Validation of angiography-derived Murray law-based quantitative flow reserve (μQFR) against pressure-derived instantaneous wave-free ratio for assessing coronary lesions, a single-center study in Egypt.

Background: Instantaneous wave-free ratio (iwFR) is a well-validated method for functional evaluation of intermediate coronary lesions. A recently developed Murray law-based QFR (µQFR) allows wire-free FFR estimation using a high-quality single angiographic projection. We aim to determine the diagnostic accuracy of µQFR as compared to wire-based iwFR for physiological assessment of coronary lesions in a sample of Egyptian patients.

Infective endocarditis presentations during the COVID-19 pandemic: have they paid an untold toll?

: COVID-19 caused restrictions and re-allocation of medical resources among all healthcare services. During the peak of the pandemic, several unrelated-yet critical-conditions had silently taken their toll. Infective endocarditis (IE), owing to its non-specific clinical presentation, may have been largely mislabeled as COVID-19 in a number of cases.

Prognostic significance of right ventricular dysfunction in patients presenting with acute left-sided heart failure.

Background: The prognostic value of right ventricular (RV) function in chronic heart failure (HF) has lately been well established. However, research on its role in acute heart failure (AHF) is sparse.

Results: This study comprised 195 patients, aged between 18 and 80 years, with acute left-sided heart failure (HF) and a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50%.

Agreement between 4D transesophageal echocardiography and multi-detector computed tomography in measuring aortic root dimensions and coronary ostia heights.

Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) is the gold standard non-invasive tool for evaluating aortic root dimensions. We assessed the agreement between 4D TEE and MDCT-derived aortic valve annular dimensions, coronary ostia height, and minor dimensions of sinuses of Valsalva (SoV) and sinotubular junction (STJ). In this prospective analytical study, we measured the annular area, annular perimeter, area-derived diameter, area-derived perimeter, left and right coronary ostial heights, and minor diameters of the SoV and the STJ using ECG-gated MDCT and 4D TEE.

Coronary tortuosity relation with carotid intima-media thickness, coronary artery disease risk factors, and diastolic dysfunction: is it a marker of early atherosclerosis?

Background: Coronary tortuosity (C-Tor) is a common finding in coronary angiography (CAG). There are conflicting data about its link to atherosclerosis: one study found a negative relationship with coronary artery disease (CAD), although it had been linked to age and hypertension (HTN), which are CAD risk factors. Carotid intima-media thickness (C-IMT) is a measure of early atherosclerosis and a surrogate for CAD, diastolic dysfunction is also associated with CAD risk factors.

Additional diagnostic accuracy of global longitudinal strain at peak dobutamine stress in patients with moderate pretest probability of coronary artery disease.

Background: Previous studies confirmed the feasibility of 2D speckle tracking echocardiography (2D STE) during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) in assessing myocardial ischemia in patients with previous myocardial infarction. It is unknown whether it improves the diagnostic accuracy in young patients with intermediate pretest probability for coronary artery disease (CAD) and no prior cardiovascular events.

Methods: We prospectively studied 101 patients by DSE and STE, followed by coronary angiography within 1 month.

Gender differences in clinical features and complications of infective endocarditis: 11-year experience of a single institute in Egypt.

Background: No data exists about the gender differences among patients with infective endocarditis (IE) in Egypt. The objective was to study possible gender differences in clinical profiles and outcomes of patients in the IE registry of a tertiary care center over 11 years.

Results: The IE registry included 398 patients with a median age of 30 years (interquartile range, 15 years); 61.

Clinical features and outcomes of infective endocarditis in Egypt: an 11-year experience at a tertiary care facility.

Background: Few data are available on the characteristics of infective endocarditis (IE) cases in Egypt. The aim of this work is to describe the characteristics and outcomes of IE patients and evaluate the temporal changes in IE diagnostic and therapeutic aspects over 11 years.

Results: The IE registry included 398 patients referred to the Endocarditis Unit of a tertiary care facility with the diagnosis of possible or definite IE.

Anxiety and depression relationship with coronary slow flow.

Background: Psychiatric disorders (depression / anxiety) are linked to coronary artery disease (CAD). Coronary slow flow (CSF) is a relatively common form of CAD with the same underlying mechanisms that are attributed to many anatomic and pathophysiologic factors. However, the relationship between psychiatric disorders and CSF is less well-established; and this is the aim of this study.

Cut off values of waist circumference and associated cardiovascular risk in Egyptians.

Background: Recent guidelines stressed the need to adopt different values of waist circumference (WC) measurements to define abdominal obesity in different ethnic groups. The aim of this study is to identify WC cutoff points in normotensive and hypertensive subjects which are diagnostic of abdominal obesity in a Middle Eastern population and the prevalence of abdominal obesity in a nationwide sample.

Methods: Data were collected during phase-2 of the Egyptians National Hypertension Project survey.