[Assessment of the structural and functional state of blood vessels in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].

Aim      To evaluate the structural and functional condition of the vasculature using fingertip photoplethysmography and computerized videocapillaroscopy in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMP).Material and methods  The study included patients with HCMP (n=48; 28 (57 %) men; age, 54.3±13.6 years) and healthy volunteers (control group, n=33, 15 (45 %) men; age, 58.2±8.8 years). Standard laboratory and instrumental examination (blood count and biochemistry, electrocardiography, echocardiography, Holter electrocardiogram monitoring) were performed for all HCMP patients. The condition of vascular wall at various levels of the vasculature was evaluated by fingertip photoplethysmography (apparatus Angioscan-01) and computerized nail-fold videocapillaroscopy (apparatus Capillaroscan-01). The photoplethysmography study analyzed structural parameters, including the arterial wall stiffness index (aSI) of large blood vessels and the resistance index (RI) of small muscular arteries. Endothelial dysfunction was evaluated by the occlusion index (OI) and phase shift (PS). The capillaroscopy study assessed structural parameters, including the resting capillary density (rCD) and the capillary density following venous occlusion (voCD), and functional parameters, including the percentage of perfused capillaries (PPC), the percentage of restored capillaries (PRC), and the capillary density after the reactive hyperemia test (rhCD).Results The study showed increases in aSI (8.8 [6.8; 12.2] and RI (32.5 [17.4; 47.9] in the HCMP group. The OI was significantly lower in the HCMP group (1.3 [1.1; 1.5]) than in the control group (1.8 [1.5; 2.7], р<0.001). Also, PS values were significantly decreased in the HCMP group (4.4 [2.3; 8.6]) compared to the control group (8.4 [5.1; 12.1]. p=0.018). Disorders of structural and functional capillary indexes were observed in HCMP patients compared to the control group; rCD and voCD were decreased in the HCMP group (60 [52.6; 68] and 88 [75; 90], respectively) compared to the control group (75.8 [60; 87] and 90 [73; 101]), however, no intergroup difference reached a statistical significance. The rhCD, PPC, and PRC values were decreased in the HCMP group (66.3 [55; 72], 86.7 [70.9; 104.2] and 1.7 [-6.95; 20.3], respectively) compared to the control group (86 [68.6; 100], 103 [96; 114] and 18.4 [8.1; 27.4], respectively); PPC and PRC values were significantly different (р<0.005 and p<0.004, respectively).Conclusion      In patients with HCMP, fingertip photoplethysmography and computerized videocapillaroscopy showed increased wall stiffness in both large blood vessels and microvasculature, pronounced endothelial dysfunction, and decreases in capillary density and percentage of restored capillaries following respective tests.

[Focus on the Myocardial Hypertrophy from the Perspective of Transcriptomics and Metabolomics].

This review presents major directions in studies of myocardial hypertrophy from the aspect of transcriptomics and metabolomics. Understanding of trigger mechanisms of myocardial hypertrophy will permit transition from basic studies to individualized clinical application of innovative technologies in the treatment of heart diseases, such as targeted therapy. At the present time, methods have been developed for diagnostics and prediction of cardiovascular diseases based on the metabolomic profiling and the evaluation of microRNA expression. Progress in studying molecular and genetic processes underlying the development of cardiovascular diseases may provide invaluable information for clinical cardiology.

[Metabolomic profiling in patients with metabolic syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To identify biomarkers, which are most specific for patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) using metabolomic profiling. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Metabolomic profiling of patients with MS and comparison of their profile with the profile of volunteers was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography-mass-spectrometry. RESULTS: The metabolomic profile of MS patients differed in several amino acids, including choline, cysteine, and serine and in the acylcarnitine group (р<0.05 for all comparisons). CONCLUSION: The metabolites most specific for MS patients were identified. Increased concentrations of a combination of amino acids and carnitines can be considered as possible additional risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

[Treatment and secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients].

Oncological patients are a high-risk group for venous thromboembolic complications. These complications significantly impair the outcome of antitumor treatment and take a leading place in the structure of mortality. Treatment of venous thromboembolic complications in oncological patients is a serious challenge. When selecting an anticoagulant, the physician should consider its efficacy and safety and possible drug interactions. Based on results of multiple studies presented in this article, physicians will be able to choose an optimum therapeutic tactics and secondary prevention of thromboembolic complications for this group of patients.

[Vasoprotective Effects of Prolonged Therapy With Perindopril A in Patients with Hypertension Including Concomitant Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus].

Objective Investigate the dynamics of morphological and functional markers of vascular remodeling in patients with arterial hypertension (AH), including those with concomitant type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), during 12-month administration of perindopril A.Material and Methods The study included patients with grade I-II AH, with and without DM2 (30 and 32 patients, respectively), who underwent outpatient correction of initially ineffective antihypertensive therapy and administration of perindopril A, 10 mg/day. Morphological and functional parameters of vascular remodeling were evaluated in all patients at baseline and at 12 months using photoplethysmography. Stiffness index (SI) and phase shift (PS) were measured in large vessels. Reflection index (RI) and occlusion index (OI) were measured in microvessels. Computed nailfold videocapillaroscopy was used to determine capillary density (CD) at rest (CDr), CD during venous occlusion test (CDvo), and CD during reactive hyperemia test (CDrh). Data are medians [interquartile range].Results After 12-month administration of perindopril A, the morphological and functional parameters of vascular remodeling in AH patients without DM2 significantly improved at all vascular levels. SI decreased to 9.25 [7.8; 10.93 ] m/s and PS increased to 7.4 [5.6; 9.05] ms. In microvasculature, a statistically significant reduction was observed in RI, 31 [27; 36.5]%, and an increase was observed in OI, which characterizes endothelium function, 1.75 [1.68; 1.9]. Capillary CDr significantly increased to 40.5 [34.93; 46] cap/mm2, as did CDvo and CDrh. At the same time, in the group of patients with AH and DM2, a significant improvement was observed for the large vessels. SI decreased to 9.8 [9.08; 10.58] m/s, and PS increased to 6.95 [5.13; 10.08]. The RI index, reflecting the structural condition of arterioles, significantly decreased to 34 [25.9; 45.53]%, and the OI index, characterizing endothelial function, did not change significantly, 1.4 [1.3; 1.6]. Capillary CDr significantly increased to 31.55 [27.68; 34.7 ] cap/mm2; however, CDvo and CDrh did not change significantly. Renal function improved in both groups.Conclusion Both groups demonstrated improvement of morphological parameters at all levels of the arterial bed. However, patients with AH and concomitant DM2 showed no improvement of the endothelial function of arterioles and capillaries compared to improvement in AH patients without DM2. This reflected the more severe endothelial dysfunction present in AH patients with DM2.

[Metabolomic Profiling of Patients With Cardiovascular Diseases].

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the main cause of death worldwide. A broad study of the pathogenetic mechanisms of the CVD onset and progression has led to understanding of the importance of endothelial dysfunction (ED) in these processes. During recent years intensive work has been conducted in the direction of searching for markers of ED. Metabolomics is an intensively advancing approach to early diagnostics of diseases. Metabolomic analysis based on mass spectrometry allows to study complete metabolic profiles and their deviations resulting from changes in expression of genes and RNA, protein activity, or environmental factors. Metabolomic analysis has already demonstrated significant results in the solving of different scientific and clinical problems. It appears to be a promising method for detecting early biomarkers of CVD. Various aspects of application of metabolomic profiling in the field of cardiovascular diseases are discussed in this article.

[Anticoagulant Therapy in Elderly Patients With Atrial Fibrillation].

Is this paper discuss problems of selection of anticoagulant therapy in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation, use of unreasonably low doses of anticoagulants, their risks and adherence to therapy is discussed in the paper.

[Tactics of Selection of Anticoagulant Therapy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation and Ischemic Heart Disease].

In the clinical practice a physician quite often is at a loss due to "freedom of choice" granted by availability of direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC). If a patient with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF) has indications for therapy with anticoagulants which DOAC should be preferred? What are benefits for a patient with ischemic heart disease and AF when definite NOAC is chosen and what are risks inherent of this choice? Answers to such questions are given in this paper.

[Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and Ischemic Heart Disease. Variants of Combination Pathology].

The issues of epidemiology and pathophysiology of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMP), as well as the search for its additional clinical-instrumental and genetic markers, environmental factors capable to influence the formation of its clinical variant and prognosis are subjects of great interest to the modern scientific community. Besides genetic markers of main neurohumoral systems, and morphofunctional parameters of intracardiac hemodynamics clinical course of the disease is influenced by a complex of concomitant pathology including ischemic heart disease (IHD), joining of which is possible in 10% of cases. IHD substantially aggravates course of HCMP and hampers selection of medical therapy. It should be noted that prognosis of primary hypertrophies is affected by episodes of ischemia of complex genesis and addition of IHD significantly increases risk of sudden death in these patients.

[Electroimpedance Methods of Investigation of Cardiac Activity].

AIM: of the present work was assessment of possibility to use modern electroimpedace methods for the study of activity of the heart. Electroimpemdace methods of measurement for many years remained in the shadow of other diagnostic methods because of low accuracy in evaluation of various parameters. At present, there are technologies of measurement which allow to carry out electroimpedance investigations of cardiac activity dynamically and with acceptable accuracy. In this article, we present methods of electroimpedace measurements created in Institute of Biomedical Equipment of N.E. Bauman Technical University. These methods allow to assess dynamics of movement of ventricles of the heart, to evaluate volume parameters of cardiac activity and all temporal phases of activity of cardiac chambers. We also present data of studies on healthy volunteers and patients of cardiological profile. It has been shown that patients with atrial fibrillation have substantially increased duration of electrical and mechanical activity of atria and ventricles as well as lowed ejection fraction compared with other participants of experiments.