Aim        To determine diagnostic capabilities of left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal systolic strain (GLSS) in stress echocardiography (stress-EchoCG) with a treadmill test for diagnosing the functional significance of the degree of coronary stenosis.

Material and methods        The study included 121 patients (73 men aged 68.3±7.7 years) with suspected or previously diagnosed ischemic heart disease (IHD). Speckle-tracking stress-EchCG (method of tracking speckles on two-dimensional gray-scale ultrasonic images) with a treadmill test and coronarography was performed for all patients. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on the severity of coronary artery (CA) stenosis according to the Gensini scale.

Results   LV GLSS at rest did not significantly differ between the study groups. After the exercise, LV GLSS was significantly lower in patients with pronounced CA stenosis than in patients without or with moderate CA stenosis (15.9±4.6 % vs. 20.6±3.7 % (p<0.001) and 19.6±3.0 % (p=0.003), respectively). Postexercise LV GLSS <16.9% suggested a pronounced CA stenosis with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 70% (area under the curve, AUC, 0.76±0.06 at 95 % confidence interval, CI, 0.63–0.89; р<0.001). In the patient group without CA stenosis, LV GLSS showed a significant increase after completion of the exercise (from 19.1±3.1 to 20.6±3.7; p=0.04).

Conclusion            Evaluation of LV GLSS and its dynamics in stress-EchoCG with a treadmill test may be promising in patients with IHD, since in most patients with pronounced CA stenosis, LV GLSS is reduced at baseline and further reduces in response to exercise. In patients without CA stenosis, LV GLSS increases after completing the exercise.

Aim        To analyze first results of using the Aterostop calculator for a comprehensive evaluation of the risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Material and methods        A cross-sectional study analyzed major and additional risk factors in 460 subjects without apparent disease and in patients with documented CVD of atherosclerotic origin using the application (calculator) Aterostop developed in the National Medical Research Center of Cardiology in Moscow, Russia.

Results   45.4% of evaluated persons belonged to the categories of very high and extreme risk. Age and frequencies of smoking, arterial hypertension, and diabetes mellitus (DM) increased with the increase in risk; the growth of DM was exponential. 129 (28%) individuals used lipid-lowering medications at the time of study. Their plasma levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were significantly lower than in those who did not received this treatment. However, achieving the target level was inversely proportional to the risk: the greatest proportion of individuals who reached the LDL-C target was in the category of low risk and the smallest proportion was in the category of extreme risk (75 % vs. 3.7 %, respectively).

Conclusion            The results obtained with the calculator Aterostop were consistent with earlier reports of insufficient effectiveness of primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic CVDs, which requires more tight and fruitful cooperation of the physician and the patient.

Aim        To evaluate the effectiveness of the decision-making module in selecting an oral anticoagulant for patients with atrial fibrillation.

Material and methods        638 patients with atrial fibrillation aged 68.2±4.5 years were evaluated. The CHA2DS2-VASc, HAS-BLED, and 2MАСЕ scales, the creatinine clearance calculator, and the Morisky-Green questionnaire were used.

Results   311 (48.75 %) patients had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, 138 (21.6%) had persistent atrial fibrillation, 44 (22.7%) had long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation, and 145 (22.7 %) had permanent atrial fibrillation. Mean CHADS2‑VASc scale score was 4.82; НAS-BLED scale score was 2.9; 2MACE score was 2.28; and compliance score was 3.52. 172 (26.9 %) patients were treated with rivaroxaban; 166 (26 %), with apixaban; 84 (13.2 %), with dabigatran; 210 (32.9 %), with warfarin; and 6 (1 %), with acetylsalicylic acid.

Conclusion            The developed decision-making module is based on scientific justification of personalized selection of the oral anticoagulant and updates the knowledge on major issues of prescription.

Aim        To compare effects of neuromuscular electrostimulation (NMES) with various intensity of induced muscle contractions on its tolerance and effect on physical work ability in elderly patients admitted for chronic heart failure (CHF).

Material and methods        The study included 22 patients older than 60 years admitted for decompensated CHF. NMES was performed from the 2nd or 3d day of stay in the hospital to the discharge from the hospital. Patients choose the stimulation regimen themselves based on the result of the first session: the high intensity to achieve maximum tolerable muscle contractions (group 1) or the lower intensity to achieve visible/ palpable muscle contractions (group 2). Prior to the onset and after the completion of the training, the 6-min walk test (6MWT) was performed and the general condition of the patient was assessed with a visual analogue scale (VAS).

Results   More patients, mostly women, chose the less intensive NMES (14 vs. 8). The groups did not differ in age, comorbidity, and functional condition. Both groups achieved considerable increases in the 6MWT distance (7.3 [5.6; 176] and 9.8 [7.0; 9.9] %, respectively, p>0.05) and VAS scores without a significant difference between the groups. Among the patients who were compliant with continuing NMES after the discharge from the hospital, 69% were patients of the group of the less intensive stimulation.

Conclusion            The less intensive NMES (with achieving visible muscle contractions) was characterized by better tolerance and better compliance in elderly patients with decompensated CHF compared to the more intensive NMES (with achieving maximum contractions), but the less intensive NMES was not inferior to the more intensive NMES in effectiveness.

Aim        To compare results of computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) with a table of pretest probability of chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) taking into account the following key variants: abnormality, microvascular damage, nonobstructive or obstructive atherosclerotic damage.

Material and methods        50 patients (39 men, 20 women) aged 30 to 67 years were evaluated with a computed tomography scanner PHILIPS Brilliance iCT SP 128. A high pretest probability of ischemic heart disease was found in 44 % of cases and medium in 40%.

Results   According to CCS data, coronary artery (CA) pathology was not found in 28 % of patients. CA hypoplasia was observed in 4 % of patients. 22 % of patients had muscular bridges narrowing the CA lumen during systole by 40-50%. In 26 % of cases, CA had minimal and early stenoses. Moderate and pronounced stenoses were observed in 20% of cases. In one case, there was a total occlusion of the circumflex branch. Calcinates were found in 9.1 % of patients with muscular bridges, in 61.5 % of patients with minimal and early stenoses, and in 80% of patients with moderate and pronounced stenoses. In the group with “clean” CA and congenital defects, calcinates were absent. The mean value of pretest probability was the highest in the patient group with moderate and pronounced stenoses, 22.5±13.13. It was significantly higher than in the group with muscular bridges (р=0.045) and congenital pathology of CA (р=0.01). At the same time, this value did not significantly differ from the group with “clean” CA and the group with minimal and early stenoses. Based on the study results, 2 bypass surgeries and 5 CA stentings were performed.

Conclusion            Thus, the table of pretest probability of ischemic heart disease does not provide a differential diagnosis and evaluation of the nature of CA damage as compared to results of CTCA.

Aim        To study the psychological continuum in elderly patients with arterial hypertension associated with metabolic syndrome during the chronotherapy with a fixed combination (FC) of amlodipine, lisinopril, and rosuvastatin.

Material and methods        In the inpatient conditions, 63 patients aged 60–74 years with arterial hypertension associated with metabolic syndrome were treated with chronotherapy with a FC of amlodipine, lisinopril, and rosuvastatin (5 / 10 / 10 mg/day in the evening). These patients composed the main group. The control group (58 patients aged 60–74 years with arterial hypertension associated with metabolic syndrome) was treated with the FC of amlodipine, lisinopril, and rosuvastatin at the same dose of 5 / 10 / 10 mg/day in the morning.

Results   At one year, the disorders of psychological continuum were significantly decreased with the chronotherapy (evening dosing) with the antihypertensive FC of amlodipine, lisinopril, and rosuvastatin compared to the traditional treatment (morning dosing) at the same dose of 5 / 10 / 10 mg/day in both groups. With the chronotherapeutic approach, the dynamic of cognitive disorders in patients aged 60–74 years with arterial hypertension associated with metabolic syndrome was characterized by a significant increase in the Mini-Mental-State-Examination scale score from 17.8±0.3 at baseline to 23.5±0.4 with the evening dosing (р<0.001) vs. the increase from 16.9±0.3 to 20.4±0.4 (р<0.001) with the morning dosing. The situational anxiety score decreased from 40.0±2.2 to 30.6±1.8 (р<0.05) and from 40.8±2.5 to 33.5±1.9  (р<0.05), and the trait anxiety score decreased from 48.8±2.0 to 26.4±1.9 (р<0.001) and from 44.9±1.9 to 30.7±1.7  (р<0.01) with the evening and morning dosing, respectively. Depressive disorders slightly decreased with the chronotherapy by 14.1 % vs. 7.7 % with the traditional regimen; nevertheless, they were consistent with depressive spectrum disorders in both groups.

Conclusion            The study results showed a higher effectiveness of the chronotherapeutic treatment compared to the traditional treatment with FC of amlodipine, lisinopril, and rosuvastatin in arterial hypertension with metabolic syndrome.

Aim    To present clinical characteristics of patients after hospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) and to analyze hemodynamic indexes and compliance with the treatment at two years depending on the conditions of outpatient follow-up.
Material and methods    The study included 942 patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) older than 18 years who had been hospitalized for ADHF. Based on patients’ decisions, two groups were isolated: patients who continued the outpatient follow-up at the Center of CHF (CCHF) (group 1, n=510) and patients who continued the follow-up in outpatient multidisciplinary clinics (OMC) at their place of residence (group 2, n=432). The clinical portrait of patients was evaluated after ADHF, and hemodynamic parameters were evaluated on discharge from the hospital. Also, the patient compliance with the treatment was analyzed during two years of follow-up. Statistical analysis was performed with Statistica 7.0 for Windows.
Results    The leading causes for CHF included arterial hypertension, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. With the mean duration of hospitalization of 11 inpatient days, 88.1 % and 88.4 % of patients of groups 1 and 2 were discharged with complaints of shortness of breath; 62 % and 70.4 % complained of palpitations; and 73.6 % and 71.8 % complained of general weakness. On discharge from the hospital, the following obvious signs of congestion remained: peripheral edema in 54.3 % and 57.9 %; pulmonary rales in 28.8 % and 32.4 %; orthopnea in 21.4 % and 26.2 %; and cough in 16,5 % and 15.5 % of patients of groups 1 and 2, respectively. For the time of hospitalization, CHF patients did not achieve their targets of systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP) and heart rate (HR). Patients of group 1 achieved the recommended values of SBP, DBP and HR already at one year of the follow-up at CCHF. Patients of group 2 had no significant changes in hemodynamic indexes. At one and two years of the follow-up, group 2 showed a considerable impairment of the compliance with the basis therapy for CHF compared to group 1.
Conclusions    During the short period of hospitalization (11 inpatient days), the patients retained pronounced symptoms of HF and clinical signs of congestion and did not achieve their hemodynamic targets. The patients who were followed up for a long time at CCHF were more compliant with the basis therapy, which resulted in improvement of hemodynamic indexes, compared to the patients who were managed in OMS at the place of residence.

Objective    To assess performance measures of attention of STEMI in Coronary Intensive Care Unit in General Hospital Camilo Cienfuegos.
Methods    Admitted patients with STEMI, from February-April 2020, were compared with patients from similar period from 2015–2019, and patients from January 2019 to January 2020. Primary endpoint were performance measures according to the 2017 AHA / ACC Clinical Performance and Quality Measures for Adults with STEMI document, and secondary endpoint were all-cause in-hospital mortality and major acute coronary events.
Results    Only 35 patients were admitted from February-April 2020. When comparing with similar periods from recent years, in-hospital death (8.3 % vs. 20 %; p=0.03), major complications (38.7 % vs. 57.1 %; p=0.03), and cardiogenic shock (6.9 % vs. 17.4 %; p=0.04) were significantly higher. When comparing with 2019 and January 2020, in-hospital death (9.6 %; p=0.04), and major complications (35.8 % p=0.03) were significantly higher in February-April 2020; however, there was no difference in prevalence of cardiogenic shock (8 %; p=0.12).
Conclusion    COVID-19 pandemic had decreased prevalence of STEMI, as well as some performance measures of attention in this center.

Aim    Activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, decreased nitric oxide production, chronic inflammation, and oxidative stress result in subclinical changes in the arterial wall, which favor the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The effect of allelic gene variants that encode the proteins participating in pathogenetic pathways of age-associated diseases with subclinical changes in the arterial wall [increased pulse wave velocity (PWV), increased intima-media thickness, endothelial dysfunction (ED), presence of atherosclerotic plaques (ASP)] are understudied. This study analyzed the relationship between AGT, ACE, NOS3 TNF, MMP9, and CYBA gene polymorphism and the presence of subclinical changes in the arterial wall, including the dependence on risk factors for CVD, in arbitrarily healthy people of various age.
Material and methods    The relationship of polymorphisms с.521С>Т of AGT gene, Ins>Del of AСE gene, с.894G>T of NOS3 gene, – 238G>A of TNF gene, – 1562С>T of MMP9 gene, and c.214Т>С of CYBA gene with indexes of changes in the arterial wall and risk factors for CVD was studied in 160 arbitrarily healthy people by building models of multiple logistic regression and also by analyzing frequencies of co-emergence of two signs with the Pearson chi-squared test (χ2) and Fisher exact test.
Results    The DD-genotype of Ins>Del ACE gene polymorphism was correlated with increased PWV (p=0.006; odds ratio (OR) =3.41, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.48–8.67) and ED (p=0.014; OR=2.60, 95 % CI: 1.22–5.68). The GG genotype of с.894G>T NOS3 gene polymorphism was correlated with ED (p=0.0087; OR=2.65, 95 % CI: 1.26–5.72); the ТТ-genotype of с.894G>T NOS3 gene polymorphism was correlated with ASP (p=0.033; OR=0.034, 95 % CI: 0.001–0.549).
Conclusion    Polymorphic variants of AСE and NOS3 genes correlated with ED, increased arterial wall stiffness, and the presence of subclinical changes in the arterial wall.

Background    Elevation of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) indicates renal dysfunction and is associated with increased mortality in cardiovascular diseases. We investigated the relationship between the BUN concentration measured at hospital admission and the long-term all-cause mortality in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP).
Methods    The mortality rate of 344 patients who underwent coronary angiography (CAG) in our clinic due to SAP was analyzed during a mean follow-up period of 8 yrs.
Results    Age (p<0.001), male gender (p=0.020), waist circumference (p=0.007), body-mass index (p=0.002), fasting glucose (p=0.004), BUN (p<0.001), serum creatinine (Cr) (p<0.001), hemoglobin (p=0.015), triglyceride concentrations (p=0.033), and the Gensini score (p<0.001) were related to all-cause mortality as shown by univariate Cox regression analysis. Age (OR 1.056, 95 % CI 1.015–1.100, p=0.008), fasting glucose (OR 1.006, 95 % CI 1.001–1.011, p=0.018), BUN, (OR 1.077, 95 % CI 1.026–1.130, p=0.003), and the Gensini score (OR 2.269, 95 % CI 1.233–4.174, p=0.008) were significantly related with mortality as shown by multivariate Cox regression analysis. According to receiver operating characteristic analysis ofthe sensitivity and specificity of BUN and Cr for predicting mortality, the area under the curve values of BUN and Cr were 0.789 (p<0.001) and 0.652 (p=0.001), respectively. BUN had a stronger relationship with mortality than Cr. A concentration of BUN above 16.1 mg / dl had 90.1 % sensitivity and 60 % specificity for predicting mortality (OR=2.23).
Conclusion    In patients who underwent CAG due to SAP, the BUN concentration was associated with all-cause mortality during a mean follow-up period of 8 yrs.

Aim    To develop a new, modified protocol for transesophageal atrial electric stimulation (TEAES), which would significantly enhance the diagnostic value of stress echocardiography and reduce the duration of the test in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).
Material and methods    This study included 101 patients (80 men and 21 women aged 55±9 years) with suspected or documented diagnosis of IHD who were divided into two homogenous groups. Group 1 (51 patients) underwent stress echocardiography (stress-EchoCG) according to a standard protocol (SP) for TEAES and group 2 (50 patients), underwent stress-EchoCG according to a modified protocol (MP). In addition to stress-EchoCG with TEAES, selective coronary angiography was performed for all patients. The development of the new method for evaluating occult coronary insufficiency was based on comparison of SP and MP for TEAES with stress-EchoCG with data of coronary angiography.
Results    In both groups, significant differences in values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure were absent. However, the values of achieved heart rate were significantly different: 141±11 (TEAES SP) and 155±10 (TEAES MP) bpm (p=0.01). There was also a difference in the duration of the TEAES protocols: 15±3 and 5±2 min, respectively (p=0.006). The use of the modified TEAES protocol for detecting transient disorders of left ventricular myocardial local contractility increased the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the test from 76 %, 87 %, and 80 % to 83 %, 92 %, and 86 %, respectively. The most significant differences were found in the area supplied by the circumflex artery: the SP and MP sensitivities were 63 % and 75 %, respectively (p<0.05) and the SP and MP accuracies were 81 % and 90 %, respectively (p<0.05).
Conclusion    Evaluation of occult coronary insufficiency by stress-EchoCG with the TEAES MP as compared to the TEAES SP provides a gentler procedure regimen for the patient due to a shorter duration of the test and at the same time improves the diagnostic significance of this method in IHD patients.

Aim    To evaluate possible social and economic benefits of correcting preoperative iron deficiency /iron deficiency anemia as a comorbidity in a model population in the process of transition from the routine practice to the optimized preparation of patients to elective surgery (as exemplified by several circulatory diseases: I20 – I25, class IX ICD 10).
Material and methods    By building imitation models depending on the patient blood management (PBM) practice, changes in years of life lost/saved adjusted for disability were evaluated, including in monetary terms, in relation to the annual number of operations performed for ischemic heart disease (IHD) (I20 – I25) in the age group of 17 years and older, as well as a potential effect of PBM on the applied health economics.
Results    With implementation of the PBM systemic measures in cardiac surgery, the potentially prevented annual social and economic damage will amount to more than 38 thousand years of life saved and more than 20.2 billion rubles in monetary terms. Furthermore, it will be possible to exclude 9435 hemotransfusion from the cardiosurgical practice, which will annually save more than 2.3 thousand liters of blood with a total cost of 77.7 million rubles in favor of clinical situations that have no alternative.
Conclusion    The implementation of PBM in cardiac surgery, the discipline with the highest levels of preoperative iron deficiency/anemia and the use of blood components, will not only improve the clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of surgical interventions, but will also prevent social and economic damage to the country.

The article describes a clinical case of the COVID-19 viral infection complicated with severe pneumonia, “cytokine storm”, bacteriemia, and acute myocardial injury with decompensated chronic heart failure, ventricular arrhythmias, and formation of an intracardiac thrombus in an elderly patient with underlying clinically significant cardiovascular pathology.

Multifocal arterial injury is common in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular complications and death. Administration of more intensive antithrombotic therapy, particularly combinations of acetylsalicylic acid and a “vascular” dose of rivaroxaban, in patients with multifocal arterial injury is characterized by a beneficial ratio of efficiency and safety due to a pronounced decrease in the risk of cardiovascular complications. Detection of peripheral artery diseases in patients with ischemic heart disease and atherosclerotic cerebrovascular pathology makes it possible to improve the risk stratification, optimize the diagnostic tactics and clarify indications for more intensive antithrombotic therapy.

Selenium is an important micronutrient that is essential for the functioning of the human body. Being a component of the active center of several antioxidant enzymes selenium prevents cell injury by free radicals. Decline in selenium-containing enzymes results in progression of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, which are considered as possible causes for the development of many cardiovascular diseases. This review focuses on mechanisms for prevention of myocardial and vascular injury through the adequate selenium supply to the body. The importance of monitoring and correction of the selenium status in appropriate patients is underlined.

The medical community, researchers and healthcare organizers are constantly challenged by comparing key indexes reflecting the effectiveness of cardiovascular care, primarily for the dynamic assessment and implementation of the world's best practices to reduce cardiovascular mortality. The analysis of health care for patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVD) is a complex, multicomponent process, the structure and key tools of which differ from country to country. Using different data sources, methodological and analytical approaches creates certain limitations and barriers to the assessment. In order to update the ideas about the modern coordinate system and tools for assessing cardiovascular care, the authors presented practices for analyzing major indexes in Russia, European countries, and the United States. The review presents sources of statistical data, principles for assessing risk factors, cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, and specific features of monitoring the availability and quality of cardiovascular care.