Design and Rationale of the National Observational Multicentric Tunisian Registry of Hypertension: Protocol for Evaluating Hypertensive Patient Care in Clinical Practice.

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the care of hypertensive patients in daily clinical practice in public and private centers in all Tunisian regions.

Objective: This study will provide us an overview of hypertension (HTN) management in Tunisia and the degree of adherence of practitioners to international recommendations.

Methods: This is a national observational cross-sectional multicenter study that will include patients older than 18 years with HTN for a duration of 4 weeks, managed in the public sector from primary and secondary care centers as well as patients managed in the private sector.

Incidence and treatment of congenital coronary artery anomalies.

Background: Congenital coronary arteries anomalies are a rare entity. Although their identification started in the 60th, there is a lack of data concerning their frequency and clinical significance in Tunisia.

Aim: To characterize clinical and imaging features and mid-term follow up data of congenital coronary artery anomalies in a population of Tunisian adults.

Management of patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction: Results of the FAST-MI Tunisia Registry.

Background: The FAST-MI Tunisia registry was set up by the Tunisian Society of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery to assess the demographic and clinical characteristics, management and hospital outcome of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: Data for 459 consecutive patients (mean age 60.8 years; 88.

Design and Rationale of the National Tunisian Registry of Atrial Fibrillation: Protocol for a Prospective, Multicenter Trial.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an important health problem in Tunisia. A significant change in the epidemiological pattern of heart disease has been seen in the last 3 decades; however, no large prospective multicenter trial reflecting national data has been published so far. Robust data on the contemporary epidemiological profile and management of AF patients in Tunisia are limited.

Atrial fibrillation and hypertension: State of the art.

Atrial fibrillation and hypertension are often coexistent. Their incidence increases with advancing age and they are responsible for considerable morbidity and mortality. The relation between theses 2 diseases has long been discussed and determined by clinical studies.

Hisian extrasystole mimicking second degree atrioventricular block. a case report.

Hisian extrasystoles originate from the His bundle. They are rare and usually misdiagnosed. In fact, they manifest on the EKG, with a p' wave located before, in or after the QRS complex.

[Limits of quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) in intermediate stenosis measuring: a correlation and concordance study with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)].

Background: Although coronarography is still the gold standard to evaluate coronary lesions, it remains a bidimensional representation of a tridimensional complex structure, which can represent a source of error in measurements.

Aims: to perform a correlation and concordance study between quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) and intravascular ultrasound measurements for intermediate and ambiguous lesions.

Methods: We analysed 40 patients' coronary arteries from March 2009 to November 2011 by both QCA and intravascular ultrasound to perform then a correlation and concordance study.

[Role of intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) in determining the therapeutic strategy for the patients with intermediate coronary lesions].

Background: Coronarography presents some limits in assessing intermediate stenosis. Intravascular ultrasound provides tridimensional measurements of the artery, with more reliable data guiding revascularization decision.

Aims: to evaluate the impact of intravascular ultrasound measurements on revascularization decision of intermediate and ambiguous coronary lesions.

[In hospital mortality of ST segment elevation myocardial infarction treated with primary angioplasty: monocentric Tunisian study of 250 patients].

Background: Myocardial reperfusion is the « corner stone » in the treatment of myocardial infarction. Primary percutaneous coronary intervention has proved its superiority upon intravenous thrombolysis. aim: To evaluate in hospital mortality of acute myocardial infarction treated with primary angioplasty and to determine its predictive factors.

[Benefits of coronary revascularization in septuagenarian patients with acute coronary syndrome].

Background: Prognosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in elderly patients is bleak. Also older people tend to receive less invasive treatment than younger patients.

Aim: To analyze the impact of coronary revascularization on the mid-term outcome of septuagenarian patients admitted with ACS.

[Results of cardiac pacing: report of 188 patients].

Background: Indications for permanent pacing are currently well codified. This treatment may, however, present complications

Aim: To report the results of cardiac pacing and to identify predictive factors of pacing's complication.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of 188 consecutive patients admitted to the cardiology department of Mongi Slim university hospital in La Marsa between January 2005 and June 2011 and implanted with a single or dual chamber pacemaker.

Comparison of coronary calcifications detection by angiogram versus intravascular ultrasound.

Background: The presence, extent and location of calcium in coronary artery lesions are important determinants of the success of per cutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Although coronarography remains the gold standard for coronary disease detection, Intravascular ultrasound ( IVUS) is proposed as a superior technique for identifying patients with coronary artery calcification .

Aim: To define sensibility and specificity of coronary angiography in detecting calcifications considering the IVUS as gold standard.

[Non alcoholic fatty liver disease: a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease?].

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is frequently diagnosed in daily practice. This condition is represented by a large spectrum of chronic liver diseases going from pure hepatic steatosis to cirrhosis and its complications, including hepatocellular carcinoma. NAFLD is usually associated to glucose and lipoproteins metabolism increasing the cardiovascular risk.

[Atrial fibrillation following coronary artery bypass grafting: predictors and mid- term outcome].

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a frequent complication after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) which increase morbidity and hospitalization length.

Aim: To identify the predictors of atrial fibrillation and its repercussion on hospital and mid-term outcomes in patients undergoing (CABG).

Methods: We undertook a retrospective review of the data of 224 patients undergoing CABG.

[Coronary artery bypass grafting in diabetic patients: early and mid-term outcomes].

Background: The outcome of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in diabetic patients has traditionally been worse than in nondiabetic patients. Recent studies have suggested an improvement in outcome in diabetic patients undergoing CABG. However, the direct impact of diabetes on mortality and morbidities following CABG remains unclear.

[Single versus bilateral internal thoracic artery grafts for multi vessel coronary artery bypass grafting: mid-term results].

Background: The issue of superiority of single internal thoracic artery grafting versus bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting remains unresolved.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the early results and midterm outcome of single and bilateral internal thoracic artery grafting for multivessel coronary artery bypass grafting.

Methods: Between January 2005 and March 2010, 196 patients underwent primary coronary artery bypass grafting with at least one internal thoracic artery grafts.

[Sudden cardiac death of rhythmic origin in athletes: literature review].

The sudden death in athletes is, in the vast majority of cases, related to ventricular fibrillation, often in a subject with unknown cardiovascular abnormality; this dramatic event has a significant impact on society and the medical profession. We conducted through a literature review an analysis of data on sudden cardiac death of rhythmic origin in athletes; sudden death may be cardiovascular in 95.3% of cases and related to ventricular arrhythmia in 88% cases.