Impact of maternal diabetes and obesity on fetal cardiac functions.

BACKGROUND: In several developing industrial countries, the incidence of obesity among populations is spreading quickly and dramatically; also, the frequency of maternal obesity is in continuous elevation, which represents a considerable public health problem. Maternal hyperglycemia is a common gestational risk factor for the fetus. Several studies proposed that maternal DM and obesity lead to intrauterine impacts which induce changes in the fetal myocardium, and the pre-pregnancy obesity and diabetes are accompanied with development of cardiovascular alterations in the offspring and subsequent pathological changes in their early life. The aim of this study is to assess the cardiac function in fetuses of obese pregnant women (FOW) and fetuses of diabetic women (FDW) in comparison with fetuses of normal pregnant women (FNW) using tissue Doppler imaging. RESULTS: There was impairment in systolic and diastolic cardiac function in both fetuses of obese and diabetic women with decreased global longitudinal strain tissue Doppler velocities at 30 weeks of gestation compared to fetuses of normal women. CONCLUSION: Imaging of the fetus of pregnant women by Echo Doppler at about 30 weeks of gestations showed a reduced cardiac function of fetuses of obese and diabetic women matched with fetuses of normal BMI women. Our finding proposed that early subclinical alterations in the fetal cardiac output can arise from maternal obesity alone. This explains the predilection of children of obese mothers at advanced ages to cardiovascular disorder.

Very Early Versus Early Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with Decreased e-GFR after Successful Fibrinolytic Therapy.

Background: Pharmacoinvasive strategy (PIS) is the alternative approach to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) if PCI capable center isn't available especially in the developing countries. Our objective of the current study was to investigate the incidence of contrast induced nephropathy (CIN), the occurrence of no reflow phenomenon and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in patients with decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR) after successful fibrinolytic therapy in order to assess the benefit from very early PCI strategy (within 3-12 hours) or early PCI strategy (within 12-24 hours). Methods: This randomized clinical trial included 420 patients with STEMI. All participants were classified randomly into two groups according to the time of intervention; Group I patients were subjected to very early PCI (within 3-12 hours) and Group II patients were subjected to early PCI (within 12-24 hours) after receiving successful fibrinolytic therapy. Results: The incidence of CIN in Group I was slightly higher than Group II (23 patients [10.7%] versus 19 patients [9.3%]) respectively, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P value = 0.625). The incidence of no-reflow phenomenon (TIMI 0-2 flow) after the procedure was higher in Group II, while TIMI 3 flow (normal flow) was significantly higher in Group I than Group II (184 [85.6%] vs. 153 [74.6%], respectively) with P value = 0.044. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding mortality and MACE. Conclusion: The incidence of CIN was nearly equal in very early PCI (within 3-12 hours) versus early PCI (within 12-24 hours); however, the incidence of no-reflow phenomenon was significantly higher in patients subjected to early PCI (within 12-24 hours).

Incidence, predictors and outcomes of stress hyperglycemia in patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Stress hyperglycemia is a common finding during ST elevation myocardial infarction in diabetic patients and is associated with a worse outcome. However, there are limited data about stress hyperglycemia in non-diabetic patients and its outcome especially in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. METHODS: The study was conducted on 660 patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction who were managed with primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients were classified into two groups according to the presence of stress hyperglycemia: group I (patients with stress hyperglycemia) and group II (patients without stress hyperglycemia). Patients were analysed for clinical outcome including mortality and the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events. RESULTS: Incidence of stress hyperglycemia was 16.8%, multivariate regression analysis identified the independent predictors of stress hyperglycemia, that were family history of diabetes mellitus odds ratio 1.697 (95% confidence interval: 1.077-2.674, p = 0.023), body mass index >24 kg/m2 odds ratio 1.906 (95% confidence interval: 1.244-2.922, p = 0.003) and cardiogenic shock on admission odds ratio 2.517 (95% confidence interval: 1.162-5.451, p = 0.019). Mortality, cardiogenic shock, contrast induced nephropathy and no reflow phenomenon were significantly higher in stress hyperglycemia group with p value = 0.027, 0.001, 0.020 and 0.037, respectively. CONCLUSION: Stress hyperglycemia in non-diabetic patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention is associated with increased incidence of no reflow phenomenon, contrast induced nephropathy, cardiogenic shock and higher mortality.