[Recent advances in the care of acute myocardial infarction have resulted in more patients surviving myocardial infarction than earlier. However, heart failure is a common complication in these patients, which in turn is associated with substantial mortality, primarily due to a remodelling of the left ventricle that already starts in an early stage of the myocardial infarction. The aim of this review article is to present the pathomechanism of this remodelling and to discuss related therapeutic options. Current guidelines recommend the use of an angiotensin- converting enzyme inhibitor combined with or followed by an angiotensin receptor blocker, a beta-blocker, and an aldosterone antagonist in post-infarction patients with concomitant heart failure.]

[Some data shows that calcium supplementation, a basic intervention for treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, may increase the risk of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Coronary artery calcified plaque is a marker for atheromatous plaque burden and predicts future risk of cardiovascular events. However, the deposition of calcium into the vascular wall is due to an active mechanism, involving such genes and proteins which play role in bone metabolism. In this work the data about the cardiovascular side effect of calcium supplementation are reviewed. Also, I demonstrate studies with the conclusions that calcium supplements with or without vitamin D do not increase the risk of cardiovascular events, especially that of myocardial infarction.]

[Substance abuse is an immense problem in Hungary and around the world. Psychological effects of this condition are widely known for abusers and health care workers. Cardiovascular effects of illicit substances are much less well known and can develop as very severe diseases (myocardial infarction, extremely high blood pressure, intracerebral haemorrhage, sudden death etc.) and occur particularly in young people. The treatment of cardiovascular complications of substance abuse may differ from that accepted in non-abusers and some drugs (for example: β-blockers) may be contraindicated. In this review, the effects of substance abuse on the cardiovascular system are discussed, including effects of most commonly abused substances: cocaine, amphetamines, heroin, LSD, marijuana, inhalative substances. In this review the cardiovascular effects of sedato-hypnotics and most widely used substances (alcohol, nicotine, caffeine) are not adressed, since they are well known.]

[The antithrombotic effect of heparin (control group, 100 U/kg bolus and 50 U/kg/hr infusion), of heparin and aspirin (ASA group, 10 mg/kg bolus) and of heparin and F(ab')2 fragments of the murine monoclonal antibody against the platelet glycoprotein lib/Illa (GPIb/Illa) receptor (7E3-F/ab'/2 group, 0.8 mg/kg bolus) were studied in 3 groups of dogs with a 3 cm long everted (inside-out) segment of the carotid artery inserted into the femoral artery and a superimposed constriction which reduced blood flow to 35% of baseline.ASA and 7E3-F(ab')2 caused inhibition of ex vivo platelet aggregation with a decrease from 63 + 8 to 16 + 10% (mean + SEM, p < 0.001) in the ASA group and from 57 £ 5 to 0% in the 7Ė3-F(ab”)2 group. The template bleeding time increased in the ASA group (from 1.4 + 0.2 to 2.9 + 0.4 min, p < 0.05) and in the 7E3-f(ab')2 group (from 1.4 + 0.2 to 51 + 12.6 min, p < 0.001). In the control group the everted segments occluded and remained closed in 6 dogs and showed cyclic flow reduction phenomena in the 5 other dogs. In the ASA group inserted arteries occluded and remained closed in 5 dogs and showed cyclic flow reduction in 4 dogs; one segment remained open (p = 0.69 compared to control). In the 7E3-F(ab')2 group all segments remained patent (p < 0.001 compared to the control and to the ASA group). Thus, the GPllb/Illa blocking monoclonal antibody is significantly more effective than aspirin in the prevention of platelet mediated arterial occlusion. ]

[The beta-blockers have been primary in cardiovascular pharmacology since the 1960's. Clinical experiences in the last 25 years have confirmed that the beta-adrenergic blockade is essential in treating the different forms of angina pectoris. Hypertension, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and all situations including acute myocardial infarction and some rhythm disturbances qualified by sympathetic overdrive. The beta-blockers have been shown in large scale clinical trials to reduce the cardio vascular morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension and post-infarction period. The possibility of using them as a combined therapy with a great number of other drugs without any difficulties, is very important. Toxicity is rare with beta-blockers and the side effect profile is generally good. There fore, there is no question that the risk/benefit ratio is weighted toward the benefit. Nevertheless there are some problems such as hemodynamic profile, and effects on lipid metabolism, etc. Research has advanced from the first generation to the third generation with direct or indirect effects on the vascular bed, producing strong vasodilation. Because of the above mentioned facts, it is essential to know correctly the pharmacological effects and precise pharmacokinetics, of the beta-blockers.]