[Acute-onset cerebrovascular diseases are connected to a number of immunological changes. Here, we summarize immune responses participating in the evolution of atherosclerotic plaques and poststroke local immune responses in the injured CNS as well as in the systemic circulation. Ischemic injury of the CNS alters the balanced neuroimmune modulation resulting in CIDS, the central nervous system injury-induced immune deficiency syndrome. Due to the immunodepression and reduced pro-inflammatory immune responses, the susceptibility for infection is increased; indeed, poststroke infection plays a major role in stroke-related mortality. On the other hand, CIDS may protect against damaging autoimmune responses elicited by exposed CNS antigens. Investigation of immune responses related to ischemic stroke may result in novel therapies indicated by an increasing number of experimental and clinical trials altering poststroke immune responses and preventing infections.]

[Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of major adult disability in developed countries. The annual incidence of hospitalized stroke varies between 400-500 per 100 000 inhabitants every year in Hungary. In the past decade, cholesterol lowering with 3- hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMGCoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) has proved to reduce risk of stroke in patients with and without coronary disease (CAD). In patients with CAD, statin therapy reduces the risk of first stroke by 25% to 35% versus placebo and, moreover, intensive statin therapy to LDL-C targets below 2.6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) appears to reduce the risk further. More recently it has also been shown that intensive statin therapy can reduce risk of recurrent stroke in nondiabetic as well as diabetic patients with recent stroke or transient ischaemic attack but no CAD. The overall reduction of stroke and TIA was 23%. Evidence from retrospective studies suggests that in addition to risk reduction statin pretreatment may improve stroke outcome. It may due to their pleiotropic effects that include improvement of endothelium function, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, and immunomodulatory effects. As statins have both an excellent safety profile and simple administration, physicians should consider using statins, at dosages shown to have efficacy in clinical trials, in all patients whose cardiovascular risk profile puts them at high risk of stroke.]

[Chlamydia pneumoniae has recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurological diseases. As an intracellular parasite with its unusual life cycle it is able to circumvent the immune system and to persist in the organism. It has the ability to modify the function of the infected cell and supposedly induce autoimmune reactions. These properties can make it pathogenic in several chronic neurological diseases including multiple sclerosis, atherosclerosis, stroke, Alzheimer dementia and giant cell arteriitis. The evaluation of the available, often contradictory, data that are based on various different methods is not easy. The importance of the issue is enhanced by the potential need for antibiotic treatment.]

[Regular physical activity is essential in delaying the aging processes (e.g. arterial remodelling – stiffening, metabolism, bodyweight), the beneficial effects of competitive sports – especially strength sports – according to the recent data of the literature are questionable. The beneficial effects of physical activity on the cardiovascular (CV) system are well known, however less is known regarding the delayed impacts of high intensity competitive sports on the CV system, especially after the sport career is over. This review summarizes the effects of active competitive sport and the post-career period on the cardiometabolic system with special attention to the systemic blood pressure and the development of metabolic syndrome. After sport career, the welldeveloped high performance cardiovascular- and metabolic system suddenly is much less used, but still supported by sport-level diet. It is well known that hypertension is a significant pathogenic factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases, characterized – among others – by reduced elasticity of large- and medium- sized vessels thereby importantly contributing to the development of systolic hypertension. Inflammation and thrombus formation both play an important role in the development of vascular injury and atherosclerosis. The increased tone of microvessels can impair the blood supply of certain organs, including the coronary circulation. It has been ample shown, that regular non-competitive, aerobic exercise activities are important factors in preventing hypertension. Such pathological changes become more evident after the development of post-career obesity, as well as the development of hypertension due to the activation of the renin-angiotensin system through sodium retention and other metabolic changes (increased glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, type II diabetes mellitus). It has been ample shown, that regular non-competitive, dynamic aerobic exercise activities are important factors in preventing hypertension. The frequency, intensity, type, and time (FITT) principle of exercise prescription is the first and common therapeutic approach, which represents the translation of cardiovascular basic science research results into hypertension treatment, thus can provide a personalized physical activity program/therapy according to medical needs not just for the post-career sportspersons, but the wide range of patients.]

[Assessment of early atherosclerosis and decreased arterial elasticity to recognise the cardiovascular dysfunction in high-risk patients has gained importance in the past decade. Since 1990, more than 630 papers have been published in the adult and pediatric literature. Methods of early risk assessment in adults are well determined in international recommendations. The aim of the present work is to review the suggestions of the American Heart Association helping us to find the most appropriate method for the non invasive methods of cardiovascular assessment of young adults and children. Furthermore, multicentric studies should be conducted to create a Framingham like score system for pediatric patients, to render cardiovascular risk assessment much easier for the every day routine.]