Non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), are some of the leading causes of mortality worldwide. Despite the effectiveness of early diagnostic and treatment options, patient screening, disease detection and disease progression remain a challenge, resulting in suboptimal outcomes. Consequently, cardiovascular diseases remain underdiagnosed and undertreated, particularly in developing countries. Several barriers, including paucity of recommended cardiovascular health information and low literacy levels, lead to a poor understanding of the importance of intervention in terms of modifiable risk factors as well as treatment adherence. This narrative review focuses on cardiovascular patients' understanding of their disease, and the need for compliance with their medication and lifestyle modifications. Low levels of perception and insufficient knowledge of CVDs among patients continue to be indispensably important factors in health behaviour. Increased awareness of these issues has the potential to improve the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary cardiovascular team and ultimately improve the care provided to these patients.

Cardiovascular risk is a health concern in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). This longitudinal study (baseline vs 36 months) aimed to investigate the relationship between body composition and markers of cardiovascular risk in a South African study population [HIV free, = 22 vs HIV positive on antiretroviral therapy (HIV+ART), = 73)]. Health questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, biochemical analyses and flow-mediated dilation were performed. Linear mixed-model statistical analyses were applied. The HIV+ART vs the HIV-free groups were independently associated with body mass index (BMI) [-4.92 (-7.99 to -1.84), = 0.002] and waist circumference [-10.5 (-17.2 to -3.77), = 0.003]. ART duration was associated with BMI [2.60 (0.57-4.62), = 0.013], waist circumference [3.83 (0.03-7.63), = 0.048] and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [20.18 (2.37-41.09), = 0.025]. The data showed that intricate relationships existed in this study population between HIV, ART, body composition and cardiometabolic variables. There is a need for more research investigating cardiovascular risk in PLWH, particularly in the context of changes in body composition measures.

Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is an idiopathic cardiomyopathy presenting with a reduction in left ventricular systolic function towards the end of pregnancy or in the months after delivery. It is a life-threatening condition with a substantial mortality rate ranging from six to 25%, commonly due to heart failure or sudden cardiac death. Pregnancy is a prothrombotic state. Due to poor systolic function, women with PPCM are prone to intracardiac thrombi and a high risk of thromboembolic events. Early diagnosis with echocardiography and treatment plays a critical role. We describe a case of a woman with PPCM and biventricular thrombi, with the aim of creating awareness for early echocardiographic screening for thrombi and appropriate implementation of care.

In Wilson's disease (WD), copper accumulation in the organs and/or damage caused by oxygen free radicals occurs due to disturbances in copper excretion. In our study, we aimed to evaluate cardiac involvement with advanced echocardiographic modalities (tissue Doppler echocardiography, strain and strain-rate echocardiography).

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who have suboptimal control of the triad of glucose (A), blood pressure (B) and lipid profile (C) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Additionally, the presence of major depressive disorder (MDD) can lead to poor outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the role of MDD with ABC control in patients with T2DM in a South African private healthcare setting.

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS), one of the most common causes of death worldwide, is a condition characterised by ischaemia and/or infarction due to reduced coronary blood flow. The most prevalent cause of ACS is coronary artery disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between blood parameters that we commonly use in the laboratory [C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin, neutrophils and lymphocytes] and coronary artery disease (CAD).

Left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR) is a rare mechanical complication of acute myocardial infarction. The clinical course of LVFWR is very poor. Direct or patch closure of the rupture area and sutureless procedures constitute the treatment for LVFWR. We present the surgical treatment of a patient who developed LVFWR after high lateral myocardial infarction, and its successful outcome. Successful salvage of LVFWR remains relatively rare. Transthoracic echocardiography, myocardial contrast echocardiography and thoracic computed tomography are important diagnostic tools for LVFWR. These patients usually present with acute cardiac tamponade symptoms requiring immediate treatment.

This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 infection on cardiac surgery outcomes in patients who contracted COVID-19 peri-operatively or had recently recovered from COVID-19.

Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a common finding on cardiac imaging. Although there are multiple aetiologies for LVH, hypertension is frequently a presumed cause due to its high prevalence in the African region. Establishing a specific cause of LVH however requires thorough clinical evaluation with multimodality cardiac imaging playing a key role in the diagnostic pathway. We report on a case of a West African octogenarian who was treated presumptively for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction from hypertensive heart disease, based on his initial clinical presentation and echocardiographic findings three years earlier. By adopting a stepwise approach to his evaluation, including revisiting the history, and the application of multimodality cardiac imaging, the patient was diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis.

Rapid evaluation of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) attending the emergency service under emergency room conditions and using appropriate risk scoring would improve treatment success. Calcium levels accumulate in the tissue in people with coronary artery disease and this has been found to correlate with osteopontin levels in some studies. It is predicted that osteopontin level could be used as a biomarker to detect coronary artery calcification. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the use of osteopontin levels in the differential diagnosis of ACS in conjunction with cardiac troponin I (cTnI) levels, and HEART (history, ECG, age, risk factors, troponin) and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) scores in patients with chest pain who attended the emergency service.

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index to assess the severity and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) of patients in hospital with premature coronary artery disease (PCAD).

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) often exhibit cardiac dysfunction and a poor prognosis. However, the specific reasons are unclear. This study aimed to describe the impact of obesity in patients with AF and DCM.

Prolonged Tp-Te interval is strongly associated with fatal ventricular arrhythmias and mortality. This association has been demonstrated in various diseases. However, the current literature does not give any information on Tp-Te interval in cardiac amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis.

The monocyte/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (MHR) and neutrophil/HDL-C ratio (NHR) are markers for inflammation and dyslipidaemia, which are important factors in atherosclerosis. Studies have linked MHR and NHR to the prediction, severity and prognosis of coronary artery disease. However, no study has explored their connection to plaque stability, specifically its calcific or soft/mixed content.

With the widespread administration of the BioNTech mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine, there is a need to evaluate its potential effects on cardiovascular health, particularly its association with myocardial infarction (MI). This study aimed to investigate the relationship between BioNTech vaccination and MI, as well as its impact on clinical and angiographic parameters.

The choroidal vascularity index (CVI) is a method that measures the density of blood vessels in the choroidal layer and can be used to evaluate the effects of hypertension. In this study we aimed to investigate the relationship between epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and CVI in patients with hypertension.

Data regarding changes in the arterial vascular wall after the deployment of suture-mediated vascular closure devices (VCD) at the femoral site in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary angiography (CAG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are sparse. This study investigated the occurrence of structural vascular changes or adverse vascular complications at the access site in the short term after the deployment of a suture-mediated intravascular VCD.

Carotid intima-medial thickness (CIMT) is a non-invasive tool used to detect atherosclerosis and diagnose cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to determine whether pre-operative CIMT measurements correlated with intra- and postoperative outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

The growing incidence of diabetes and the increasing life expectancy of the diabetic population worldwide has increased the number of diabetic vascular complications occurring in cardiology practice. As current treatment and prevention methods are less effective in this patient group, there is a need for new treatment methods in this area. Exercise, which reduces metabolic and vascular problems associated with diabetes, often becomes impossible, especially in advanced-stage patients who need exercise the most. Since exercise and flow-mediated dilation (FMD) are effective by stimulating mechanotransduction mechanisms on the endothelium, it can be expected that the same mechanisms could also be stimulated by direct vibration.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ellagic, vanillic and rosmarinic acid on reperfusion-related kidney damage, developed in an experimental lower-extremity ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) model.

In Nigeria, the incidence of coronary artery disease has doubled over the last three decades. However, there appears to be a lack of adequate heart catheterisation facilities.