Current status and future perspective of coronary artery calcium score in asymptomatic individuals.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease remains a major cause of death, and it is important to accurately estimate the cardiovascular events risk stratification even in asymptomatic patients. The coronary artery calcium score (CACS), which is quantitatively evaluated by electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated non-contrast chest computed tomography (CT) imaging, has been reported to be useful for cardiovascular event risk stratification in large studies. In the USA and Europe, guidelines recommend the use of the CACS in borderline or intermediate-risk asymptomatic individuals based on a high level of evidence.

Differential T2* changes in tibialis anterior and soleus: Influence of exercise type and perceived exertion.

Understanding muscle response to exercise is critical for optimizing training strategies. This study investigated the effects of dorsiflexion and plantar flexion exercises on T2* values in the tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus (SOL) muscles and explored their relationship with muscle cross-sectional area (MCA), strength, and perceived exertion. Forty participants were divided into two exercise protocols: 30 performed dorsiflexion, 16 performed plantar flexion, and 6 completed both.

Serum mature and furin-cleaved proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 levels and their association with cardiovascular events in statin-treated patients with cardiovascular disease.

Background And Aims: Previous studies have not found a consistent association between circulating proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) levels and the risk of cardiovascular events partly due to measurement methods that cannot distinguish between uncleaved and furin-cleaved forms of PCSK9.

Methods: This is a prespecified sub-study of the REAL-CAD study which is a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial to compare high- versus low-dose statin in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). The primary endpoint was major adverse cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events (MACCE) defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal ischemic stroke, or unstable angina requiring emergency hospitalization.

Association between apolipoprotein C-III levels and coronary calcification detected by intravascular ultrasound in patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention.

There are few reports on the association between apolipoprotein C-III (ApoC-III) and coronary calcification using intravascular modalities. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of ApoC-III levels on coronary calcification using grayscale intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Consecutive 263 culprit lesions for 202 patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention using grayscale IVUS were included in this study and divided into four groups based on quartile ApoC-III values.

Correlates of sleep-disordered breathing and Cheyne-Stokes respiration in patients with atrial fibrillation who have undergone pulmonary vein isolation.

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a common comorbidity in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for AF have a high prevalence of SDB. In previous studies, some patients with AF had Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR).

Association between physiotherapist sleep duration and working environment during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Japan: A secondary retrospective analysis study.

Studies have reported that health care professionals experienced a lack of sleep during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and that such lack of sleep and working environment affect their performance. However, to the authors' knowledge, no study has yet investigated the relationship between sleep duration and working environment among Japanese physiotherapists during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study retrospectively investigated the sleep duration of physiotherapists directly providing physiotherapy to patients with COVID-19 within the red zone and analyzed the association between sleep duration and working environment using logistic regression analysis.

Health literacy in medical imaging: a scoping review of current evidence and future directions.

Objective: The importance of health literacy in medical imaging is well recognized, yet the current landscape remains inadequately understood. This study aims to explore the extent of health literacy studies contextualized to medical imaging.

Study Design: Scoping review.

Randomized Trial for Evaluation in Secondary Prevention Efficacy of Combination Therapy-Statin and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (RESPECT-EPA).

Background: Low plasma levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are associated with cardiovascular events. This trial aimed to assess the clinical benefits of icosapent ethyl in patients with coronary artery disease, a low EPA/arachidonic acid (AA) ratio, and statin treatment.

Methods: In this prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label, blinded end-point study, patients with stable coronary artery disease and a low EPA/AA ratio (<0.

Home Based Exercise Rehabilitation Programs to Prevent Physical Frailty and Hospitalization-Associated Disability.

Daily health management and exercise are important for staying healthy and avoiding the need for long-term care. However, it is not easy to maintain regular exercise. Therefore, exercise needs to be done efficiently.

Relationship between prehabilitation responsiveness and postoperative physical functional recovery in cardiovascular surgery.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between responsiveness to prehabilitation and postoperative recovery of physical function in cardiac surgery patients.

Methods: Ninety-three cardiac surgery patients (mean age: 76.4 years) were included in this retrospective cohort study.

Validity Verification of Human Pose-Tracking Algorithms for Gait Analysis Capability.

Two-dimensional (2D) clinical gait analysis systems are more affordable and portable than contemporary three-dimensional (3D) clinical models. Using the Vicon 3D motion capture system as the standard, we evaluated the internal statistics of the Imasen and open-source OpenPose gait measurement systems, both designed for 2D input, to validate their output based on the similarity of results and the legitimacy of their inner statistical processes. We measured time factors, distance factors, and joint angles of the hip and knee joints in the sagittal plane while varying speeds and gaits during level walking in three in-person walking experiments under normal, maximum-speed, and tandem scenarios.

Reducing image artifacts in sparse projection CT using conditional generative adversarial networks.

Reducing the amount of projection data in computed tomography (CT), specifically sparse-view CT, can reduce exposure dose; however, image artifacts can occur. We quantitatively evaluated the effects of conditional generative adversarial networks (CGAN) on image quality restoration for sparse-view CT using simulated sparse projection images and compared them with autoencoder (AE) and U-Net models. The AE, U-Net, and CGAN models were trained using pairs of artifacts and original images; 90% of patient cases were used for training and the remaining for evaluation.

Long-Term Impact of Renin-Angiotensin System Inhibitors for Secondary Prevention in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Who Underwent Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Introduction: The long-term impact of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors for secondary prevention in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and coexisting coronary artery disease remains unclear.

Methods: Altogether, 1,160 consecutive patients with CKD (mean age, 70 ± 9 years; 78% men) who underwent their first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between 2000 and 2018 were included and analyzed. Based on their RAS inhibitor use, 674 patients (58%) were allocated to the RAS inhibitor group, and 486 patients (42%) were allocated to the non-RAS inhibitor group.

An analysis of the effectiveness of reflective learning through watching videos recorded with smart glasses-With multiple views (student, patient, and overall) in radiography education.

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is designed to assess medical students' skills and attitude competencies before clinical practice. However, no method of reflective learning using video-based content has been used in OSCE education. This study aimed to confirm whether using smart glasses-based educational content is effective for OSCE reflective learning using multiple views (patient, student, and overall).

Fully automated coronary artery calcium quantification on electrocardiogram-gated non-contrast cardiac computed tomography using deep-learning with novel Heart-labelling method.

Aims: To develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-model which enables fully automated accurate quantification of coronary artery calcium (CAC), using deep learning (DL) on electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated non-contrast cardiac computed tomography (gated CCT) images.

Methods And Results: Retrospectively, 560 gated CCT images (including 60 synthetic images) performed at our institution were used to train AI-model, which can automatically divide heart region into five areas belonging to left main (LM), left anterior descending (LAD), circumflex (LCX), right coronary artery (RCA), and another. Total and vessel-specific CAC score (CACS) in each scan were manually evaluated.

Association between number of medications and hip fractures in Japanese elderly using conditional logistic LASSO regression.

To examine the association between hip fracture and associated factors, including polypharmacy, and develop an optimal predictive model, we conducted a population-based matched case-control study using the health insurance claims data on hip fracture among Japanese patients. We included 34,717 hospitalized Japanese patients aged ≥ 65 years with hip fracture and 34,717 age- and sex- matched controls who were matched 1:1. This study included 69,434 participants.

Safety and Feasibility of Tele-Cardiac Rehabilitation Using Remote Biological Signal Monitoring System: A Pilot Study.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is categorized as a class I recommendation in the guidelines for the management of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the penetration rate of outpatient CR is low in Japan. We designed a pilot study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of tele-CR using a remote biological signal monitoring system.