Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a complication of most cardiovascular diseases. Despite of the last achievements in pharmacotherapy,
life expectancy in patients with CHF remains to be the lowest, and the risk of sudden death is the highest. The last 20 years stressed the importance
of growth hormone role in the development of cardiovascular disease, and its potential in treatment of terminal CHF. This article reviews the
most well-known research conducted in this area.

The review presents a recent data from the literature on the physiologic and pathophysiologic role of adipose tissue hormones
(adiponectin, resistin, leptin). The article details the role of adipocytokines in atherogenesis. It also presents the results of studies depicting
the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism, lipid metabolism and insulin resistance as well as the impact of thyroid dysfunction
upon the secretion of adipocytokines.

The aim of this study was to determine changes in weight and insulin requirements in insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients
with normal and elevated body mass index (BMI) during the first year after initiating the insulin therapy with insulin analogues or human
insulins, respectively. Materials and methods: a total of 157 patients with insulin naive type 2 diabetes were included in the study. The patients
were divided in two groups. First group consisted of subjects [mean age 57 (45 to 73), duration of diabetes of 10 years (4 to 16)]
prescribed a long-acting basal (glargine, detemir), premixed (biphasic insulin Aspart 30, Humalog Mix 25) or short-acting (aspart, lispro)
insulin analogues. Patients from second group [mean age 59 (46 to 75), duration of diabetes for 10 years (5 to 15)] were treated with intermediate-
acting basal (Protophane, Humulin NPH), premixed (biphasic human insulin 30, Humulin M3) and regular (Actrapid,
Humulin R) human insulins. Each of these two groups was divided into three subgroups depending on the baseline body mass index
(BMI) of the patients: 18,5-24,9; 25-29 and ≥30. At the beginning of insulin therapy and 12 months later, we compared HbA1c, BMI,
waist circumference and required insulin doses in each group. Results: our study results showed that under comparable metabolic control
the risk for weight gain and increase in insulin requirement is similar in insulin-treated type 2 diabetic patients with normal and elevated
BMI. Use of insulin analogues for treatment of type 2 diabetes patients with normal and elevated BMI results in better glycaemic control,
less weight gain, smaller increase in insulin requirement and waist circumference compared to human insulins during the first year of insulin
therapy.

The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of visfatin - PBEF1 - gene expression in subcutaneous and visceral
adipose tissue and serum levels of visfatin in children with relation to age and anthropometric parameters. The study included
52 patients (27 boys (52%), 25 girls (48%) aged from 2,5 to 18 years (13,8 [7,4-15,1] years)), who underwent an elective surgical intervention.
PBEF1 mRNA level was measured by real-time PCR and serum level of visfatin was quantified by immunoenzyme assay.
According to our study visfatin serum concentration in children with normal body weight was 9,2 [7,4-11,6] ng/ml, whereas in the
overweight group - 9,5 [7,5-11,1] ng/ml (p=0,5). No statistically significant gender difference in serum visfatin levels was observed.
No correlation between visfatin levels and age, pubertal stages and anthropometric indices in children was found. Statistically significant
differences in the level of gene expression between subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue were found (р=0,002) in the
total group of children surveyed and children with normal weight, while there were no depot-specific differences in overweight children.
The study did not reveal any dependence of PBEF1 expression on age and sex of children. Expression of PBEF1 in adipose
tissue decreases with puberty (PBEF1VATγ=-0,24, р=0,02; PBEF1SATγ=-0,25, р=0,02). PBEF1 expression in adipose tissue was
not correlated with the serum visfatin (R=-0,06, р=0,6).

It is well known that metabolic syndrome (MS) substantially increases the risk of the development of cardiovascular disease,
type 2 diabetes and associated mortality. This makes the search of markers of predisposition to MS and predictors of visceral involvement
in people with normal body mass an extremely pressing problem, as it is the basis of early prophylaxis. The aim of the research
was to determine the early (premorbid) markers of MS. Patients: 458 practically healthy young people aged 18-25. Methods: anthropometric
parameters (body mass index, waist circumference), fat component in body composition (FCBC) «BF-306 OMRON»
(Japan), lipid (Triglyceride, Total Cholesterol, LDL-Cholesterol, LHL-Cholesterol) and glucose metabolism parameters (Glucose,
Immunoreactive insulin, C-peptide, Insulin resistance index HOMA-IR). Results. We found a close correlation of FCBC with glucose
(r=0,564-0,427; p=0,01-0,04) and lipid (r=0,547-0,734; p=0,001-0,04) metabolic parameters inherent to MS in young people with
normal body mass, which made it possible to consider FCBC as a marker premorbidity of MS (sensitivity - 100%, specificity - 96%).
Herein we present an algorithm of diagnostic and tactic activities, which can be used in patients of high risk group for development
of MS, including measures of early prophylaxis and preventive therapy.

Obesity plays a key role in reproductive disorders. Xenical administration results in recovery of menstrual function in 78.9% and
ovulation in 26.3% of patients with obesity. Hormone therapy in patients with obesity should be accompanied with Xenical therapy, which
has a favorable impact on further body weight reduction (13.95% from baseline) and improvement (or stability) of metabolic parameters.

The regress or left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy is a main end-point of antihypertensive therapy. The aim of the present study
was to compare antihypertensive effects of two fixed combination preparations of ACE inhibitor and thiazide diuretic, enalapril 20 mg/hydrochlorthiazide
12,5 mg (Co-renitec) and losartan 50 mg/hydrochlorthiazide 12,5 mg (Hyzaar) on LV mass index (LVMI), types of left
ventricular remodeling in patients with grade II-III arterial hypertension. First group was treated with Co-renitec, second group with
Hyzaar during 24-weeks period. Results showed that both preparations significantly and to the same degree decrease LVMI. Number of
patients with normal LV geometry increases with accompanying decrease in number of patients with concentric hypertrophy and concentric
remodeling. The favorable effects were more remarkable in group treated with Hyzaar.

Medico-social significance of morbid obesity, occurring in 2-4% of the adult population in Russia, results from the severity of obesity-
associated diseases. Conservative therapy of morbid obesity is the first line treatment and is mostly a preparation for bariatric surgery, because
the overall effectiveness of conservative measures for morbid obesity does not exceed 5-10%.

Acromegaly is a severe neuroendocrine disease that develops when the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormone (GH).
Acromegaly is not only a cosmetic problem. Hypersecretion of GH leads to variety complications, decreased quality of life, shortening
the expected lifespan due to development of severe cardiovascular complications. Timely diagnosis and adequate treatment can reduce
mortality by 2-5 times and medical therapy deservedly plays an important role in treatment of patients with acromegaly when radical
surgical treatment cannot be performed. We present a first Russian experience of acromegaly patient treatment with new preparation -
Somatulin Autogel, with analysis of its favorable effects on clinical and metabolic manifestations of the disease.