Impact of cardiac rehabilitation exercise frequency on exercise capacity in patients with coronary artery disease: a retrospective study.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) significantly improves cardiovascular outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). International guidelines vary in the minimum recommended frequency of supervised exercise from 1 to 3 sessions per week. This is the first study in the Middle East and North African regions assessing the impact of 2 versus 3 days/week of supervised exercise on peak exercise capacity in patients with CAD.

Latest Developments in Adapting Deep Learning for Assessing TAVR Procedures and Outcomes.

Aortic valve defects are among the most prevalent clinical conditions. A severely damaged or non-functioning aortic valve is commonly replaced with a bioprosthetic heart valve (BHV) via the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedure. Accurate pre-operative planning is crucial for a successful TAVR outcome.

Pilot testing of the International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Registry.

The International Council of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation developed an International Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) Registry (ICRR) to support CR programs in low-resource settings to optimize care provision and patient outcomes. This study assessed implementation of the ICRR, site data steward experience with on-boarding and data entry, and patient acceptability. Multimethod observational pilot involves (I) analysis of ICRR data from three centers (Iran, Pakistan, and Qatar) from inception to May 2022, (II) focus group with on-boarded site data stewards (also from Mexico and India), and (III) semistructured interviews with participating patients.

Evaluation of Qatar's First Cardiac Rehabilitation Program: A Brief Report.

Background: There are few studies on the impact of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), where the burden of risk factors and context is somewhat different from Western countries where much of the evidence is derived.

Objective: To evaluate patient engagement in, and outcomes associated with, participation in Qatar's first and only CR program, from inception.

Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study of patients referred to Heart Hospital's CR program from January 2013-September, 2018.

Genetic evaluation of cardiomyopathies in Qatar identifies enrichment of pathogenic sarcomere gene variants and possible founder disease mutations in the Arabs.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) are serious inherited heart diseases with various causative mutations identified. The full spectrum of causative mutations remains to be discovered, especially in understudied populations.

Methods: Here, we established the DOHA Registry and Biobank for cardiomyopathies in Qatar, followed by sequencing of 174 genes on 51 HCM and 53 DCM patients, and 31 relatives.

Safe Echocardiographic Practice in Hamad Medical Corporation during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has strained our healthcare system. Certain changes in practice were mandatory to protect our sonographers who carry a very high risk of being infected, and the patients whom we serve. This article aims to share this experience with you.