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Background The FAST-MI Tunisia registry was set up by the Tunisian Society of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery to assess the demographic and clinical characteristics, management and hospital outcome of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods Data for 459 consecutive patients (mean age 60.8 years; 88.5% male) with STEMI, treated in 16 public hospitals (representing 72.2% of public hospitals in Tunisia treating STEMI patients), were collected prospectively.The most common risk factors were smoking (63.6%), hypertension (39.7%), diabetes (32%) and dyslipidaemia (18.2%). Results Among the 459 patients, 61.8% received reperfusion therapy: 30% with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) and 31.8% with intravenous fibrinolysis (IF) (28.6% with pre-hospital thrombolysis). The median time from symptom onset to thrombolysis was 185 min and to PPCI was 358 min. In-hospital mortality was 5.3%. Compared with those managed at regional hospitals, patients managed at interventional university hospitals ( n = 357) were more likely to receive reperfusion therapy (52.9% vs. 34.1%; p<0.001), with less IF (28.6% vs. 43.1%; p = 0.002) but more PPCI (37.8% vs. 3.9%; p<0.0001). However, in-hospital mortality in the two types of hospitals was similar (5.3% vs. 5.1%; p = 0.866). Conclusions Data from the FAST-MI Tunisia registry show that a pharmaco-invasive strategy of management for STEMI should be promoted in non-interventional regional hospitals.

Background Contemporary registries on atrial fibrillation (AF) are scare in North African countries. Hypothesis In the context of the epidemiological transition, prevalence of valvular AF in Tunisia has decreased and the quality of management is still suboptimal. Methods NATURE‐AF is a prospective Tunisian registry, involving consecutive patients with AF from March 1, 2017 to May 31, 2017, with a one‐year follow‐up period. All the patients with an Electrocardiogram‐documented AF, confirmed in the year prior to enrolment were eligible. The epidemiological characteristics and outcomes were described. Results A total of 915 patients were included in this study, with a mean age of 64.3 ± 22 years and a male/female sex ratio of 0.93. Valvular AF was identified in 22.4% of the patients. The mean CHA2DS2VASC score in nonvalvular AF was 2.4 ± 1.6. Monotherapy with antiplatelet agents was prescribed for 13.8% of the patients. However, 21.7% of the subjects did not receive any antithrombotic agent. Oral anticoagulants were prescribed for half of the patients with a low embolic risk score. In 341 patients, the mean time in therapeutic range was 48.87 ± 28.69%. Amiodarone was the most common antiarrhythmic agent used (52.6%). During a 12‐month follow‐up period, 15 patients (1.64%) had thromboembolism, 53 patients (5.8%) had major hemorrhage, and 52 patients (5.7%) died. Conclusions NATURE‐AF has provided systematic collection of contemporary data regarding the epidemiological and clinical characteristics as well as the management of AF by cardiologists in Tunisia. Valvular AF is still prevalent and the quality of anticoagulation was suboptimal.

Our results suggest that the expression and activity of PPARγ mediates CD36 in PBMCs and varies with respect to STAT6 and STAT1 trafficking in diabetic patients with and without cardiovascular diseases.

Background The frequency of heart failure (HF) in Tunisia is on the rise and has now become a public health concern. This is mainly due to an aging Tunisian population (Tunisia has one of the oldest populations in Africa as well as the highest life expectancy in the continent) and an increase in coronary artery disease and hypertension. However, no extensive data are available on demographic characteristics, prognosis, and quality of care of patients with HF in Tunisia (nor in North Africa). Objective The aim of this study was to analyze, follow, and evaluate patients with HF in a large nation-wide multicenter trial. Methods A total of 1700 patients with HF diagnosed by the investigator will be included in the National Tunisian Registry of Heart Failure study (NATURE-HF). Patients must visit the cardiology clinic 1, 3, and 12 months after study inclusion. This follow-up is provided by the investigator. All data are collected via the DACIMA Clinical Suite web interface. Results At the end of the study, we will note the occurrence of cardiovascular death (sudden death, coronary artery disease, refractory HF, stroke), death from any cause (cardiovascular and noncardiovascular), and the occurrence of a rehospitalization episode for an HF relapse during the follow-up period. Based on these data, we will evaluate the demographic characteristics of the study patients, the characteristics of pathological antecedents, and symptomatic and clinical features of HF. In addition, we will report the paraclinical examination findings such as the laboratory standard parameters and brain natriuretic peptides, electrocardiogram or 24-hour Holter monitoring, echocardiography, and coronarography. We will also provide a description of the therapeutic environment and therapeutic changes that occur during the 1-year follow-up of patients, adverse events following medical treatment and intervention during the 3- and 12-month follow-up, the evaluation of left ventricular ejection fraction during the 3- and 12-month follow-up, the overall rate of rehospitalization over the 1-year follow-up for an HF relapse, and the rate of rehospitalization during the first 3 months after inclusion into the study. Conclusions The NATURE-HF study will fill a significant gap in the dynamic landscape of HF care and research. It will provide unique and necessary data on the management and outcomes of patients with HF. This study will yield the largest contemporary longitudinal cohort of patients with HF in Tunisia. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03262675; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03262675 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/12262