A questionnaire survey to assess lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with chronic stroke.

Objectives: In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms and the associated clinical features in patients with chronic stroke.

Methods: Patients with stroke who had been regularly followed up at general medical hospitals in Okinawa, Japan were enrolled in the study. The patients were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire regarding their physical activity, medical history, and the core lower urinary tract symptom score (CLSS) questionnaire, with anonymity.

Effects of xanthine oxidase inhibitors on renal function and blood pressure in hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia.

Hyperuricemia may promote the progression of hypertension and renal dysfunction. However, the effects of hyperuricemia treatment on blood pressure and renal function in adult hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia remain unclear. A total of 137 hypertensive patients with hyperuricemia (96 men and 41 women; mean age of 67 years) who recently started taking xanthine oxidase inhibitors (allopurinol or febuxostat) as outpatients were recruited.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Nocturia in an Outpatient Clinic.

Objectives: We evaluated the prevalence of and risk factors in patients with nocturia at a general medical clinic in Naha, Japan.

Methods: We enrolled patients who had been regularly followed-up at a general medical clinic in Naha. Patients were asked to complete a self-reported questionnaire regarding medical history and the frequency of nocturnal voids in the last month with anonymity.

Olmesartan clinical trial in Okinawan patients under OKIDS (OCTOPUS) study: design and methods.

Background: Guidelines for treatment of hypertension are not available for chronic hemodialysis (HD) population, despite the high mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Survival is much better among hypertensive patients than normal to hypotensive patients. Target levels of blood pressure and the class of antihypertensive drugs have not been examined in prospective studies.

Effect of high fiber density ratio polysulfone dialyzer on protein removal.

Background/aims: A dialyzer (APS-EX) with a higher hollow fiber density ratio was manufactured using the highest performance polysulfone hollow fiber from Asahi-Kasei Medical.

Methods: We compared the performance of this device in comparison with hemodialysis (HD; APS-S) and hemodiafiltration (HDF) conditions (APS-S, 10 l post-HDF) to evaluate its merit as an internal filtration-enhanced dialyzer.

Results: With low molecular weight proteins, APS-EX had a reduction ratio of 74.

Activation of AP-1 and increased synthesis of MMP-9 in the rabbit retina induced by lipid hydroperoxide.

Purpose: We identified the temporal expression of activator protein-1 (AP-1) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) after linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LHP) induction of retinal neovascularization.

Methods: After injection of LHP into the vitreous of rabbits, samples were collected for AP-1 binding activity and mRNA for MMP-9 and MMPs activity. AP-1 binding activity was measured by electrophoretic mobility shift assay.

Lipid hydroperoxide induced corneal neovascularization in hyperglycemic rabbits.

Purpose: To compare the effect of hyperglycemia on corneal neovascularization (NV) induced by linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LHP) in a rabbit model.

Methods: Male New Zealand rabbits received 80 mg/kg alloxan i.v.