Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity plays a central role in causing disability both directly and via indirect effects mediated through joint damage. Evaluation of RA disease activity is therefore important to predict the outcome and effectiveness of therapeutic interventions during follow-up. Clinical disease activity index (CDAI) is new simple tool for measurement of disease activity.
Objectives: To assess validity and reliability of CDAI in comparison to disease activity score-28 joints (DAS28) in Iraqi patients with active RA.
Patients and Methods: Sixty nine Iraqi RA patients were included in this study. All patients were fulfilling the ACR classification criteria and active. Full history was taken and comple

Background: Diabetic foot problems are one of the most important complications of diabetes mellitus
which causing a worldwide high cost morbidity which could be due to poor self-practices.
Objectives: To assess the preventive food care practices among diabetic patients and to find out any
significant association of these practices with selected socio-demographical and diabetic related
characteristics.
Patients and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Baquba city from the
period of 20th Septembers, 2016 up to 20th March, 2017, by selecting a sample of (120) patients by
using a structured questionnaire, the questionnaire composed of three parts, the first part contains
information related to

 The term ischemic heart disease (IHD) defines a disease spectrum of diverse etiology, with the common factor being on imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand . Fifty patients (30 male and 20 female) attending Ibn- Al- betar cardic center, the mean age of male was 65 years and 58 years for female were included in the present study , Thirty healthy subjects ( 15 male and 15 female ) of matched age were used as control groups.  Some biochemical parameters including lipid and lipoprotein, total cholesterol (TC) , triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL), in addition to lactic acid and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities , were evaluated in the sera of IHD patient groups

Background: Inflammation and more specifically inflammatory cytokines are determinant in the development of microvascular diabetic complications, including neuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy.
Objective: The aim of present study is to evaluate the relationships between high sensitive C-reactive protein, microalbuminuria and risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Subjects and methods: the study involved (30) patients with type 1 diabetic mellitus compared to (30) healthy control. A fasting blood sample was drawn from all subjects after an overnight fasting to measure the biochemical parameters which including glycated hemoglobin, lipid profile, atherogenic index of plasma and high sensitive C-reactive protein concentration in

Background: Arterial functional changes reflected by vascular stiffness might occur at early stages of cardiovascular disease before the morphological alterations reflected by increasing the intima media thickness and it is widely used as a very sensitive indicator of functional vascular damage.
Objectives: This study is aimed to correlate ultrasound detected vascular functional changes with the severity and extent of coronary artery disease.
Patients and methods: Sonographic scans were performed on 100 Patients (61males, 39 females) with an age range of (40-65years) for measuring carotid and brachial arteries end diastolic and end systolic diameters to calculate vascular stiffness index . Coronary CT angio

Background: Diabetic cheiroarthropathy is a term derived from the Greek word “cheiros” meaning “of the hand”, It is characterized by stiff hands with distinctively thick, tight, and waxy skin, especially on the dorsal aspects of the hands. It is part of long term complication of diabetes and many suggest it is associated with microvascular complication. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of diabetic cheiroarthropathy in Iraqi patients with diabetes, and to study its association with diabetic retinopathy and glycemic control. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study in which 110 diabetic patients and 110 non-diabetic healthy people who accepted to take part in the study were ran

Background: Patients with chronic renal failure ( CRF) are at increased rick of cardiovascular diseases and 60 of cardiovascular mortality in CRF is attributed to sudden  death.

Background: Acute phase proteins which include C-reactive protein (CRP) and haptoglobin (Hp) are associated with inflammatory diseases such as injury, infection or malignancy, cardiovascular disease and obesity. Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) evaluated as the atherogenicity index is correlated with different diseases.
Objective : The study was to investigate hs-CRP and Hp concentration in Iraqi patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and calculate AIP which predicts this disease.
Subject and Method: The study included 64 subjects (39 patients with CAD and 25 healthy subjects as a control group). The markers of inflammatory hs-CRP and Hp levels were measured. Lipid profile (Total cholesterol TC,

Background: Bell's palsy was defined as facial weakness of lower motor neuron type caused by idiopathic facial nerve involvement outside the central nervous system without evidence of aural or more widespread neurologic disease. The cause is unclear, but the disorder occurs more commonly in diabetics.Objectives: to differentiate cases of idiopathic Bell's palsy from diabetic mononeuropathy presented with Facial nerve palsy by assessing the taste, because they differ in etiology, management & prognosis.Patients &Methods: One hundred and fifteen consecutive patients were referred for the treatment of facial palsy, from May the 5th 2012 to April 12th 2013 in Al-Kindy Teaching Hospital and The Neurosciences Hospital, in Baghdad / Ira

Metabolic dysregulation and obesity are associated with many metabolic alterations, including impairment of insulin sensitivity and dyslipidemia. Recent studies highlight the key role of phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-triphosphate-dependent Rac exchange proteins (PREX proteins) in the pathogenesis of obesity, advocating further elucidation of their potential therapeutic implications. The present study aimed to estimate the serum level of PREX proteins and its potential association with insulin resistance markers and plasma lipids level in obese and overweight non-diabetic patients. The study included 30 persons classified as obese, 30 as overweight, and 30 healthy individuals of similar age and gender. The levels of PREX1 and PREX2 were