Polskie Archiwum Medycyny Wewnętrznej
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Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · May 2022
ReviewBenefits and limitations of statin use in primary cardiovascular prevention: recent advances.
The status of low‑density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is strong as an essential cause of atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASCVD) and primary target of lipid lowering. Drugs affecting primarily LDL choles-terol through an increase of LDL receptor expression are the backbone of current therapy, and generic statins are generally safe, effective, and inexpensive drugs serving this purpose. Statins are indicated for practically all patients in secondary prevention, whereas treatment in primary prevention (healthy individuals) is based on a calculated 10‑year risk of ASCVD. ⋯ More information about the benefits and risks of statins in primary prevention in older people (>70 years of age) will be provided by ongoing randomized and controlled trials (STAREE and PREVENTABLE). In this narrative review, I shall present recent advances in the use of statins in younger and older healthy people, and discuss their benefits and potential risks. I also raise a question whether with the current evidence base, most people in affluent societies would benefit from taking statins.
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Pol. Arch. Med. Wewn. · May 2022
Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of hospitalized heart failure patients with a reduced, mildly reduced and preserved ejection fraction.
There is still little information regarding a detailed description and predictors of different subtypes of heart failure (HF) in the Polish population. ⋯ HFrEF and HFpEF differed significantly in terms of baseline characteristics, while HFmrEF was in the middle of the HF spectrum, tending to be a mixture of HFpEF and HFrEF characteristics.