Bibliotheca Alexandrina accommodates an International Cardiologists gathering
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Many new ideas and trends had been proposed and discussed during the 29th International Conference of the Egyptian Association of Cardiology.
Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Hassanin, Prof. of Cardiology, Alexandria University, explained in his research the Therapeutic modalities for hypertensive patients, and defined that the main goal is to normalize the level of blood pressure to optimal levels rather than to just lower it down. In diabetic patients it ranges around 130/50, and in renal dysfunction where users and creatinine are elevated it should be down to 120/80 - in an effort to retard progression of the condition to renal failure.
Prof. Dr. Hassanin stressed that new angiotension-convertase inhibitors (AC inhibitors) should be spared for the cases of heart failure mainly those with nephropathy. These AC inhibitors are expensive medications; their use in developing countries should be properly prescribed for specially indicated cases.
Prof. Dr. Hassanin, replying to a question about what is new in interventional cardiology, said: We know that 30% of PTCA cases experience re-stenosis, now the stents uses are impregnated in rabamycin (slowly-released form) as it stops proliferation (cell cycle) of smooth muscle cells that block the stents by time (Drug eluting stents).
Also, one of the new revolutionary interventions is the aortic inner coating using a special prosthesis for cases of aortic aneurysm, which will replace ultramajor surgery for many cases.
In the Cardiology Department (Alexandria University), the modern electrophysiology unit now mapping and ablatision arrhythmogenic fossi in cases of arrhythmia using the newly developed special radiofrequency.
This year""s conference in Bibliotheca Alexandrina was a very active one. Many hot topics in cardiology were discussed and debated.
From Monofia University a research identified the thickness of the carotid intima-media as a marker of coronary artery disease in hypertensive patients.
Another one pointed out the role of chlamydia pneumoniae infection in acute coronary A. disease.
Critical Care Medicine Department (Cairo University) studied the combined Thrombolytic and antiplatelet therapy in acute myocardial infraction comparison with PTCA.
Department of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery and Section of Biostatics in Hamad Medical Corporation (Doha, Qatar) presented a study of 5 years (1995-2000) trends in the age of presentation with acute myocardial infarction among Qatari patients as a population based study.