Background: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an established treatment for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HfrEF). Etiology may influence the outcome of patients undergoing CRT. Objective: to evaluate whether etiology (ischemic vs non-ischemic) influences the response to CRT and overall outcome. Methods: Our study included HFrEF patients undergoing CRT between January 2017-November 2019. We assessed right ventricle (RV) and left ventricle (LV) function using transthoracic echocardiography at baseline and one year after CRT. The response to CRT was defined by a decrease of more than 15% of left ventricle systolic volume. Patients were divided in two groups: ischemic and non-ischemic based on personal history. Adverse events (HF related hospitalizations and deaths) were tracked for 33± 12.8 months. Results: 52 patients undergoing CRT were included (64±13.5 years, 55.7% male, 70% non-ischemic etiology) The two groups were similar considering LV systolic baseline parameters and volumes. Ischemic etiology was associated with non-LBBB morphology on ECG (p=0.03), a more severe LV diastolic dysfunction using E/e ratio (p<0.05), and a more severe RV dysfunction using TAPSE (p=0.008) and RV fractional area change (FAC) (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in CRT response between ischemic and non-ischemic etiology. 14 (26.9%) patients had events (10 hospitalizations and 4 deaths) with a higher prevalence in the ischemic group (58.33% vs 25%, p=0.01). Univariate Cox regression analysis reported a higher risk of cardiovascular events for ischemic etiology (HR 2.4, 95% CI [0.8-8.1], p <0.05). In our cohort there was no significant difference in use of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in addition to CRT between ischemic and non-ischemic group (64.2% respectively 63.3%, p =0.3). Conclusion: Our study shows that ischemic and non-ischemic HF patients had similar response to CRT. However, ischemic etiology was associated with a higher risk of adverse cardiovascular events and a worse RV systolic dysfunction at baseline.

Backround: Optimal antithrombotic therapy in patients with AF who undergo coronary stenting for an ACS has been a subject of constant change, with the addition of numerous trials in recent years. Objectives: The aim of our study was to assess current antithrombotic treatment in patients with AF and ACS treated with PCI. Material and methods: We performed a observational retrospective study on patients with nonvalvular AF, ACS and PCI between January 2017 and May 2019. We assessed both ischemic risk (IR) and haemorrhagic risk (HR) according to the 2018 ESC guidelines strategies. Results: 184 patients with nonvalvular AF and ACS treated with PCI were eligible for inclusion. In the whole cohort the HR was significantly higher than the IR (3.66+/-1.15 respectively 2.84+/- 1.15, p < 0.001). NSTEMI carries both the highest IR and HR (p<0.05). The majority of patients (88.04%) received triple antithrombotic therapy mostly for one month (39%). Main drug combination used was Aspirin, lopidogrel, antivitamin K (48.48%). Conclusions: In our registry of AF patients with ACS treated with PCI, triple antithrombotic therapy is still the strategy of choice with an initial duration of one month. In our cohort, HR is higher than IR, NSTEMI carrying the highest risks out of all the ACS.

Ischemic heart disease is one of the most prevalent diseases with a high impact on mortality and morbidity. The main process implicated in acute coronary syndromes (ACS) including its most severe form, the ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), is the development of thrombosis subsequently of plaque erodation or rupture. The thrombus is formed by aggregates of platelets that furthermore drive the process of coagulation, that in this turn stimulates platelet aderation and aggregation, causing a vicious circle. From these physiopathological mechanism derive the indication and role of antiplatelets and anticoagulation in STEMI. Antiplatelets and anticoagulants play a central role in the therapeutic management of STEMI along with the interventional therapy. Correctly conducted by all physicians involved in the management of patients with STEMI, it reduces the area of ischemia, as well as mortality and other major adverse cardiovascular events. The following article will review the antithrombotic treatment adjuvant to the interventional treatment and the evidence based indications for treatment in STEMI.

Background: Recent data suggest that the mechanisms contributing to ischaemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (MI) are different compared to chronic IMR. However, little is known about the dynamic changes over time of mitral valve (MV) geometry after acute MI. Methods and results:Comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) assessment of the MV geometry was performed in 30 patients in the first 7 days after a first ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and after 4 years of follow-up. The MV annulus diameters and area remained unchanged over time, however the MA became progressively flatter (mean difference of annular height 0.19±0.33 cm, p<0.05), independently of the presence or severity of IMR. The posterior leaflet length and area got smaller over time (1.53±0.51 cm vs 1.27±0.33 cm; p<0.05 and 5.65±1.58 cm2 vs 4.88±1.65 cm2; p<0.05, respectively). The tenting height and area were smaller at follow-up (9.06±2.6 mm vs 7.84±2.61 mm, p<0.05; and 1.88±0.6 cm2 vs 1.57±0.5 cm2; p<0.05, respectively). A larger tenting at follow-up correlated with 3D left atrial (LA) volumes, but not with LV volumes and ejection fraction. Conclusions: MV geometry changes over time even in patients with non-severe IMR. The MV healing process consists in annulus flattening associated with improved tenting.

Echocardiography is the first cardiac imaging technique used to evaluate patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, in the absence of wall motion abnormalities, conventional echocardiography at rest provides little information. Patients presenting with low risk ACS usually have normal wall motion and left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) at rest.

High blood pressure is the world’s most common cause of death, estimated to affect at 4 out of 10 Romanian adults [1-3]. Despite the availability of a wide range of antihyper-tensive drugs, about 70% of treatment hypertensive pa-tients fail to achieve the blood pressure target of less than 140/90 mmHg recommended by the current guidelines [4,5]. In Romania, less than one quarter of treated hypertensive adults have a controlled blood pressure (less than 140/90 mmHg) [1-3,6,7]. [...]

Secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) also known as functional mitral regurgitation is more common, portends a worse prognosis than primary MR and its management is more difficult and less sustained by evidence. [1]The etiology of secondary MR may be ischemic or nonischemic such as in idiopathic dilative cardiomyopathy. The prognosis of patients with secondary MR is worse with increasing severity ofMR.[2] The mechanism of secondary MR is linked to the left ventricle (LV) geometrical remodeling with secondary tethering of the mitral leaflets, while the valve morphology is normal. [3][4] [...]

Heart failure (HF) can be either induced or aggravated by the existence of left ventricular (LV) intraventricular dyssynchrony (IVD). Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) can potentially correct LV-IVD in well-characterized populations (see current Guidelines). CRT has demonstrated clear benefits in both soft (NYHA class, 6MWT, QoL) and hard (all cause mortality, 6 months hospitalizations) randomized control trial (RCT) endpoints. The standard approach is to deliver a unipolar (UP)/bipolar (BP) dedicated LV-lead via the coronary sinus (CS) into a postero-lateral (PL) tributary vein.
Suboptimal LV-lead positioning has been long recognized as an important cause of CRT non-response. Optimal, delay targeted LV-lead placement might sometimes only be possible with non-standard techniques due to various patient particularities. We decided to retrospectively evaluate the frequencies and types of techniques we used in over a decade of CRT experience in our centre. "Alternative CRT" is not yet a coined term. We defined unexpendable variations from the straightforward technique as alternative pathways of delivering CRT.

Approximately 20% of patients arriving in the crowded emergency departments (ED) present with acute chest pain (ACP) and 60% are admitted in order to rule out an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In the latter category, the ACS is confirmed only in 15% of patients thus resulting in a huge number of unnecessary admissions and wasted resources. (1) Stratifying ACP as low, moderate or high risk ACS allows physicians to take immediate action, initiate treatment and transfer the patient to the appropriate location.

In the past two decades, the association between the cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction and the cardiovascular mortality has been well documented. This association indicates that individuals with abnormal autonomic function tests are candidates for close surveillance. In type 2 diabetes it is recommended that a baseline determination of cardiovascular autonomic function be performed upon diagnosis and within 5 years of diagnosis for those with type 1 diabetes, followed by a yearly repeat test.[1]
Out of the markers that objectify this relationship, heart rate variability (HRV) has proven to be the most reliable and the easiest to quantify. Although HRV has been the subject of numerous clinical studies whose purpose was linking heart rate changes to the gravity and the evolution of the disease, only in two clinical settings a consensus was reached. The drop in HRV can be used as a risk factor in the period following an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and as a warning sign for cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) in diabetic patients. HRV parameters and their possible prognostic significance have not been thoroughly evaluated in patients presenting pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), the world’s leading cause of death and morbidity, it is not anymore an attribute of old age (1). The increase prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors among the young and very young population is responsible for more premature CAD cases (2). Prior studies highlighted that AMI in young’s is associated with different clinical features and has a better short-term outcome than in older population (3,4,5). However, long-term follow-up revealed a higher mortality and morbidity in young AMI survivors than in general population (6,7). Also, the conclusion of several studies and "real-world" registries was that patients with STEMI and NSTEMI, regardless of age and despite different management, have similar inhospital outcome and longterm survival (8,9).
In our country, RO-STEMI registry is providing the most extensive information on the profile, treatment and inhospital outcome of the STEMI Romanian patients (10) but only few reports about mid and long-term follow up of young Romanian patients with AMI, especially in case of NSTEMI, are available (11,12,13).

In Romania, a high cardiovascular (CV) risk East European country, where prevalence of hypertension is still high and optimal blood pressure control still represents a doubtfull challange (1-5), adopting a treatment approach strategy based on total cardiovascular risk assessment can maximize the costeffectiveness of hypertensive patinets management, ensuring the best use of the limited resources of our health-care system, to prevent cardiovascular diseses and to decrease CV morbidity and mortality.
Recent research show that increased arterial stiffness represents an independent predictor of fatal and non-fatal CV events in hypertensive patients (6-10).

The reentrant paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias with narrow QRS complex are in a large majority represented by atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) and atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT). From an electrophysiological (EP) point of view the difference between the two forms is made by the type of the reentry circuit. That means that the former requires an accessory pathway with retrograde conduction while the latter implies the existence of perinodal pathways.
The left atrium (LA) is a part of the circuit in both types of arrhythmias. In sinus rhythm the left atrium has several functions: it acts as a conduit during protodiastole, it has a contractile function raising the filling pressure during atrial systole but it also has a reservoir function during ventricular systole. (1)

Cardiovascular disease prevention showed its utility and efficiency in developed countries, where it lowered the cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Instead, in Balkan countries, the mortality due to this pathology displayed an ascendant, worrying curve [1], diagnosis and control of arterial hypertension (HT) representing efficient methods for lowering cardiovascular mortality. Though recent studies didn’t show any significant differences between hypertension prevalence in developed versus developing countries [2], stroke mortality (the best surrogate marker of hypertension effects) was much higher in developing countries. Since modifying genetics was a target impossible to reach for the moment, the only solution was represented by the evaluation and correct treatment (pharmacological and non pharmacological) of arterial hypertension.
As international scientific organisations recom-mend, cardiovascular disease prevention must be implemented in an individualized way in each geo-graphical region, being inappropriate and impossible to apply the same prevention methods globally [3,9]. In this context, the Balkan Peninsula aggregates a number of countries with common geographical and social characteristics, many of them sharing economical transition.