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Aim      To study echocardiographic parameters of heart chamber strain in patients with left ventricular (LV) preclinical diastolic dysfunction (PDD) for determining predictors of the PDD transition to heart failure with preserved LV ejection fraction (HFpEF).Material and methods  The study included 113 patients (including 69 women) with metabolic syndrome and LV PDD (mean age, 65±7 years). The control group consisted of 40 healthy individuals (mean age, 63.0±6.0 years, including 59% women). Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in consistency with criteria of NCEP-ATP III 2001. PDD was diagnosed based on the absence of heart failure symptoms, normal level of brain natriuretic peptide, and the presence of at least three of the following echocardiographic criteria at rest or after diastolic stress-echocardiography (stress-echoCG): left atrial volume index (LAVI) >34 ml / m2; the ratio of peak early transmitral filling velocity (E) to average lateral and medial mitral annular velocity (e'), Е / е' >14, е' <8.5, and peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity >2.8 m /s. EchoCG that determined LV longitudinal strain (LS), right ventricular (RV) LS, right atrial (RA) LS, and left atrial (LA) LS was performed every year during the 3-year follow-up.Results During the follow-up period, 31 patients developed HFpEF. 19 of them reported symptoms while in the other 12 patients, HFpEF was detected by diastolic stress-echoCG. Patients with HFpEF had significantly lower absolute values of RV LS, LA LS, and RA LS (-27.8±2.9 in the PDD group vs. -23.8±3.2 in the HFpEF group; р<0.03; 38.2±9.1 vs. 28.6±10.2; р<0.03; and 46.2±10.4 vs. 31.6±8.3; р<0.03, respectively). RV LS and RA LS were the strongest independent predictors for PDD transformation into HFpEF (odds ratio, OR, 2.7; 95 % confidence interval, CI, 1.48-2.91; р<0.001 and OR 2.6; 95 % CI: 1.40-2.75; р<0.001, respectively).Conclusion      PDD is not a separate clinical nosology but rather an initial stage in the pathogenesis of HFpEF. Approximately ⅓ of PDD patients develop HFpEF. RV LS and RA LS are considered predictors of HFpEF. The duration of PDD is apparently an important factor that provides the development of HFpEF.

Purpose: to assess the clinical course of ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) in patients with myocardial infarction of different localizations and reveal its mechanisms and predictors., Materials and Methods: We enrolled in this study patients with first inferoposterior myocardial infarction (IPMI) (n=77), and anteroseptal MI (ASMI) (n=79) revascularized within 12 hours after symptoms onset, as well as age, sex and weight matched healthy control subjects (n=50). Parameters of mitral structures and mitral annulus areas (MAA), left ventricular (LV) volumes (LVV) and sphericity index (SI), global (G) and segmental (S) longitudinal LV strain (GLS, SLS), papillary muscles (PM) LS (PMLS) and PM systolic dyssynchrony (PMSD) were measured by echocardiography on the 7th and 180th days of follow up., Results: On the 7th day of follow up IMR was diagnosed more frequently in IPMI vs. ASMI (42 vs. 28%, р<0.001). In both groups patients with TIMI 0 flow before angioplasty had highest, while those with TIMI 3 flow - lowest incidence of IMR. Presence of IMR depended on collateral flow availability in vascular bed of infarct related artery. Wall motion abnormalities (WMA) of infarcted segments, MAA, posteromedial PM posterior displacement (PPMPD), SLS, PMLS, PMSD correlated with IMR in patients with IPMI on the 7th day of follow up. VLV, GLS and MAA correlated with IMR in patients with ASMI on the 7th day follow up. Patients with IPMI without IMR in 7th day did not develop IMR for 180 days of follow up while IMR developed in 19.3% of patients with ASMI without IMR at initial examination. Among patients with IPMI and ASMI 37.5% and 45.5%, respectively, of those with IMR at initial examination had no IMR after 180 days of follow up. Patients with IPMI more frequently had eccentric IMR than patients with ASMI (78 and 24%, respectively, p<0.002). At examination after 6 months WMA, MAA, PMSD, PPMPD, SLS, PMLS, PMSD correlated with IMR in patients with IPMI, while VLV, AMA, PM apical displacement (PMAD), GLS and PMSD correlated with IMR in patients with ASMI. AMA, PMAD and PMSD were predictors of IMR in patients with MI of both localizations. In addition, in patients with ASMI VLV and SI were also predictors of IMR.

The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) provides recommendations to improve the editorial standards and scientific quality of biomedical journals. These recommendations range from uniform technical requirements to more complex and elusive editorial issues including ethical aspects of the scientific process. Recently, registration of clinical trials, conflicts of interest disclosure, and new criteria for authorship -emphasizing the importance of responsibility and accountability-, have been proposed. Last year, a new editorial initiative to foster sharing of clinical trial data was launched. This review discusses this novel initiative with the aim of increasing awareness among readers, investigators, authors and editors belonging to the Editors´ Network of the European Society of Cardiology.

Purpose: to evaluate differences in echocardiographic parameters between patients with preclinical diastolic dysfunction (PDD) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and to identify predictors of transition from PDD to HFpEF., Material and Methods: Echocardiographic parameters were recorded in 325 patients with PDD and 50 healthy subjects. PDD and HFpEF were diagnosed by tissue Doppler imaging of the left ventricle (LV) during exercise stress test and detection of symptoms of heart failure., Results: There were significant differences between both groups of patients and control group as well as between groups of patients with PDD and HFpEF in LV mass index, maximal left atrial (LA) volume index, systolic blood pressure, LV and LA parameters of longitudinal strain and strain rate. Patients with PDD and subsequent development of HFpEF had high values of LA stiffness and interatrial mechanical dyssynchrony. These parameters were independent predictors of HFpEF development in patients with PDD., Conclusion: Predictors of HFpEF identified in this study provide an opportunity for early detection of patients with PDD with high risk of HFpEF development.