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Background and objective : C-reactive protein (CRP) is a well-known inflammatory biomarker and is associated with cardiovascular risk. Our objective was to see whether it is also associated with hypertension and its complications.Methodology : This prospective observational study was carried out in general outpatient department (OPD) of a tertiary level hospital on a total of 112 patients, among them 71 were hypertensive and 41 were normotensive. Baseline CRP was measured in all subjects and followed them up to six months to see any association between the level of CRP and hypertensive complications.Results : It is found that mean CRP was 2.923 (± 0.294) in hypertensive subjects and 1.058 (± 0.330) in normotensive subjects. No association is found between level of CRP and hypertensive complications.Conclusion : CRP is raised in hypertension. But it is not established that its level can predict the complication of hypertension.Bangladesh Crit Care J March 2018; 6(1): 3-6

Courtesy: Safder AMBA 43 years old male presented with recurrent convulsion. He had some paular lesion on the face & hand and patch on the forearm; the images of which are given below. A skull x-ray and CT scan of brain was done. Q. What is the likely diagnosis? Papular lesion on face

Objective: To see the clinical profile of chronic heart failure in hospitalized type 2 diabetic subjects. Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out on a total of 100 type 2 diabetic patients with chronic heart failure, in the Department of Cardiology, BIRDEM, over a period of six months between July to December 2012. Results: The mean age of the study subjects was 60.9 ± 11.7 years with male to female ratio being roughly 2:1. The mean duration of diabetes mellitus was 9.15 years. Among the study subjects 72% were on insulin and 18% on oral hypoglycemic agents; 10% were on combined insulin and oral hypoglycemic agent. Dyspnea and cough were invariably present. About 88% subjects had edema, 39% raised JVP, and 13% murmur. Bilateral basal crepitation was found in 56% cases. While mean fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PPBG) level and HbA1C were 10 mmol/l, 16.7 mmol/l and 9.9% respectively, mean serum creatinine was 2.07 mg/dl. Among study subjects, raised ESR (48%), elevated WBC count (50%) and raised BNP level (64.6%) were seen. Chest X- ray revealed cardiomagaly (70%), reticulonodular shadow in both lung fields (11%) and septal thickening (15%). ECG findings of the patients were old infarct (72%), IHD (66%), RV hypertrophy (40%) and arrhythmia (17%). Most common echocardiographic findings of the subjects were regional wall motion abnormalities (78%), Mild LV systolic dysfunction (64%) with Grade-I diastolic dysfunction being 70% and moderate to severe pulmonary arterial hypertension being 40%. Conclusion: Raised BNP level, presence of old infarct in ECG and regional wall motion abnormalities in echocardiography are the common clinical findings among patients with chronic heart failure. Ibrahim Card Med J 2016; 6 (1&2): 67-70