Prognostic value of exercise capacity in incident diabetes: a country with high prevalence of diabetes.

Background: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a fast-growing health problem that imposes an enormous economic burden. Several studies demonstrated the association between physical inactivity and predicting the incidence of diabetes. However, these prediction models have limited validation locally.

Long-term reverse remodeling and clinical improvement by MultiPoint Pacing in a randomized, international, Middle Eastern heart failure study.

Purpose: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with multipoint left ventricular (LV) pacing (MultiPoint™ Pacing, MPP) has been shown to improve CRT response, although MPP response using automated pacing vector programming has not been demonstrated in the Middle East. The purpose of this study was to compare the impact of MPP to conventional biventricular pacing (BiV) using echocardiographic and clinical changes at 6-month post-implant.

Methods: This prospective, randomized study was conducted at 13 Middle Eastern centers.

Multimodality Imaging of Pericardial Diseases.

Pericardial diseases have changed their epidemiology in the past few years. With the aging population and decreasing incidence of communicable diseases, the causes of pericardial diseases have significantly changed from infectious and malignant to postradiation and cardiac surgery causes. Despite that, pericardial diseases remain difficult to diagnose.

The role of myocardial viability in contemporary cardiac practice.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains the single most common cause of death worldwide. Ischemic cardiomyopathy is a major sequel of coronary artery disease. The economic health burden of IHD is substantial.

Correlation Between Diastolic Dysfunction and Coronary Artery Disease on Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography.

Aims: We investigated the relationship between coronary artery calcium score (CACS) and coronary artery disease (CAD) on coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA), and measures of left ventricular diastolic function (DD).

Methods: We included 429 consecutive patients (39% women; mean age 49 ± 12 years) without known CAD, who underwent CCTA and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) within 1-month. Evaluation of CCTA was per vessel, and per segment basis for intraluminal diameter stenosis.

Paradoxical embolism in acute myocardial infarction in a patient with congenital heart disease.

We present a case of a young male with severe pulmonary stenosis, hypoplastic right ventricle, and atrial septal defect. Acute embolic myocardial infarction, followed by cardiac arrest, occurred during hospitalization after Glenn operation. The therapeutic challenges are discussed.