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Background: Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare but potentially life-threatening condition. Due to the scarcity of epidemiological data in North Africa, we conducted this study to assess the outcomes of PPCM in our region., Materials and Methods: This monocentric retrospective cohort study involving all patients diagnosed with PPCM was conducted between January 2010 and December 2022., Results: Twenty-seven PPCM patients, with a median age of 33 years (Interquartile range (IQR) = 9), were included. 52% of patients were diagnosed during the postpartum period. Dyspnea New York Heart Association III/IV(NYHA III/IV) was the most common functional symptom (85%). The median left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) was 30% (IQR = 11%). Atrial fibrillation occurred in 11.1% of patients, thromboembolic complications occurred in 18.5%, Pulmonary edema occurred in 85% of patients and cardiogenic shock occurred in 14.8% of patients, with two patients requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support. The predominant mode of delivery was a cesarean Sect. (82% of patients), and the indication for a cesarean delivery was obstetrical in 59% of patients. Prematurity occurred in 36% of newborns, and intrauterine fetal death occurred in one pregnancy. The median follow-up was 24 months [6-144 months]. LVEF recovery was noted in 67% of patients. Bromocriptine was administered to six patients (22%), and none of these patients died and out of them, five patients recovered their LVEF (83%). The overall mortality rate during the follow-up period was 15%, comprising three in-hospital cardiac deaths and one occurring two years later due to refractory advanced heart failure. No significant differences were observed between LVEF recovery and LVEF non-recovery groups. Factors significantly associated with mortality were multiparity, poor antenatal care (ANC) attendance, thromboembolic events, cardiogenic shock, and Pulmonary edema. Five patients with LV recovery subsequently became pregnant, none experienced a relapse of PPCM. However, one of the descendants of a patient was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy., Conclusion: This study revealed that the diagnosis of PPCM in our hospital is often delayed until symptoms become more advanced, resulting in high morbi-mortality., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We reported a case of pericardial agenesis discovered at the age of 60 during coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. However, this anomaly was not treated during the initial surgery. During the post-operatory period, the patient developed recurrent unilateral right pulmonary edema whenever assuming a semi-upright position. We hypothesized that the positional hemodynamic alterations in this patient were related to this rare congenital anomaly. The patient underwent reoperation, 48 hours later, with synthetic pericardial reconstruction and experienced an uneventful recovery during follow-up., Competing Interests: No conflict of interest., (Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. © The Author(s) 2024.)

Background: In Tunisia, the number of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) is increasing, owing to the increase in patient life expectancy and expanding indications. Despite their life-saving potential and a significant reduction in population morbidity and mortality, their increased numbers have been associated with the development of multiple early and late complications related to vascular access, pockets, leads, or patient characteristics., Objective: The study aims to identify the rate, type, and predictors of complications occurring within the first year after CIED implantation. It also aims to describe the demographic and epidemiological characteristics of a nationwide sample of patients with CIED in Tunisia. Additionally, the study will evaluate the extent to which Tunisian electrophysiologists follow international guidelines for cardiac pacing and sudden cardiac death prevention., Methods: The Tunisian National Study of Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices (NATURE-CIED) is a national, multicenter, prospectively monitored study that includes consecutive patients who underwent primary CIED implantation, generator replacement, and upgrade procedure. Patients were enrolled between January 18, 2021, and February 18, 2022, at all Tunisian public and private CIED implantation centers that agreed to participate in the study. All enrolled patients entered a 1-year follow-up period, with 4 consecutive visits at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after CIED implantation. The collected data are recorded electronically on the clinical suite platform (DACIMA Clinical Suite)., Results: The study started on January 18, 2021, and concluded on February 18, 2023. In total, 27 cardiologists actively participated in data collection. Over this period, 1500 patients were enrolled in the study consecutively. The mean age of the patients was 70.1 (SD 15.2) years, with a sex ratio of 1:15. Nine hundred (60%) patients were from the public sector, while 600 (40%) patients were from the private sector. A total of 1298 (86.3%) patients received a conventional pacemaker and 75 (5%) patients received a biventricular pacemaker (CRT-P). Implantable cardioverter defibrillators were implanted in 127 (8.5%) patients. Of these patients, 45 (3%) underwent CRT-D implantation., Conclusions: This study will establish the most extensive contemporary longitudinal cohort of patients undergoing CIED implantation in Tunisia, presenting a significant opportunity for real-world clinical epidemiology. It will address a crucial gap in the management of patients during the perioperative phase and follow-up, enabling the identification of individuals at particularly high risk of complications for optimal care., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05361759; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05361759., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): RR1-10.2196/47525., (©Sonia Chabrak, Abdeddayem Haggui, Emna Allouche, Sana Ouali, Afef Ben Halima, Slim Kacem, Salma Krichen, Sonia Marrakchi, Wafa Fehri, Mohamed Sami Mourali, Zeineb Jabbari, Manel Ben Halima, Elyes Neffati, Aymen  Heraiech, Mehdi Slim, Salem Kachboura, Habib Gamra, Majed Hassine, Sondes Kraiem, Sofien Kammoun, Leila Bezdah, Gouider Jridi, Hatem Bouraoui, Samir Kammoun, Rania Hammami, Rafik Chettaoui, Youssef Ben Ameur, Fares Azaiez, Rami Tlili, Kais Battikh, Hedi Ben Slima, Rim Chrigui, Samia Fazaa, Islem Sanaa, Yassine Ellouz, Mohamed Mosrati, Sami Milouchi, Soumaya Jarmouni, Wacef Ayadi, Malek Akrout, Rabie Razgallah, Wissal Neffati, Meriem Drissa, Selma Charfeddine, Salem Abdessalem, Leila Abid, Lilia Zakhama. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 08.04.2024.)

Background: This trial aimed to assess the efficacy of Atorvastatin reloading on the prevention of Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients pre-treated with this statin and undergoing coronary catheterization., Methods: This was a prospective randomized controlled study including patients on chronic atorvastatin therapy. We randomly assigned the population to the Atorvastatin Reloading group (AR group), by reloading patients with 80 mg of atorvastatin one day before and three days after the coronary procedure, and the Non-Reloading group (NR group), including patients who received their usual dose without a reloading dose. The primary endpoints were the incidence of cystatin (Cys)-based CIN and Creatinine (Scr)-based CIN. The secondary endpoints consisted of the changes in renal biomarkers (Δ biomarkers) defined as the difference between the follow-up level and the baseline level., Results: Our population was assigned to the AR group (n = 56 patients) and NR group (n = 54 patients). The baseline characteristics of the 2 groups were similar. Serum creatinine (SCr)-based CIN occurred in 11.1% in the NR group, and in 8.9% in the AR group without any significant difference. Cys-based CIN occurred in 37% in the NR group and 26.8% in the AR group without any significant difference. The subgroup analysis showed that high dose reloading had significantly reduced the CYC-based CIN risk in patients with type 2 diabetes (43.5% vs 18.8%, RR = 0.43. CI 95% [0.18-0.99])). The comparison of "Δ Cystatin" and Δ eGFR between the AR and NR groups didn't show any significant difference. However, cystatin C had significantly increased between baseline and at 24 hours in the NR group (0.96 vs 1.05, p = 0.001), but not in the AR group (0.94 vs 1.03, p = 0.206)., Conclusions: Our study did not find a benefit of systematic atorvastatin reloading in patients on chronic atorvastatin therapy in preventing CIN. However, it suggested that this strategy could reduce the risk of CyC-based CIN in diabetic type 2 patients., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2023 Hammami et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Background: Radial artery occlusion (RAO) remains the most frequent complication of trans-radial access. Once the radial artery is occluded, its future use as an access site for coronary procedures, or as a conduit for coronary bypass grafting or fistula for hemodialysis, will be precluded. Therefore, we aimed to assess the value of the short-term use of Rivaroxaban to prevent RAO after a trans-radial coronary procedure., Methods: This was a prospective, open-label, randomized study. The patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to one of two groups: those who received Rivaroxaban 10 mg for 7 days following the trans-radial coronary procedure (the Rivaroxaban Group) and those who received the standard treatment (the Control Group). The primary outcome was an occurrence of RAO evaluated by Doppler ultrasound at 30 days, and the secondary outcomes were hemorrhagic complications according to BARC classification., Results: We included 521 patients randomized into two Groups: the Control Group ( N  = 262) and the Rivaroxaban Group ( N  = 259). The 1-month RAO was significantly reduced in the Rivaroxaban Group as compared to the Control Group [6.9% vs. 13%; p  = 0.011, OR = 0.5, (95% CI, 0.27-0.91)]. We noted no cases of severe bleeding events (BARC3-5). The overall incidence of minor bleeding (BARC1) was 2.3%, with no significant difference between the two groups [Rivaroxaban Group = 2.7%, Control Group = 1.9%, p  = 0.54, OR= 1.4, (95%CI 0.44-4.5)]., Conclusions: Short-term postoperative anticoagulation with Rivaroxaban 10 mg for seven days reduces the rate of 1-month RAO., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (© 2023 Hammami, Abid, Jihen, Triki, Ben Mrad, Kammoun, Slim, kacem, Thabet, Abdessalem, Mallek, Charfeddine, Triki, Hejri, Naffeti, Denguir, Kraeim and Abid.)

Introduction: Very long coronary lesions account for 20% of coronary stenoses in the real world. There are few data on the effectiveness of angioplasty of these lesions with very long active stents (DES) in the literature. We conducted this study to assess the long-term outcomes of angioplasty with DES length ≥ 40 mm in a population with multiple cardiovascular risk factors., Patients and Methods: This is a retrospective, multicenter, descriptive, and prognostic study, conducted between January 2015 and January 2020, in four Tunisian centers, including all patients who underwent angioplasty with a DES of length ≥ 40 mm with a follow-up of at least one year. The primary outcome was a combined criteria (major cardiovascular and Cerebral events: MACCE) (stroke, acute coronary syndrome, revascularization of the target lesion: TLR, cardiovascular death: CVD)., Results: We included 480 procedures. More than half of the patients had at least three risk factors. The prevalence of high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking were 61.1%, 56.6% and 60.4%, respectively. The treated lesions were complex: 23.54% calcified lesions, 8.75% chronic occlusions, 25% bifurcation lesions and 12.08% ostial lesions. The average length of the stents was 47.72 mm. We noted 17 cases of per-procedural complications (3.55%). The median follow-up was 35 months (extremes 1-60 months). The rate of stent thrombosis was 0.83%. The incidence of MACCE, TLR and CVD were respectively 16.25%, 8.12% and 5.2%. In multivariate analysis, diabetes (HR = 1.7, 95% CI [1.01-2.9]), dyslipidemia (HR = 2.08, 95% CI [1.3-3.3]), familial coronary artery disease (HR = 1.9, 95% CI [1.01-3.6]), left ventricle dysfunction (HR = 2.07, 95% CI [1.1-3.6]) and bifurcation lesions (HR = 1.9, 95% CI [1.2-3.14]) were the independent predictors of MACCE, while statin intake (HR = 0.38, 95% CI [0.19-0.78]) was a protective factor., Conclusion: Angioplasty with very long DES is associated with low levels of MACCE, TLR, stent thrombosis and CVD in our population. Therefore, it could be an interesting alternative to cardiac surgery. Randomized comparative studies of the two treatment options are needed., Competing Interests: Déclaration de liens d'intérêts Les auteurs déclarent ne pas avoir de liens d'intérêts., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

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. Every participating patient signed a consent form. The study will exclude patients undergoing dialysis. The parameters that will be evaluated are demographic and anthropometric data, lifestyle habits, blood pressure levels, lipid profiles, treatment, and adherence to treatment. The data are collected via the web interface in the Dacima Clinical Suite., Results: The study began on April 15, 2019 and ended on May 15, 2019. During this period, we included 25,890 patients with HTN. Data collection involved 321 investigators from 24 Tunisian districts. The investigators were doctors working in the private and public sectors., Conclusions: Observational studies are extremely useful in improving the management of HTN in developing countries., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04013503; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04013503., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/21878., (©Leila Abid, Rania Hammami, Salem Abdesselem, Selim Boudiche, Ben Slima Hédi, Khaled Sayahi, Amine Bahloul, Ikram Chamtouri, Salma Charfeddine, Lamia Rais, Meriem Drissa, Badreddine Ben Kaab, Hassen Ibn hadj amor, Lilia Ben Fatma, Riadh Garbaa, Sabrine Boukhris, Allouche Emna, Manel Ben Halima, Nesrine Amdouni, Shayma Ghorbel, Sabrine Soudani, Imen Khaled, Syrine Triki, Feten Bouazizi, Imen Jemai, Ouday Abdeljalil, Yemna Ammar, Amani Farah, Adnen Neji, Zeineb Oumaya, Sana Seghaier, Samir Mokrani, Hamza Thawaba, Hela Sarray, Khalil Ouaghlani, Houssem Thabet, Zeineb Mnif, Boujelben Masmoudi Fatma, Mohamed Sghaier, Roueida Khalifa, Sami Fourati, Yassmine Kammoun, Syrine Abid, Chiheb Hamza, Syrine Ben Jeddou, Lassaad Sabbah, Rim Lakhdhar, Najla Dammak, Tarak Sellami, Basma Herbegue, Alia Koubaa, Faten Triki, Tarek Ellouze, Aicha Hmoudi, Ikhlas Ben Ameur, Mohamed Mongi Boukhchina, Neila Abid, Wejdene Ouechtati, Nizar Nasrallah, Yousra Houidi, Fathia Mghaieth Zghal, Ghodhbane Elhem, Mounira Chayeb, Chenik Sarra, Samira Kaabachi, Nizar Saadaoui, Ines Ben Ameur, Moufida Affes, Sana Ouali, Mouna Chaker, Hela Naana, Dghim Meriem, Mourad Jarrar, Jihen Mnif, Ahmed Turki, Ihsen Zairi, Jamel Langar, Safa Dardouri, Imen Hachaichi, Rafik Chettaoui, Wajih Smat, Amel Chakroun, Khadija Mzoughi, Rachid Mechmeche, Afef Ben Halima, Sahar Ben Kahla Koubaa, Slim Chtourou, Maalej Mohamed abdelkader, Mohsen Ayari, Moufid Hadrich, Tlili Rami, Fares Azaiez, Imen Bouhlel, Samir Sahnoun, Habib Jerbi, Ben Mrad Imtinene, Leila Riahi, Mohamed Sahnoun, Abdelhamid Ben Jemaa, Amal Ben Salem, Bassem Rekik, Maroua Ben Doudou, Mohamed Rachid Boujnah, Anissa Joulak, Abid Omar, Rabie Razgallah, Milouchi Sami, Elyes Neffati, Habib Gamra, Soraya Ben Youssef, Wissem Sdiri, Nejeh Ben Halima, Youssef Ben Ameur, Salem Kachboura, Sondes Kraiem, Wafa Fehri, Lilia Zakhama, leila Bezdah, Mourali Mohamed Sami, Habiba Drissa, Mohamed Faouzi Maatouk, Samir Kammoun, Faouzi Addad. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 02.09.2022.)

We report the synthesis of sulfone iminium fluorides (SIFs), a reactive class of sulfur(VI) molecules. The synthesis is tolerant of a variety of substituents on the sulfur and nitrogen components. The SIF reagents were applied to the deoxyfluorination of alcohols and carboxylic acids, providing high yields of fluorinated products in 60 s at room temperature. The SIF reagents were then utilized in sulfur fluoride exchange (SuFEx), creating the first ionic SuFEx products to date.

Background: Coronary artery diseases remain the leading cause of death in the world. The management of this condition has improved remarkably in the recent years owing to the development of new technical tools and multicentric registries., Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the in-hospital and 1-year clinical outcomes of patients treated with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in Tunisia., Methods: We will conduct a prospective multicentric observational study with patients older than 18 years who underwent PCI between January 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020. The primary end point is the occurrence of a major adverse cardiovascular event, defined as cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, or target vessel revascularization with either repeat PCI or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The secondary end points are procedural success rate, stent thrombosis, and the rate of redo PCI/CABG for in-stent restenosis., Results: In this study, the demographic profile and the general risk profile of Tunisian patients who underwent PCI and their end points will be analyzed. The complexity level of the procedures and the left main occlusion, bifurcation occlusion, and chronic total occlusion PCI will be analyzed, and immediate as well as long-term results will be determined. The National Tunisian Registry of PCI (NATURE-PCI) will be the first national multicentric registry of angioplasty in Africa. For this study, the institutional ethical committee approval was obtained (0223/2020). This trial consists of 97 cardiologists and 2498 patients who have undergone PCI with a 1-year follow-up period. Twenty-eight catheterization laboratories from both public (15 laboratories) and private (13 laboratories) sectors will enroll patients after receiving informed consent. Of the 2498 patients, 1897 (75.9%) are managed in the public sector and 601 (24.1%) are managed in the private sector. The COVID-19 pandemic started in Tunisia in March 2020; 719 patients (31.9%) were included before the COVID-19 pandemic and 1779 (60.1%) during the pandemic. The inclusion of patients has been finished, and we expect to publish the results by the end of 2022., Conclusions: This study would add data and provide a valuable opportunity for real-world clinical epidemiology and practice in the field of interventional cardiology in Tunisia with insights into the uptake of PCI in this limited-income region., Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT04219761; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04219761., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): RR1-10.2196/24595., (©Rania Hammami, Selim Boudiche, Tlili Rami, Nejeh Ben Halima, Ahmed Jamel, Bassem Rekik, Rym Gribaa, Ben Mrad Imtinene, Salma Charfeddine, Tarek Ellouze, Amine Bahloul, Ben Slima Hédi, Jamel Langar, Habib Ben Ahmed, Zied Ibn Elhadj, Mohamed Hmam, Mohamed Aymen Ben Abdessalem, Sabri Maaoui, Sana Fennira, Laroussi Lobna, Majed Hassine, Sami Ouanes, Drissi Mohamed Faouzi, Souad Mallek, Abdallah Mahdhaoui, Dghim Meriem, Walid Jomaa, Sofien Zayed, Tawfik Kateb, Nidhal Bouchahda, Fares Azaiez, Helmi Ben Salem, Morched Marouen, Aymen Noamen, Salem Abdesselem, Denguir Hichem, Hassen Ibn Hadj Amor, Farhati Abdeljelil, Amine Amara, Karim Bejar, Ben Hamda Khaldoun, Chiheb Hamza, Mohsen Ben Jamaa, Sami Fourati, Faycal Elleuch, Zeineb Grati, Slim Chtourou, Sami Marouene, Mohamed Sahnoun, Morched Hadrich, Maalej Mohamed Abdelkader, Hatem Bouraoui, Kamel Kamoun, Moufid Hadrich, Tarek Ben Chedli, Mohamed Akrem Drissa, Hanene Charfeddine, Nizar Saadaoui, Gargouri Achraf, Siala Ahmed, Mokdad Ayari, Marsit Nabil, Sabeur Mnif, Maher Sahnoun, Helmi Kammoun, Khaled Ben Jemaa, Gharbi Mostari, Nebil Hamrouni, Maazoun Yamen, Yassine Ellouz, Zahreddine Smiri, Amine Hdiji, Jerbi Bassem, Wacef Ayadi, Amir Zouari, Chedly Abbassi, Boujelben Masmoudi Fatma, Kais Battikh, Elyes Kharrat, Imen Gtif, Milouchi Sami, Leila Bezdah, Salem Kachboura, Mohamed Faouzi Maatouk, Sondes Kraiem, Gouider Jeridi, Elyes Neffati, Samir Kammoun, Youssef Ben Ameur, Wafa Fehri, Habib Gamra, Lilia Zakhama, Faouzi Addad, Mourali Mohamed Sami, Leila Abid. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 05.08.2022.)

Introduction: There are no clear data about the incidence and the prophylactic strategies of arterial and venous thromboembolic events (TE) in COVID-19 ambulatory patients. Thus, we conducted this study to analyze thromboembolic complications in this setting and to assess thromboprophylaxis management and outcomes in the real life., Patients and Methods: This is an observational study including Covid-19 ambulatory patients. We assessed incidence of venous and arterial TE events as well as thromboprophylaxis outcomes and hemorrhagic complications. We defined high risk thrombo-embolic factor according to the Belgian guidelines which are the only guidelines that described thromboprophylaxis in COVID-19 ambulatory patients., Results: We included 2089 patients with a mean age of 43±16 years. The incidence of 30 days venous and arterial TE complications in our cohort was 1%. Venous thromboembolic complications occurred in 0.8% and arterial thromboembolic complications occurred in 0.3%.We noted at least one high-risk TE factor in 18.5% of patients but thromboprophylaxis was prescribed in 22.5% of the cases, LMWH in 18.1%, and Rivaroxaban in 3.7%. Hemorrhagic events occurred in eight patients (0.3%): five patients showed minor hemorrhagic events and three patients showed major ones (0.14%)., Conclusions: Our study showed that the incidence of thromboembolic complications is very low in COVID-19 ambulatory patients. Paradoxically, there is an over prescription of thrombo-prophylaxis in this population., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Overall, 180 yeasts and bacteria isolated from the peel of citrus fruits were screened for their in vitro antagonistic activity against Penicillium digitatum and P. italicum , causative agents of green and blue mold of citrus fruits, respectively. Two yeast and three bacterial isolates were selected for their inhibitory activity on mycelium growth. Based on the phylogenetic analysis of 16S rDNA and ITS rDNA sequences, the yeast isolates were identified as Candida oleophila and Debaryomyces hansenii while the bacterial isolates were identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens , B. pumilus and B. subtilis . All five selected isolates significantly reduced the incidence of decay incited by P. digitatum and P. italicum on 'Valencia' orange and 'Eureka' lemon fruits. Moreover, they were effective in preventing natural infections of green and blue mold of fruits stored at 4 °C. Treatments with antagonistic yeasts and bacteria did not negatively affect the quality and shelf life of fruits. The antagonistic efficacy of the five isolates depended on multiple modes of action, including the ability to form biofilms and produce antifungal lipopeptides, lytic enzymes and volatile compounds. The selected isolates are promising as biocontrol agents of postharvest green and blue molds of citrus fruits.

We review the literature on the safety of fasting in cardiac patients. We examined the changes of blood pressure among hypertensive patients and the incidence of cardiac events during Ramadan in patients with coronary disease and heart failure. We also assess the modifications of INR levels in cardiac patients who take oral anticoagulant. We found that Ramadan fasting is safe in stable cardiac patients, even under several drugs. Fasting does not affect blood pressure. There is no difference in regards to cardiac event incidence between Ramadan and the non-fasting-months. The level of INR is slightly higher when fasting, it is thus recommended to monitor patients with high bleeding risk during Ramadan., Competing Interests: Competing interests The authors declare no competing interest., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Non-respiratory long-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms are mainly related to a long-lasting endothelial dysfunction and microcirculation impairment. We hypothesized that Sulodexide, a purified glycosaminoglycan mixture with a beneficial endothelial effect in arterial and venous peripheral diseases, may be effective in a subset of patients with long COVID-19., Approach and Results: We conducted a multicenter prospective quasi-experimental study. A total of 290 patients from the TUN-EndCOV study with long-COVID-19 symptoms and endothelial dysfunction were included. The endothelial function was clinically assessed using a post-occlusive reactive hyperemia protocol with finger thermal monitoring device. Endothelial quality index (EQI) was assessed at inclusion and at 21 days later. The study population was assigned to a sulodexide group (144 patients) or a no-medical treatment group (146 patients). Clinical characteristics were similar at inclusion in the two groups. Fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain were the most common symptoms, respectively, 54.5, 53.8, and 28.3%. At 21 days, the sulodexide group improved significantly better than the no-medical treatment group in chest pain (83.7 vs. 43.6%, p < 10 -3 ), palpitations (85.2 vs. 52.9%, p = 0.009), and endothelial function [median delta-EQI 0.66 (0.6) vs. 0.18 (0.3); p < 10 -3 ]. Endothelial function improvement was significantly correlated with chest pain and palpitations recovery (AUC, i.e., area under the curve = 0.66, CI [0.57- 0.75], p = 0.001 and AUC = 0.60, CI [0.51- 0.69], p = 0.03, respectively)., Conclusion: Sulodexide significantly improves long-lasting post-COVID-19 endothelial dysfunction and alleviates chest pain and palpitations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Charfeddine, Ibnhadjamor, Jdidi, Torjmen, Kraiem, Bahloul, Makni, Kallel, Moussa, Boudaya, Touil, Ghrab, Elghoul, Meddeb, Thabet, Ben Salem, Addad, Bouslama, Milouchi, Hammami, Abdessalem and Abid.)

Background: Hypertension is the leading cause of morbi-mortality in our country. Thus, we conducted this national survey on hypertension to analyze the profile of the Tunisian hypertensive patient and to assess the level of blood pressure control., Methods: Nature HTN is an observational multicentric survey, including hypertensive individuals and consulting their doctors during the period of the study. Blood pressure measurements were conducted during consultation, using a standardized auscultatory or oscillometric sphygmomanometer after at least 15 min of rest. The diagnosis of new hypertension is based on the 2018 ESC/ESH criteria. The primary endpoint of our study was uncontrolled hypertension defined by a systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg., Results: Three hundred twenty-one investigators participated in the study. We enrolled 25,890 patients with a female predominance (Sex ratio, 1.21) and an average age of 64.4 ± 12.2 years. Most individuals were treated in the public sector (74%), 39.4% of patients were diabetic, 25.8% were obese, 44.6% were overweight and 14% were smokers. Hypertension was controlled in 51.7% of cases if we consider 140/90 as a BP target, and only in 18.6% if we consider 130/80 as a target. The independent predictors of uncontrolled blood pressure were male sex (OR = 1.09, 95%CI [1.02-1.16]), age > 65 year-old (OR = 1.07, 95% CI[1.01-1.13], diabetes (OR = 1.18, 95% CI [1.11-1.25], Smoking (OR = 1.15, 95% CI [1.05-1.25]), Obesity (OR = 1.14, 95% CI[1.07-1.21]), management in public sector (OR = 1.25, 95% CI [1.16-1.34]), and Heart rate > 80 bpm (OR = 1.59, 95% CI [1.48-1.71]). Contrarily, high educational level (OR = 0.9, 95% CI [0.84-0.97], absence of history of coronary disease (OR = 0.86, 95% CI [0.8-0.93]), salt restriction (OR = 0.48, 95% CI [0.45-0.51]), drug compliance (OR = 0.57, 95% CI[0.52-0.61]), and regular physical activity (OR = 0.77, 95% CI[0.71-0.84]) are strong predictors of blood pressure control., Conclusion: NaTuRe HTN showed that blood pressure control was reached in more than half of the Tunisian people. The control remains low in patients with high cardiovascular profiles and in those treated in the public sector. A national health program based on therapeutic education, regular control and continuous support to the public institutions is needed to decrease the burden of hypertension incidence rate., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Aim: To evaluate the outcomes of endovascular therapy in patients with subclavian steno-occlusive disease over the short and long term in a Tunisian population., Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent endovascular treatment of subclavian artery (SCA) steno-occlusive disease between 2013 and 2019 in three Tunisian centers were evaluated retrospectively. After treatment, patients were follow-up was scheduled at 1, 3, 6, 12 months postoperatively and annually afterwards by Doppler ultrasound and clinical findings. Primary outcomes included technical, clinical procedural success rates and limb salvage rate. Secondary outcomes included the occurrence of periprocedural complications and primary patency rates., Results: 56 patients (33 males, 58.9%) were evaluated. Patients' mean age was 61.5 + years. Technical success rate was 94.6 %, being 100% in case of stenosis and 78.5% in case of occlusion. The technical success rate was 94.6%. The clinical success rate was 100% and the upper limb salvage rate was 100%. Minor amputations were performed on 5 patients. Perioperative mortality and morbidity rates were 0% and 8.9% respectively. Mean follow-up was 26.7±16.4 months (range 12-86 months). Two in-stent restenosis occurred (at 12 and 15 months) and one case of thrombosis at the 16th month. The primary patency rates were 88.7%+4.3% at the end of the first year and 78.7%+6.1% at 3 years., Conclusion: Endovascular treatment can be considered as a safe and effective treatment of SCA steno-occlusive disease, with low perioperative complication rates and a good patency rates over long term., Key Words: Subclavian artery stenosis, Subclavian artery occlusion, endovascular, subclavian revascularization.

During the month of Ramadan, over one billion Muslims observe a water and food fast from sunrise to sunset. The practice of this religious duty causes marked changes in eating and sleeping habits. With the increasing incidence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, the number of patients with CV pathologies who wish to fast is increasing worldwide, and in Tunisia, which is ranked as a high CV risk country. If fasting has been shown to be beneficial for the improvement of some metabolic parameters, its practice in patients with CV pathology remains debated. The Tunisian Society of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery (STCCCV) in consultation with the National Instance of Evaluation and Accreditation in Health (INEAS) has established this document in the form of a consensus after having analysed the literature with the aim of addressing these questions: -What is the impact of fasting in patients with CV pathologies? -How to stratify the risk of fasting according to CV pathology and comorbidities? -How to plan fasting in patients with CV diseases? -What are the hygienic and dietary measures to be recommended during fasting in patients with CV pathologies? -How to manage medication during the month of Ramadan in patients with CV diseases?

Background: Severe valvular heart disease, especially stenosis, is a contraindication for conception according to the World Health Organization. This is still encountered in countries with a high rheumatic fever prevalence. The objective of this study was to determine predictors of maternal cardiac, obstetric and neonatal complications in pregnant women with severe valve disease., Methods: This is an observational retrospective cohort study of all pregnant women with severe heart valvulopathy who gave birth between 2010 and 2017., Results: We included 60 pregnancies in 54 women. Cardiac complications occurred during 37 pregnancies (61%). In multivariate analysis, parity (aOR =2.41, 95% CI[1.12-5.16]), revelation of valvulopathy during pregnancy (aOR = 6.34; 95% CI[1.26-31.77]), severe mitral stenosis (aOR = 6.98, 95% CI[1.14-41.05],) and systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (aOR =1.08, 95% CI[1.01-1.14]) were associated with cardiac complications. Obstetrical complications were noted during 19 pregnancies (31.8%). These complications were associated with nulliparity (aOR = 5.22; 95% CI[1.15-23.6]), multiple valve disease (aOR = 5.26, 95% CI[1.19-23.2]), systolic pulmonary arterial pressure (aOR =1.04, 95% CI[1.002-1.09]), and treatment with vitamin K antagonists (aOR = 8.71, 95% CI[1.98-38.2]). Neonatal complications were noted in 39.3% of newborns (n = 61) and these were associated with occurrence of obstetric complications (aOR = 16.47, 95% CI[3.2-84.3]) and revelation of valvulopathy during pregnancy (aOR = 7.33, 95% CI[1.4-36.1])., Conclusions: Revelation of valvular heart disease during pregnancy is a predictor of not only cardiac but also neonatal complications. Valvular heart disease screening during pre-conceptional counseling is thus crucial., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Airborne fungi are one of the major components of aeromycobiota known to produce several fungal diseases in fruits. Their presence in indoor environment of warehouses may limit the storage period of apples. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of airborne fungal spores were conducted using gravity settling techniques to detect fungal airspora present in the atmosphere of two apple warehouses in Tunisia. In this study, 375 fungal isolates were obtained and purified. Phylogenetic analysis of calmodulin, beta-tubulin and ITS regions coupled with phenotypic characterization helped to identify 15 fungal species. Penicillium exhibited the highest diversity with ten species detected (Penicillium allii, P. chrysogenum, P. citrinum, P. expansum, P. italicum, P. polonicum, P. solitum, P. steckii, P. sumatraense and P. viridicatum), followed by four species of Aspergillus genus (Aspergillus europaeus, A. flavus, A. niger and A. pulverulentus) and Alternaria alternata. In vivo experiments confirmed the pathogenicity of 13 species at room temperature and under cold-storage conditions. Among them, A. europaeus, A. pulverulentus, P. allii and P. sumatraense were described for the first time as pathogens on apples. The present study identified the major airborne fungi associated with postharvest rot in apple storage facilities in Tunisia and may help in efficient control of postharvest and storage fruit diseases., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The distal radial approach (DRA) is suggested to have benefits over the conventional radial approach (CRA) in terms of local complications and comfort of both patient and operator. Therefore, we aimed to compare the feasibility and safety of DRA and CRA in a real life population. We conducted a prospective, observational multicentric trial, including all patients undergoing coronary procedures in September 2019. Patients with impalpable proximal or distal radial pulse were excluded. Thus, the choice of the approach is left to the operator discretion. The primary endpoints were cannulation failure and procedure failure. The secondary endpoints were time of puncture, local complications and radial occlusion assessed by Doppler performed one day after the procedure. We enrolled 177 patients divided into two groups: CRA (n = 95) and DRA (n = 82). Percutaneous intervention was achieved in 37% in CRA group and 34% in DRA group (p = 0.7). Cannulation time was not significantly different between the two sets (p = 0.16). Cannulation failure was significantly higher in DRA group (4.8% vs 2%, p < 0.0008). Successful catheterization was achieved in 98% for the CRA group and in 88% for the DRA group (p = 0.008). Radial artery occlusion, detected by ultrasonography, was found in 3 patients in the CRA group (3.1%) and nobody in the DRA group (p = 0.25). The median diameter of the radial artery diameter was higher in the DRA than the CRA group (2.2 mm vs 2.1 mm; p = 0.007). The distal radial approach is feasible and safe for coronary angiography and interventions, but needs a learning curve.

The COVID-19 disease is a multisystem disease due in part to the vascular endothelium injury. Lasting effects and long-term sequelae could persist after the infection and may be due to persistent endothelial dysfunction. Our study focused on the evaluation of endothelial quality index (EQI) by finger thermal monitoring with E4 diagnosis Polymath in a large cohort of long COVID-19 patients to determine whether long-covid 19 symptoms are associated with endothelial dysfunction. This is a cross-sectional multicenter observational study with prospective recruitment of patients. A total of 798 patients were included in this study. A total of 618 patients (77.4%) had long COVID-19 symptoms. The mean EQI was 2.02 ± 0.99 IC 95% [1.95 - 2.08]. A total of 397 (49.7%) patients had impaired EQI. Fatigue, chest pain, and neuro-cognitive difficulties were significantly associated with endothelium dysfunction with an EQI <2 after adjustment for age, sex, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, and the severity of acute COVID-19 infection. In multivariate analysis, endothelial dysfunction (EQI <2), female gender, and severe clinical status at acute COVID-19 infection with a need for oxygen supplementation were independent risk factors of long COVID-19 syndrome. Long COVID-19 symptoms, specifically non-respiratory symptoms, are due to persistent endothelial dysfunction. These findings allow for better care of patients with long COVID-19 symptoms., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Charfeddine, Ibn Hadj Amor, Jdidi, Torjmen, Kraiem, Hammami, Bahloul, Kallel, Moussa, Touil, Ghrab, Elghoul, Meddeb, Thabet, Kammoun, Bouslama, Milouchi, Abdessalem and Abid.)

Background: The coronary artery with an interarterial course CAIAC is the most threatening coronary anomaly, especially if it concerns the left coronary. Percutaneous coronary intervention PCI is scarcely described given its low prevalence and lack of long-term outcome data. Therefore, we assessed through this case series the feasibility and safety of PCI in this population., Methods: This is an observational multicentric study including patients with CAIAC arising from the opposite sinus of Valsalva. The primary endpoints were immediate angiographic success and target lesion revascularization., Results: During the period of the study, we performed 27235 PCI in six Cath labs, 26 procedures concerning abnormal coronaries including 12 with CAIAC. The median age was 57 years extremes: 43-78 with male predominance 1:11. Anomalous coronary artery was Right coronary artery RCA in eight patients, Left main LM in three patients, and left anterior descending LAD in one patient. The stenosis was located in all cases in proximal segments beyond the inter-arterial course proximal LAD, the superior genius of the RCA, or the proximal segment of mid-RCA. Five patients showed slit-like ostium and all have an angle take-off <45° on CT scan. After a median follow-up of 24 months, four subjects presented target lesion revascularization TLR, all were initially treated with either a bare-metal stent or with balloons., Conclusions: PCI of patients with CAIAC is feasible and appears safe. The operator should carefully analyze the angiogram before PCI to choose the appropriate guiding catheter and should be acquainted with the different techniques for improving backup., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest None., (© 2021 Saudi Heart Association.)

Introduction: hypertension (HTN) is the main risk factor for most morbidities of elderly subjects. The objective of this study was to identify the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of hypertension in octogenarians and to identify the factors associated with uncontrolled hypertension in this population., Methods: we used data collected in the outpatient cardiology department of the University Hospital of Sfax between 15 th April 2019 and 15 th May 2019 as part of the National Tunisian Registry of Hypertension. We included in our study patients aged 80 years or more with hypertension. We described the epidemiological and clinical profile of this population, and we studied the associations between uncontrolled hypertension and socio-demographic, lifestyle, clinical and therapeutic factors using logistic regression models., Results: we included 346 subjects (45.1% (n=156) male and 54.9% (n=190) female), with a mean age of 84.36 (SD 4.01) years. More than half of them had uncontrolled hypertension. Dyslipidemia was the most common cardiovascular risk factor found in 43.6 % (n=151) of patients followed by diabetes (35.5%, n=122). One-third of patients had a history of coronary artery disease and/or stroke. Renal failure and kalemia disorders were observed, respectively, in 12.1% (n=42) and 25.2% (n=40) of patients. In multivariate analysis, factors associated with uncontrolled hypertension (HTN) were male sex (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 1.663, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.045-2.647; p=0.032), diabetes (aOR: 1.66, 95%CI: 1.031-2.688; p=0.037,) and poor adherence to blood pressure (BP) medications (aOR: 1.960, 95%CI: 1.195-3.214; p=0.008)., Conclusion: our results showed that more than half of octogenarian hypertensive patients did not reach the BP target and that poor adherence to BP medications was the main factor of uncontrolled HTN. In this population, the presence of other comorbidities and poor adherence to BP medications are very common. Systematic research for behaviors suggesting poor medication adherence should be a priority for physicians caring for these patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: Amine Bahloul et al.)

Introduction: interventional cardiology procedures have become complex and expensive in time with a higher risk of exposure to ionizing radiations. The purpose of our study was to assess radiation protection knowledge and practices among Tunisian cardiologists exposed to X-rays., Methods: we conducted a descriptive, analytical study in October 2019. An anonymous survey on the knowledge and practices regarding radiation protection was sent to all Tunisian cardiologists exposed to X-rays., Results: among 126 cardiologists exposed to X-rays and having received the survey, 58 physicians responded to the survey (48%), with a male predominance (72%, n=42). Thirty-eight physicians (65%) were public sector workers. Average years of working experience were 12.02 years (SD 6.88 years). Half of doctors had a knowledge score of less than 50%. The average practice score was 43.83 (SD 13.95%). Wearing a lead apron, thyroid shield, dosimeter, lead glasses, lead cap accounted for 100% (n=58), 86.2% (n=50), 30.7% (n=18), 12.1% (n=7) and 1.7% (n=1) respectively. There was no correlation between scores and doctor's age as well as the length of working experience. There was no statistical differences between knowledge scores of males and females (p=0.06) or between public sector and private sector (p=0.9). Practice score was significantly higher among men (0.007) and interventional cardiologists compared to rhythmologists and pediatric cardiologists (p<0.001)., Conclusion: the level of knowledge and practices among Tunisian cardiologists regarding radiation protection is generally insufficient. Then, health authorities should implement regular training programs., Competing Interests: Les auteurs ne déclarent aucun conflit d´intérêts., (Copyright: Rania Hammami et al.)

Introduction: our aim was to investigate the value of conventional echocardiography, pulsed Doppler and speckle tracking imaging (STI) analysis in the assessment of the left ventricular (LV) myocardial function in hemodialysis (HD) patients with preserved LV ejection fraction and to evaluate the effect of a single HD session on the LV systolic and diastolic functions., Methods: the study population consisted of 30 chronic HD patients. Echocardiography and Doppler studies were performed before and after HD. The LV global longitudinal, circumferential and radial strains were measured with two and three-dimensional STI., Results: after HD, LV dimensions, left atrium (LA) area, systolic pulmonary arterial pressure and inferior vena cava diameter decreased significantly. The peak mitral E velocity, the E/A ratio of the mitral inflow and the lateral E/E´ ratio decreased also significantly. The LV and LA volumes index and LV mass index (LVMi) decreased remarkably after HD. The 3D- LV and LA ejection fractions were unchanged after HD. Although, 3D-estimated LVEF seemed to be preserved in the HD patients, the 2D and 3D- strain rates were decreased in all directions. The global strain values improved in all directions after a single HD session. Inverse correlations were found between the LVMi, serum BNP and LV global longitudinal strain., Conclusion: in HD patients with preserved LV ejection fraction, the STI analysis may add important information concerning the subclinical LV dysfunction., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: Salma Charfeddine et al.)

Introduction: high blood pressure (HBP), atrial fibrillation (AF) and ischemic stroke are three public health problems. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of AF and ischemic stroke in hypertensive patients and the factors associated with the occurrence of non-valvular AF in these patients., Methods: we used data collected in the Department of Cardiology at the University Hospital of Sfax as a part of National Tunisian Registry of Hypertension. We examined the associations between different socio-demographic, clinical, paraclinical, and therapeutic variables and AF in hypertensive patients using logistic regression models., Results: our sample consisted of 2887 patients with a sex ratio of 0.95. The average age of patients was 65 years (±11). AF was found in 230 patients (8%), while ischemic stroke was found in 152 patients (5.3%). Multivariate analysis highlighted that independent factors associated with an increase in the prevalence of AF were: advanced age (p = 0,001, Odds Ratio (OR) = 1,647, 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1,1227-2,213), the detection of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) on cardiac ultrasound (p= 0,004, OR= 2,140, 5%CI 9: 1,281-3,576), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 50% (p<0,001, OR=4,677, 95% CI: 2,715 and 8.057)., Conclusion: this study confirms that there is a direct and independent relationship between high blood pressure, advanced age, LVH and AF. AF in patients with high blood pressure is a disease progression leading to an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Optimal high blood pressure control is a priority in hypertensive patients, especially in the elderly, aiming at preventing the risk of AF and ischemic stroke., Competing Interests: Les auteurs ne déclarent aucun conflit d´intérêts., (Copyright: Amine Bahloul et al.)

Introduction: reduced exercise capacity, coronary artery abnormalities and reversible myocardial ischemia have been demonstrated after arterial switch operation (ASO) and coronary reimplantation. Despite this, indices of systolic function, assessed by standard and Doppler echocardiography, are within the normal range. The aim of this study was to highlight the long-term changes in myocardial function following coronary reimplantation using Doppler and speckle-tracking imaging (STI) echocardiography., Methods: this observational case control study included 36 patients and 20 gender and age-matched healthy controls. A group study was performed using patients who were followed for at least 6 months after the operation and who visited the pediatric cardiology outpatient between October 2015 and May 2016. Systolic and diastolic parameters, left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) myocardial performance were assessed in each group., Results: the LV global peak strain parameters revealed a significant decrease in the longitudinal and circumferential strain components. The LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) values were lower in both groups of operated patients than controls (-19.9 ± 2.2% (group 1) versus -20.9 ± 1.6% (group 2) versus -22.9 ± 2.3% (group 3), p<0.001). The patients with coronary reimplantation had the lowest values. The LV global circumferential strain was also decreased in the group 1 patients as compared with the 2 other groups (-16.6 ± 4.1% (group 1) versus -19.4 ± 3.9% (group 2) versus -19.8 ± 4.0% (group 3), p<0.001)., Conclusion: although global LV function, assessed with conventional echocardiographic parameters, was normal, the 2D-STI analysis showed slight but significant decrease in the global and segmental longitudinal and circumferential LV strain during the long-term follow-up after coronary arteries reimplantation., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright: Salma Charfeddine et al.)

Coronary subclavian steal syndrome is an uncommon cause of ischemia recurrence after coronary artery bypass grafting. Endovascular treatment of subclavian artery stenosis or occlusion is increasingly common and appears to offer a safe and effective alternative to surgical revascularization. We report a case of recurrent angina after coronary artery bypass grafting for critical subclavian artery stenosis. The anomalous origin of the vertebral artery from the aortic arch was an indication for endovascular treatment. We discuss the diagnostic difficulties and the management pitfalls of subclavian artery angioplasty in this syndrome., (Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The GRACE and TIMI scores have been well validated for assessment of prognosis in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). However, their value in predicting coronary artery disease (CAD) has been little studied. We aimed to assess the relationship between these scores and the extent of coronary disease., Methods: We analyzed 238 consecutive patients admitted for NSTE-ACS and undergoing a coronary angiogram during hospitalization. The severity of CAD was assessed using the SYNTAX score. Obstructive CAD was defined as ≥50% stenosis in the left main or ≥70% stenosis in other vessels. Severe CAD was defined as a SYNTAX score >32. The Pearson test was used to assess the correlation between scores., Results: The SYNTAX score was higher in patients at high risk (GRACE score: p<0.001 and TIMI score: p=0.001). Moreover, there was a significant positive correlation between the GRACE and SYNTAX scores (r=0.23, p<0.001) as well as between TIMI and SYNTAX (r=0.2, p=0.002). Both clinical scores can predict obstructive CAD moderately well (area under the curve [AUC] for GRACE score: 0.599, p=0.015; TIMI score: AUC 0.639, p=0.001) but not severe disease. A GRACE score of 120 and a TIMI score of 2 were predictive of obstructive CAD with, respectively, a sensitivity of 57% and 75.7% and a specificity of 61.8% and 47.9%., Conclusion: The GRACE and TIMI scores correlate moderately with the extent of coronary disease assessed by the SYNTAX score. They can predict obstructive CAD but not severe disease., (Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.)

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is associated with poor prognosis and risk of acute heart failure after liver transplantation or interventional procedures. We aimed to assess the relationship between the severity of cardiac impairment and hepatic disease. Eighty patients and eighty controls underwent echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging and speckle tracking measures. We assess the correlation between echocardiographic parameters and Child and MELD scores. Systolic parameters function (s wave, p < 0.001) and global longitudinal strain (p < 0.001) as well as diastolic parameters were significantly more impaired in cirrhotic patients compared to controls. There were no differences among the different groups in 'Child score' regarding systolic function as well as diastolic function. Paradoxically, the left atrium size correlated positively to both Child (p = 0.01, r = 0.26) and MELD scores (p = 0.02, r = 0.24). Left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower in decompensated patients as compared to compensated patients(p = 0.02).. We did not identify any association between severity of liver disease and cardiac dysfunction. Therefore, a transthoracic echocardiography should be performed in all cirrhotic patients before interventional and surgical procedures regardless of the severity of liver disease.

Tricuspid valve disease has been neglected for a long time by cardiologists and surgeons, but for some years now leakage of tricuspid valve has been demonstrated as a prognostic factor in the evolution of patients with left heart valve disease undergoing surgery. Several techniques for plastic repair of tricuspid valve have been developed and the published studies differ on the results of these techniques; we conducted this study to assess the results of plastic repair of tricuspid valve in a population of patients with a high prevalence of rheumatic disease and to compare Carpentier's ring annuloplasty techniques with DEVEGA plasty. We conducted a retrospective study of patients undergoing plastic repair of tricuspid valve in the Department of Cardiology at the Medicine University of Sfax over a period of 25 years. We compared the results from the Group 1 (Carpentier's ring annuloplasty) with Group 2 (DeVEGA plasty). 91 patients were included in our study, 45 patients in the Group 1 and 46 patients in the Group 2. Most patients had mean or severe TI (83%) before surgery, ring dilation was observed in 90% of patients with no significant difference between the two groups. Immediate results were comparable between the two techniques but during monitoring recurrent, at least mean, insufficiency was significantly more frequent in the DeVEGA plasty Group. The predictive factors for significant recurring long term TI were DeVEGA technique (OR=3.26[1.12-9.28]) in multivariate study and preoperative pulmonary artery systolic pressure (OR=1.06 (1.01-1.12)). Plastic repair of tricuspid valve using Carpentier's ring seems to guarantee better results than DeVEGA plasty. On the other hand, preoperative high PASP is predictive of recurrent leakage of tricuspid valve even after plasty; hence the importance of surgery in the treatment of patients at an early stage of the disease.

Totally implanted port devices are important for the administration of fluid and chemotherapeutic agents. However, their use may be associated with serious complications, such as catheter fracture and embolism. Most data on port catheter embolization consist of isolated case reports. We report a 6-year-old boy with relapse of an acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He presented with dysfunction of his totally implanted port device. Radiologic examination revealed a catheter fracture. Echocardiography showed the catheter embolized into the right ventricle. The catheter was successfully removed from the right ventricle by percutaneous endovascular intervention. During the procedure, it was observed that the catheter fragment was located in the pulmonary artery. Catheter embolism may go undiagnosed for a prolonged period; however, severe systemic clinical signs may develop. Any implanted catheter should be removed after completion of treatment, or should be checked regularly for this complication by periodic standard chest x-ray monitoring.

Introduction: The objectives were to assess the left ventricular (LV) structure and function in regularly trained young athletes, using 2 D conventional echocardiographic (echo) methods and speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). An observational cross-sectional study., Methods: Thirty-three footballers and 20 healthy untrained subjects were included in the study. The systolic and diastolic LV functions were evaluated by 2D conventional echo parameters, Doppler method and STE., Results: All the found values were within the normal range. The LV End Diastolic Diameter (LVED 37.24±2.08 mm/m 2 ) and the LV Mass index (LVMi 97.93±15.58 g/m 2 ) were significantly higher in young athletes as compared with controls. There was no difference regarding the LV systolic function assessed by conventional echo parameters in the 2 study groups. Regarding the diastolic function, the transmitral inflow velocities ratio was significantly higher in athletes (E/A = 2.10±0.49 versus 1.64±0.26, p< 0.001) but there was no difference in the filling pressure in the 2 groups. The STE demonstrated a different pattern of LV deformation in the different groups. A significant lower LV global longitudinal strain (GLS -20.68±2.05 versus -22.99±2.32 %, p<0.001) and higher radial and circumferential strains have been found in the young athletes as compared with controls. A significant relationship between the GLS values and LVED (r= 0.299, p = 0.03) and LVMi was also reported in athletes., Conclusion: While conventional morphological and functional echocardiographic parameters failed to distinguish the adaptations in the athlete's heart, deformation parameters showed a different pattern of LV mechanics in young footballers versus controls., Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

The risk of cardiovascular disease in elderly is significantly higher than in young subjects; paradoxically some treatments that have proven their efficacy in reducing cardiovascular risk are often under prescribed in this age group. The benefits of statins in secondary cardiovascular prevention are well established in patients <80 years. In primary prevention, these drugs reduce the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke, but their effects on cardiovascular mortality remain uncertain. In very elderly patients, there are no randomized trials relative to the impact of statins on morbi-mortality in primary prevention as well in secondary prevention. Adverse effects in the elderly seem to be statistically similar to those occurring in young people , but the prescription in very old people should be individualized, taking into account the life expectancy, the life quality, the comorbidities, and especially the risk of drug interactions., (© 2015 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.)

Protocols to minimize the time between 2 measurements of troponin or a combination with copeptin have been developed to rapidly rule-in or rule-out myocardial injury (MI) in patients with chest pain. These fast track protocols to rule-in and rule-out MI are not sufficiently validated for early chest pain presenters. The "early presenter" model was tested in 107 stable patients after a short period of myocardial ischemia, induced by stenting of a significant coronary artery stenosis. High-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT), high-sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI), and copeptin were measured at the start and 90, 180, and 360 minutes after stent implantation. MI was defined as a troponin level more than the upper limit of normal (ULN) and an absolute increase of >50% ULN on the 360-minute sample. A single combined measurement of troponin and copeptin 90 minutes after the onset of ischemia has a low diagnostic value. This increases when serial measurements with 90-minute intervals are included. For ruling in MI, the highest positive predictive value (with a 95% confidence interval [CI]) can be obtained when focusing only on the increase in troponin level, with a positive predictive value of 86% (70, 93) and 80% (67, 90) for hsTnT and hsTnI, respectively. For ruling out MI, a combined absence of any troponin more than the ULN and any significant increase in troponin level perform best with a negative predictive value of 75% (55, 89) and 75% (55, 89) for hsTnT and hsTnI, respectively. In conclusion, in early presenters, rapid biomarker protocols underestimate MI. A standard biomarker assessment after 3 hours is required to adequately rule-in or rule-out myonecrosis., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Intracardiac thrombosis is an exceptional complication of Behçet's disease. The management of this involvement is difficult due to the risk of recurrence. We present the case of a young man admitted to our hospital for intermittent fever. The microbiologic investigations did not show any causative germ. We discovered a right ventricle thrombus on echocardiography. We confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism on CT angiogram. The patient developed oral and genital ulcerations which were consistent with Behçet's syndrome. The thrombus had disappeared after treatment with anticoagulant, corticosteroid and immunosuppressors. Intracardiac thrombosis can reveal Behçet's disease. An exhaustive examination and close monitoring should be performed in order to reveal pathognomonic signs as soon as possible and to promptly start the appropriate treatment.

This case report represents the difficulties in diagnosing brucellosis, which is an enigma with unusual cardiovascular complications. A 32-year-old Caucasian man with acute chest pain was examined at Sfax Hedi Chaker's Hospital. He had a night fever, although his cardiac examination was normal. Further laboratory analyses showed an elevated C-reactive protein of 20.8 mg/dL and troponine I of 1.469 IU/L. A cardiac MRI using delayed enhancement was then performed. The T2-weighted short-axis showed a subepicardial delaying enhancement of infero-lateral and the basal walls of the left ventricle. Accordingly, a diagnosis of Brucella-related myocarditis was made.