Global Cardiology Science and Practice - Volume 2015, Issue 4

Background: Hypertension is a major risk factor for several cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The prevalence of hypertension is increasing in Bangladesh, especially in urban areas. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors in an urban area of Bangladesh. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey involving participants aged ≥ 25 years in an urban area in Dhaka between June-December 2 Read More

Coarctation of the aorta (C) is the sixth most common lesion in congenital heart disease and represents a spectrum of aortic narrowing that varies from a discrete entity to tubular hypoplasia. This condition was once thought to be a relatively simple lesion that would be “cured” upon repair of the narrowing, however, despite relief of the anatomical obstruction the subsequent risk of early morbidity and death persists. This review outlin Read More

We report on a young adult with ALCAPA, who was successfully resuscitated after collapsing in ventricular fibrillation while playing football. This was followed by anatomical correction of the anomaly with a smooth recovery and return to his daily activities. The advantages of this approach are discussed in this brief report.

Human genetic discoveries offer a powerful method to implicate pathways of major importance to disease pathobiology and hence provide targets for pharmacological intervention. The genetics of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) strongly implicates loss-of-function of the bone morphogenetic protein type II receptor (BMPR-II) signalling pathway and moreover implicates the endothelial cell as a central cell type involved in disease init Read More

It is believed that simultaneous targeting of two or more of the three pathogenic pathways of pulmonary arterial hypertension (the endothelin, nitric oxide, and prostacyclin pathways) is associated with additive or synergistic effects with subsequent increasing efficacy and improving outcomes. However, there is lack of evidence to guide the use of combination strategy among pulmonary arterial hypertension patients and many quest Read More

Background: Calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) is seen in a large proportion of individuals over 60 years. It is an active process, influenced by lipid accumulation, mechanical stress, inflammation, and abnormal extracellular matrix turnover. Various biomarkers (BMs) are studied, as regards mechanisms, diagnosis and prognosis. Methods: In the calcified valves calcium deposition, elastin fragmentation and disorganization of cellul Read More

An 11-year old boy was admitted to our intensive care unit following a successfully resuscitated ventricular fibrillation (VF) cardiac arrest during mild physical activity. Six months earlier he was diagnosed with non-obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) after an ECG at a pre-sport participating screening had shown left ventricular hypertrophy, marked repolarization abnormalities, and ST depression (Figure 1). There was no family his Read More

Surgical treatment of coronary heart disease has shown its life saving benefits in millions of patients for more than half a century. Attempts to create less invasive ways to achieve similar results have attracted great attention since the introduction of balloon angioplasty in 1977. The fascination with such techniques was hampered by a 30% recurrence rate and a 5% rate of abrupt closure, requiring emergency bypass surgery in most inst Read More

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TTC) is an acute cardiac condition characterized by transient left ventricular dysfunction with wall motion abnormalities, most commonly in the form of apical ballooning. Despite being considered as a generally benign condition, many studies have emphasized potentially sinister outcomes associated with TTC. In this article, we review the most recent results of the International Takotsubo Registry, which investig Read More

Shikany et al used data from 17,418 participants in the REGARDS study, a national, population-based, longitudinal study of white and black adults aged ≥ 45 years, enrolled between 2003–2007. They examined 536 acute coronary heart disease events at follow-up (median 5.8 years) in relation to five dietary patterns (Convenience, Plant-based, Sweets, Southern, and Alcohol and Salad). After adjustment for baseline variables, the highest co Read More

As the global burden of atrial fibrillation (AF) and its attendant economic impact on the healthcare system surges, there is increasing interest in the secondary prevention of AF with various therapies. Of the several identified risk factors for AF, obesity is an important contributor that may be managed with intensive lifestyle modification. Prior studies have demonstrated the short-term and long-term benefits of weight loss in reduction of AF s Read More

The pulmonary circulation is a high-flow/low-pressure system, coupled with a flow generator chamber–the right ventricle–, which is relatively unable to tolerate increases in afterload. A right heart catheterization, using a fluid-filled, balloon-tipped Swan-Ganz catheter allows the measurement of all hemodynamic parameters characterizing the pulmonary circulation: the inflow pressure, an acceptable estimate the outflow pressure, and t Read More