Tetralogy of Fallot with cor triatriatum dexter in an adult patient: a case report.

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common cyanotic congenital heart defect with only approximately 3% of uncorrected patients surviving past age 40. In this case report, we present a 48-year-old mentally retarded man suffering from congenital spastic quadriplegia who was diagnosed with a unique combination of symptomatic TOF and cor triatriatum dexter (CTD). Reduced preload because of CTD with spastic quadriplegia that prevented physical exertion is believed to have facilitated this patient's unusually long survival.

[Elective percutaneous coronary intervention after acute coronary syndrome]. / Elektivna perkutana koronarna intervencija (PCI) nakon akutnog koronarnog sindroma.

Elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after acute coronary syndrome (ACS), according to guidelines issued by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC), is a therapeutic method that is indicated in patients with ACS with ST segment elevation in case of persistent signs of myocardial ischemia and with significant stenosis of coronary artery verified by coronary angiography, suitable for PCI according to the guidelines. It is also indicated for non-culprit significant stenosis of other coronary arteries which have been seen during primary PCI for ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). After non ST segment myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or after non-ST elevation ACS, elective coronary artery angiography is indicated in low risk patients if they have positive signs of ischemia on noninvasive tests. Depending on the results of coronary angiography, elective PCI is indicated according to ESC or AHA/ACC guidelines. The method success is assessed at three levels, i.e. by angiography, clinically and periprocedurally. PCI enables earlier and more efficient resolution of symptoms, better effort tolerance and lower rate of residual ischemia on noninvasive tests.

[Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease]. / Primarna prevencija kardiovaskularne bolesti.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of mortality in Croatia and in Europe. Primary prevention of CVD involves intervention before the onset of disease, and prevention of modifiable risk factors, i.e. cigarette smoking, hyperlipidemia, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, inactivity, obesity. These risk factors are strongly associated and lead to impaired vascular endothelial function, chronic injury of endothelium, platelet activation and aggregation, atherosclerotic plaque formation, and in the end manifestation of CVD. The risk of any coronary event increases exponentially when two or more risk factors are present. Aside from conventional factors, it has been demonstrated that raised levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines, homocysteine and fibrinogen are also important promotors of the disease, pointing to partially inflammatory nature of coronary atherosclerosis. The effects of risk factors such as smoking, arterial hypertension and hyperlipidemia on vascular endothelium are proven to be reversible. According to Guidelines on Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Clinical Practice of the European Society of Cardiology (2007), population is advised to follow the formula 0 3 5 140 5 3 0. It suggests that crucial measures in preserving cardiovascular health are as follows: no smoking (0), walking 3 km daily or 30 minutes of any moderate activity (3), blood pressure less than 140 mm Hg systolic (140), total blood cholesterol less than 5 mmol/L (5), LDL cholesterol less than 3 mmol/L (3), avoidance of overweight and diabetes (0). There are many studies proving the beneficial effects of statins and ACE inhibitors in improving endothelial function and endorsing primary prevention.