Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a condition of an inadequate supply of oxygenated blood to a portion of the myocardium. It typically occurs when there is an imbalance between supply and demand of myocardial oxygen. The most common cause of myocardial ischemia is atherosclerotic disease of an epicardial coronary artery or arteries which is sufficient to cause a regional reduction in myocardial blood flow and inadequate perfusion of the myocardium supplied by the involved coronary artery. Fifty CAD subjects (23 females and 27 males) were enrolled in this study in addition to thirty healthy control subjects (13 female and 17 male). This study aimed to measure the serum levels of interleukin IL- 33, C- reactive prot

Background: Coronary artery disease remains the main cause of death despite several preventive programs. Epicardial adipose tissue is a visceral fat depot of the heart located along the large coronary arteries and on the surface of ventricles and apex. Intima media thickness is commonly recognized as the initial stage in the development of atherosclerosis. The development of ultrasound machines, advances in echocardiographic devices and high resolution transducers facilitate comprehensive analysis of epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and carotid –intima media thickness (C-IMT).
Aim: To investigate the relationship of echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and carotid –intima media thickness (C-IMT) with the severity of coro

Background: Coronary artery bypass graft is routinely performed on an arrested heart using cardiopulmonary bypass with aortic cross clamping and Cardioplegia. Off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCABG) is being increasingly used in selected cases as an attempt to decrease morbidity and mortality.
Objective: The main objective of this study is to clarify those patients who are indicated for OPCABG despite it is surgically demanding technique and to evaluate the mortality and morbidity associated with such procedures.
Patients and methods: It is a retrospective study of 28 patients with coronary artery disease, in need for coronary artery bypass graft admitted and surgically treated at the Iraqi Centre fo

Background: Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is one of the largest causes of mortality worldwide. Clopidogrel, antiplatelet drug, has been widely used for management of CAD. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of clopidogrel on the oxidative stress in CAD patients. Methods: One hundred CAD patients, who were followed-up for 5 days after receiving clopidogrel, and 50 healthy volunteers were included in this study. Parameters include catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidant capacity (TOC), total protein, albumin, and globulins were determined before and after treatment with clopidogrel. Results: CAT, TAC, and Tp were significantly decreased (P<0.0001) in CAD patients compared to healthy control and

Back ground : Coronary artery diseases are not uncommon in the presence of right bundle branch block.
Aim : The aim of this study is to assess the findings of coronary angiography in patients with chest pain and right bundle branch block.
Methods : The study involved review of case sheets and coronary angiography of one hundred patients, who underwent coronary angiography due to chest pain suspected to have
coronary artery diseases (CAD) , fifty patients of them had right bundle branch block (RBBB) , the other fifty did not have RBBB , those 100 patients were presented to Ibin Al Bitar hospital
for cardiac surgery from January 2004 to June 2006. History, clinical examinations, electrocardiogram (ECG)

treatment decisions for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and/or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in patients with complex coronary artery disease (CAD) and/or unprotected left main stem disease (ULMSD).
Objectives: To assess the agreement between the clinical decisions of the cardiologist and the SS II recommendation regarding the revascularization strategies in patients with complex CAD and/or ULMSD.
Patients and Methods: Prospective data from patients who presented to Baghdad Medical City Catheterization Labs for coronary angiography and were followed up between January 2014 and November 2015 were analyzed. For these patients, SS II was assessed by the two anatomical variables (SS and presence of ULMSD) and six clinica

Background: Clinical classification of patients with acute coronary syndrome is essential step in identifying severe cases before referring them, fairly quickly, for the ultimate investigation of coronary angiography .Hence it is important to find out the extent at which the severity of the disease, based on clinical classification, agrees with its severity at angiography and to see whether traditional Risk factors or pas ischaemia played a role.
Patients and Methods : The angiographer data of 178 consecutive pts with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) were retrospectively analyzed. The pts consisted of 114 with Unstable Angina (UA)  and 64 pts with Non-ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI). Pati

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Clopidogrel, antiplatelet drug, has been widely used for management of CAD. Arylesterase, the activity of Paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), is mainly contributed in the biotransformation of clopidogrel to its active thiol form. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of receiving clopidogrel drug on the arylesterase activities in CAD patients. The effect of receiving clopidogrel drug on the antioxidant activity of arylesterase was also monitored by determination of malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Methods: One hundred CAD patients, who were followed-up for 5 days after reciving clopidogrel, and 50 healthy volunteers were included in our study

Background: Endothelial dysfunction is thought to be a key event in the development of atherosclerosis. It is a systemic process that simultaneously affects different vascular territories including coronary arteries. It is recommended that noninvasive approaches assessing endothelial function in peripheral vessels like flow mediated dilatation are indirectly representative of coronary vascular function.
Objectives: This study is aimed to assess endothelial dysfunction by using flow mediated dilatation in patients with coronary artery disease
Patients and methods: 82 patients of either sex with an age range of 40-65years are involved in this study. Each patient was subjected to two tests; first test was the flow mediated dilatation

BACKGROUND : Bifurcational coronary lesions are
frequent and amounts to almost one fifth of routine
practice concerning up to 15 – 20 % of cases .
Revascularization by percutaneous coronary
intervention ( PCI ), of bifurcational lesion has
become easier by stenting yet it remains a frequent
challenge.
OBJECTIVE : To evaluate the success and hospital
complications of two most frequent technique of stent
deployment in bifurcational PCI.
METHODS : We prospectively analysed the data of
140 consecutive patients with bifurcational PCI at
Ibn_Al-Bitar Hospital for cardiac surgery for the
period from July 2008 to July 2009 .
Depending on whether the side branch was stented or
not, the patient has fa