Influence of night shift work on circadian heart-rate rhythm in nurses: using a Holter electrocardiogram that can be continuously measured for two weeks.

The influence of night shift work on circadian heart-rate rhythm was examined in nurses engaged in shift work using a Holter electrocardiogram, continuously measured for two weeks, and cosine periodic regression analysis. We enrolled 11 nurses who were engaged in a two-shift system. The R value in the cosine regression curve of heart-rate rhythm (concordance rate), indicating the concordance rate between the actual heart rate over 24 h and the cosine regression curve approximated by the least-squares procedure, was significantly lower in the night shift (0.

Reoccurrence of takotsubo cardiomyopathy induced by osimertinib: A case report.

A patient with lung cancer was administrated osimertinib. She developed symptomatic heart failure due to Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC). As her condition improved after discontinuing osimertinib, TC was thought to be caused by osimertinib.

Do differences in chronotypes affect sleep and health-related quality of life of nursing students? A cross-sectional study.

Nursing students experience higher levels of stress and more sleep-related problems than other students; however, the relationship of chronotype to nursing students' sleep status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is unclear. This cross-sectional, observational study investigated whether chronotype affected Japanese nursing college students' sleep and HRQOL. Nursing students completed the Attribute Questionnaire about Subject Background, Japanese Version Morningness‒Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), Munich Chrono-Type Questionnaire‒Japanese Version (MCTQ), Japanese Version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), SF-12v2 Standard, Japanese Version 2.

The relationship between social jetlag and subjective sleep quality: differences in young and middle-aged workers.

Social jetlag is a recent problem that is associated with a wide range of issues in the context of modern life. However, differences in the effects of social jetlag on sleep quality between young and middle-aged workers remain unclear. Accordingly, we aimed to examine the different effects of social jetlag on sleep quality in young (20-39 years) and middle-aged (40-59 years) workers from one factory.

The Influence of Chronotype and Working Condition on Sleep Status and Health Related Quality of Life of Daytime Office Workers.

Several companies in Japan introduced early working conditions (including recommendations on early morning work and prohibitions on nighttime overtime work) to decrease the number of long working hours at night. Nevertheless, individuals possess their own chronotype, i.e.

Postprandial Blood Pressure Decrease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Mild or Severe Cardiac Autonomic Dysfunction.

Few reports have evaluated the relationship between changes in postprandial blood pressure and the severity of autonomic dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes. This was a cross-sectional study designed to investigate postprandial blood pressure changes in individuals without type 2 diabetes and patients with type 2 diabetes and mild or severe cardiac autonomic dysfunction. Forty patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 20 individuals without type 2 diabetes participated in this study.

Relationship between the Functional Independence Measure and Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability in hospitalized patients with pneumonia.

Aim: Pneumonia ranks high among the causes of death worldwide. However, the predictive values of activities of daily living, the nutrition index and the aspiration index measured objectively remain unclear. The present study aimed to examine the associations of activity, nutrition and dysphagia with pneumonia.

A Comparison of Quantitative T2 Mapping on Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging with Metaiodobenzylguanidine Scintigraphy and Left Ventricular Functional Recovery in Dilated Cardiomyopathy: A Retrospective Pilot Study.

Objective: Metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy is used to assess heart failure (HF) severity and to predict cardiac functional recovery. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has recently been used to diagnosis HF. We evaluated CMR T2 mapping and MIBG scintigraphy in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients.

Predicting the response to cardiac resynchronization therapy using 99mTc-tetrofosmin myocardial scintigraphy in patients with drug-refractory heart failure: additional value of the washout of 99mTc-tetrofosmin.

Objective: A lack of response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been reported in 20-40% of heart failure patients with left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony who underwent treatment based on the established guidelines. The study aimed to investigate the relationship between (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin ((99m)Tc-TF) myocardial scintigraphy and the response to CRT.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-one patients with drug-refractory heart failure who underwent CRT were evaluated.

Relationship of decreased accumulation of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin on myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography images between QRS duration in dilated cardiomyopathy patient with left bundle branch block.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between severity of conduction delay in the left ventricle and myocardial uptake of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin (TF) in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients with left bundle branch block (LBBB).

Methods And Results: Thirty-two DCM patients with LBBB underwent electrocardiography and (99m)Tc-TF myocardial single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). SPECT images were acquired at 30 min (early images) and 3 h (late images) after injection.

Relation between sleep quality and daily physical activity in hemodialysis outpatients.

The purpose of this study was to examine the correlations among objective sleep variables, sleep-wake cycle parameters, and daily physical activity in hemodialysis patients and controls. Twenty-four hemodialysis patients (HD group) were compared with a control group consisting of 24 healthy participants matched for age, height, and weight. Sleep variables (total sleep time [TST], sleep efficiency [SE], sleep latency [SL], and waking after sleep onset [WASO]), sleep-wake cycle parameters (the sleep-wake cycle period and the peak of sleep-wake cycle variance), and daily physical activity (steps per day) for each participant were assessed by objective methods for two weeks.

Comparison of effects of α-Glucosidase inhibitors and glinide drugs on endothelial dysfunction in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: Studies have shown that repeated post-prandial hyperglycemia may play an important role in the development of atherosclerosis by suppressing endothelial function. α-Glucosidase inhibitors (α-GIs), which reduce post-prandial hyperglycemia without stimulating insulin secretion, significantly reduce the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), whereas glinides, which improve post-prandial hyperglycemia through post-prandial insulin secretion, do not appear to affect CAD.

Methods And Results: A total of 104 diabetic patients with CAD were randomly divided into 2 groups: those treated with miglitol (M-group; n=52) and those treated with nateglinide (N-group; n=52).

Myocardial washout of 99mTc-tetrofosmin and response to steroid therapy in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis.

Objective: Early diagnosis and initiating treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis are essential because cardiac involvement is an important prognostic factor. Although there are many reports on the diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis, the literature on predicting the efficacy of steroid therapy is very limited. The purposes of this study were to investigate the myocardial washout of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin (TF), and to evaluate the predictability of left ventricular (LV) functional recovery after steroid therapy in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis.

Effects of aerobic exercise on the circadian rhythm of heart rate and blood pressure.

Although the effects of aerobic exercise on resting heart rate, heart rate variability, and blood pressure have been investigated, there are scant data on the effects of aerobic exercise on the circadian rhythm of such cardiovascular parameters. In this study, we investigated the effects of aerobic exercise on the 24 h rhythm of heart rate and ambulatory blood pressure in the morning, when cardiovascular events are more common. Thirty-five healthy young subjects were randomized to control and aerobic exercise groups.

The relationship between reverse redistribution of 99mTc-tetrofosmin in sub-acute phase and left ventricular functional recovery in chronic phase in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between reverse redistribution (RRD) of (99m)Tc-tetrofosmin ((99m)Tc-TF) and left ventricular functional recovery in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods: We studied 21 patients with AMI who underwent direct percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). (99m)Tc-TF-gated single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed at rest in the sub-acute and chronic phases.

Continuous positive nasal airway pressure decreases levels of serum amyloid A and improves autonomic function in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, and inflammation and autonomic dysfunction. We investigated levels of serum amyloid A (SAA), a marker of inflammation, as well as autonomic nervous activity and pulse wave velocity (PWV) before and after nasal continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP) therapy in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Methods And Results: We separated 116 patients who were diagnosed with OSAS by polysomnography according to the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) into the following groups: Group 1 without or with mild OSAS (AHI<20, n=35), Group 2 with moderate OSAS (20==40, n=46).

Determinants of heart rate recovery in patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

Background: Heart rate recovery after exercise is an independent prognostic indicator for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical determinants of heart rate recovery.

Methods And Results: We examined 114 consecutive male patients who underwent exercise myocardial perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography and echocardiography for the evaluation of suspected coronary artery disease.

Development of an evaluation scale for self-management behavior related to physical activity of type 2 diabetic patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of an evaluation scale for self-management behavior related to physical activity of type 2 diabetic patients (ES-SMBPA-2D).

Research Design And Methods: Outpatients with type 2 diabetes (n = 146) completed a self-administered questionnaire supported by a semistructured interview based on a literature review. The content, factor, and concurrent validity and internal consistency and reproducibility of the scale were analyzed.

Rapid freehand scanning three-dimensional echocardiography: accurate measurement of left ventricular volumes and ejection fraction compared with quantitative gated scintigraphy.

This study was performed to assess clinical feasibility of rapid freehand scanning 3-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) for measuring left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic and -systolic volumes and ejection fraction using quantitative gated myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomography as the reference standard. We performed transthoracic 2-dimensional echocardiography and magnetic freehand 3DE using a harmonic imaging system in 15 patients. Data sets (3DE) were collected by slowly tilting the probe (fan-like scanning) in the apical position.