Background: Obesity is a public health concern worldwide associated with significant health risks and comorbid conditions. Obesity might be a strong factor that can induce left ventricular systolic dysfunction and eventually cause heart failure independent to coronary artery disease or other morbidities. In uncomplicated obese subjects, diastolic dysfunction is caused by hemodynamic and metabolic factors.
Objectives: To assess the left ventricular (systolic and diastolic) function in a sample of overweight and obese subjects using different Echocardiographic tools and exploring the percentage and type of diastolic dysfunction in those people.
Subjects and methods: one hundred seven (107) normal adult males subjects with a mean age

Background: Atherosclerosis is a diffuse disease process, being present in one vascular bed predicts its presence in the others. Ankle –Brachial Pressure Index (ABI) is a simple index related to the extent of atherosclerosis in coronary and noncoronary arterial beds, reflecting generalized atherosclerosis.
Objectives: the aim of this study is to evaluate the relation of ABI to left ventricular systolic function using echocardiography in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).
Patients and Methods: Sixty seven patients (67) with CAD of either sex (70% males) with mean age 58± 6 years enrolled in this study, from December 2013 till May 2014; all were referred to the Iraqi Centre for Heart Disease (I.C.H.D.) for further evalua

Background : Coronary artery disease is theunderlying cause in approximately two thirds of
patients with systolic heart failure ;
Coronary artery angiogriphy may be useful to
define the presence ,
Anatomical characteristics ,and functional
significance of Coronary artery disease in
selected heart failure patients with or without signs
and aymptoms of Coronary artery disease.
Objectives: to verify the clinical usefulness of
coronary angiography (CA) in congestive heart
failure (CHF) patients with no history of ischemic
heart disease and to identify predictive factors for
performing coronary angiography to patients with
congestive heart failure with no obvious ischemia.
Methods :this is a cross-ses

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for coronary artery disease, with a higher incidence of myocardial infarction and sudden death. Left ventricular dysfunction is difficult to diagnose and to differentiate into diastolic and systolic dysfunction on the basis of medical history, physical examination, electrocardiography (ECC) and chest radiography. Two-dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiography are excellent for diagnosing left ventricular dysfunction. M-mode echocardiography was used for diagnosing left ventricular systolic dysfunction, while Doppler echocardiography has become well accepted as a reliable, reproducible and practical noninvasive method for the diagnosis of left v

Background: Study the correlation between the left ventricular end diastolic volume (LVEDV), ejection fraction (EF) and the development of arrhythmia.
Patients and methods: Two hundreds patients with documented acute coronary syndrome and myocardial infection with dysrhythmia documented by ECG and holter monitoring assessed at the cardiac department at Baghdad teaching hospital over the period Jan-Dec 2007. These dysrhythmias were corelated with left ventricular end diastolic volume and ejection fraction.
Results: The patients were divided into 4 groups according to LVEDD and EF. The 1st group, 40 patients (20%) found to have non sustained ventricular tachycardia was associated with higher LVEDD (62-72

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: 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: Assessment of function of the right side of the heart in cases of left ventricular dysfunction has been widely studied but the sensitive and specific echocardiographic parameter to be tested is still a matter of controversy. Right ventricular function is related to left ventricular function by ventricular independence so function of both should be assessed carefully. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of left ventricular systolic dysfunction on right ventricular systolic and diastolic functions and pulmonary pressure using conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography. Patients and Methods: Sixty patients (39 males and 21 females) with heart failure due to left ventricular systolic dysfunction

Background : The contribution of diastolic dysfunction in patients with preserved left ventricular (LV) systolic function to impaired functional status and cardiac mortality in myocardial infarction (MI) is unknown.
Materials and Methods : Assessment of LV diastolic function was performed by Doppler analysis of the mitral and pulmonary venous flow and the propagation velocity of early mitral flow by color M-mode Doppler echocardiography in 150 consecutive patients at day 5-7 following their first acute MI.
Results : Patients were classified into four groups: group A: preserved LV systolic and diastolic function (n=59); group B: LV systolic dysfunction with preserved diastolic function (n=8); group C: LV diastolic dysfunction with

Background: Coronary artery spasm occurs spontaneously leading to the syndrome of variant angina. It occurs in about 15 % of patients undergoing coronary angiography.
Objectives: This study sought to estimate the rate of coronary artery spasm that occurs during coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention with their risk factors in patients admitted to the Iraqi center for heart disease.
Methods: This is a cross sectional observational study, We prospectively collected the data of patients over six months period (from August 2014 till February 2015 ) who developed coronary artery spasm during cardiac catheterization (diagnostic and therapeutic).
Results: Out of 1274 patients, 106 patients developed coronary artery