Showing papers by "Renata Cifkova published in 2022"
26 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors summarize the role of widely publicized indicators of early atherosclerosis in predicting cardiovascular events, including the earliest measurable indicator of the atherosclerotic process is endothelial dysfunction, measured by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery.
17 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the authors evaluated serum bilirubin concentrations and the prevalence of Gilbert syndrome (GS) in elite athletes and found that a mild elevation of systemic bilibrin concentrations provides substantial protection against many diseases of civilization.
Abstract: Abstract Objectives Bilirubin is a potent endogenous antioxidant and immunomodulating substance, which is also implicated in both cell signalling and various metabolic pathways. Mild elevation of systemic bilirubin concentrations provides substantial protection against many diseases of civilization. Rare published reports have suggested that serum bilirubin might also be relevant to sports performance. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate serum bilirubin concentrations and the prevalence of Gilbert syndrome (GS) in elite athletes. Methods The study was carried out in 536 consecutive healthy elite athletes and in 2594 individuals of the Czech post-MONICA study representing the general Czech population. Serum bilirubin concentrations, the prevalence of benign hyperbilirubinemia > 17 µmol/L (1 mg/dL, a phenotypic sign of GS), and a variant of the UGT1A1 gene promoter responsible for GS manifestation in Caucasians (rs81753472) were evaluated in study subjects. Results Compared to the general Czech population, significantly higher serum bilirubin concentrations were found in elite athletes (9.6 vs. 11.6 µmol/L, p < 0.001), both in men (11.3 vs. 12.6 µmol/L, p < 0.001) and women (8.3 vs. 10.5 µmol/L, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the prevalence of GS was also significantly higher in elite athletes (9.6 vs. 22%, p < 0.001) together with the tendency to higher frequencies of the genotypes (TA) 7/7 and (TA) 6/7 UGT1A1 . Conclusion Elite athletes have significantly higher concentrations of serum bilirubin, the most potent endogenous antioxidant substance known. Simultaneously, the prevalence of GS syndrome is also much higher in elite athletes, suggesting that a mild elevation of serum bilirubin might predispose to better sports performance.
7 citations
TL;DR: It is of utmost importance to oblige scientists to include women in clinical trials and to consider sex as a biological variable in hypertension, as there are currently no sufficient data to support sex-based differences in the efficacy of antihypertensive treatment.
Abstract: Hypertension is the most prevalent cardiovascular disorder and the leading cause of death worldwide in both sexes. The prevalence of hypertension is lower in premenopausal women than in men of the same age, but sharply increases after the menopause, resulting in higher rates in women aged 65 and older. Awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension are better in women. A sex-pooled analysis from 4 community-based cohort studies found increasing cardiovascular risk beginning at lower systolic blood pressure thresholds for women than men. Hormonal changes after the menopause play a substantial role in the pathophysiology of hypertension in postmenopausal women. Female-specific causes of hypertension such as the use of contraceptive agents and assisted reproductive technologies have been identified. Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy are associated with increased risk of maternal, fetal, and neonatal morbidity and mortality, as well as with a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease later in life. Hypertension-mediated organ damage was found to be more prevalent in women, thus increasing the cardiovascular risk. Sex differences in pharmacokinetics have been observed, but their clinical implications are still a matter of debate. There are currently no sufficient data to support sex-based differences in the efficacy of antihypertensive treatment. Adverse drug reactions are more frequently reported in women. Women are still underrepresented in large clinical trials in hypertension, and not all of them report sex-specific results. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to oblige scientists to include women in clinical trials and to consider sex as a biological variable.
4 citations
TL;DR: In this article , Grassi et al. this article investigated the role of blood clotting factors in the development of heart disease in the first stage of heart failure and showed that they are a major cause of heart attack.
Abstract: ESH Editor: Guido Grassi, Milan ESH Co-Editors: Rosa Maria Bruno, Paris Georg Ehret, Geneva Costas Thomopoulos, Jana Brguljan, Renata C ıfkov a, Alexandre Persu and Reinhold Kreutz Department of Cardiology, Helena Venizelou General & Maternity Hospital, Athens, Greece; Hypertension Department, Medical University Ljubljana, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Center for Cardiovascular Prevention, First Faculty of Medicine and Thomayer University Hospital, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Medicine II, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic; Division of Cardiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc and Pole of Cardiovascular Research, Institut de Recherche Exp erimentale et Clinique, Universit e Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Institute of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Charit e – Universit€atsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
2 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the authors assess longitudinal trends in blood pressure, prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in a representative population sample of the Czechia from 1985 to 2016/2017, focusing on sex differences.
Abstract: Background Hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease which substantially increases cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despite the broad availability of antihypertensive medication, control of hypertension is not satisfactory worldwide. Objective The study aim was to assess longitudinal trends in blood pressure, prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in a representative population sample of the Czechia from 1985 to 2016/2017, focusing on sex differences. Methods A total of 7,606 men and 8,050 women aged 25–64 years were screened for major CV risk factors in seven independent cross-sectional surveys run consistently in the same six country districts of the Czechia between 1985 and 2016/2017. The population samples were randomly selected. Results Over a study period of 31/32 years, there was a significant decline in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in both sexes, whereas the prevalence of hypertension decreased only in women. There was an increase in hypertension awareness in both sexes over the entire study period with consistently higher rates in women. The proportion of individuals treated with antihypertensive drugs increased significantly in both sexes throughout the study, again with consistently higher rates in women. Control of hypertension increased significantly over the study period with consistently higher rates in women. The age-adjusted trends in blood pressure, prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypertension were significantly different in men and women, always in favor of women. The age-adjusted trends in control of hypertension in treated patients were equally poor in both sexes. Conclusion There are significant differences in longitudinal trends in blood pressure, prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension between men and women, always in favor of women except for the control of hypertension in treated patients, where it is equally poor in both sexes.
2 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors explored whether high leptin affects the mortality and morbidity risk in patients with stable coronary heart disease and found that high serum leptin concentrations (≥18.9 ng/mL) were associated with worse survival, as well as with a higher incidence of fatal vascular events or hospitalization for heart failure.
Abstract: Leptin is an adipocyte-derived peptide involved in energy homeostasis and body weight regulation. The position of leptin in cardiovascular pathophysiology remains controversial. Some studies suggest a detrimental effect of hyperleptinemia on the cardiovascular (CV) system, while others assume the role of leptin as a neutral or even protective factor. We have explored whether high leptin affects the mortality and morbidity risk in patients with stable coronary heart disease.We followed 975 patients ≥6 months after myocardial infarction or coronary revascularization in a prospective study. All-cause or cardiovascular death, non-fatal cardiovascular events (recurrent myocardial infarction, stroke, or any revascularization), and hospitalizations for heart failure (HF) we used as outcomes. High serum leptin concentrations (≥18.9 ng/mL, i.e., 4th quartile) were associated with worse survival, as well as with a higher incidence of fatal vascular events or hospitalizations for HF. Even after full adjustment for potential covariates, high leptin remained to be associated with a significantly increased 5-years risk of all-cause death [Hazard risk ratio (HRR) 2.10 (95%CIs:1.29-3.42), p < 0.003], CV death [HRR 2.65 (95%CIs:1.48-4.74), p < 0.001], and HF hospitalization [HRR 1.95 (95% CIs:1.11-3.44), p < 0.020]. In contrast, the incidence risk of non-fatal CV events was only marginally and non-significantly influenced [HRR 1.27 (95%CIs:0.76-2.13), p = 0.359].High leptin concentration entails an increased risk of mortality, apparently driven by fatal CV events and future worsening of HF, on top of conventional CV risk factors and the baseline status of left ventricular function.
1 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , the authors present a study of the relationship between endokrinology, angiologie, kardiologie and angiogenesis in the context of the Praha Kardiomed s.r.t.
Abstract: a Kardiovaskulární centrum, Nemocnice Na Homolce, Praha b I. interní klinika – kardiologická, Lékařská fakulta Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci a Fakultní nemocnice Olomouc, Olomouc c II. interní klinika kardiologie a angiologie, 1. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy a Všeobecná fakultní nemocnice, Praha d III. interní klinika – klinika endokrinologie a metabolismu, 1. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy a Všeobecná fakultní nemocnice, Praha e Centrum kardiovaskulární prevence, 1. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy a Fakultní Thomayerova nemocnice, Praha f Centrum pro závislé na tabáku, III. interní klinika – klinika endokrinologie a metabolismu, 1. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy a Všeobecná fakultní nemocnice, Praha g Ústav hygieny a epidemiologie, 1. lékařská fakulta Univerzity Karlovy a Všeobecná fakultní nemocnice, Praha h Pracoviště preventivní kardiologie, Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, Praha ch Kardiomed s.r.o., Praha
TL;DR: Timely reperfusion therapy use together with ennin-angiotensin system blockers may decrease the risk of mortality, despite several advances in stroke management, the mortality remains high.
Abstract: Objective: To identify factors influencing long-term survival after ischemic stroke is of utmost importance. The aim of the present study was to analyze long-term survival and to assess factors associated with increased mortality following ischemic stroke. Design and method: Consecutive patients enninlised between March 2009 and January 2012 for their first-ever ischemic stroke in 2 large tertiary hospitals in the Czech Republic were enrolled in this survey. Results: In total, 736 patients (mean age 66 ± 11 years; 58% men) were included in this analysis. The cumulative risk of death at 1, 3, 5 and 10 years was 13.6%, 20.8%, 29.3% and 48.3%, respectively. After adjusting for age and gender, patients with discharge systolic blood pressure between 120 and 140 mmHg showed the lowest mortality risk (Figure 1.) Higher age, higher NIHSS on admission and more severe functional impairment, diabetes and current smoking were associated with higher mortality risk, while the reperfusion therapy, and ennin-angiotensin system blockers were associated with a lower mortality (Figure 2). Conclusions: Despite several advances in stroke management, the mortality remains high. Timely reperfusion therapy use together with ennin-angiotensin system blockers may decrease the risk of mortality.