BACKGROUND: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is the clinical manifestation of acutely diminished coronary arterial blood supply. The rate of increase of intraventricular pressure during isovolumetric contraction (left ventricular dP/dt) represents the rate of change of pressure during ejection. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the rate of increase of intraventricular pressure during isovolumetric contraction (dP/dt) in assessment of left ventricular function in patients with acute coronary syndrome and its relation to certain clinical and echocardiographic features. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study is a cross sectional study including 50 patients with an established diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. The

Many diseases can produce cardiac overload, of these disease hypertension, valve disease congenital anomaly in addition to many other disease. One of the most common diseases causing left ventricle overload is hypertension. A long term hypertension can cause myocardium hypertrophy leading to changes in the cardiac contractility and reduced efficiency. The investigations were carried out using conventional echocardiography techniques in addition to the tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) from which many noninvasive measurements can be readily obtained. The study has involved the effect of hypertension on the myocardium stiffness index through the measurement of early diastolic filling (E) and the early velocity of lateral mitral annulus (E

Many diseases can produce cardiac overload, of these disease hypertension, valve disease congenital anomaly in addition to many other disease. One of the most common diseases causing left ventricle overload is hypertension. A long term hypertension can cause myocardium hypertrophy leading to changes in the cardiac contractility and reduced efficiency. The investigations were carried out using conventional echocardiography techniques in addition to the tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) from which many noninvasive measurements can be readily obtained. The study has involved the effect of hypertension on the myocardium stiffness index through the measurement of early diastolic filling (E) and the early velocity of lateral mitral annulus (E_a

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a common disease, and a major determinant of morbidity and mortality in all races. The pleiotropic effects of the receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) such as modulation of cell survival, mineralization and inflammation, make it an interesting candidate mediator in the progression and destabilization of atherosclerotic lesions.Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the role of RANKL in the pathogenesis of ACS.Methods: The levels of RANKL were measured by ELISA method in sera of 60 ACS patients, 31 patients with unstable angina (UA) and 29 patients with myocardial infarction (MI) in comparison with 20 apparently healthy controls.Results: Current data indicate

Background: Retrograde Cardioplegia is a widespread method for myocardial protection in coronary bypass surgery and to abroad range of open heart surgical procedures in addition to antigrade Cardioplegia,
Objectives: Is to evaluate the use of retrograde cardioplegia and its advantages in coronary bypass surgery at Ibn Al-Nafees Teaching Hospital, Department of Cardiac Surgery,
Patients and methods: This is a retrospective study that was conducted at Ibn Al-Nafees Teaching Hospital from the first of January to the first of October 2015, fifty patients with coronary artery dieses were admitted to the hospital and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery was done under cardiopulmonary bypass using retrograde cardioplegic canula thr

Background: Hypertension causes changes on the cardiac performance, and this effect is more
profound on the LV where systolic high pressure is present.
Patients and Methods: We studied 30 patients (14 females and 16 males of average age of
54.8±13.5) with hypertension and 20 normal individuals, the control group (age range 45.6±17.8, 11
females and 9 males). Measurements of early filling velocity E, late filling velocity A at atrial
contraction and ejection fraction were taken, also isovolumetric relaxation, and contraction times
and ejection times were taken. MPI myocardial performance index was calculated.
Results: Results shows a significant increase in the isovolumetric relaxation time IRT (30%),were
IRT for

Background: Many cardiac diseases can cause cardiac hypertrophy developed by the established cardiac overload, such as long term of uncontrolled hypertension, valvuler disease or congenital anomaly and many more causes. If the cause of hypertrophy persists for long time it will generate heart failure, as a result changes in size, shape and function of the heart which refer as remodeling.
Objective: To investigate the types of remodeling in patients with heart failure, and study its relation with cardiac performance.
Patients and methods: The study included fifty normal individuals and fifty patients, only those patients who developed hypertrophy and failure were chosen. The study has included the measurements of many cardiac parame

Background: Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most commonly recognized congenital heart defect. Isolated VSDs represent about 20-30% of all congenital cardiac malformations and have a prevalence of 1- 2 % per 1,000 live births.
Objective: This study is planned to review the outcome of surgical closure of VSD at Ibn Al-Nafees Teaching Hospital (Department Cardiac Surgery) Baghdad/Iraq.
Patients and methods: This study includes 50 cases of VSD both isolated and VSD associated with other congenital malformations admitted and underwent surgical repair of age range between 3 to 28 years and weight range between 9 to 80 kg. Different type of VSD, were found and repaired whether isolated or with other associated congenital anomalies

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) causes damaging effects on the cardiac function; these effects can be observed on the diastolic performance of the heart reflected on the change in transmitral blood velocity, the cardiac wall and septum thickness.
Objectives: The present study was to assess the diastolic and systolic cardiac muscle performance for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus compared with control individuals and to evaluate the index of myocardial performance.
Patients and Methods: The study involved 97 patients (35 male and 62 female of average age of 56.2 ±10.755) of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), they were investigated for their left ventricle performance and compared with 51 normal in