Dyslipidemia is the risk fact or of cardiovascular disease, but the relationship between the plasma triglyceride (TG) levels and total/cardiovascular mortality has not yet been analy zed in Slavs. The aim of our study was to analy ze the association between the fasting TG levels and all- cause/cardiovascular mortality. We have examined 3,143 males and 3,650 females, aged 58.3±7.1 years. 729 deaths (274 cardiovascular deaths) have been registered during up to 11.8 years of follow -up. Age -sex adjusted all -cause mortality was higher in individuals with TG values 3.01 -4.00 mmol /l (HR 1.37, 95 % CI 1.02- 1.83, P=0.035) and over 4.00 mmol /l (HR 1.66, 95 % CI 1.21 -2.27, P=0.002) when compared with a reference group (TG 1.41 -1.80 mmol /l). Elevated risk remains significant when adjusted for education, marital status and unemployment. When further adjusted for smoking, BMI and dyslipidemia interventions, HR for those in above 4.00 mmol/l group decreas ed (1.42, P=0.04). The results have been similar when cardiovascular mortality has been examined, however, results reached statistical significance only for the TG over 4.0 mmol /l (P=0.028). Our results confirmed that enhanced plasma levels of plasma triglycerides are dose dependently associated with increased risk of all- cause mortality, however, it s eems that individuals with TG values 1.8 -3.0 mmol /l are not in higher risk of death., H. Pikhart, J. A. Hubáček, A. Peasey, R. Kubínová, M. Bobák., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Bilirubin is the final product of heme catabolism in the systemic circulation. For decades, increased serum/plasma bilirubin levels were considered an ominous sign of an underlying liver disease. However, data from recent years convincin gly suggest that mildly elevated bilirubin concentrations are as sociated with protection against various oxidative stress-mediated diseases, atherosclerotic conditions being the most clinically relevant. Although scarce data on beneficial effects of bilirubin had been published also in the past, it took until 1994 when the first clinical study demonstrated an increased risk of coronary heart disease in subjects with low serum bilirubin levels, and bilirubin was found to be a risk factor for atherosclerotic diseases independent of standard risk factors. Consistent with t hese results, we proved in our own studies, that subjects with mild elevation of serum levels of unconjugated bilirubin (benign hyperbilirubinemia, Gilbert syndrome) have much lower prevalence/incidence of cor onary heart as well as peripher al vascular disease. We have also demonstrated that this association is even more general, with serum bilirubin being a biomarker of numerous other diseases, often associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis. In addition, very recent data have demonst rated biological pathways modulated by bilirubin, which are responsible for observed strong clinical associations., L. Vítek., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and depressive disorders (DD) are two of the most prevalent health problems in the world. Although CVD and depression have different origin, they share some common pathophysiological characteristics and risk factors, such as the increased production of proinflammatory cytokines, endothelial dysfunction, blood flow abnormalities, decreased glucose metabolism, elevated plasma homocysteine levels, oxidative stress and disorder in vitamin D metabolism. Current findings confirm the common underlying factors for both pathologies, which are related to dramatic dietary changes in the mid-19th century. By changing dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids from 1:1 to 15-20:1 some changes in metabolism were induced, such as increased pro-inflammatory mediators and m odulations of different signaling pathways following pathophysiological response related to both, cardiovascular diseases and depressive disorders., J. Trebatická, A. Dukát, Z. Ďuračková, J. Muchová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Statins are powerful lipid-lowering drugs, widely used in patients with hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease. It was found, however, that statins appear to have a pleiotropic effect beyond their lipid-lowering ability. They exert anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and antioxidant effects, increase nitric oxide production and improve endothelial dysfunction. The aim of our study was to examine the effect of chronic and acute treatment with simvastatin on the contractile function of the isolated perfused rat heart after ischemia/reperfusion injury. Contractile function was measured on isolated rat hearts, perfused according to Langendorff under constant pressure. The hearts were subjected to 20 min of global ischemia, followed by 40 min of reperfusion. To investigate the acute effect, simvastatin at a concentration of 10 μmol/l was added to the perfusion solution during reperfusion. In chronic experiments the rats were fed simvastatin at a concentration of 10 mg/kg for two weeks before the measurement of the contractile function. Acute simvastatin administration significantly increased reparation of the peak of pressure development [(+dP/dt)max] (52.9±8.2 %) after global ischemia, as compared with the control group (28.8±5.2 %). Similar differences were also observed in the time course of the recovery of [(+dP/dt)max]. Chronic simvastatin was without any protective effect. Our results reveal that the acute administration of simvastatin during reperfusion, unlike the chronic treatment, significantly reduced contractile dysfunction induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury. This supports the idea of possible cardioprotective effect of statin administration in the first-line therapy of the acute coronary syndrome., O. Szárszoi, J. Malý, P. Ošťádal, I. Netuka, J. Bešík, F. Kolář, B. Ošťádal., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
There is an increasing eviden ce linking dysbalance between various proinflammatory mediators and higher risk of cardiovascular events and pathologies. Likewise, some of the cardiovascular diseases lately ap peared to have an autoimmune component. Interleukin-1 (IL-1), a master regulator of diverse inflammatory processes in higher eukaryotes and the key player in numerous autoimmune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus or systemic sclerosis, has recently been proved to be involved in development of several cardiovascular diseases as well. This report aims to give a summary on current knowledge about the IL-1 signaling pathways and about the implication of IL-1 and the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) in some of the diseases of the cardiovascular system., B. Vicenová ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Moderately elevated plasma/serum triglycerides (2 -10 m mol/l) signalize increased risk for cardiovascular disease or presence of non- alcoholic steatohepatitis. Extremely elevated triglycerides (more than 10 mmol/l) signalize increased risk for pancreatitis and lipemia retinalis. The concentration of triglycerides is regulated by many genetic and nongenetic factors. Extremely elevated triglycerides not provoked by nutritional factors, especially inappropriate alcohol intake are more likely to have a monogenic cause. On the contrary, mildly to moderately elevated triglycerides are often caused by polygenic disorders; these could be also associated with central obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus. Concentration of triglycerides is also closely interconnected with presence of atherogenic remnant lipop roteins, impaired reverse cholesterol transport and more atherogenic small LDL particles. In general, there is tight association between triglycerides and many other metabolic factors including intermediate products of lipoprotein metabolism which are freq uently atherogenic. Therefore, reliable evaluation of the independent role of triglycerides especially in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease is difficult. In individual cases values of HDL cholesterol, non -HDL cholesterol (total minus HDL cholester ol), non -HDL/nonLDL cholesterol (total minus HDL minus LDL cholesterol, especially in nonfasting status), atherogenic index of plasma and/or apolipoprotein B could help in decisions regarding a ggressiv eness of treatment., J. Piťha, J. Kovář, T. Blahová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
It is believed that atherogenesis is a multifactorial process, which could already start in utero. Development of atherosclerosis progresses over decades and leads to the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in adulthood. At present, we have no exact explanation for all the risk factors acting in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. This review should provide an overview about the possible role of intrauterine undernutrition in the development of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Intrauterine undernutrition leads to changes in fetal growth and metabolism and programs later development of some of these risk factors. A number of experimental and human studies indicates that hypertension as well as impaired cholesterol and glucose metabolism are affected by intrauterine growth. Intrauterine undernutrition plays an important role and acts synergistically with numerous genetic and environmental factors in the development of atherosclerosis. There is evidence that undernutrition of the fetus has permanent effects on the health status of human individuals., P. Szitányi, J. Janda, R. Poledne., and Obsahuje bibliografii
This review article summarizes the problems of metabolic disorders and nutrition imbalances that often occur in chronic kidney failure (CKF) or following regular dialysis treatment. In this survey, we cover the pathogenesis of these disorders, their clinical consequences, and their association with the most severe complications of chronic kidney failure and dialysis treatment. These complications are primarily at herosclerosis, malnutrition, anemia, hyperparathyroidism, and other serious problems that markedly and negatively affect prognosis and the quality of life of uremic patients. Risk factors for cardiovascular disease are discussed in-depth because cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients with chronic kidney failure. It is important to pay attention to the development of these complications because early diagnosis and therapy can improve the prognosis for these patients and reduce treatment costs., R. Cibulka, J. Racek., and Obsahuje bibliografii a bibliografické odkazy
The oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). In CVD progression an aberrant redox regulation was observed. In this regulation levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in cellular signaling, where Nrf2 is the key regulator of redox homeostasis. Keap1-Nrf2-ARE system regulates a great set of detoxificant and antioxidant enzymes in cells after ROS and electrophiles exposure. In this review we focus on radical-generating systems in cardiovascular system as well as on Nrf2 as a target against oxidative stress and a key player of redox regulation in cardiovascular diseases. We also summarize the current knowledge about the role of Nrf2 in pathophysiology of several CVD (hypertension, cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyopathies) as well as in cardioprotection against myocardial ischemia/ reperfusion injury., M. Barančík, L. Grešová, M. Barteková, I. Dovinová., and Obsahuje bibliografii
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short non-coding regulatory RNA molecules which play an important role in intracellular communication and cell signaling and which influence cellular processes such as proliferation, differentiation, and cellular death. Over the past two decades, the crucial role of m icroRNAs in controlling tissue homeostasis and disease in cardiovascular systems has become widely recogni zed. By controlling the expression levels of their targets, several miRNAs have been shown to modulate the function of endothelial cells (miR-221/222 and -126), vascular smooth muscle cells (miR-143/145) and macrophages (miR-33, -758, and -26), thereby regulating the development and progression of atherosclerosis. The stability of miRNAs within the blood suggests that circulating miRNAs may function as important biomarkers of disease development and progression. Numerous circulating miRNAs have been found to be dysregulated in a wide variety of different disease states, including diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease., D. Dlouhá, J. A. Hubáček., and Obsahuje bibliografii