The content of these European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines has been published for personal and educational use only. No commercial use is authorized. No part of the ESC Guidelines may be translated or reproduced in any form without written permission from the ESC. Permission can be obtained upon submission of a written request to Oxford University Press, the publisher of the European Heart Journal and the party authorized to handle such permissions on behalf of the ESC (journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org). Disclaimer. The ESC Guidelines represent the views of the ESC and were produced after careful consideration of the scientific and medical knowledge and the evidence available at the time of their publication. The ESC is not responsible in the event of any contradiction, discrepancy and/or ambiguity between the ESC Guidelines and any other official recommendations or guidelines issued by the relevant public health authorities, in particular in relation to good use of healthcare or therapeutic strategies. Health professionals are encouraged to take the ESC Guidelines fully into account when exercising their clinical judgment, as well as in the determination and the implementation of preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic medical strategies; however, the ESC Guidelines do not override, in any way whatsoever, the individual responsibility of health professionals to make appropriate and accurate decisions in consideration of each patient's health condition and in consultation with that patient and, where appropriate and/or necessary, the patient's caregiver. Nor do the ESC Guidelines exempt health professionals from taking into full and careful consideration the relevant official updated recommendations or guidelines issued by the competent public health authorities, in order to manage each patient's case in light of the scientifically accepted data pursuant to their respective ethical and professional obligations. It is also the health professional's responsibility to verify the applicable rules and regulations relating to drugs and medical devices at the time of prescription.

No abstract

Aims  The aim of this study was to determine the contemporary use of reperfusion therapy in the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) member and affiliated countries and adherence to ESC clinical practice guidelines in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods and results  Prospective cohort (EURObservational Research Programme STEMI Registry) of hospitalized STEMI patients with symptom onset <24 h in 196 centres across 29 countries. A total of 11 462 patients were enrolled, for whom primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (total cohort frequency: 72.2%, country frequency range 0–100%), fibrinolysis (18.8%; 0–100%), and no reperfusion therapy (9.0%; 0–75%) were performed. Corresponding in-hospital mortality rates from any cause were 3.1%, 4.4%, and 14.1% and overall mortality was 4.4% (country range 2.5–5.9%). Achievement of quality indicators for reperfusion was reported for 92.7% (region range 84.8–97.5%) for the performance of reperfusion therapy of all patients with STEMI <12 h and 54.4% (region range 37.1–70.1%) for timely reperfusion. Conclusions  The use of reperfusion therapy for STEMI in the ESC member and affiliated countries was high. Primary PCI was the most frequently used treatment and associated total in-hospital mortality was below 5%. However, there was geographic variation in the use of primary PCI, which was associated with differences in in-hospital mortality.

Background. The ejection fraction (EF), diastolic dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV) and its volumes play the main role for prognosis assessment. Measurement of left atrial strain is a new method of noninvasive investigation of mechanical function.Aim: To investigate the mechanical function of the left atrium in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with different degrees of left ventricular ejection fraction reduction.Methods. We studied 60 patients with acute ST-segment elevation anterior myocardial infarction. Echocardiography was performed in the first day of acute infarction. The left atrium was assessed by phase volumes, as well as by strain and strain rate using speckle-tracking. 35 healthy subjects were investigated for control. The patients were divided into 4 groups: Group 1 – LV EF 50–60%, Group 2 – LV EF 40–49%, Group 3 – LV EF 30–39%, Group 4 – LV EF 20–29%.Results. There were no significant differences in left atrial volumes between patients in groups 1–3 and healthy patients. Left atrial volume was increased in the fourth group. In the first group, peak longitudinal atrial strain (PALS) was significantly reduced compared with control group (PALS 22% vs 32.4%, p < 0.000). In the second group PALS was 17.41%, in the third group it was 18.19%. In the group with LV EF less than 30%, PALS was 4.43%. In healthy subjects, the strain rate was – 2.14 cm/s-1, in Group 1 – 2.15 cm/s-1 (p < 0.297), in Group 2 – 1.19 cm/s-1(p < 0.000), in Group 3 – 1.58 cm/s-1 (p < 0.000), and in Group 4 – 1.14 cm/s-1(p < 0.000).Conclusion. In patients with AMI with LV EF more than 50%, significant violations of LA strain are detected, which may be a predictor of left heart dysfunction. As the LV EF decreases, LA strain decreases and LA volume increases.

The development of heart failure in any patient causes a lot of concerns in view of the deterioration of quality of life of the latter. A clinical case of a patient with severe heart failure with a low left ventricular ejection fraction is described. The uniqueness of the demonstrated case consisted in the possibility of not only preserving the remaining resources of the heart muscle, but also in a significant restoration of systolic heart function due to adequate conservative therapy. The article presents a clinical case of successful restoration of contractile function of the heart in ischemic cardiomyopathy against the background of adequate conservative therapy. The diagnosis was not accompanied by difficulties. The patient underwent electrocardiography, echocardiography, coronary angiography, laboratory tests. According to the results patient was diagnosed with severe decompensated heart failure with reduced ejection fraction caused by coronary heart disease with NT-proBNP level of 286 ng/L. The results of coronary angiography did not reveal critical stenosis of the coronary arteries, and therefore the patient underwent drug treatment. Guideline-directed medical therapy treatment of chronic heart failure (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, aldosterone antagonist, loop diuretics, beta-blockers, SGLT2 inhibitors) has allowed to achieve a good clinical result. Twelve months after beginning of the treatment left ventricular volume dimensions had changed significantly (LVEDV decreased from 220ml3 to 94ml3; LVESV from 162ml3 to 50 ml3), improvement of left ventricular ejection fraction from 17% to 42% (by Simson). The assessed 6-minute walk test showed functional class III according to the NYHA classification.