Cardiovascular Biomedicine Journal
Volume:3 Issue: 1, Winter and Spring 2023

The current study is a retrospective cross-sectional study that reviewed 497 patients with an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Demographic data including age, gender, history of Hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus, and smoking and data related to the use of Amlodipine, pic of cardiac troponin I (cardiac enzyme), ejection fraction (EF), arrhythmia at the admission, and death after PCI extracted from the previous file. The patients were divided into two groups, the first group with a history of taking amlodipine and the second group without a history of taking amlodipine. SPSS version 26 was used for data analysis. T-tests, chi-square, and Fisher's exact were used to test the relationship between variables. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, the medical records of 497 patients with STEMI who underwent PCI were reviewed. The data were age, gender, previous use of Amlodipine, pic of cardiac troponin I (CINI), (EF), arrhythmia at the admission, history of HTN, Diabetes mellitus and smoking, and death after PCI. Then patients were divided into two groups with (group 1) or without (group 2) a history of Amlodipine use. Student t-test, chi-square test, and the Fisher exact test were applied to investigate the associations between variables using the SPSS version 26. Out of 497 patients included, 81.3% were males with a mean age of 58.7±12.02 years, and 22.7% had a history of taking amlodipine. Patients in group 2 showed more death and MI than group 1 (OR = 1.32 [95% CI, 1.25-1.39], P=0.002) and (OR=3.93 [95% CI, 2.24-6.87], P<0.001). There were no differences between the two groups in terms of age, sex, cTnI, EF, rate of arrhythmia, the pattern of vascular involvement, kind of vascular involvement, and occlusion location (P= 0.6, 0.9, 0.09, 0.1, 0.3, 0.28, 0.29 and 0.8, respectively). Amlodipine administered before MI significantly reduced the mortality rate after PCI compared to patients not taking amlodipine. The result can be attributed to the antioxidant effect, limiting the consequences of injury around reperfusion.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading significant cause of mortality worldwide. Previous studies have shown that the presence of fragmented QRS (fQRS) in the electrocardiogram (ECG) can be associated with scars in myocardial tissue. This topic seems specific and focused on a particular aspect of cardiology research. It may be of interest to researchers and clinicians in the field of cardiology. This study aimed to investigate the effects of fQRS on diastolic parameters using Tissue Doppler Imaging (TDI) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and normal systolic function. In this periodic-analytical study, 100 patients (50 with fQRS in superficial ECG and 50 without fQRS) were evaluated by the diagnosis of ACS and ejection fraction (EF) value of over 50 in Seyed al-Shohada Hospital during 2020-2021. The diastolic parameters between these two groups were compared using the Tissue Doppler method. A total of 100 patients were studied, of which in the first group, 26 (52%) were male and 24 (48%) were female. Also, in the non-fQRS group, 25 (50%) were male, and 25 (50%) were female. The mean age scores for fQRS and non-fQRS groups were 5.10±6.58 and 4.10±3.57 years, respectively. TDI was not significantly different in both groups, yet the mean Tissue Tei Index was less in the non-fQRS group (0.6±0.15 vs. 0.55±0.11, p=0 >005). The results revealed no significant relationship between Tissue Doppler Indicators in the groups with and without fQRS.

The relationship between aortic valve calcification (AVC) and aortic valve outflow gradients with carotid artery stenosis (CAS) has been discussed and debated. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between AVC and CAS with the presence and severity of CAS. In this cross-sectional study, we collected carotid artery (CA) Doppler ultrasonography and echocardiography results from 150 patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke. The case group consisted of 75 patients with an atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery with >50% stenosis. Seventy-five patients without atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid artery were included in the control group. AVC and AV peak gradients were significantly higher in the case group compared to the control group (p=0.0001, p=0.015) respectively. In the case group, there was no significant association between AVC and AV peak gradient with the severity of CAS and between AVC and carotid plaque morphology (p=0.88, p=0.14, p=0.089) respectively.  The two groups had no significant difference in the rate of aortic regurgitation (AR) (P=0.57). Aortic valve calcification and aortic valve gradients are significantly related to CAS. AVC and aortic valve gradients could be considered risk factors for CAS and stroke. Contrary to this, the severity of gradients and AVC was not directly related to the severity of CAS and its morphology.

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm (LVP) is a rare but life-threatening condition caused by rupture of the free wall of the ventricle. The ventricular wall is surrounded by adherent pericardium and scar tissue, lacking myocardial tissue. In this case study, an 18-year-old man, experiencing syncope, shortness of breath, dizziness, and pleuritic chest pain (CP) was admitted to the emergency department. Five months earlier, he had a penetrating chest trauma that damaged the pericardium and ventricular wall and underwent a left thoracotomy. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) identified a large 10*10 cm pseudoaneurysm in the apicolateral region of the ventricle. Considering the confirmed diagnosis of delayed left ventricular pseudo aneurysm, surgical intervention was deemed necessary. The patient went under general anesthesia, and cannulation of the artery and femoral vein and cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were performed. Open heart surgery was then performed through a midline sternotomy to excise the LVP and repair the ventricles. After transfer to the intensive care unit and subsequent extubation, the patient was transferred to the surgical ward and discharged in good condition.

This case report highlights the importance of timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment to save the lives of patients given the rapid spread observed in LVP cases.

Many people around the world suffer from hypertension which increases the risk of heart failure and mortality. But most cases are not interested in referring to medical centers to have their blood pressure checked. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of attending Barzok Comprehensive Health Services Center for blood pressure measurement. The current cross-sectional study was performed in 76 hypertensive patients. Demographic and socioeconomic information was collected and compared based on referral to Barzok Comprehensive Health Services Center for blood pressure measurement. In this study, out of 76 cases, 10 patients (13.15%) referred to medical centers for blood pressure measurement, 66 cases (86.8%) did not go to medical centers. There was no statistically significant difference in gender and age between the two groups of patients (p>0.05). In addition, the two groups were similar in terms of education level, occupational status, smoking history, and family history of hypertension (P=0.824, P=0.492, P=0.233 and P=0.276, respectively). However, mean systolic blood pressure (118 ± 9.18 mmHg vs 140.55 ± 17.06 mmHg, P<0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (75 ± 8.49 mmHg vs 84.53 ± 8.62 mmHg, P=0.006) in the group of cases referred to Barzok medical center was significantly lower (better) than in cases who did not refer (p<0.05). People at  high risk for hypertension or those with hypertension regardless of their demographic or socio- economic characteristics or even where they live, should be trained  to  refer to comprehensive health service centers by creating motivation and insight.

One of the most common cardiovascular diseases is coronary heart disease. Key issues facing cardiovascular patients are their psychological problems and perceived stress. Stressful situations lower self-efficacy and increase dependence on others, including family members. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a family-centered empowerment program on self-efficacy and stress perceptions in acute coronary syndrome patients at Yazd Social Security Hospital. This education-oriented and semi-experimental study was conducted on patients with acute coronary syndrome referred to Yazd Shohadaye Kargar Hospital in 2018-2019. Eighty-four patients with acute coronary syndrome who were eligible to participate in the study were selected and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups by random assignment software. The experimental group underwent individual self-efficacy sessions and stress perception training in the presence of active family members, followed up by telephone, and held four group sessions every two weeks. There was no statistically significant difference in pre-intervention self-efficacy mean scores between the experimental and control groups, but self-efficacy mean scores in the experimental group were higher immediately after the intervention and after two months interval than in the control group (p <0.001). Also, there was no statistically significant difference between the perceived stress mean scores before the intervention in the experimental and control groups. But immediately after the intervention, the perceived stress mean score in the experimental group appeared to be higher than the control group (p <0.001). Implementing a family-centered empowerment program can improve self-efficacy and reduce perceived stress in patients with acute coronary syndrome, lasting up to two months after the intervention. This affordable and low-cost intervention can thus be used to improve the health of acute coronary heart disease patients.

This study was done to address the physical and mental health problems experienced by mothers of children with congenital heart disease (CHD). This study was conducted by a qualitative approach in 2021 at Yazd Afshar Hospital, in which 10 mothers were selected by purposive sampling technique. A semi-structured interview was used to collect data, and data analysis was performed through conventional content analysis. Two university lecturers determined the validity of the interview questions, and the reliability of the data was verified by a researcher trained in coding. Data analysis identified the base theme i.e., the threat to health, and subthemes including physical and psychological problems of the parent(s).  Components of subthemes consisted of physical manifestations, physical self-harm, anxiety and worry, mental self-harm, impatience and helplessness, isolation, withdrawal, and denial. The results show that mothers suffer from a variety of experiences ranging from physical problems and illnesses to mental problems. An in-depth understanding of the phases of parenting under pressure provides direction for nurses to support parents of children with CHD. Interventions that help carers of children with complex health conditions move through the phases of our parenting under pressure process can help them maintain their children's survival and their survival as parents as they manage multiple needs. Therefore, the hospital should provide supportive procedures to better deal with the problem.