Cardiologia Croatica. 2022;17(5-6)

Barbara Dumančić, Ivan Barišić, Vladimir Dujmović, Ile Raštegorac

The presence of a quadricuspid aortic valve is extremely rare. It is a congenital anomaly that is recognized relatively late, approximately in the fifth or sixth decade of life. Although it is an anatomically differently structured valve, it does not necessarily represent a disease. However, it can be a prerequisite for the development of a serious valvular defect. Given the long-preserved functional status of the heart, the exact incidence is unclear. This is evidenced by the fact that it is most often recognized during cardiac surgery. The most commonly described quadricuspid aortic valve defect is aortic regurgitation, and the most common concomitant anomaly is an aneurysm of the ascending aorta. We present the case of a 68-year-old patient with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation for whom we demonstrated a quadricuspid aortic valve by echocardiography.

Elvedin Osmanović, Almir Jagodić, Irma Ikanović, Hidajet Rahimić, Nadina Kurtanović, Almina Mujačić

Arterial hypertension (AH) is a medical condition in which blood pressure (BP) is elevated above 139/89 mmHg. High BP accelerates the process of atherosclerosis in the walls of blood vessels. Clogged arteries provide reduced blood supply to tissues and organs, damaging them and their function over time. Numerous factors have been shown to contribute to development of AH, such as stress, genetic factors, smoking, and alcohol, but being overweight also has a leading role in AH development. We conducted a study on 160 participants of both sexes, aged over 18, at the JZU Health Center Živinice. Stress and smoking were leading risk factors in participants with AH, and were present (individually or in combination) in 37.4% of participants. In the control group of (normotensive) participants, 19 (45.0%) had none of the observed risk factors. A significant difference was observed in body mass index between the study group and normotensive controls.

Branimir Matijević, Điđi Delalić, Dora Meštrović, Martina Petrinović, Juraj Jug, Ingrid Prkačin

The risk factors for adverse drugs reactions are polymedication, comorbidities, old age, and female sex. Kidneys are the most important organs in the excretory system, especially for clearance of xenobiotics and products of cell metabolism. Kidney insufficiency leads to the accumulation of active metabolites of many drugs in blood and can cause drug toxicity. In patients with chronic kidney disease, it is very important to pay attention to side effects. The most common cause of inappropriate drug dosage is type A according to the Rawlins-Thompson classification. Type A or dose-related side-effects is preventable by applying the correct dosing of medications. Side-effects of drugs represent a large problem due to the cost of treatment and are very common in the senior population with comorbidities.