In our group of breast cancer survivors, a 3-week moderate intensity aerobic training significantly improved the level of VO2max.

Current controversies related to the treatment of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) with thyrotropin (TSH) < than 10 mU/L are based on the lack of evidence that levothyroxine therapy has beneficial effects. The aim of our study is to estimate the effect of levothyroxine treatment on cardiac morphology and function in subclinical hypothyroidism. Body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, electrocardiographic and standard echocardiographic parameters were measured before levothyroxine therapy and 3 months after TSH normalization. Significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, PR, QT and QT corrected intervals, as well as increase in heart rate were recorded in the group on levothyroxine therapy. The following parameters of the left and right ventricle were significantly decreased in the treatment group: left ventricular mass index and volume, systolic and diastolic time intervals, and mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE). The increase was recorded as fractional shortening and pressure rise in early systole (dP/dt), right atrial wall thickness and diameters. Our study did not confirm differences in basic echocardiographic parameters between the treated and control groups, apart from an echocardiographic improvement of cardiac structure and function in treated individuals. The findings suggest electrocardiographic and echocardiographic screening in monitoring the therapeutic effect.

The only diagnostic difficulty in cardiac myxoma is due to its asymptomatic and oligosymptomatic presence within the longer period of time, namely, its growth period. Echocardiography should be the standard method of cardiologic examination of these patients, which could considerably contribute to early diagnosis and treatment of heart myxoma. Surgical extirpation of myxoma is the only and very successful therapeutic method.

Values of IMT on the vertebral arteries are one more undependent parameter of Doppler-sonographic examination of cervical vessels, which significantly correlates with IMT values on common carotid artery. Variability of this parameter is lower, and absolute values lower than the same in the common carotid artery. Therefore, this parameter is probably not so sensitive. On the other hand, lower variability of IMT values on the vertebral artery might be of higher specificity for prediction of atherosclerotic progress by the increased values of this parameter than based on IMT values obtained on the common carotid arteries.

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Unicuspid aortic valve (UAV) is a rare congenital anomaly of aorta associated with a faster progress of valvular dysfunction, aortic dilatation and with necessity for more frequent controls and precise evaluation Asymptomatic 35 year old man had abnormal systolic diastolic murmur on aortic valve during routine examination. Initial diagnostic with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) supposed bicuspid aortic valve, while three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3D TEE) and multidetector computed tomography defined unicuspid, unicomissural aortic valve with moderate aortic stenosis and regurgitation. This case report confirmed that 3D TEE gives us opportunity for early, improved and precise diagnosis of UAV.

Patients with heart myxoma usually pass through asymptomatic or oligosymptomatic phase, but when troubles become manifested, they do not much differ from those due to other causes. For this reason this tumor can be diagnosed just when complications caused by its localization and growth develop. Modern cardiologic diagnostics, primarily preventive non-invasive echocardiography, enables timely diagnosis and removal of the tumor because only then it may take a name benign tumor.

Background/Aim. Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic systemic disease of the connective tissue. It is characterized by diffuse microangiopathy, increased activity and creating deposits of collagen in the skin and internal organs. Involvement of the lung function disturbances in SSc is a bad prognostic sign. The aim of our study was to investigate the association between smoking habits and lung function disorder in the SSc patients. Methods. The testing was conducted at the Clinic for Rheumatology and Immunology of the Military Medical Academy in 2016. In this study, we included 42 patients with the newly diagnosed SSc and the patients whose disease had been diagnosed earlier. Results. The patients were classified according to the smoking habits, 14 (33.3%) patients were nonsmokers, while 28 (66.7%) patients were current (23 patients) or ex-smokers (5 patients). We found no significant differences in examined parameters among smokers and nonsmokers. In addition, distribution of the patients with the obstructive pulmonary pattern revealed by spirometry was uniform between smokers and nonsmokers. The concentrations of C reactive protein (CRP) were significantly higher in the SSc patients with the obstructive pulmonary pattern. The patients with the obstructive pattern on spirometry had significantly lower values of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC ratio, diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and FVC/DLCO ratio. Conclusion. In our study, we concluded that in the SSc patients with the obstructive pulmonary pattern revealed by spirometry, there were no significant differences between smokers and nonsmokers. CRP is a significant predictor of the lung involvement existence in the SSc patients.