Cardiovascular Journal 

About: Cardiovascular Journal is an academic journal published by Bangladesh Journals Online. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Coronary artery disease & Myocardial infarction. It has an ISSN identifier of 2071-0917. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 425 publications have been published receiving 681 citations.

Incidence of Congenital Heart Disease among Hospital Live Birth in a Tertiary Hospital of Bangladesh

Abstract: Background: Incidence of congenital heart disease is 8-10/1000 live birth which is established by many studies carried out in many centers worldwide. In Bangladesh no incidence study was carried out so far. Newborn children presenting with various forms of congenital heart disease is a common problem now a days. Neonatologists and paediatricians are now more conscious about early detection and treatment of newborn with congenital heart diseases. Diagnostic facilities are also available in many places. So an individual incidence record from an ideal center of our country is a demand of the time which led carrying out this study. Methods: This prospective study was carried out in Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Dhaka over a period of three years (2004 – 2006). All five thousand six hundred and sixty eight live births weighing more than 500 gm and more than 28 weeks gestational period were subjected to a thorough clinical examination within 72 hours of birth. Those suspected to have any form of congenital heart disease (CHD) were followed up every 4-6 wks for a period of 12 months. Echocardiography with color Doppler was performed in all these newborn including those who reported late but were delivered in obstetrics department of Combined Military Hospital Dhaka. Result: One hundred forty two babies out of 5668 live birth had CHD, ie, 25/1000 live births. Incidence of CHD was higher in pre terms as compared to full term live birth. Some of the patients (18.30%) has other associated somatic anomalies among which Down’s syndrome was commonest (9.15%). Most common congenital heart lesions were Atrial Septal Defect (ASD-26%), Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD-16.9%), Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA-18%), Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF-14%), Pulmonary Stenosis (PS-7.75%) etc. Those who were found to have congenital heart disease were managed accordingly. Some patients had spontaneous closure of defects in first year follow up period. Conclusion: The incidence of Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) depends upon various factors like nature of the samples (all live birth or all birth) or on the spot examination by a Paediatric cardiologist. A hospital which has Obstetric, Neonatal and Paediatric cardiology unit can carried out this kind of study successfully. In this study screening of asymptomatic high risk neonates also contributes in early detection of many trivial lesions. Severe lesions were also detected by the paediatric cardiologist who usually expire before being referred from other hospitals and before being diagnosis is established. So a higher incidence rate is recorded in this study. Key words: Congenital heart disease; Echocardiography DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cardio.v1i1.8199 Cardiovasc. j. 2008; 1(1) : 14-20

Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Young - Risk Factors and Angiographic Pattern

Abstract: Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a worldwide health epidemic. Acute coronary syndrome is a potentially life-threatening condition and patient may die or become disabled in the prime of life. There is documented evidence that South Asian people develop CAD at a higher rate and also at an early age. If the affected individual is 40 yrs old or below, the tragic consequences are catastrophic. Methods: It was a retrospective observational study to find out the pattern of acute coronary syndrome in the young (40 years old or less) in a military hospital (CMH Dhaka) from July 2007 to July 2008 and to analyze the risk factors and the angiographic characteristics of coronary vessels. Consecutive 64 young patients including both male and female admitted into this hospital were the study subjects. Out of these patients 53 were males and 11 were females. Among these patients coronary risk factors and angiographic pattern were studied. 64 older patients with Acute coronary syndrome (age more than 40 years) were also studied. Results: Out of 64 young patients 15.6% patients presented to this hospital as UA, 9.37% presented as Non-Q MI, 28.12% Acute Anterior MI, 14.06% Acute Anteroseptal MI, 26.56% Acute Inferior MI, 6.25% Acute Infero-posterior MI. Smoking was the most common risk factor among these young patients. 64.06% patients were smoker. Dyslipidaemia was present among 50% patients, 37.55% were hypertensive, 15.62% were diabetic, and 15.62% were obese. SVCAD was the most common lesion and it was 53.12%. 26.56% patients had DVCAD and TVCAD was present among 20.31% patients. In the older group (more than 40 years) most common risk factor was dyslipidaemia (71.88%) and smoking was present among 48.43% patients. Conclusion: Young patients have a different risk factor profile in comparison with older patients. Smoking is a strong and quite common coronary risk factor in the young ACS patients who are 40 years or less. Risk factor identification and control is very crucial in the primary and secondary prevention in young patients with CAD. Keywords: Acute coronary syndrome; Risk factors; Coronary Angiography DOI: 10.3329/cardio.v2i2.6635 Cardiovasc. j. 2010; 2(2) : 175-178

Pulmonary Hypertension in Hemodialysis Patients

Abstract: Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been reported to be high among maintenance dialysis patients. There is a paucity of data on the incidence and prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in chronic kidney disease(CKD) in Bangladeshi patients. Materials and Methods: A total 70 CKD patients (male 47,female 23), who were on conservative management and maintenance hemodialysis were studied for the presence of pulmonary hypertension. The variables studied were hypertension, diabetes, duration of dialysis and the hemoglobin, serum creatinine and serum bicarbonate levels. Results: 68.6% of the patients on maintenance hemodialysis had pulmonary hypertension compared to 8.6% of the prediadysis CKD patients. 97.1% of maintenance dialysis patients had anaemia (Hb <10gm/dl) and 42.9% of patients had metabolic acidosis. Conclusion: The incidence of pulmonary hypertension was highest in the hemodialysis group. Significant Pearson’s correlation was found between pulmonary arterial systolic pressure with the duration of hemodialysis, hemoglobin level, serum creatinine, blood sugar and serum bicarbonate level in maintenance hemodialysis patients DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cardio.v4i2.10459 Cardiovasc. j. 2012; 4(2): 148-152

Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract: One third of human life is spent in sleep. Physiology of different systems in the body works under a different mode of central nervous system operation in sleep than in awake. Normal physiologic sleep consists of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, which alternates within sleep cycles of about 90 minutes in length. Hemodynamic mechanisms change throughout these cycles of sleep due to various metabolic, endocrine, vascular and autonomic changes.