The significance, mechanisms and consequences of coronary microvascular dysfunction associated with diabetes mellitus are topics into which we have insufficient insight at this time. It is widely recognized that endothelial dysfunction that is caused by diabetes in various vascular beds contributes to a wide range of complications and exerts unfavorable effects on microcirculatory regulation. The coronary microcirculation is precisely regulated through a number of interconnected physiological processes with the purpose of matching local blood flow to myocardial metabolic demands. Dysregulation of this network might contribute to varying degrees of pathological consequences. This review discusses the most important findings regarding coronary microvascular dysfunction in diabetes from pre-clinical and clinical perspectives.

Thoracic fat includes extra-pericardial (outside the visceral pericardium) and intra-pericardial (inside the visceral pericardium) adipose tissue. It is called ectopic adipose tissue although it is a normal anatomical structure. Intra-pericardial adipose tissue, which is predominantly composed of epicardial and pericoronary adipose tissue, has a significant role in cardiovascular system function. It provides metabolic-mechanical support to the heart and blood vessels in physiological conditions, while it represents metabolic-cardiovascular risk in case of qualitative and quantitative structural changes in the tissue: it correlates with coronary atherosclerotic disease, left ventricular mass, left atrium enlargement and atrial fibrillation presence. In the last decade there has been mounting evidence of fat cells presence in the myocardium of healthy (non-diseased) persons as well as in persons with both cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular diseases. Thus, it is necessary to clarify the incidence, aetiology, physiological role of fat cells in the myocardium, as well as the clinical significance of pathological fatty infiltration of the myocardium.

In 1979, P. Frankl conjectured that in a finite union-closed family ${\cal F}$ of finite sets, ${\cal F}\neq\{\emptyset\}$, there has to be an element that belongs to at least half of the sets in ${\cal F}$. We prove this when $|\bigcup{\cal F}|\leq 11$.

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Galectins are a family of soluble β-galactoside-binding lectins that have important role in inflammation, immunity, and cancer. Galectin-3 as a part of this lectin family plays a very important role in development of heart failure. According to recent papers, galectin-3 plasma level correlates with heart failure outcome, primarily with rehospitalisation and death from heart failure. This paper summarizes the most recent advances in galectin-3 research, with the accent on the role of galectin-3 in pathophysiology of myocardial remodelling and heart failure development—with preserved and reduced ejection fraction, and some implication on development of new disease modifying drugs.