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 coronary artery disease.
Methods: A cross sectional multicenter diagnostic accuracy study carried out at Ibn Al-Nafis Cardiovascular Hospital, Ibn Al- Bitar Cardiology Center and Ghazi Al-Hariri Hospital –Iraqi Center for Cardiology during the period between October 2016 and May 2017 assessing. History regarding demographic data and risk factors was taken. Two dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic measurements were done. EFT was measured from parasternal long axis view perpendicular to the right ventricular free wall. C-IMT was measured according to that recommended by the American society of echocardiography (ASE).
Results: The current study demonstrated that the EFT has a direct and significant correlation with the number of involved vessels (P value ˂ 0.001, r= 0.770). The validity of EFT to discriminate between multiple vessels disease and no vessel involvement is excellent (AUC= 0.984, cut point > 8mm, sensitivity=92.9%, specificity= 93.3%). There is inverse and significant correlation between ejection fraction (EF) and three vessels disease (P value ˂ 0.001, r= -0.507). Also there is a direct and significant correlation between C-IMT and severity of CAD. ROC analysis for validity of C-IMT to discriminate between multiple vessels disease and no vessel involvement is excellent (AUC= 0.961, cut point > 1.04mm, sensitivity=92.9%. specificity=86.7%). C-IMT is fair to discriminate between single vessel disease and no vessel involvement (AUC=0.738, cut point ˃ 0.84mm, sensitivity 100%), so if correlated with age, C-IMT above 0.84 can be used as a cut off point for the prediction of CAD. Finally, EFT and C-IMT are more likely to reflect severity of CAD than their ratio.
Conclusions: C-IMT and EFT are simple and reproducible parameters that can be used as a screening tool for the presence and severity of CAD especially before symptoms appearance in high risk patients
In Iraq 1.4 million of people have diabetes, the prevalence of T2DM was ranged (8.5%—13.9%), and the cluster of metabolic abnormalities has long been identified as the risk factors for type 2 diabetes and is now commonly described as metabolic syndrome/MetS. Insulin resistance takes a key role in the process of the MetS and has even been hypothesized as its underlying cause. Clinical and epidemiologic studies also indicate that obesity and life style habit might be correlated with IR. This study examined the relationship between IR and MetS in a sample of young, healthy university students in Iraq. It discovered that the severity of IR is positively correlated with the clustering of MetS risk factors in Iraqi students, suggesting
... Show MoreThe research aims to reveal the impact of media policy in Iraqi media outlets on the level of objectivity in these outlets. A study from the communicators’ point of view where the researcher used a survey method on the communicators in media outlets to reveal the extent of media policies knowledge as well as the pressures exerted by this policy on communicators in media outlets. It also reveals the extent of their commitment to objectivity, neutrality in dealing with information and the way used to transfer it.
The research sample included (179) respondents from communicators in a range of Media outlets such as (Press, Radio, and Television), The researcher was careful with the diversity of the sample, and
Seventy four Iraqi breast cancer paraffin blocks were collected from patients were attended to center health laboratory, histopathology department, Bagdad, Iraq. The patients information’s which included: name, age, and the pathological stage, grade, tumor size were obtained from the clinical records of the patients also relation with sex hormones was recorded. The cases which has been taken included invasive ductal and invasive lobular carcinoma type Women age were ranged from 24-80 years peak age frequency of tumor occurred in the category of more than 40 years old. Immunohistochemical expression of her-2/neu was from total 74 cases of infiltrative ductal carcinoma cases, 27(36.49%)were positive for Her-2/neu expression, 47(63.51%) were
... Show MoreABSTRACT : Diabetes mellitus stands for a set of metabolic diseases that if they are not managed, they can initiate threatening life problems. This study hypothesizes that insulin-like growth factor-1 level can be used as a biomarker for early diagnosing renal problems in patients with type 2 diabetic disease. This study included 30 recently identified type 2 diabetic patients with acute renal malfunction who had an entrance in National Diabetic Center,AL-Mustansiriyah University.They have beenin the Center from October 2018 up to end of April 2019. Their age range has been (40-62) years. Comprehensive clinical investigationhas beencompleted for each patient to discount other diabetic complications like cardiac, neurologic and eye complicat
... Show MoreAnemia of chronic disease (ACD) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are the two most important types of anemia in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Functional iron deficiency in ACD can be attributed to overexpression of the main iron regulatory hormone hepcidin leading to diversion of iron from the circulation into storage sites resulting in iron-restricted erythropoiesis. The aim is to investigate the role of circulating hepcidin and to uncover the frequency of IDA in RA. The study included 51 patients with RA. Complete blood counts, serum iron, total iron binding capacity, ferritin, and hepcidin- 25 were assessed. ACD was found in 37.3% of patients, IDA in 11.8%, and combined (ACD/IDA) in 17.6%. Serum hepcidin was higher in ACD than in con
... Show MoreA case-control study was designed to find out the association between rs2234671 polymorphism of cxcr1 and rUTI in a sample of Iraqi women by polymerase chain reaction- sequence-specific primer (PCR-SSP) method. The current findings revealed that the genotype GC (OR= 7.86, 95% CI = 2.82-21.87, P= 7.7 × 10-5) and the C allele (OR= 3.93, 95% CI = 1.97 - 7.83, P = 9.8×10-5) are significantly associated with rUTI. However, the genotype GG played as a protective factor (OR= 0.12, 95% CI = 10.05 - 0.34, P = 4.0 ×10-5). Depending on these findings, the genotype GC is significantly associated with rUTI.
Background: Obesity and diabetes mellitus are the common health problems,and obesity is common cause of the insulin resistance. Aim of studv: Aim of the study is to find any correlation between obesity (insulin resistance) and type I diabetes in children. Patients and methods: This study included (40) children with type I diabetes, in addition to (40) children as control.The age of all studied groups ranged from (8-18) years.This study was attemted from Ibn AlBalady Hospital during from 20 August to 9 Novembar,2008. The subjects wrer divided into (4) groups according to their BMI:- * Obese children,diabetes,n=2O,BMI>30. * Non obese children, diabetes, n=20,BMI<25. Obese children, non diabetes, n=20,BMI>30. * Non obese children,non diabetes
... Show MoreBackground: Genetic factors play an important role in susceptibility to Guillain Barre' syndrome. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) as part of immune system has a role in the disease process.Aim of the study: to assess the relationship between HLA-A alleles with Guillain Barre' syndrome (GBS) compared with a healthy control group using PCR-SSOP method.Type of the study: Cross-sectional study.Patients and methods:Patient's group consisted of 30 Iraqi Arab Muslims patients with Guillain Barre' syndrome that consulted the Neurological department in Neurosciences Hospital between January-2013 to January- 2014 were genotyped for HLA-A alleles. A control group consisted of 30 healthy volunteers among the staff of AL-Kindi College of Medicine that
... Show MoreBackground: Treatment modalities of acromegaly and disease control impact differently on glucose homeostasis and lipid changes, and consequently on cardiometabolic risk. Aim: To investigate the possible association of lipid profile changes with the glycemic control status in acromegaly patients treated with octreotide LAR. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 52 Iraqi patients with acromegaly treated with octreotide LAR and not using statins. Demographic, anthropometric, and clinical data were collected, as well as the duration of Octreotide LAR administration. The glycemic state was assessed and classified as DM, prediabetes, or normal. Plasma levels of triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and non-HDL were evalu
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