This review focuses on issues of anticoagulant therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Such patients are at high risk of stroke whereas the choice of an anticoagulant is difficult. A wealth of information about a negative effect of warfarin on the kidney function has accumulated. A need for an alternative therapy to warfarin for patients with stage 3-4 CKD has become imminent. In this regard, rivaroxaban seems to be an appropriate replacement for warfarin in such patients. In randomized, controlled studies that evaluated the efficacy of direct oral anticoagulants in comparison with warfarin, the efficacy and safety profile of a “kidney” dose in moderate disorders of kidney function has been studied only for rivaroxaban. Moreover, both randomized, controlled studies and studies performed in the conditions of clinical practice, have demonstrated a more favorable effect of rivaroxaban on kidney function compared to warfarin. Patients with AF associated with CKD require a comprehensive protection, which, according to results of clinical studies, may be provided by rivaroxaban.

The review presents new indications to help with diagnosis and treatment of ventricular arrhythmia (VA) in patients with various etiologies of rhythm disturbances, including patients with coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, channelopathies, inflammatory heart disease, neuromuscular disease, and congenital heart defects. Algorithms for diagnostic evaluation at first presentation with VAs in patients without known cardiac disease are given.

The article presents a clinical case of a combination of mitral valve prolapse (MVP), mitral annular disjunction (MAD), and ventricular arrhythmia. The presence of MAD worsens the prognosis in MVP and predisposes to life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. In a 42-year-old patient, MAD was detected during echocardiography to determine the indications for surgical correction of mitral insufficiency in MVP. Severe myxomatous degeneration of the mitral valve leaflets, polysegmental prolapse, and typical auscultatory pattern (systolic click followed by systolic murmur in the second half of systole) were the indications for the targeted search for MAD. Multi-day (ECG) monitoring recorded nonsustained ventricular tachycardias and premature ventricular complexes (PVCs). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed for confirmation the diagnosis and searched for left ventricular myocardial fibrosis accompanying MAD. Finally, MAD was confirmed, but myocardial fibrotic changes were not detected. Owing to the absence of myocardial fibrosis, the patient was treated conservatively with a beta-adrenoblocker (25 mg/day slow-release metoprolol succinate) in combination with 25 mg/day allaforte. Repeated 24-h ECG monitoring did not detect ventricular tachycardias and nonsustained registered a significant decrease of number of PVCs. The patient is followed up prospectively due to high risk factors for fibrosis and worsening prognosis, which may require surgical correction of the existing disturbances and/or implantation of a cardioverter-defibrillator.

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a steadily developing disease characterized by progressive chronic heart failure (CHF) resistant to drug therapy. Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) significantly improves the prognosis in these patients if they have indications for implantation of resynchronization devices. The article presents a clinical case of successful implantation of a cardioversion-defibrillation cardiac resynchronization device in a patient suffering from DCM in combination with permanent atrial fibrillation (AF). The nuances of ventricular rate control and the role of the catheter procedure for modifying the atrioventricular junction are discussed.

The article presents a clinical case of the development and progression of chronic heart failure (CHF) in a patient with postinfarction cardiosclerosis after implantation of a permanent pacemaker due to binodal dysfunction. The progression of CHF was exacerbated by the patient's transition to a permanent form of atrial fibrillation. Complex therapy for CHF, including cardiac resynchronization therapy, drug therapy with valsartan + sacubitril, empagliflozin, eplerenone, metoprolol succinate (quadrotherapy) led to a complete recovery of the ejection fraction (EF) of the left ventricle. After the patient stopped taking one of the components of quadrotherapy (valsartan + sacubitril), there was a tendency to decrease in EF. The clinical case emphasizes the importance of the timely transformation of traditional permanent pacing into cardiac resynchronization therapy and the appointment of complex modern drug therapy for CHF. When an improvement or restoration of EF is achieved, it is advisable to continue the therapy against which the improvement was obtained in order to avoid the negative consequences that are possible when the components of the quadrotherapy are cancelled.