Trimetazidine in the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy in chronic kidney disease.

Background: Contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) may be defined as Acute Renal Failure (ARF) that occurs within 24-72h of exposure to intra-venous or intra-arterial iodinated contrast media that cannot be attributed to other causes. CIN occurs in up to 5% of hospitalized patients with normal renal function prior to injection of contrast media. It occurs more frequently in patients with renal impairment particularly if associated with diabetic nephropathy.

Antihypertensive treatment and blood pressure control in patients with hypertension in daily clinical practice: a cross-sectional, multicenter, observational study in Egypt.

Objective: Management of hypertension in Egypt is difficult because of various reasons. This real-life study was conducted to determine BP control rate, treatment modalities, factors influencing the choice of antihypertensive drugs, physicians' satisfaction with the treatment, and demographics of patients with uncontrolled BP who were treated for hypertension in daily clinical practice in Egypt.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, multicenter, observational study conducted in patients treated for hypertension in out-patient private clinics in Egypt, during October 2011 to June 2012.

Assessment of coronary flow parameters by transesophageal echocardiography in patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia: effect of intravenous nitroglycerin.

Background: We sought to assess coronary flow parameters in patients with isolated coronary artery ectasia (CAE) as compared to subjects with normal coronaries.

Methods: Consecutively, we enrolled 30 patients with ectasia of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery (study group), and 10 subjects with normal coronaries (control group). All patients underwent transesophageal echocardiography to visualize the LAD.

Prevalence and predictors of renal artery stenosis in hypertensive patients undergoing elective coronary procedures.

This study explored the prevalence and predictors of renal artery stenosis in a cohort of 525 hypertensive patients referred for elective coronary procedures. Patients underwent coronary and renal arteriography. The study defined renal artery stenosis as > or =60% luminal obstruction (physiologic or hemodynamic significance was not tested).