[Treatment for ventricular arrhythmias in the absence of structural heart disease: from guidelines to clinical practice]. / Lechenie zheludochkovykh aritmii v otsutstvie strukturnoi patologii serdtsa: ot rekomendatsii k klinicheskoi praktike.

AIM: To determine criteria for choosing management tactics in patients with ventricular arrhythmias (VA) in the absence of structural heart disease from the point of view of physicians and patients in clinical practice and to compare the immediate results of antiarrhythmic drug therapy (ADT) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with the trends in arrhythmic syndrome in the non-treatment group. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Examinations were made in 90 patients (23 men and 67 women) (mean age, 44 (31; 57) years) with VA in the absence of structural heart disease. Preference was given to RFA (n = 32 (36%)), ADT (n = 37 (41%)), and follow-up tactics (n = 21 (23%)). At baseline and 1 month, Holter ECG monitoring was done; quality of life (QOL) was assessed; and anxiety and depression levels were detected using the SF-36 and HADS questionnaires. In addition, 71 physicians were surveyed about their preferences to the treatment of VA in individuals without structural heart disease. RESULTS: In the total group of patients, VA was unambiguously accompanied by the symptoms only in 47%. The signs of anxiety and depression were identified in 41 and 14% of cases, respectively. The efficiency of RFA was comparable to that of ADT (p > 0.1): a positive antiarrhythmic effect was observed in 71.9% of the patients in the RFA group and in 67.6% in the ADT group. During one month, 38.1% of the patients in the follow-up group showed a spontaneous substantial reduction in the number of ventricular premature beats (VPBs) or disappearance of unstable ventricular tachycardia (UVT), which met the criteria for a positive effect. At baseline, the QOL indicators on a social functioning scale in the RFA group were worse than those in the ADT group. At the same time, most QOL indicators in the patients who have chosen a wait-and-see tactic were significantly higher than those in the RFA and ADT subgroups. The patients treated with ethacyzin in the ADT group more frequently achieved a positive effect. In the interviewed physicians' opinion, the choice of a tactic depended on the impact of arrhythmia on health status (68%), the number of VPBs per day (61%), and the presence of UVT (56%). RFA or ADT was most often recommended when there were 10,000-15,000 or more VPBs per day ((49 and 35% of the respondents, respectively). 46.5% of the respondents stated that ß-blockers were the drug of choice for idiopathic frequent VPBs. Only 30% of the respondents considered it appropriate to restrict to a follow-up in the presence of asymptomatic VPBs. CONCLUSION: Patient management in clinical practice generally complies with the current guidelines; however, much importance is attached to the severity of arrhythmia (the number of VPBs per day, the presence of UVT) in addition to the presence of symptoms. In the opinion of most physicians, the initiation of treatment is justified when there are 10,000-15,000 and more per day. QOL assessment may be promising in choosing the optimal management tactics for these patients. Treatment should not be initiated immediately in patients with a high level of QOL, especially in those with arrhythmia lasting less than 12 months, by taking into account that there can be a spontaneous improvement in 38% of cases within the next month. The immediate results of ADT and RFA are comparable in patients with VA in the absence of structural heart disease. The Class IC antiarrhythmic drug ethacyzin is the most effective agent that ensures positive changes in arrhythmic syndrome in 66.7% of cases with the rate of side effects being in 17.8%.

[Heart rate turbulence and T-wave alternans as markers of risk of sudden cardiac death in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy].

AIM: to study microvolt T-wave alternans (mTWA) and heart rate turbulence (HRT) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCMP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 50 patients with HCMP: 15 (28%) with obstructive form, 23 (46%) with major risk factors of sudden cardiac death (SCD), 7 (14%) with left ventricular thickness more or equal 3 cm, 6 (12%) with family history of SCD, 16 (32%) with attacks of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NVT), 5 (10%) with episodes of syncope. Control group comparable by age and gender composition comprised 50 persons without cardiovascular diseases. All patients were subjected to 24-hour ECG monitoring with registration of parameters of variability and HRT (turbulence onset [TO], turbulence slope), maximal mTWA values, mTWA at heart rate 100 bpm, mTWA at 05.00 AM (mTWA05:00). RESULTS: Patients with HCMP compared to controls were characterized by significantly higher values of mTWA05:00 (19 [13;30] and 9 [4;15] mcV, respectively, p<0.001). There was tendency to greater prevalence of pathological HRT values in patients with HCMP compared with healthy subjects (p=0.083). Prevalence of pathological TO values among patients (16%) was significantly higher than among controls (2%), (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to healthy subjects patients with HCMP were characterized by higher mTWA05:00 and higher prevalence of pathological values of TO. mTWA was directly related to numbers of ventricular extrasystoles and NVT attacks. Patients with attacks of NVT compared with those without had lower SDNN pNN50.

[Effect of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on predictors of sudden cardiac death in patients with ischemic heart disease and ventricular rhythm disturbances].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the dynamics of non-invasive electrophysiologic (ventricular arrhythmias, HRV, HRT, mTWA) and humoral (red blood cells ω-3 index) SCD predictors at the background of therapy with ω-3 PUFA in patients with iscemic heart disease and ventricular arrhythmias. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 80 patients. Inclusion criteria were: documented IHD (history of myocardial infarction, stable angina, previous surgical intervention on coronary arteries (coronary artery bypass grafting [CABG], percutaneous coronary intervention [PCI]), positive stress tests, signs of IHD in coronary angiography or computer tomography of coronary arteries; ventricular arrhythmias, according to registered Holter monitoring (PVCs in the number of 250 or more per day and /or intermittent ventricular tachycardia paroxysms); continuous antiarrhytmic therapy for at least 1 month before inclusion (ω-blockers and /or amiodarone), 4) informed consent to participate in the study. RESULTS: All criteria for a good anti-arrhythmic effect (reducing the number of PVCs by 75% and more, paired PVCs by 90% or more, the complete elimination of unstable ventricular tachycardia paroxysms) after 3 months of therapy were observed in 16% of patients, and 6 months after - in 46%. A small but significant increase in the number of PVCs, paired PVCs and ventricular tachycardia paroxysms was noted in the control group. As a result, after 6 months of observation the mean SDNN in patients taking ω-3 PUFA, significantly exceeded the value of the one in the control group. Six months after, the mean value of TO was significantly lower and the mean value of TS - higher than in the control group. After 6 months of therapy with ω-3 PUFA it a significant increase of red blood cells ω-3 index was show by increasing the value of both EPA (an average of 78%) and DHA (an average of 42 %). CONCLUSION: 6 months supplementation with 1 g/day ω-3 PUFA for 6 months in patients with IHD improves the effect of standard antiarrhythmic therapy, reducing the number of isolated and paired PVCs, the number of unstable ventricular tachycardia paroxysms, improves HRT, HRV, increases red blood cells ω-3 index. The long-term (more than 3 months) ω-3 PUFA supplementation must consider be taken into in mTWA assessment to avoid false-positive findings in the SCD risk stratification.

[Severe disseminated constrictive polyserositis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis].

Constrictive polyserositis (pleuritis, pericarditis) is a syndrome within the underlying disease (tuberculosis, periodic disease, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, asbestos, silicosis, uremia, some genetic diseases), a complication due to chest surgery or radiation or drug therapy, is occasionally idiopathic (fibrosing mediastinitis). There are frequently great difficulties in making its nosological diagnosis. The paper describes a patient in whom the onset of disease was exudative pleurisy with the signs of constriction, arthralgias; pleural punctures provided serous exudates with 80% lymphocytes. A year later there was ascitis and shin and foot edemas, which concurrent with hepatomegaly and cholestasis was regarded as cryptogenic liver cirrhosis. The signs of constrictive pericarditis were further revealed. The disease was complicated by the development of pulmonary artery thromboembolism (PATE) (which required the use of warfarin) and hemorrhagic vasculitis. Therapy with metipred in combination with isoniazid yielded a slight effect. The diagnoses of tuberculosis, liver cirrhosis, and autoimmune hepatitis, systemic vasculitis were consecutively rejected; the diagnosis of rheumatoid polyarthritis with systemic manifestations was made, by taking into account persistent arthalgias with the minimum signs of arthritis, noticeably increased C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, and cyclic citrullinated peptide antibodies (CCPA); plasmapheresis, therapy with metipred and methotrexate, and subtotal pericardectomy were performed. Constrictive polyserositis concurrent with PATE, hemorrhagic vasculitis (probably, drug-induced one), and hepatic lesion has been first described in a CCPA-positive patient with rheumatoid arthritis in the presence of moderate true arthritis (during steroid therapy).

[Use of plasmapheresis in the treatment of drug-resistant cardiac arrhythmias]. / Ispol'zovanie plazmafereza pri lechenii narushenii ritma serdtsa, rezistentnykh k lekarstvennoi terapii.

AIM: To study the therapeutical efficiency of plasmapheresis (PA) in patients with drug-resistant cardiac arrhythmias (CA) and its mechanisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Discrete PA sessions were carried out in 56 patients with drug-resistant CA: paroxysmal atrial arrhythmia (AA), ventricular and supraventricular premature contractions, supraventricular tachycardia of various etiology. Biochemical blood values, coagulographic parameters, lipid peroxidation (LPO), the spectrum of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), the level of medium-sized molecules were determined, ECG monitoring, EchoCG, and left ventricular radioisotope computed tomography were performed before and after a PA session. RESULTS: PA was effective in 50% of cases. The duration of its effect averaged 3.0 (1.25-5.0) months. PA was more beneficial for patients with IHD, AA with normal left atrial dimensions, and hyperlipidemia. The duration of the effect was significantly higher when antiarrhythmic drug therapy was continued after PA. Due to PA, there were significant decreases in the blood concentrations of cholesterol, medium-sized molecules, malonic dialdehyde (MDA) and in the proportion of polyunsaturated NEFA. The antiarrhythmic effect was associated with the decreases in MDA and NEFA, with a tendency for a reduction in the rate of chemiluminescence. CONCLUSION: PA may be used in the treatment of drug-resistant CA. The most significant mechanism of its antiarrhythmic activity is to recover sensitivity to antiarrhythmics. The intrinsic antiarrhythmic activity may be associated with its effect on NEFA metabolism and LPO; however, its mechanisms await further studies.