Global Heart RSS feed: Articles in Press. Global Heart seeks to provide a forum for dialogue and education on matters that relate foremost to the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases worldwide, with a special focus on countries with middle and lower economies. With the main focus being on prevention, manuscripts should address not only the extent or epidemiology of the problem, but also describe interventions to effectively control and prevent cardiovascular diseases and their antecedent factors. The emphasis should be on approaches that can be applied in settings with limited resources. Economic evaluations of successful interventions will be particularly welcome. Important negative findings will also be considered. While reports of hospital or clinic-based treatments will not necessarily be rejected, particularly if they have broad implications for cost-effective disease control or prevention, manuscripts that address community-based activities will be preferred. Submissions on cardiovascular surveillance and health policies, professional education, ethical issues and technological innovations particularly those related to prevention are encouraged. WHF Members and personal subscribers can access the journal online here http://www.globalheart-journal.com//inpress?rss=yesElsevier Inc.en © 2012 World Heart Federation (Geneva). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Global Heart2211-81602012-03-22 © 2012 World Heart Federation (Geneva). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. healthpermissions@elsevier.comhttp://www.globalheart-journal.com/article/PIIS2211816012000038/abstract?rss=yesAbstract: Objectives: The survival benefits achieved by prescription of antiplatelet agents, B-adrenoreceptor antagonists (beta-blockers), angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), and lipid lowering agents in patients surviving the myocardial infarction (MI) have been well documented in large clinical trial. Despite well-established benefits, these pharmacological agents continue to be underutilized. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the progress of cardiovascular secondary prevention practices in Tunisia.Methods: The PREMISE (Prevention of Recurrence of Myocardial Infarction and Stroke) is a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in Tunisia in two phases (2002 and 2009). Seven hundred eighty two patients were recruited. The recruitment criteria were: previous MI, stable angina, unstable angina, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA) or carotid endarterectomy. This analysis is limited to coronary heart disease (CHD) patients. Five hundred hospital patients were interviewed and their medical records were reviewed: 250 in 2002 and 250 in 2009. Patients were included if they had confirmed diagnosis of MI, angina, CABG or PTCA, and if their first cardiovascular event had occurred more than one month but not later than 3 years ago. We compared the total of both patient groups, using the prevalence of Cardio-Vascular Risk Factors (CVRF) and the treatment prescribed at hospital discharge.Results: The proportion of patients with reported hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia and current smoker patients had decreased. Concerning pharmacological prescriptions, a significant increase was observed in prescribing statins (38.9% vs. 70.3%) and ACE inhibitors (49.3% vs. 69.9%), non pharmacological prescriptions as healthy diet or tobacco cessation had opposite trends. Adherence to treatment did not change substantially.Conclusion: Although the use of cardioprotective drugs had increased in CHD patients, there are still gaps in secondary prevention in Tunisia. The recommended strategies of secondary prevention need to be applied more intensively in clinical practice.Trends in Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease in Tunisia Prevention of Recurrences of MI and Stroke, 2002–2009 - Corrected ProofN. Ben Mansour, O. Lassoued, O. Saidi, W. Aissi, S. Ben Ali, H. Ben Romdhane10.1016/j.gheart.2012.01.002Global Heart (2012)2012-03-22Global Heart2012-03-22ORIGINAL RESEARCHhttp://www.globalheart-journal.com/article/PIIS2211816012000026/abstract?rss=yesAbstract: Similar to most populations, South Asian countries are also witnessing the dramatic transitions in health during the last few decades with the major causes of adverse health shifting from a predominance of nutritional deficiencies and infectious diseases to chronic diseases such as cardio and cerebrovascular disease (CVD). We summarized the available information of the burden of CVD and risk factors in the South Asian populations. The prevalence of conventional cardiovascular has been increasing among all South Asian populations. Extensive urbanization, shift in dietary pattern and sedentary daily life style is contributing towards the worsening of the CVD risk factor scenario. The burdens of the chronic cardiovascular risk factors are much prevalent in the South Asian populations. These are also rising alarmingly which ought to influence the already existed heavy CVD burden. Similar to the rest of the world, management for the conventional cardiovascular risk factors is very important for the prevention of CVD in South Asia.The Burden of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases and the Conventional Risk Factors in the South Asian Population - Corrected ProofTanvir Chowdhury Turin, Nahid Shahana, Lungten Z. Wangchuk, Adrian V Specogna, Mohammad Al Mamun, Mudassir Azeez Khan, Sohel Reza Choudhury, M. Mostafa Zaman, Nahid Rumana10.1016/j.gheart.2012.01.001Global Heart (2012)2012-03-21Global Heart2012-03-21REVIEWhttp://www.globalheart-journal.com/article/PIIS221181601200004X/abstract?rss=yesElizabeth Gatumia’s commitment to helping children with rheumatic heart disease started 15years ago when she worked as a television newscaster for Good Morning Kenya. Parents would often bring their sick children to her, not knowing what disease they had, and ask to put them on her show. “They would say, ‘Mtoto wangu ako na ugonjwa wa moyo (My child has a heart disease).’ But they didn’t know what heart disease it was,” said Ms. Gatumia. Appealing to her television audience, Ms. Gatumia helped to raise the thousands of dollars needed for open-heart surgery for as many children as she could.The Best Prevention Efforts begin with Compassion - Corrected ProofBenn Grover10.1016/j.gheart.2011.11.001Global Heart (2012)2012-03-21Global Heart2012-03-21VIEWPOINThttp://www.globalheart-journal.com/article/PIIS2211816012000063/abstract?rss=yesThe South Asian region is home to a quarter of the world’s population and has the largest absolute burden of cardiovascular diseases, especially coronary heart disease . Policy, administrative, and clinical responses to this escalating epidemic of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are lacking in the region . Studies from economically advanced countries report that policy initiatives coupled with administrative and clinical interventions are the fastest and the best ways to reduce cardiovascular mortality . Mortality from CVD peaked in the mid-1960s in most countries of Western Europe and North America and has declined since by 50–90% in all these regions . This is due to multiple measures including better literacy and living conditions due to improved socioeconomic status; universal public or private health insurance; increasing awareness of prevention; promotion of physical activity; curbing of smoking and tobacco use; legislative control of saturated and trans fats; better control of risk factors of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes; and better acute and chronic medical care.A Checklist for CVD Control in South Asia - Corrected ProofRajeev Gupta, Mrigendra R. Pandey, Deewakar Sharma, Abdul Malik, Wijayasingham Santharaj10.1016/j.gheart.2012.01.003Global Heart (2012)2012-03-21Global Heart2012-03-21LETTER TO THE EDITOR