Type 2 diabetic patients demonstrate an early and concomitant induction of systolic and diastolic myocardial dysfunction as a preclinical manifestation of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

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Coronary artery aneurysm is an uncommon disease. Coronary artery fistulae are infrequent congenital anomalies. A extremely rare case report of combination of coronary artery aneurysms and coronary artery fistula is presented with a brief literature review.

Objective: To investigate the elastic properties of the ascending aorta in untreated patients with giant cell arteritis compared with age and sex matched normal controls. Methods: Distensibility of the ascending aorta and aortic strain were measured in 22 patients with a recent diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (documented by a positive temporal artery biopsy) before initiation corticosteroid treatment, and in 44 age and sex matched healthy subjects. Aortic distensibility was calculated as 26[pulsatile change in aortic diameter]/[(diastolic aortic diameter)6(aortic pulse pressure)], and aortic strain as [pulsatile change in aortic diameter]/[diastolic aortic diameter]. Aortic diameters were measured by echocardiography. Aortic pressures were obtained by external sphygmomanometry. Results: Distensibility of the ascending aorta and aortic strain were both lower in patients with giant cell arteritis than in the controls (p,0.01). In the patients with giant cell arteritis, aortic distensibility was inversely correlated with white blood cell count (p,0.05), but not with erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C reactive protein.Conclusions: Compared with healthy subjects, aortic distensibility and aortic strain are decreased in patients with giant cell arteritis before initiation of corticosteroid treatment. There was an association between the degree of reduction of aortic distensibility and the white blood cell count in the patient group.

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Key Clinical MessageAmong implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) recipients, there are patients with recurrent episodes of electrical storm (ES), retractable to the optimal antiarrhythmic drug therapy or invasive ablation procedures. A relatively novel anti‐ischemic drug with also antiarrhythmic properties, ranolazine, may effectively suppress ventricular arrhythmias in such patients for a long period of time.

Several patients receive a permanent pacemaker in a relatively young age, with multiple subsequent reoperations for pacemaker replacement. Pulse generator replacement is an invasive procedure, associated with the risk of various complications, mainly infection and skin erosion. A case of an extremely long-lasting pacemaker with a totally uneventful longevity period over 31 years is presented. The explanation for this quite rare pacemaker longevity (possibly unique) is analyzed and discussed.