Grodno State
The Department of Internal Medicine I works to maintain and develop the scientific-research potential of the university.
The staff of the department carries out a number of research works on various problems of internal diseases. Candidates’ and Doctoral theses have been defended and a great number of research papers have been published by the academic staff of the Department. 20 monographs and a great number of educational manuals have been published at the department. More than 20 patents for innovation in the Republic of Belarus proved by the Ministry of Health in the Republic of Belarus and 15 instructions for practice have been received. Dozens of scientific and scientific-practical forums and conferences were held.
Among various scientific interests – majority of research work over the past years has been performed and carried out in the field of Cardiology.
The main research interests were devoted to:
1. hemodynamics and hemodynamic effects of a number of pharmaceutical drugs for hypertension, ischemic heart diseases, heumatic valvular defects;
2. state of the blood coagulation system in patients with rheumatic heart diseases;
3. metabolic therapy, trace elements and vitamins: their roles in cardiovascular diseases;
4. levels of biogenic amines, amino acids and their prognostic significance in ischemic heart diseases, chronic heart failure and cardiac arrhythmias;
5 configuration of the main arteries in cardiovascular diseases;
6. neurovegetative regulation, circadian rhythms of cardiac parameters in patients with arterial hypertension, bradyarrhythmias, atrialfibrillation, ventricular arrhythmias and chronic heart failure;
7. electrophysiological aspects in arrhythmology;
8. pathophysiological mechanisms, inflammatory processes and genetics of cytokines in myocardial infarction and atrial fibrillation;
9. state of blood oxygen transport function, endothelial dysfunction and myocardial remodeling in cardiovascular diseases and arrhythmias;
10. prediction of cardiovascular events in patients with cardiac pathology and cardiac arrhythmias.
At present the majority theses have been defended under the supervision of Prof. Snezhitskiy V.A. - an outstanding scientist and Highest Category Board Certified Cardiologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Correspondent Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus, Rector of the Grodno State Medical University. He is the founder and director of the “Clinical-Arrhythmology” School of Sciences organized on the basis of the 1st Department of Internal Diseases.
After graduating from the Grodno State Medical Institute, Snezhitskiy V.A. began his career in medicine and science from the Department of Hospital Therapy, Clinical Residency of the Department (1984-1986), postgraduate student of the same department (1986-1989), and later Assistant Professor (1989-1995). Since 1995, he started practical medicine and became the Head of the Department of the Grodno Regional Cardiology Dispensary (1995-2001) and then the Head Physician (2001-2006). From 2004 to 2007, he worked as an Associate Professor at the Department of Hospital therapy. Since 2007 he is a Professor. Returning to science, Snezhitskiy V.A. became vice-rector for research of Grodno State Medical University (2006-2009), and in 2009 - Rector of the EE "Grodno State Medical University".
The department carries out funded and unfunded research works:
1. “Study of the actual nutrition and vitamin-dependent risk factors for coronary heart disease in the Western region of Belarus”. Relating to this topic, the staff of the department participated in the Republican STEP and carried out the scientific work “Develop a new way to prevent recurrent myocardial infarction based on an assessment of pyridoxine-dependent mechanisms of hyperhomocysteinemia and endothelial dysfunction in patients after myocardial infarction”.
2. "Features of the regulation of heart rate, the state of coagulation and oxygen transport in patients with paroxysmal and permanent atrial fibrillation."
3. “Develop and introduce a method for predicting ventricular arrhythmias in patients with CHF based on a study of tryptophan metabolism indicators”,
4. “Characteristics of arterial stiffness and factors affecting it, with atrial fibrillation”
5. “The role of cytokines in insulin resistance in individuals with impaired carbohydrate metabolism.”
The research interests of the Department are mainly devoted to: “The role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in the pathogenesis of tachy-induced cardiomyopathy”, “The prognostic role of endothelin-1 and polymorphism of the endothelin-1 gene in the development of complications of coronary artery disease in patients with type 2 diabetes,” “Gemini endothelin-1 gene in the development of CHD complications in patients with type 2 diabetes,” “Gemini endothelin-1 gene in the development of CHD complications in patients with type 2 diabetes” differences in the functional state of the cardiovascular system and the oxygen-transport function of the blood in patients with elderly coronary heart disease,” “Clinical, laboratory, instrumental features and prognostic value of metabolic disorders of uric acid in patients with arterial hypertension and atrial fibrillation.”