Aleksandras Llaucevicius

Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos · Cardiology and Angiology Center

Background: Studies demonstrated that outpatient aerobic exercise programs (aEP) can significantly decrease aortic stiffness in people with metabolic syndrome (MetS). There is some limited data that remotely supervised home-based aEP can also improve arterial stiffness in this population. We aimed to evaluate the changes in the arterial wall parame...

Background: Hyperuricemia is perceived as one of the risk factors for developing and progressing cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome through various pathological mechanisms. Endogenous synthesis and exogenous factors such as diet and beverages consumed play a major role in determining serum uric acid (sUA) levels. The aim of this study w...

Introduction: In-hospital risk factors for type 1 myocardial infarction (MI) have been extensively investigated, but risk factors for type 2 MI are still emerging. Moreover, type 2 MI remains an underdiagnosed and under-researched condition. Our aim was to assess survival rates after type 2 MI and to analyze the risk factors for patient prognosis...

Introduction Cardiac shock-wave therapy (CSWT) is a non-invasive regenerative treatment method based on low-frequency ultrasound waves, which stimulate angiogenesis. Current data about the effects of revascularization procedures on angiogenesis biomarkers is limited. Recently, an association of catestatin and endocan with coronary collateral develo...

Background and aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged Lithuanian women in different body mass index and waist circumference groups. Methods and results: Data selected from the Lithuanian High Cardiovascular Risk (LitHiR) primary prevention program between 2009 and 2016. This commu...

Background: Cardiac shock-wave therapy (CSWT) is a non-invasive treatment based on low-frequency ultrasound waves that stimulate angiogenesis. Current data on the effects of revascularization procedures on angiogenesis biomarkers are limited. In this study, we aimed to characterize the serum protein profiles of patients with coronary artery disease...

As heart rate variability (HRV) studies become more and more prevalent in clinical practice, one of the most common and significant causes of errors is associated with distorted RR interval (RRI) data acquisition. The nature of such artifacts can be both mechanical as well as software based. Various currently used noise elimination in RRI sequences...

Background and aims: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged Lithuanian men categorized according to body mass index and waist circumference results. Methods and results: The data were from the Lithuanian High Cardiovascular Risk primary prevention program between 2009 and 2016. This community-based...

The effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and clusters of its components on central blood pressure (CBP) has not been well characterized. We aimed to describe the effect of MetS and clusters of its components on CBP in a large population and to identify whether this effect differs in men and women. We studied 15,609 volunteers (43% women) from 10 coh...

High-sensitivity troponin assay brought new challenges as we detect elevated concentration in many other diseases, and it became difficult to distinguish the real cause of this elevation. In this notion, diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains a challenge in emergency department (ED). We aim to examine different approaches for rule-in an...

Objective: The objective was to evaluate the changes in blood lipids after the 2-month outpatient aerobic exercise program (aEP) followed by the 6-month home-based aEP using a heart rate (HR) monitor in people with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Design and method: A total of 132 people with MetS were included to the prospective study (mean age 52.4...

Background Numerous studies associate metabolic syndrome (MetS) with poor life quality, depression, and anxiety. Aerobic exercise training has proven its value in promoting health among subjects with MetS. We aimed to evaluate the changes in health-related quality of life (HRQOL), motivation for physical activity, and the levels of anxiety and depr...

Background and Objectives: Early vascular aging determines a more rapid course of age-related arterial changes. It may be induced by a proinflammatory state, caused by hyperuricemia and metabolic syndrome and their interrelationship. However, the impact of serum uric acid (SUA) on early arterial stiffening and vascular function remains uncertain. M...

Purpose . This study was designed to evaluate the role of bio-ADM in congestion assessment and risk stratification in acute dyspnea. Methods . This is a sub-analysis of Lithuanian Echocardiography Study of Dyspnea in Acute Settings. Congestion was assessed by means of clinical (peripheral oedema, rales) and sonographic (estimated right atrial pres...

Background and Objectives: Metabolic syndrome is defined as three or more of five components; therefore, there are 16 possible different clusters of metabolic risk factors that are under one diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. In this study, we evaluated the different clusters of metabolic syndrome (MetS) across serum uric acid (SUA) quartiles and ana...

Background: Myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) remains an unresolved challenge. Many different diagnostic approaches are often required to diagnose, confirm, and evaluate MINOCA. The prevalence can be as high as 13 % of all acute MI patients indicating that this condition is not rare. At this time, there have bee...

Background The development of metabolic syndrome (MS) augments risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), but pathophysiological mechanisms of this relation are still under discussion. Overlapping CVD risk factors make it difficult to assess the importance of individual elements. This study aimed to analyze subclinical atherosclerosis b...

Background Guidelines recommend nonstatin lipid-lowering agents in patients at very high risk for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) if low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) remains ≥70 mg/dL on maximum tolerated statin treatment. It is uncertain if this approach benefits patients with LDL-C near 70 mg/dL. Lipoprotein(a) levels may in...

Straipsnyje apžvelgiama žymaus Lietuvos žydų kilmės kardiologo Bernardo Lowno (1921 – 2021) biografija, pažymint svarbiausius jo nuopelnus medicinai ir visuomenei. Iš Utenos kilęs B. Lownas per beveik šimtmetį trukusį savo gyvenimą kardinaliai pakeitė šiuolaikinę kardiologiją: jam priskiriamas modernaus defibriliatoriaus kardioverterio išradimas, r...

Background and Objectives: Renal artery denervation (RDN) procedure is a broadly discussed method in the treatment of resistant hypertension. Many studies report short-term (3–12 months) results for blood pressure and arterial stiffness. The primary endpoints were changes in 24 h mean systolic blood pressure (BP) and office systolic BP 48 months af...

Aims Readmission and mortality are the most common and often combined endpoints in acute heart failure (AHF) trials, but an association between these two outcomes is poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to determine whether unplanned readmission is associated with a greater subsequent risk of death in patients with acute dyspnoea due to c...

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a severe progressive disease, associated with reduced exercise capacity and poor quality of life. Although scientific evidence supports the incorporation of specialized training in the treatment of PH, it is only available in a few countries. Objectives and methods: This article aims to share the experi...

Background In contrast with the setting of acute myocardial infarction, there are limited data regarding the impact of diabetes mellitus on clinical outcomes in contemporary cohorts of patients with chronic coronary syndromes. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and prognostic impact of diabetes according to geographical regions and ethnicity....

Previously, miR-1, miR-122, miR-126, miR-132, miR-133, and miR-370 were found to be related to coronary artery disease (CAD) progression. However, their relationship with subclinical atherosclerosis, especially in subjects with metabolic syndrome, is unknown. Therefore, our aim was to determine their relationship with arterial markers of subclinica...

Objective: The current study aimed to check whether early vascular aging, measured as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), is related to kidney function, measured as creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), in middle-aged subjects with metabolic syndrome. Methods: Participant...

Objectives: The purpose of our study was to compare three definitions of ambulatory blood pressure (BP) nocturnal period and to assess their agreement in determining nocturnal BP dipping patterns. Methods: We investigated 69 subjects with metabolic syndrome, aged 50-55 years. In all subjects, we assessed 24-h BP monitoring, electrocardiogram and...

Background: Development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) augments risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD), but pathophysiological mechanisms of this relation are still under discussion. Overlapping CVD risk factors make it difficult to assess the importance of individual elements. This study aimed to analyze subclinical atherosclerosis ba...

Objectives : Circulating levels of inflammatory markers such as high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) have been reported to be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Therefore, our objectives were to investigate the associations between hs-CRP levels and individual MetS comp...

Objectives: There is increasing evidence that metabolic syndrome (MetS) may be associated with increased uric acid levels. Previous studies indicate that hyperuricaemia is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disorders. We sought to determine the association of serum uric acid (SUA) with MetS components and other cardiovascular risk factor...

Background and aims The aim of the study was to estimate trends and differences in CVD risk factor prevalence among middle-aged men and women based on the data from the LitHiR primary prevention program between 2009 and 2018. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study included men aged 40–54 years and women aged 50–64 years without overt CVD....

B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) exhibits roles in natriuresis and diuresis, making it an ideal drug that may aid in diuresing a fluid-overloaded patient with poor or worsening renal function. Several randomized clinical trials have tested the hypothesis that infusions of pharmacological doses of BNP to acute heart failure (HF) patients may enhance...

We aimed to determine how the alteration of arterial stiffness (AS) affects the dynamics of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (DD) in metabolic syndrome (MetS) subjects during longitudinal observation (3.8 ± 0.6 years). Methods: A follow-up study was carried out in 573 (53.4 ± 5.8 years, 211 men [36.8%]) MetS subjects without overt athero...

Aim: To assess a time-dependent change of arterial stiffness gradient (PWVratio calculated by dividing carotid-femoral to carotid-radialPWV), a marker of vascular aging, in high cardiovascular risk cohort. Methods: This cohort study (n = 689) was conducted during the period 2010–2019 at Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos. Participants we...

Background: The aim of our study was to evaluate high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) efflux capacity in healthy controls and patients with severe dyslipidemia. Evaluation of HDL function may be beneficial for better understanding of cardiovascular diseases, as well as for taking actions to minimize residual cardiovascular risk. Methods:...

Background: Coronary artery calcium (CAC) is known as a reliable tool for estimating risk of myocardial infarction, coronary death, all-cause mortality and is even used to evaluate suitable asymptomatic patients. We therefore aimed to evaluate whether CAC scoring can be applied in the algorithm for clinical examination of patients with severe hype...

Background: Recent triple-blind sham procedure-controlled study revealed neutral effects of the cardiac shock wave therapy (CSWT) on exercise tolerance and symptoms in patients with stable angina. Current data about the effects of CSWT on global and regional myocardial contractility and perfusion is limited. Hereby we report the results of an imag...

Background: After acute coronary syndrome, diabetes conveys an excess risk of ischaemic cardiovascular events. A reduction in mean LDL cholesterol to 1·4-1·8 mmol/L with ezetimibe or statins reduces cardiovascular events in patients with an acute coronary syndrome and diabetes. However, the efficacy and safety of further reduction in LDL cholester...

Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of premature death worldwide. More than half of deaths were caused by cardiovascular diseases in 2017 in Lithuania. Primary prevention programmes encourage both medical staff and general population to pay attention to potential health issues as well as attempt to eradicate risk factors causing cardiovascul...

Background and Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate trends in smoking among middle-aged men and women based on the data from the Lithuanian High Cardiovascular Risk (LitHiR) primary prevention program between 2009 and 2016. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study comprised 92373 Lithuanian adults (41.6% men and 58...

Background: According to the data from the population-based Rotterdam study, intracranial carotid artery calcification detected by computed tomography is very common and contributed to 75% of all strokes. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of intracranial stenosis (IS) using noninvasive transcranial color-coded duplex sonog...

Introduction: Renal artery denervation (RDN) is a new widely discussed method in treatment of hypertension. Most of the RDN studies assessed BP and arterial changes 3 and 6 months after the procedure, but there is a lack of trials that investigated early changes after RDN. Aim: To investigate aortic stiffness 24-48 hours after the procedure and...

The EUROASPIRE surveys (EUROpean Action on Secondary Prevention through Intervention to Reduce Events) demonstrated that most European coronary patients fail to achieve lifestyle, risk factor and therapeutic targets. Here we report on the 2-year incidence of hard cardiovascular (CV) endpoints in the EUROASPIRE IV cohort. EUROASPIRE IV (2012–2013) w...

Background and aims Achilles tendon lesions have long been associated with genetic defects in lipid metabolism and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). With this study we aimed to evaluate the usefulness of Achilles tendon ultrasonography in identifying people at greater risk among subjects with severe hypercholesterolemia (SH) in a hig...

Objectives: Although applanation tonometry is the most widely used method for evaluating arterial stiffness, oscillometric ambulatory blood pressure monitoring devices using specific algorithms for pulse wave analyses have been validated more recently. Currently, it is not clear how to interpret 24-h mean values of arterial stiffness parameters. T...

Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess predictive value of various arterial markers for cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Materials and methods: A longitudinal study with the follow-up period of 3.9 ± 1.7 years investigated 2728 middle-aged (53.9 ± 6.2 years old, 63% women) MetS subjects without over...

Background: The data on long-term outcomes for elderly patients with coronary artery disease who undergo invasive treatment is limited. This study aimed to assess long-term outcomes and risk factors for patients over 80 years of age who underwent revascularisation. Methods: This single-centre retrospective study included ≥80-year-old patients wh...

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate predictive value of main arterial markers for cardiovascular (CV) events in subjects with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods: A prospective study enrolled 2728 middle-aged (53.9 ± 6.2 years old, 63% women) MetS patients of the Lithuanian High Cardiovascular Risk primary prevention program without ove...