Publications by authors named "H Rakugi"
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is a classically known circulatory regulatory system. In addition to the previously known multi-organ circulatory form of the RAS, the existence of tissue RASs in individual organs has been well established. Skeletal muscle has also been identified as an organ with a distinct RAS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSacubitril/valsartan, an angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor, has demonstrated a superior blood pressure-lowering effect compared with renin-angiotensin system inhibitors in several clinical trials. However, there has been no available evidence on the comparison between sacubitril/valsartan and calcium channel blockers (CCBs), a well-established class of antihypertensive drugs. In this open-label, multicenter study, we aimed to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of sacubitril/valsartan versus amlodipine, one of the most widely used CCBs, after 8 weeks of treatment.
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- - The study focused on myofibroblasts and how a vaccine targeting fibroblast activation protein (FAP) might help reduce cardiac fibrosis in mice with chronic cardiac stress.
- - Mice were vaccinated with a FAP peptide while undergoing continuous treatment with angiotensin II and phenylephrine, resulting in a significant decrease in both cardiac fibrosis and the number of myofibroblasts.
- - The findings suggest that the FAP vaccine is a promising therapeutic option for cardiac fibrosis without causing harmful side effects in other injury models, indicating its potential for future treatments.
Hypertension increases the risk of cerebrovascular disease and death. In addition to aerobic exercise, which is currently recommended for its antihypertensive effects, recent studies have suggested that dynamic and isometric resistance exercises also have antihypertensive effects. However, the magnitude of the antihypertensive effect of such resistance exercises is not well known.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevious studies suggest older patients with multiple health conditions and medications may experience adverse interactions, leading to negative outcomes. However, there's limited research on this in older adults receiving home medical care. This study assesses whether polypharmacy is linked to falls or other clinical outcomes.
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