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Objective: breast arterial calcification (BAC) is one of the most prevalent mammographic findings and has been debated as a marker of cardiovascular disease (CVDs). The present study aimed to assess the findings of stress echo in women with BAC. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on women who undergo mammography for routine breast cancer screening at Imam Reza hospital, western Iran from March 2018 to July 2018. The patients underwent stress echocardiography to evaluate the probability of myocardial ischemia (MI). Chi-square and independent t-tests were used to assess the differences between subgroups. Results: BAC was present in 61 (15.2%) women. The mean age of the patients with BAC was significantly higher than the patients without BAC (58.59± 7.82 vs. 55.32±6.57, p =0.003). Prevalence rates of the menopause (88.5% vs. 71.1%, p=0.009), hypertension (29.5% vs. 17.7%, p=0.032), and hypercholesterolemia (24.6% vs. 13.0, p=0.018) were significantly higher in the patients with BAC compared to the patients without BAC. The prevalence rate of MI symptoms in the patients with BAC was equal to 24.6%. Significantly, more women with BAC were positive for myocardial ischemia compared to the women without BAC (24.6% vs. 8.5%, p

Background: Despite the health benefits of smoking cessation on patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), some resume smoking even after their discharge from hospital with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Objectives: This study aimed to determine the predictors of smoking resumption after ACS in western Iran. Patients and Methods: This prospective cohort study was performed on 175 patients admitted to the Imam Ali Cardiovascular Center, Kermanshah, Iran, with a diagnosis of ACS from January 2018 to December 2018. Data were collected by a trained interviewer using a checklist developed based on the study objectives. Differences between groups were evaluated by independent t-test, chi-square, and Fisher’s exact tests. The relationship between smoking resumption and predicting variables was assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models (Forward LR). Results: All participants were male with a mean age of 56.30 ± 8.91 (mean ± SD) years. Three months post-discharge, 137 (78.3%) patients quit smoking, and 38 (21.7%) patients resumed it. The patients who resumed smoking were more likely to be divorced (20.6% vs. 0.7%), unemployed or retired (73.7% vs. 63.5%), have smokers in household (86.8% vs. 50.4%), and have history of depression (52.7% vs. 20.4%) (P-values < 0.05). The independent predictors of smoking resumption were divorce (OR 4.2, 95% CI: 1.31 - 19.01), having smokers in household (OR 12.08, 95% CI: 3.45 - 40.81), and history of depression (OR 12.16, 95% CI: 3.68 - 39.04). Conclusions: Divorce, having smokers in household, and history of depression were identified as the independent predictors of smoking resumption in ACS patients. Those who have these characteristics should be viewed as having a high risk of smoking relapse and be provided with more support to quit smoking.

Introduction: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Determining seasonal pattern of AMI may contribute to disease prevention and better treatment. Objective: The present study was conducted to investigate daily, monthly, and seasonal pattern for symptoms҆ onset in the patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), and also other possible associated factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 777 patients diagnosed with STEMI admitted at the Imam Ali Cardiovascular Hospital affiliated with Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), Kermanshah province, Iran from March 2018 to February 2019. Data were collected using a checklist developed based on the study's objectives. Differences between subgroups were assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukeys҆ post‐hoc test and Chi-Square test (or Fishers҆ exact test). Results: Out of 777 patients, 616 (79.3%) of them were male. Mean age of the patients was (mean±SD) equal to 60.93±12.86 years old. Occurrence of STEMI was most common in winter (38.4%), followed by autumn (27.8%), spring (22.9%), and summer (10.9%), respectively. Monthly occurrence of AMI was at the highest level in January (10.8%) and December (9.9%), and it was at the lowest level in July (4.9 %). Most patients were admitted on Fridays (15.8%) and Wednesdays (15.6%). Hypercholesterolemia, prior congestive heart failure (CHF), prior MI, prior stroke, prior atrial fibrillation (AF), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides, total cholesterol, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), and creatine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB) were significantly associated with seasonal pattern of STEMI (p-value