Measurement of serum levels of cTnT provides evidence of myocyte injury in patients with clinically suspected myocarditis more sensitively than does conventional determination of cardiac enzyme levels. Myocardial cell damage may be present even in the absence of histologic signs of myocarditis. Additional immunohistologic analysis often shows lymphocytic infiltrates in these patients. Elevated levels of cTnT are highly predictive for myocarditis in this group.

A task force has been established by the European Society of Cardiology to investigate the role of progenitor/stem cell therapy in the treatment of cardiovascular disease. This article is the consensus of this group, of what clinical studies are needed in this field, and the challenges to be addressed in the translation of progenitor/stem cell biology to repair of the heart.

Left ventricular dynamics, coronary blood flow (Vcor), and myocardial oxygen consumption (MVO2) were determined in normal patients (N), in chronic pressure overload (aortic stenosis, AS), in chronic volume overload (aortic incompetence, AI), and in coronary heart disease (CHD). Peak systolic and enddiastolic wall stress were increased in AS and AI by 26-52 per cent, the systolic stress being preferably increased in AS, whereas enddiastolic stress was markedly greater in AI. Vcor and MVO2 were elevated in both groups by 45-55 per cent (p less than 0.001). Sufficient correlation was present between peak systolic wall stress and the MVO2 (r equal to 0.82). Since at a given wall stress the MVO2 was somewhat increased in AI and AS when compared with N and CHD, the considerable inhancement of the rate of pressure development (AS) was well as of the external cardiac work (AI) may contribute to the increase in overall oxygen consumption. It is concluded that systolic wall stress represents a primary determinant of MVO2 in pressure and volume overload and that the MVO2 increases in these diseases when hypertrophy becomes inappropriate with regard to the pressure and volume demands imposed to the left ventricle.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that, compared with the population as a whole, there is increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among lower socio-economic groups. To explore determinants of the increased risk within this group, a prospective 6.5 year investigation of a cohort of 416 middle-aged (40.8 +/- 9.6 years) male blue-collar workers was undertaken. In addition to established somatic and behavioural risk factors, psychosocial influences that measured chronic occupational stress in terms of an imbalance between high effort and low reward were assessed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis shows that hypertension (odds ratio (o.r.) 3.85; 95% CI 1.59-9.34), left ventricular hypertrophy (o.r. 3.62; 95% CI 1.06-12.37), hyperlipidaemia (o.r. 2.55; 95% CI 1.08-6.00), status inconsistency (measuring low reward at work) (o.r. 2.86; 95% CI 1.04-7.80) and 'immersion' (measuring high intrinsic effort at work) (o.r. 3.57; 95% CI 1.22-10.47) independently contribute to the prediction of fatal or non-fatal cardiovascular events (acute myocardial infarction, stroke). Expected probabilities of cardiovascular events are clearly elevated if the combined effects of left ventricular hypertrophy and psychosocial risks are analysed. In conclusion, increased incidence of cardiovascular disease among lower socio-economic groups is explained by a co-manifestation of established risk factors including left ventricular hypertrophy (by ECG) and psychosocial factors measuring chronic stress at work.

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