodialysis treatment in 2 dialysis centres during 24 months were included. Following data were collected: age, gender, comorbidity, type of nephropathy, residual diuresis, some data connected with dialysis treatment, laboratory parametres and body mass index. RESULTS: During the given period of time 66 per cent of the patients of our sample required hospitalization. The main reasons of their hospitalization were complications of vascular access (13%), surgery (12%), the sepsis (9%) and serious bleeding (9%). Hospitalized patients showed significantly lower BMI and residual diuresis compared with non-hospitalized ones. They also suffered from greater amount of other diseases. As for gender prevailed men and patients with a history of cardiovascular disease, thrombosis and peptic ulcer. There was no connection between morbidity and age, type of vascular access and laboratory parameters observed.

[Secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases in the elderly]. / Sekundárna prevencia kardiovaskulárnych chorôb u starsích osôb.

Secondary prevention in cardiovascular diseases has its meaning also in elderly people. It is specific in some factors. The currently known facts gradually include measures which are not associated with old age of individuals. They include: influencing of the deteriorated adaptation of old organism to internal and external effects, decreased physical activity, restricted self-sufficiency, social isolation, incorrect life style, polymorbidity and subsequent polypragmatic therapy, etc.. Prolongation of life span of man, the struggle against CVD and the improvement of the quality of life of patients can be secured only by means of a complex of rational preventive measures. (Ref. 22.)

[Elevated levels of plasma von Willebrand factor: a new risk factor for atherosclerosis?]. / Zvýsená hladina von Willebrandovho faktora v plazme: nový rizikový faktor aterosklerózy?

The authors assessed the plasma level of von Willebrand's factor in a total of 104 patients aged 32-60 years. Of these 10 patients are free from confirmed ischaemic heart disease with no history of acute myocardial infarction and 94 patients after acute myocardial infarction. Samplings for von Willebrand's factor in patients after acute myocardial infarction were made at least two months after the infarction. The patients were subjected to: A) ergometric examination, b) to ergometric and coronarographic examination. The patients after acute myocardial infarction with minimal atherosclerotic changes or without atherosclerotic changes on the coronaries had a normal or slightly elevated plasma level of von Willebrand's factor. With the number of coronary arteries affected with atherosclerosis the plasma level of von Willebrand's factor increased. In patients after infarction with evidence of atherosclerotic changes on the coronary arteries without other risk factors the plasma level of von Willebrand's factor was also high. The results stimulate the hypothesis that high plasma levels of von Willebrand's factor could be a risk factor of atherosclerosis.

[Infectious endocarditis--new aspects of a well-known disease]. / Infekcná endokarditída--nové pohl'ady na známe ochorenie.

The authors discuss the incidence, etiology and pathogenesis of infectious endocarditis. They mention the incidence and therapeutic results in patients with infectious endocarditis hospitalized at the First Medical Clinic in Martin in 1988-1993. In the conclusion they present general principles of the treatment of infectious endocarditis.

[Large blood platelets--risk factors in myocardial infarction]. / Vel'ké dosticky--rizikový faktor infarktu myokardu.

Thrombocytes participate in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction. Larger platelets are more active than small ones. In patients after an acute coronary a larger number of platelets was found, a medium volume of puatelets and a similar thrombocytocrite as compared with the healthy population of comparable structure and age. The MPV in patients of advanced age is statistically significantly larger. There are no significant correlations between MPV and the risk factors investigated by the authors.

Defining and assessing risky behaviours.

This paper presents the deliberations and conclusions of an international group of health practitioners, researchers and planners who met in 1991 to explore risky behaviours and risk assessment in the context of the World Health Organization's strategy Health for All By 2000. A definition of risky behaviours is discussed and a method of exploring risk contexts, 'a risk equation', is presented. Lay risk assessment is explored and contrasted with professional perceptions of risk as evidenced in health education campaigns. It is concluded that the application of epidemiological techniques--the study of the incidence and prevalence of risk-related and health-related behaviours--employing qualitative methods provides a useful means of exploring the social and cultural context of risk behaviour.

[Renin and aldosterone in the first 24 hours after acute myocardial infarct]. / Renin a aldosteron v prvých 24 hodinách cerstvého infarktu myokardu.

The authors investigated the levels of plasma renin activity and aldosterone in patients with a fresh myocardial infarction during the first 24 hours of hospitalization. The values of plasma renin activity and aldosterone were correlated with values of the control group. At the time of admission to the clinic both hormones were significantly elevated, as compared with the control group, in plasma renin activity p less than 0.001 and in aldosterone p less than 0.01. During the subsequent time intervals, i.e. after 3, 6 and 24 hours, the values of plasma renin activity did not change substantially, while the aldosterone values declined during the 6th and 24th hour (significance p less than 0.05). No significant relationship was found between plasma renin activity an aldosterone. With regard to persisting elevated values of plasma renin activity the authors discuss the possible use of blockers of the angiotensin converting enzyme in order to inhibit in the initial stage of a new infarction the formation of endogenous pressor substances.

[The effect of quinidine on digoxin plasma levels after discontinuation of digoxin therapy]. / Vplyv chinidínu na plazmaticku hladinu digoxínu po vynechaní digoxínovej liecby.

The authors submit a report on the effect of quinidine on plasma digoxin. The investigation was made in 20 patients wit supraventricular dysrhythmia. After initial digoxin treatment they proceeded with quinidine six hours after the last digoxin dose. Although they did not administer digoxin, the digoxin level increased during quinidine treatment in the course of 12 hours from 2.4 +/- 1.6 ng/ml to 3.8 +/- 12.4 ng/ml. The authors draw attention to the importance of following up digoxin levels in the mentioned drug combination which is supposed to prevent serious complication caused by possible digoxin intoxication.