The Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety in Heart Failure Patients in Saudi Arabia: An Original Study.

Background Depression is a severe comorbidity that is often detected in patients with chronic diseases. Poor prognosis may eventuate high mortality risk. Up to 30% of heart failure patients have been documented with depression and the majority upholds depression-related symptoms that may have serious clinical implications, such as hospital readmissions and fatalities.

An Observational Registry to Assess Urinary Albumin Evolution in Saudi Hypertensive Patients with the Current Treatment Local algorithm: Results of the RATIONAL Study.

Introduction: Hypertension causes microalbuminuria, which if left uncontrolled could progress to kidney damage. Antihypertensive treatment primarily aims at controlling blood pressure (BP), but is also shown to control urine albumin excretion. This renoprotective role of antihypertensive medications consists of halting or reverting albuminuria progression.

Circadian Rhythm and ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: Insights From the Third Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events (Gulf RACE-3Ps).

Circadian rhythms have been identified in multiple physiological processes that may affect cardiovascular diseases, yet little is known about the impact of circadian rhythm on acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) onset and outcomes in the Middle East. The relationship between time of symptom onset during the 24-hour circadian cycle and prehospital delays and in-hospital death was assessed in 2909 patients with STEMI presenting in 6 Arabian Gulf countries. A sinusoidal smoothing function was used to show the average circadian trends.

Erratum to the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome: a prospective observational study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.21037/jtd.2017.

Clinical Presentation, Predictors, and Outcomes Among Mineralocorticoid Receptor Antagonist (MRA)-Eligible Acute Heart Failure Patients in the Heart Function Assessment Registry Trial in Saudi Arabia (HEARTS).

Mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) therapy is indicated after myocardial infarction in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) with an ejection fraction ≤40% and lacking contraindications. We analyzed clinical presentations, predictors, and outcomes of MRA-eligible patients within a prospective registry of patients with AHF from 18 hospitals in Saudi Arabia, from 2009 to 2010. For this subgroup, mortality rates were followed until 2013, and the clinical characteristics, management, predictors, and outcomes were compared between MRA-treated and non-MRA-treated patients.

The prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in patients with obesity hypoventilation syndrome: a prospective observational study.

Background: One important cardiovascular morbidity that is associated with obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH). However, few studies have assessed PH in OHS patients. Therefore, we prospectively assessed the prevalence of PH in a large sample of OHS patients.

Validation of the 6-Month GRACE Score in Predicting 1-Year Mortality of Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome Admitted to the Arabian Gulf Hospitals.

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) are the most common cardiovascular diseases and are associated with a significant risk of mortality and morbidity. The Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) risk score postdischarge is a widely used ACS prediction model for risk of mortality (low, intermediate, and high); however, it has not yet been validated in patients from the Arabian Gulf. This prospective multicenter study (second Gulf Registry of Acute Coronary Events) provides detailed information of the GRACE risk score postdischarge in patients from the Arabian Gulf.

Disparities in health care delivery and hospital outcomes between non-Saudis and Saudi nationals presenting with acute coronary syndromes in Saudi Arabia.

Background: Saudi Arabia has a non-Saudi workers population. We investigated the differences and similarities of expatriate non-Saudi patients (NS) and Saudi nationals (SN) presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) with respect to therapies and clinical outcomes.

Methods: The study evaluated 2031 of the 5055 ACS patients enrolled in the Saudi Project for Assessment of Acute Coronary Syndrome (SPACE) from 2005 to 2007.

Evaluation of resistance to anti-platelet therapy in patients with coronary heart disease in a developing country.

Background: Resistance to anti-platelet therapy whether defined by the laboratory detection of platelet function or the recurrence of cardiovascular events, has received extensive coverage in the literature coming predominantly from developed countries and very scanty information comes from developing countries. We aim to document the prevalence of aspirin and clopidogrel resistance in Saudi patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and to probe the possible responsible mechanism[s].

Methods: 238 patients with CHD were enrolled from the outpatient clinic and wards of King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh.

Heart failure in the Middle East.

The clinical syndrome of heart failure is the final pathway for a myriad of diseases that affect the heart, and is a leading and growing cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Evidence-based guidelines have provided clinicians with valuable data for better applying diagnostic and therapeutic tools, particularly the overwhelming new imaging technology and other, often expensive, therapies and devices, in heart failure patients. In the Middle East, progress has recently been made with the development of regional and multi-centre registries to evaluate the quality of care for patients with heart failure.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy searching for a better understanding.

Congestive heart failure is an uncommon complication of pregnancy with potentially life-threatening consequences. Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a disease of unknown cause in which severe left ventricular dysfunction occurs during late pregnancy or the early puerperium. In the past, the diagnosis of this entity was made on clinical grounds; however, modern echocardiographic techniques have allowed more accurate diagnoses by excluding cases of diseases that mimic the clinical symptoms and signs of heart failure.