Vol 8, No 1 (2014)

Objective: to detect previously undiagnosed arterial hypertension in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) as a risk factor for cardiovascular mortality.

Materials and methods. 43 patients with stage I–II of COPD and the absence of clinical signs of cardiovascular diseases were examined. Spirometry, body plethysmography and diffusing lung capacity (DLCO) were included in the respiratory system assessment. The cardiovascular system was assessed with echocardiography and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM).

Results. Despite the absence of obvious signs of cardiovascular lesions (an increase of office blood pressure, intracardiac hemodynamic changes), the following cardiovascular risk factors were identified: age (58.2 ± 2.0 years), male gender, smoking, hypercholesterolemia and dyslipidemia (total cholesterol 5.9 ± 0.9 mmol / l, low density lipoproteins 3.8 ± 0.5 mmol / l, triglycerides 1.8 ± 0.2 mmol / l). Correlation analysis has revealed the relation between several respiratory parameters and the severity of dyspnea and quality of life in patients with COPD, as well as its relation with lipid levels.

Conclusion. The patients with COPD have a large number of risk factors for CVD. According to ABPM data, arterial hypertension was verified in 18 (41.9 %) of 43 patients with COPD at normal level of office blood pressure; moreover, 51.2 % of patients demonstrated low reduction of blood pressure during the night-time that nowadays, is considered to be a predictor of cardiovascular disease and sudden death.

As gestation progresses, all hemostatic components show changes aimed at compensating for the expenditures associated with fetal development. Activation of the hemostatic system during pregnancy creates a premorbid background for thrombotic and hemorrhagic complications. Hemostasiological examination is one of the compulsory dispensary management stages for pregnant women. An algorithm for the diagnosis of pregnancy-associated disorders in the hemostatic system is to solve the following problems: to identify the causes of hemocoagulation disorders, to determine the risk of thrombotic and hemorrhagic disorders, to prevent obstetric complications, and to monitor antithrombotic therapy. Hemostatic monitoring in pregnant women is based on rating and special methods and includes 3 stages: early, extended, and differential.
The need for extended hemostatic examination is first determined and the direction of a search for a defective component is concretized in relation of the changes found. Interpretation of laboratory test values in terms of a female medical history and gestational age underlies the timely diagnosis, adequate treatment policy, and effective prevention of gestational complications.

Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common pain syndromes caused by musculoarticular pathology. Analgesics, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), myorelaxants, and non-drug therapies are used to treat patients with LBP. The sufficient efficiency of this type of therapy is strongly supported by the results of clinical trials; its fundamentals have been embodied in a number of regional and international guidelines for the management of patients with LBP. Alongside the sufficient efficacy of NSAIDs, their use, their long-term use in particular, is associated with a wide range of adverse reactions. The increased efficiency of treatment in patients with LBP is frequently achieved by the application of topical dosage forms. Whether the new Russian drug Nanoplast forte may be used to treat patients with LBP is considered.

The paper describes 2 cases that demonstrate the patterns and specific features of infective endocarditis in the presence of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, diagnostic difficulties, comorbidities, as well as error analysis and a disease outcome

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are first-line drugs to treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) of both high and moderate activities. These are the only agents that are able to provide so prompt anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant effects in rheumatic diseases. Along with antimalarials and immunosuppressants, GCs are used in the standard classical treatment regimen for SLE; however, despite the high efficacy of these drugs, their related immediate or delayed adverse reactions are one of the major problems in the management of a patient with SLE. Occasionally, they may be severer than the indication itself for their use and may be even fatal. The paper describes the adverse reactions observed in a female patient with SLE during long-term use of a high maintenance GC dose.

The paper considers a clinical case of early-stage mixed Parkinson’s disease (PD) with significant affective disorders and restless legs syndrome. Once-daily extended-release pramipexole 3 mg significantly improved a patient’s status and led to regression of movement and affective disorders. The paper gives data on the efficacy of dopamine receptor agonists in treating PD and the benefits of their extended-release formulations.

This review discusses actual scientific results on cardiovascular risk factors, such as sex hormones, age at menopause, dyslipidemia, sympathicotony, body weight and obesity, etc., in postmenopausal women. Some aspects of assessment of cardiovascular risk in women, according with guidelines of American Heart Association (2011), were discussed also. Key points of preventive interventions were highlighted

New markers for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk are the subject of an intensive discussion in the scientific literature. The biomarkers (new
lipid parameters, inflammatory markers) and signs of subclinical atherosclerosis are candidates to be included in models to assess the cumulative risk of CVD. The paper considers the basic studies dealing with new markers of CVD risk and their place in current clinical recommendations.