A team of Irish experts recently evaluated the current possibilities of telemedicine in the care of individuals with hemophilia –⁠ not only from the perspective of care provided by specialized comprehensive centers but also considering physiotherapy and dental care.

As part of the case seminar from the HAExpert series, held on December 1, 2021, which specifically focused on the treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in specific patients, Dr. Roman Hakl from the Institute of Clinical Immunology and Allergology at MU Faculty of Medicine and St. Anne's University Hospital in Brno presented the case of a now 34-year-old woman with HAE and obesity (BMI 37 kg/m2), who additionally has a positive family history –⁠ the disease was also diagnosed in her mother, sister, and son.

The risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increased, among other things, by a deficiency of alpha-1-antitrypsin (AATD). However, there is often a delay between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis of AATD, which is associated with worse clinical and functional status and a more advanced stage of the disease. The study presented below examined how this fact further affects patient survival.

Iron deficiency is very common in patients with heart failure and is associated with exercise intolerance, reduced quality of life, increased mortality, and higher risk of hospitalization, regardless of the presence of anemia. Clinical studies have previously demonstrated the positive effect of intravenous administration of ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) in patients with chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction of the left ventricle. The AFFIRM-AHF study investigated the effect of FCM administration initiated shortly before discharge from hospitalization for acute heart failure.

Diabetologist MUDr. Lucie Radovnická from Masaryk Hospital in Ústí nad Labem illustrates the case of her patient −⁠ a sympathetic rocker who enjoys life including concerts, beer, and good food −⁠ demonstrating how modern antidiabetic treatment with oral semaglutide in combination with thorough lifestyle re-education can achieve very good diabetes compensation and overall health improvement. One of the many benefits of this modality was the possibility to discontinue sulfonylurea derivative medication, which previously caused severe hypoglycemia.

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare, potentially life-threatening inherited disorder characterized by dysregulation of the kallikrein-kinin system. This results in excessive production of bradykinin, which is responsible for soft tissue edema. Garadacimab, a human antibody inhibiting activated factor XII, is utilized in the prevention of these attacks. Its efficacy and safety were verified in a phase III clinical trial.

Therapeutic options for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) utilizing disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) have continued to expand in recent years. However, achieving their full benefit is critically dependent on adherence to treatment. Nonadherence is demonstrably linked to an increased risk of relapses, faster progression of disability, higher treatment costs, and higher mortality. We present a summary of factors affecting adherence to treatment in MS patients, including the influence of the chosen therapy from a 2022 review and subsequent studies.

MUDr. Petr Smejkal, Ph.D., from the Department of Clinical Hematology, FN Brno, has prepared a case study for you of a patient born in 1941, diagnosed with hemophilia A at around 10 years of age. In 2013, he underwent surgery for right carotid stenosis with pdFVIII substitution and was started on acetylsalicylic acid. Two weeks after discharge, subcutaneous and muscle bleeding was recognized, leading to the development of an FVIII inhibitor (high responder) with FVIII levels < 1%. Severe muscle bleeds continued approximately once every 2 months. Prophylactic treatments progressively included aPCC, pdFVIII, and emicizumab. The patient also presents with cardiovascular comorbidities: atrial fibrillation (AF) accompanied by its dilatation, diastolic heart failure, and hypertension. In 2021, he also contracted COVID-19, requiring hospitalization.

Last fall, a study was published in JAMA Network Open, focusing on older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), examining the cardiovascular risk impact when treated with empagliflozin, liraglutide, or sitagliptin. Currently, there is limited evidence comparing the effectiveness of various glucose-lowering agents intended for second-line treatment in DM2 patients undergoing routine care, who have a broad spectrum of cardiorenal risks.

The presence of hypertension in patients with diabetes worsens overall cardiovascular (CV) prognosis and increases the prevalence of chronic renal failure. Adequate treatment of hypertension can significantly influence the development and severity of these complications. What target blood pressure (BP) values should we aim for in diabetics, which antihypertensive therapy to choose, and why not forget about 24-hour BP monitoring?

Inadequate analgesia after hip and knee arthroplasty can result in delayed postoperative recovery accompanied by chronic pain. The retrospective study presented below compared the efficacy of analgesia via continuous epidural infusion of ropivacaine, patient-controlled IV analgesia with the so-called Würzburg drip, and piritramide.

Dr. Anna Suredová from the Clinical Hematology Department of the Catalonian Oncology Institute in Barcelona, newly elected president of the European Society for Bone Marrow Transplantation (EBMT), also remotely participated in this year's Prague Hematology Days (PHD 2022). In her lecture, she presented an overview of highlights from 4 clinical studies regarding Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) presented during the Post-ASH 2021 meeting.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a serious progressive disease of the lung tissue of unclear etiology. Highly effective antifibrotic therapy is used in treatment, which can significantly prolong the lives of patients. However, timely detection of the disease is necessary for treatment success. For this purpose, the IPFchecker web application has been created, which helps radiologists and pulmonologists with more accurate diagnosis and timely detection of the disease.

A British study published last year investigated the proportion of heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) who do not take an adequate dose of beta-blockers (BB), despite having no contraindications to their use. The authors analyzed the mortality of these patients over 7.6 years and looked for factors associated with the prescription of suboptimal BB doses.