Hypertension and atrial fibrillation: the clinical impact of hypertension on perioperative outcomes of atrial fibrillation ablation and its optimal control for the prevention of recurrence.

Hypertension (HTN) is one of the major risk factors for developing atrial fibrillation (AF), and it has been estimated that approximately 70% of hypertensive patients are at risk of developing AF. On the other hand, 60-80% of AF patients have HTN. These two diseases share many risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, alcohol consumption, and sleep apnea syndrome during their onset and disease progression.

Relationship between the atrial-activation pattern around the triangle of Koch and successful ablation sites in slow-fast atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.

Background: The precise details of atrial activation around the triangle of Koch (ToK) remain unknown. We evaluated the relationship between the atrial-activation pattern around the ToK and success sites for slow-pathway (SP) modification ablation in slow-fast atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT).

Methods: Thirty patients with slow-fast AVNRT who underwent successful ablation were enrolled.

Impact of nocturnal blood pressure dipping on recurrence of atrial fibrillation after pulmonary vein isolation.

Lack of the typical nocturnal blood pressure (BP) fall, i.e non-dipper, has been known as a cardiovascular risk. However, the influence of non-dipper on atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has been unclear.

Comparison of heart rate and cardiac output of VVI pacemaker settings in patients with atrial fibrillation with bradycardia.

Background: While most VVI pacemakers in bradycardic patients are set to a low limit of 60/min, the optimal lower limit rate for VVI pacemakers in atrial fibrillation has not been established. Although an increase in heart rate within the normal range in the setting of a VVI pacemaker might be expected to lead to an increase in cardiac output with the shortening of the diastolic time, the changes in cardiac output at different pacemaker settings have not been fully clarified.

Methods: We included 11 patients with bradycardic atrial fibrillation who had VVI pacemakers implanted.

Unipolar-voltage-based evaluation of left atrial tissue properties and ablation outcome in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Aims: The relationship between local unipolar voltage (UV) in the pulmonary vein (PV)-ostia and left atrial wall thickness (LAWT) and the utility of these parameters as indices of outcome after atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation remain unclear.

Methods And Results: Two-hundred seventy-two AF patients who underwent AF ablation were enrolled. Unipolar voltage of PV-ostia was measured using a CARTO system, and LAWT was measured using computed tomography.

Association between clinical symptoms and lateral thrust 12 months after high tibial osteotomy.

[Purpose] This study aimed to assess the correlation between lateral thrust and clinical symptoms after high tibial osteotomy and determine lower limb alignments that may decrease lateral thrust. [Participants and Methods] We included 54 patients (73 knees) who underwent high tibial osteotomy. Clinical symptoms, including the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score and the hip-knee-ankle angle measured via radiography, were assessed 12 months postoperatively.

Impact of unipolar voltage criteria for left atrial posterior wall on atrial fibrillation recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation.

Introduction: Beyond pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), additional therapeutic strategies for atrial fibrillation (AF) have not been established. Remodeling of the left atrium (LA) could impact AF recurrence post-PVI. We investigated the impact of unipolar voltage (UV) criteria for the LA posterior wall (LA-PW) on AF recurrence post-PVI.

Physical functions associated with health-related quality of life in older adults diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis.

[Purpose] The present study aimed to identify the physical functions associated with health-related quality of life in older adults with knee osteoarthritis. [Participants and Methods] A total of 132 participants were included in this study in two groups: the knee osteoarthritis group (n=66) and the control group (n=66). We compared the results of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey with the physical function measures related to health-related quality of life.

Electrogram characteristics at successful cryoablation sites in slow-fast atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia.

Purpose: Cryoablation is a safe alternative to radiofrequency (RF) ablation for slow-fast atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT); however, optimal electrogram parameters for site selection remain unknown. We retrospectively investigated local electrograms for slow pathway (SP) modification in cryoablation.

Methods: Forty-five consecutive patients with slow-fast AVNRT who underwent cryoablation using a 6-mm-tip catheter were enrolled.

The effects of cognitive tasks on the frequency of non-MTC gait cycle during walking in healthy older and young adults.

[Purpose] To investigate the effects of cognitive tasks on the non-minimum toe clearance gait cycles (nMTC) frequency during walking in healthy older and young adults. [Participants and Methods] This study included 20 healthy older and 20 young adults. The participants performed 3 min preferred-speed walking under a single-task and three dual-tasks (DTs) consisting of verbal, subtraction, and recall tasks.

Physical function and health-related quality of life of community-dwelling older adults with locomotive syndrome and pre-frailty.

[Purpose] To consider the effective rehabilitation approaches for locomotive syndrome (LS) and pre-frailty, we examined the characteristics of physical function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in community-dwelling older adults. [Participants and Methods] Eighty-three individuals (age 71.8 ± 5.

Effects of cognitive tasks on center-of-foot pressure displacements and brain activity during single leg stance: comparison in community-dwelling healthy older and young people.

[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate the effect of cognitive tasks on the center-of-foot pressure (COP) displacements and brain activity during single leg stance (SLS) in older people. [Participants and Methods] This study included 25 healthy older (age, 68.8 ± 4.

Leadless Pacemaker Implantation for a Super-elderly Woman with a Mediastinal Tumor.

A 95-year-old woman with no cardiac history presented with symptomatic complete atrioventricular block. She underwent temporary cardiac pacing via the cervical vein, but a pacing lead could not be introduced via the usual route because of a mediastinal tumor. A leadless pacemaker (Micra™; Medtronic, Minneapolis, USA) was implanted at the right ventricular septum via the right femoral vein.

Sleep Rate Mode of Pacemaker-Dependent Patients with Sick Sinus Syndrome Increases Dipper Blood Pressure and Dipper Heart Rate Patterns.

Cardiovascular event rates of patients with a dipper blood pressure (BP) and dipper heart rate (HR) pattern are lower than those of patients with nondipper BP and HR patterns. However, how the pacemaker mode affects the diurnal BP and HR patterns remains unclear.We enrolled nine patients (average age 74.

Automatically assessed P-wave predicts cardiac events independently of left atrial enlargement in patients with cardiovascular risks: The Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure Study.

A prolonged P-wave in electrocardiography (ECG) reflects atrial remodeling and predicts the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). The authors enrolled 810 subjects in the Japan Morning Surge Home Blood Pressure (J-HOP) study who had ≥1 cardiovascular (CV) risk factor. The duration of P-wave was automatically analyzed by standard 12-lead electrocardiogram.

A larger vectorcardiographic QRS area is associated with left bundle branch block and good prognosis in patients with cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Background: The association between the vectorcardiographic QRS area, bundle branch pattern and clinical long-term prognosis in patients who have undergone cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been unclear.

Methods: We enrolled 50 consecutive patients who underwent CRT. Vectorcardiograms were constructed from preprocedural digital 12-lead electrocardiograms using the inverse Dower method.

A case of successful radiofrequency catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia from the noncoronary cusp.

Idiopathic ventricular tachycardias (VTs) originating from the non-coronary cusp (NCC) are very rare. The previous reports suggested NCC-VTs were characterized by a narrower QRS duration and smaller III/II ratio than VTs originating from other coronary-cusps. We present a rare case of an NCC-VT with a local fragmented potential recorded at the NCC inconsistent with the known ECG characteristics of NCC-VTs.

Relationship between dietary pattern and cognitive function in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Objective: To analyse the relationships between dietary patterns and cognitive function in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: Patients with T2DM completed a 3-day dietary record and Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE). Dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis.

Relationship between olfactory dysfunction and cognitive impairment in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Aims: Recent clinical studies identified the relation between olfactory dysfunction and cognitive impairment in the elderly without type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of the present study was to define the relation between olfactory function and cognition in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods: The study participants comprised 250 elderly (age, 68-77, median 72) Japanese outpatient with type 2 diabetes mellitus free of clinically-evident cognitive impairment.

Catastrophic myocardial ischemia resulting from a left coronary artery anomaly with an origin in the right sinus of Valsalva.

A congenital left coronary artery anomaly originating from the right aortic sinus is a rare congenital defect associated with the risk of sudden death in young individuals. In most cases, the proximal portion of the anomalous left coronary artery exists between the ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk, and it has an intramural aortic course; this could critically impair the left coronary flow owing to compression of the anomalous left main trunk between the great vessels during exercise. Herein, we report a 14-year-old boy who experienced cardiac collapse due to an acute myocardial infarction after long-distance running.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae QNS1 codes for NAD(+) synthetase that is functionally conserved in mammals.

NAD(+), an essential molecule involved in a variety of cellular processes, is synthesized through de novo and salvage pathways. NAD(+) synthetase catalyses the final step in both pathways. Here we show that this enzyme is encoded by the QNS1 gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.