The incidence of thyroid disease increases with age. In the Czech Republic, up to 5% of the population suffers from hypothyroidism, and the prevalence of hyperthyroidism is estimated at 0.2-1%. The following text discusses the impact of these thyroid disorders on the cardiovascular (CV) system in elderly patients.

Antiresorptive pharmacotherapy in the form of bisphosphonates and denosumab is associated, according to current knowledge, with the risk of jaw osteonecrosis, especially following dental procedures such as tooth extractions. The aim of the newly published systematic review was therefore to evaluate the incidence of this complication following dental extractions in connection with the administration of antiresorptive medication and to identify risk factors for jaw osteonecrosis in oncological patients.

The Prostate Health Index (PHI) combines the results of three blood-derived parameters: total PSA (tPSA), free PSA (fPSA), and [-2]proPSA (p2PSA) into a single numerical score: PHI = (p2PSA / fPSA × √tPSA). It is a marker used to differentiate patients indicated for prostate biopsy, enabling prediction of cancer aggressiveness and helping to choose the optimal course of action for a particular patient. Its benefit in distinguishing aggressive prostate cancer from indolent tumors or benign lesions was already proven in 2015.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) represents a significant global cause of morbidity and mortality with a high prevalence that is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Since it is a preventable and treatable disease, active therapy, which is globally guided by international recommendations based on the GOLD strategy, plays an important role. However, in the following article, we will also place these recommendations in the current context of care for these patients in the Czech Republic.

Patients after major orthopedic and traumatological procedures are at high risk of thromboembolic disease. This is especially true for people undergoing hip and knee replacement or patients with a proximal femur fracture and severe lower limb injury. The routine implementation of pharmacological thromboprophylaxis, such as low-molecular-weight heparins, is currently the gold standard in perioperative care in these cases.

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a serious chronic cholestatic autoimmune liver disease that predominantly affects middle-aged women and can lead to end-stage liver failure and the need for transplantation. Several studies published this year show a reduction in the quality of life of patients with this disease due to its accompanying symptoms.

Sepsis represents one of the most frequent causes of morbidity and mortality in critically ill patients. Laboratory markers play an important role in the diagnosis and prognosis of septic states. The aim of the study by the Czech authors was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of new laboratory markers in the form of monocyte distribution width and specific markers on the surface of neutrophil granulocytes.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2050, infections untreatable with antibiotics could become the leading cause of death, surpassing cardiovascular and oncological diseases. Rising antimicrobial resistance was one of the main topics at the VIII Congress of Clinical Microbiology, Infectious Diseases, and Epidemiology (KMINE 2022), held in September in Prague. The topic was also the focus of the expert block ‘ATB stewardship,’ where epidemiologist Petr Smejkal, infectologist Aleš Chrdle, and microbiologist Václava Adámková discussed possible solutions to this global problem. We asked Adámková to summarize insights into the presented issues for us.

The possibility of actively preventing severe bleeding after a major cardiac surgical procedure using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) by administering a concentrate of activated procoagulant complex seems feasible, although a larger study will be needed to confirm its effect.

Empagliflozin entered the market as an antidiabetic drug operating on the principle of reducing glucose reabsorption by the kidneys from the urine and increasing its excretion through urine. Thanks to its very favorable impact on cardiovascular (CV) risks, it has gradually become an important part of treatment in cardiology as well. On May 1st, the long-awaited expansion of its reimbursement from public health insurance (ZP) for symptomatic heart failure with mildly reduced and preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (EF LK) will take place. It will thus be possible to improve the prognosis and quality of life for patients with this diagnosis. However, upon the availability of clinically verified therapy, another challenge arises in the form of underdiagnosis of patients with heart failure with preserved EF LK.

Levothyroxine (LT4) in oral form is the standard therapy for patients with hypothyroidism. Given the legislative possibility of generic substitution and the number of original and generic preparations containing LT4, its substitution is possible, though not recommended. What are the practical conclusions?

The authors of a study presented at the December congress of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) in Orlando introduced a new prognostic tool, m7-FLIPI, for determining the risk level of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL). They tested its utility using samples from the GALLIUM clinical trial and, during the analysis, discovered a promising biomarker that could help in selecting the primary chemotherapy for FL patients.

Since January 1, 2022, a pilot population program for lung cancer screening has been underway in the Czech Republic. At the 7th PREVON conference in December 2023, updates on the progress as of March 31, 2023, were presented. Data for 2022 show a 4.4% detection rate of positive findings using low-dose CT in the targeted population of current or former smokers aged 55-74 years, who have so far undergone screening.

According to literary sources, 17–28.5% of Europeans suffer from allergic rhinitis (AR), which negatively affects the quality of daily life. Below, we summarize the new recommendations from ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma) from 2019 regarding the treatment of this condition and highlight a new therapeutic option offered by the fixed combination of mometasone furoate with olopatadine hydrochloride.