Correlation of Smoking and Myocardial Infarction Among Sudanese Male Patients Above 40 Years of Age.

To find an association between smoking and the development of myocardial infarction in male patients above forty years of age presenting at the echocardiology department of Sudan heart center Khartoum. A prospective cohort study was carried out at the echocardiography department of Sudan Heart Center in Khartoum-Sudan between July 2012 and June 2014. The study population comprised a total of 168 adult male patients who underwent cardiac ultrasound scanning. Out of a total of 144 cases, 65% (94) of patients were smokers, 74% of the 94 cases smoked for more than 10 years, and 26% of the 94 cases smoked for less than 10 years. With this study it was concluded that smoking is a risk factor for the development of myocardial infarction. This study showed that patients with myocardial infarction are more likely to have a past history of smoking.

Study of the association between the incidences of congenital anomalies and hydrocephalus in Sudanese fetuses.

This study was designed with an aim to detect the congenital anomalies appear to be linked to and in conjunction with hydrocephalus fetuses in Sudan, when ultrasound is used to exam fetuses in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. This prospective cohort study was performed from December 2011 to December 2013, in a group consists of 5000 single gestation pregnant Sudanese women. In all cases, maternal ages were 35 years up to 48 years; mean age of 42.5 years. Pelvic; obstetric ultrasound scanning protocol used should meet the standards established by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) for scanning in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the results. Diagnosed hydrocephalus cases (0.4%) were found to be associated with other fetal anomalies as aqueduct stenosis (45%), spina bifida (30%), Arnold-Chiari malformation (20%) and Dandy-Walker malformation (5%). The incidence of congenital anomalies and hydrocephalus in Sudanese fetuses showed considerable variation among different regions of Sudan. Hydrocephalus is associated with certain congenital anomalies. In agreement with previous studies, hydrocephalus is predominantly in male rather than female fetuses. The prevalence of fetal anomalies and hydrocephalus are within previously reported ranges.