Frequency of coronary heart disease risk factors among nurses

To find out frequency of various risk factors for coronary heart diseases in nurses. This was a cross-sectional study. Nurses working in three shifts at Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Teaching Hospital, Nursing school of Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, were included in the study. All participants were interviewed in detail including their family history, past medical history, smoking and dietary history. Pulse, blood pressure, body mass index [BMI] and waist: hip ratio was determined. Their random blood sugar and total cholesterol was checked. Data was analyzed for cardiovascular risk factors using SPSS version 16. A total of 165 nurses were screened and interviewed. Mean age was 40.75 +/- 8.577 years. Mean BMI was 28.80 +/- 4.77. Mean systolic BP was 124.82 +/- 20.91 mm Hg, while mean diastolic BP was 82.45 +/- 13.07 mm Hg. Mean random blood sugar was 128.39 +/- 52.74 mg /dl. Diabetic nurses were 18[10.9%],hypertensive nurses were 31[18.8%], nurses having high cholesterol were 4[2.4%], nurses having documented CAD were2[1.2%], other than above risk factors or conditions were present in 34[20.6%] of the nurses, not having any of the mentioned risk factors or diseases were present in 76[46.1%]. Nurses not having any regular exercise schedule were 104 [63%]. We noticed that among modifiable risk factors hypercholesterolemia, diabetes and hypertension were less frequent in nurses while obesity, physical inactivity and sedentary life style with more duty hours and smoking were more prevalent

Frequency of adverse outcomes of acute myocardial infarction in patients with stress hyperglycemia

To determine the frequency of in-hospital adverse outcomes of acute myocardial infarction in patients with stress hyperglycemia. This was a descriptive cross sectional study conducted from August 2010 to January 2011 in Cardiology department, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. Patients of age 25-70 years, of either gender, non-diabetic with acute myocardial infarction with stress hyperglycemia were included. Random blood sugar >/= 144 mg/dl was taken as stress hyperglycemia for patients at presentation of acute myocardial infarction. Patients were monitored for electrical complications such as atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation and complete heart block and mechanical complications such as cardiac pulmonary edema and cardiogenic shock during hospital stay. The statistical analysis was performed using the statistical package for social sciences [SPSS Ver. 15.0]. A total of 341 patients having acute myocardial infarction with stress hyperglycemia were studied. The mean age was 56.35 +/- 9.748 [95% CI 57.39 - 55.31]. Male were 58.1% [n=198]. The frequency of various major in-hospital electrical adverse outcomes of acute myocardial infarction with stress hyperglycemia were atrial fibrillation [AF] 15.8%, ventricular tachycardia [VT] 11.7%, ventricular fibrillation [VF] 10.9% and complete heart block [CHB] 6.7%, while mechanical adverse outcomes were cardiac pulmonary edema [CPE] 7.9% and cardiogenic shock [CS] 11.7%. Stress hyperglycemia has adverse impact on outcomes of patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction. Among electrical and mechanical complications of acute myocardial infarction in patients with stress hyperglycemia, the two most frequent in-hospital adverse outcomes were atrial fibrillation and cardiogenic shock, respectively

Correlation of functional class of dyspnea with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction

To correlate functional class of dyspnea with left ventricular diastolic dysfunction assessed by echocardiography. This was a single center descriptive study, conducted in Cardiology department Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar from March 2011 to October 2011. All male and female patients of any age with clinical diagnosis of heart failure with sinus rhythm and no to minimal mitral regurgitation were included in the study, using consecutive non-probability sampling technique. Six minute walk test was performed to place the patients in proper NYHA Class of dyspnea. Detailed echocardiographic study was performed to document left ventricular diastolic dysfunction. The data was analyzed on SPSS version 16. Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to measure the strength of association between pairs of variables. P-value

Echocardiographic findings in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy [hocm]

To find out various Echocardiographic findings in patients with HOCM. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study performed in Cardiology department Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. Data collected from the database computer section of echocardiography department from February 2009 to November 2011.The data was analyzed using SPSS version 14. Total study population was 28. Male were 14 [50%]. Mean age was 52.5_ 15.9 years. Mean left ventricular end diastolic dimension was 3.84cm; inter-ventricular septal thickness 2cm [1.1-3.1] and posterior wall thickness was 1.17cm [0.6-1.6]. Mean Left atrial [LA] diameter was 3.86cm [0.8-5.6]. Mean peak gradient across LVOT was 48.43 mmHg. Mitral regurgitation [MR] was found in 19 [67.9%] patients. MR was mild in 57.1%, moderate in 7.1% and severe in 3.6% of patients. Aortic regurgitation [AR] was found in 13 [46.4%] patients. AR was mild in 35.7%, moderate in 10.7% of patients. Left atrial size was increased in 14 [50%] patients. Mean LA diameter was 4.6cm, 5cm and 5.6cm in patients with mild, moderate, and severe MR respectively. So there was direct relation between severity of MR and LA diameter. The respective mean gradient across LVOT in patients mild, moderate and severe MR was 31mmHg, 43.5mmHg and 140mmHg. So higher the gradient across LVOT, more will be the MR and hence the LA size and the patient will be more symptomatic. HOCM is significantly associated with both MR and AR and there is direct relation between severity of MR with LA diameter and LVOT gradient

comparative analysis of in-hospital left ventricular function in patients with successful or unsuccessful streptokinase thrombolysis following acute myocardial infarction

To compare in-hospital left ventricular function in patients with unsuccessful and successful thrombolysis presenting with acute myocardial infarction treated with streptokinase. This comparative study was conducted at department of Cardiology, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, from October 2006 to October 2007. Two hundred patients with first acute myocardial infarction were divided into two groups: group A [successful thrombolysis] and group B [unsuccessful thrombolysis], using ECG criteria. To determine Left Ventricular Function, 2-D Echo was used. Group A included 136 [68%] patients and group B included 64 [32%] patients. Impaired left ventricular function was found in 41 [30.1%] patients in group A and 41 [64.1%] patients in group B [p< 0.001]. Left ventricular failure was present in 31 [22.8%] patients of group A and 30 [46.9%] patients of group B [p=0.001]. Cardiogenic shock was diagnosed in 2 [1.5%] patients in group A and 6 [9.4%] patients in group B [p-0.008]. Presence of LVF is strongly associated with unsuccessful thrombolytic therapy in this group of patients

Impact of hyperinsulinemia on morbidity and mortality following acute myocardial infarction

To study the association of hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and its impact on morbidity and mortality following acute myocardial infarction [AMI]. This prospective observational study was carried out at cardiology department, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar from May to December 2008. A total of 110 patients with first acute myocardial infarction were assessed for fasting insulin and grouped on the basis of normal or high insulin level. The patients were given standard therapy and evaluated for morbidity and in hospital mortality. More patients in high insulin group were obese [72% vs. 23%, p=0.001], hypertensive [70% vs. 23%, p=0.001], diabetic [70% vs. 16%, p=0.001] and had higher evidence of heart failure i,e Killip class II and III[60% vs. 34%, p=0.04] and Killip class IV[20% vs. 7%, p=0.17]. These patients also had higher fasting glucose [158% +/- 25 vs. 103 +/- 18 mg/dl, p=0.02] and triglyceride [245 +/- 40 vs. 165 +/- 35 mg/dl, p=0.01]. More patients among non survivors had high insulin [80% vs. 38%, p=0.002] in survivor group. Hyperinsulinemia is positively associated with obesity, diabetes, hypertension and higher morbidity and mortaliy following acute myocardial infarction.

Frequency of cardiovascular disease risk factors among doctors

To find out frequency of risk factors for cardiovascular disease amongst doctors. This was a cross-sectional study involving doctors [working at Lady Reading Hospital] recruited in Peshawar Heart Study [PHS]. All participants were interviewed in detail including present and past medical history, family history, smoking, drug and dietary history. Pulse, blood pressure, body mass index [BMI] and waist/hip ratio were measured. Random blood sugar and total cholesterol was checked. A supine resting ECG was recorded. Data was analyzed for frequency of cardiovascular risk factors using SPSS Version 16. A total of 208 doctors were interviewed. Mean age was 30.33 +/- 7.0 years. Mean BMI was 24.69 +/- 4.73.Mean waist size was 84.68 +/- 10.571cm. Mean waist/hip ratio was 0.86 +/- 0.068. Mean systolic BP was 121.82 +/- 13.70 mm Hg while mean diastolic BP was 78.89 +/- 09.36 mm Hg. Mean random blood cholesterol was 163.97 +/- 27.93 mg / dl. Mean random blood sugar was 95.79 +/- 24.57 mg /dl. Most [98.55%] of doctors had random blood sugar of less than 180 mg /dl. The big majority of the doctors was not performing any regular exercise [n=157, 75.5%]. Mean duty hours per day were 8.98 +/- 2.073.Active smokers were 39 [18.8%], while 9 [4.3%] were using Naswar. None of the doctors enrolled in study was drinking alcohol. Among modifiable risk factors hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and hypertension were less frequent amongst doctors while physical inactivity, obesity, unhealthy eating, and smoking were relatively more frequent