Background: Cardiac myxomas are benign tumors of the heart. They occur mostly in the left atrium. The preferred treatment is surgical resection, which can be performed via conventional median sternotomy, minimally invasive, or robotic-assisted approaches. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes, advantages, and limitations of these surgical methods, with a focus on their safety, efficacy, and impact on patient recovery. Methods: This systemic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. The chosen databases were systematically searched using the keywords “cardiac myxoma”, “resection”, “approach”, “minimally invasive”, and “robotic surgery”. The comparison between the surgical strategies was based on thirteen articles, which met the inclusion criteria. Results: Median sternotomy remains the standard technique, providing excellent surgical access but is associated with longer hospital stays, higher blood loss, and increased risk of complications such as stroke. Minimally invasive approaches demonstrated comparable safety with shorter ICU stays, reduced blood loss, and lower postoperative pain but presented challenges, including limited exposure and longer procedure times. Robotic-assisted surgery showed potential as a safe alternative but was limited by high costs and technical demands. However, the data on minimally invasive and robotic methods are limited due to the rarity of cardiac myxomas. Conclusions: The choice of surgical technique should be individualised by considering the tumour size, location, patient condition, and surgeon expertise. Routine postoperative echocardiographic monitoring is essential to detect residual or recurrent tumours. Further studies are needed to validate the long-term efficacy of minimally invasive and robotic approaches.

Introduction Physical activity is an inseparable element of people’s lives. It reduces risk of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, helps maintain physical well-being as well as mental health. Exercise is especially crucial in adults aged over 65 as this population leads a more sedentary lifestyle. Objective This article aims to evaluate the impact of exercise on mental health in elderly population. Methods A Literature review of articles published in Pubmed between 2000 and 2024 using the following words “physical activity”, “exercise”, “mental health”, “elderly population”. Results Physical activity has an impact on physical as well as mental health. In elderly population it especially influences the latter. Recent studies have shown that it can reduce a risk of dementia, enhance cognitive performance and improve social life by creating a stronger community and social network. Conclusion Physical activity is one of the crucial elements of overall well-being. It is particularly important in elderly population in maintaining mental health. It enhances cognition, reduces risk of dementia and improves social life.

Physical activity is an effective therapy for preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases. However, studies show a curvilinear relationship between exercise and survival, with diminishing returns beyond optimal fitness levels. Extreme athletic training can harm some individuals, as long-term training in professional athletes can lead to Athlete's Heart Syndrome (AHS), characterized by structural heart changes and altered cardiac conduction due to high-intensity exercise. Intense exertion also increases the risk of sudden cardiac death by exacerbating underlying cardiac conditions. A step-by-step multimodality approach, starting with personal and family history, clinical evaluation, and 12-lead ECG, followed by further investigations like exercise testing, echocardiography, 24-hour ECG Holter monitoring, cardiac MRI, CT, nuclear scintigraphy, or genetic testing, is essential for differentiating between extreme physiological adaptations and cardiac pathology. In this process, cardiovascular imaging is crucial for identifying structural abnormalities in athletes within the grey zone between normal adaptations and early cardiovascular disease.

Background Pulmonary embolism still remains one of the most life-threatening conditions in cardiovascular medicine and remains the third leading cause of death in the United States. Current guidelines recommend surgical treatment of pulmonary embolism in high-risk patients. This procedure is typically performed through a median sternotomy approach with initiation of a cardiopulmonary bypass machine. Patients referred to surgery are often critically ill and burdened with multiple comorbidities that might be a contraindication to conventional surgery. Aim This narrative review screened the available literature on minimally invasive surgical approaches in pulmonary embolectomy and evaluated its potential benefits and limitations. Material and Methods A targeted literature search was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar databases, supplemented by manual screening of references from relevant articles to identify further eligible studies. Abstracts and full texts were screened, resulting in 8 articles included: 1 research paper, 3 case series, and 4 case reports with a total of 22 patients. Results Reported use of minimally invasive approaches in the surgical treatment of pulmonary embolism was described. Across the 22 included patients 1 patient was managed with thoracotomy and 10 patients with a minithoracotomy approach with utilization of various surgical strategies such as: video-thoracoscopic-assistance, or balloon-catheter-assistance. Ministernotomy approach was utilized in 11 patients: 10 patients underwent upper-hemisternotomy with central cannulation, and one patient underwent a right J-ministernotomy. Conclusions Median sternotomy remains the gold standard for surgical pulmonary embolectomy, however reported cases of procedures performed using minimally invasive approaches suggest that these techniques may be safe and effective in selected patients with contraindications to conventional approach.

Introduction and purpose: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its effects on patients remain the main focus of many researchers across the world. One of the challenges faced by medical professionals is the impact of the infection on the course of chronic diseases. Manifestations of the infection are observed mainly in the respiratory system, but other organs, particularly the cardiovascular system, are also frequently affected. Recent data indicates that arterial hypertension and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the most prevalent comorbidities in patients suffering from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Material and methods: This study aimed to investigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the cardiovascular system. Apart from the literature review we conducted a retrospective study to check the necessity for modification of chronic treatment in patients with CVD after recovery from COVID-19, particularly regarding the use of beta blockers. Results: Using the Mann-Whitney U test a positive correlation (p = 0.04) was found between the presence of coronary artery disease before COVID-19 and a need for an increase in the beta-blockers dose. Conclusions: Patients with preexisting CVD should be closely monitored during and after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection due to the higher risk of complications and the potential need for modifications in the treatment of chronic diseases. Patients with coronary artery diseases may need an increase in beta-blocker doses after recovery. This is an important issue for future research, especially in the context of long COVID-19.

Introduction: In the last few years, with over 422 million cases of diabetes worldwide and with an overload of healthcare, the development of new glucose monitoring approaches has become a crucial subject. This paper set out to explore the effectiveness of current glucose monitoring methods, their usage in the context of physical activity, and prospects for the future. Review methods: We conducted our study as a literature review, with data being gathered via PubMed and Embase. The state of knowledge: Currently, the two most popular methods of glucose monitoring are self-monitoring (SMBG) and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with real-time devices such as Dexcom G6, and Medtronic Guardian Connect System, and intermittent devices such as Freestyle Libre 2. Both approaches are invasive and can cause allergic reactions and dermatitis. As a result, many researchers propose non-invasive methods including optical coherence tomography, spectroscopy, and fluorescence. The growing accessibility leads to the usage of CGM devices in everyday life not only by patients with diabetes melitus. Conclusions: Advancements in diabetes technologies allow patients to maintain glucose homeostasis and improve their Quality of life. CGM devices are constantly being developed to be more accessible and easy to use, which may help adjust the training programs and diets for individual needs.