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Editorial for thematic issue of Medicinski glasnik, January 2009

Dear colleagues, We are happy to have an opportunity to present you with new issue of Medicinski glasnik, devoted to cardiovascular system. The main goal of this issue was to cover various aspects of cardiovascular system, from etiology and epidemiology, to physiology and pathophysiology and to clinical presentations of cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular diseases are main cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western countries. Hypertension and diabetes, together with atherosclerosis (all of which have underlying endothelial dysfunction (Ruzic)) a main risk factors in etiology of cardiovascular diseases. One example of involvement of immune system in pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases is atherosclerosis as inflammatory disease which includes activation of native immune response via Toll-like receptors (Dzumhur et al) and the other is in antiphospholipid syndrome which can sometimes be accompanied by acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (Glasnovic et al). Life style (eating habits and obesity, physical activity, smoking, stressful circumstances, personality type (Kozul et al)) has significant impact on incidence of cardiovascular diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2001, 16.6 million people died of coronary diseases. Prediction of risk factors for occurrence of coronary disease (Martinovic et al), better early diagnosis (e.g. ischemia modifed albumin (IMA) as a marker of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (Gavranovic et al) or utilization of the ratio of exercise and recovery systolic blood pressure integrals in severity of coronary artery disease (Buksa and Mirat)), more accurate prognosis of the outcomes of AMI in hypertensive patients (Ivanusa et al), and sometimes complications which etiology is difficult to determine (Prvulovic et al) are all very important to consider for the best treatment options for patients Preoperative. comorbidities (e.g. hypertension) may significantly influence the conduction of anesthesia and patients? outcome, as shown in paper by Kvolik et al, chronic pain therapy and hypertension (Rados et al), and importance of continuous education of medical staff and technical equipment in high quality and success of CPR in paper by Ruzman et al. are all topics of the papers published in this issue. In this issue we also have several specific topics, such as impairment of tissue perfusion in sepsis (Kvolik et al), and changes in cerebral hemodynamics in parkinsonism (Stenc Bradvica et al). Paper by Marusic et al demonstrates dry diving as a model of pulmonary microembolization. We also present two case-reports on optional treatment with hyperbaric oxygenation in therapy of vascular diseases (Takac et al, Bradvica et al). Haemodynamic changes during tracheal intubation in anaesthezied children might be the important determinants of the selection of anesthesiology procedure (Goranovic et al). In the name of editorial board of Medicinski glasnik, I would like to thank to all contributing authors, whose work help us to increase the quality of the journal, and ultimately to improve understanding of etiology, pathophysiology and physiology of cardiovascular diseases. We invite to to enjoy January 2009 issue of Medicinski glasnik, Cordially, prof Ines Drenjancevic-Peric, MD, PhD guest editor,

cardiovascular medicine

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