Publications by authors named "Isao Taguchi"
Aim: We aimed to determine whether baseline high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) at the time of coronary angiography (CAG) could serve as a prognostic marker for future major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) through a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Methods: The MEDLINE, Cochrane, and Embase databases were used for data collection. As of April 2024, 2,871 studies have been identified.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess the effects of starting sacubitril/valsartan (Sac/Val) therapy during hospitalization for acute heart failure (AHF) on NT-proBNP levels in Japanese patients.
- It involved a randomized trial with 400 patients, comparing those who switched to Sac/Val versus those who continued standard therapy, measuring changes in NT-proBNP at 4 and 8 weeks.
- Results showed that the Sac/Val group experienced significantly greater reductions in NT-proBNP levels, particularly in patients with lower left ventricular ejection fractions, with no significant safety concerns noted.
Article Synopsis
- Balloon-based catheter ablation is an effective treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF) that creates continuous lesions for pulmonary vein isolation and relies less on the operator's skill than traditional methods.
- * Cryoballoon ablation is widely used globally, offering comparable efficacy and safety to standard radiofrequency ablation, while hot balloon ablation, developed in Japan, produces larger lesions and features oesophageal cooling.
- * Laser balloon ablation allows for direct visualization and automated ablation, enhancing the speed and effectiveness of achieving pulmonary vein isolation.*
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, specifically empagliflozin, affect blood pressure in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for cardiovascular disease.
- In a post-hoc analysis from the EMBLEM trial, researchers compared 105 participants taking empagliflozin versus a placebo over 24 weeks and measured changes in blood pressure.
- Results showed that empagliflozin significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure, with reductions in mean arterial pressure, and this effect was consistent across various clinical backgrounds and antihypertensive medication usage.
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on the ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2), which is important for calcium regulation in the heart and kidneys, and investigates the effects of the drug M201-A on these organs.
- M201-A was tested both in preclinical studies with rat heart cells and animals, as well as in clinical trials with healthy males, monitoring its impact on calcium leakage, cardiac function, and renal performance.
- Results indicate that M201-A effectively reduces calcium leakage in heart cells, improves heart function, and enhances kidney function in both animal models and human subjects, suggesting it could be a new treatment for chronic kidney disease and heart failure.
Article Synopsis
- - The systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effectiveness of paclitaxel-coated balloon angioplasty (PCB) for treating new lesions in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) versus drug-eluting stents (DES).
- - They analyzed nine studies involving over 2,000 cases, finding that the major adverse cardiac event (MACE) rates were similar between PCB (8.42%) and DES (10.62%) groups, with no significant differences in several health outcomes.
- - The results suggest that PCB angioplasty is a feasible alternative to DES for managing de novo lesions in ACS patients during emergency procedures, with comparable midterm outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- * A study involving 91 patients undergoing RHB ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation showed significant reductions in both LA volume and EAT volume after 6 months.
- * Both obese and non-obese patients experienced similar EAT reductions in the pulmonary vein region, and the RHB ablation produced deep lesions affecting EAT, indicating potential long-term changes, but further research is needed to understand its full impact on treatment success.
Background: Atrial septal defect (ASD) increases the risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. Despite the potential for risk mitigation through minimally invasive percutaneous closure, ASD remains underdiagnosed due to subtle symptoms and examination findings. To bridge this diagnostic gap, we propose a novel screening strategy aimed at early detection and enhanced diagnosis through the implementation of a convolutional neural network (CNN) to identify ASD from 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG).
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- The study examines the effects of finerenone, a new mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, on cardiovascular and kidney health in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, aiming to clarify its impact on vascular stiffness.
- Finerenone may offer significant cardiorenal benefits, particularly by reducing inflammation and fibrosis linked to mineralocorticoid receptor overactivation, but the mechanisms are still not fully understood.
- The ongoing FIVE-STAR trial in Japan will involve 100 participants and measure changes in vascular stiffness and various biomarkers over a 24-week treatment period with either finerenone or a placebo.
Article Synopsis
- Dotinurad is a new medication that helps lower uric acid levels by promoting its excretion in patients suffering from hyperuricemia and hypertension.
- This study involved a 24-week trial where 50 patients received varying doses of dotinurad, measuring changes in serum uric acid levels and cardiovascular health indicators.
- Results showed a significant reduction in uric acid levels by 35.8%, with improvements noted in arterial stiffness and oxidative stress markers, indicating potential additional heart and vascular benefits from the treatment.
The prognostic impact of CHADS, CHADS-VASc, and CHADS-VASc-HS scores on clinical outcomes after drug-eluting stent (DES) placement has not been fully elucidated. The present study was a retrospective, non-randomized, single-center, and lesion-based study. Target lesion failure (TLF), comprising cardiac death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization, occurred in 7.
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- A retrospective study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) angioplasty versus drug-eluting stents (DESs) for treating new blockages in large coronary vessels.
- Out of 154 patients treated, the incidence of target lesion failure (TLF) was similar between the PCB group (6.8%) and the DES group (14.6%), indicating that PCB is as effective as DESs in preventing serious cardiac events.
- Angiographic results showed no significant cases of restenosis (re-narrowing) following PCB treatment, suggesting it may be a promising option for coronary interventions without negative outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the safety and effectiveness of drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty compared to drug-eluting stents (DESs) for treating coronary stenosis, involving 588 patients treated between 2016 and 2019.
- Overall target lesion failure (TLF) rates were similar between the DCB group (9.6%) and DES group (10.2%), indicating comparable clinical safety.
- Additionally, the angiographic restenosis rates were not significantly different: DCB at 6.3% and DES at 10.1%, with late lumen enlargement identified as a predictor for better outcomes in DCB treatments.
Article Synopsis
- Intraprocedural stent thrombosis is a rare but serious issue during reperfusion therapy for acute coronary syndrome, with no established management consensus.
- A case study of a 49-year-old man with ST-segment elevated myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock highlights the difficulties in achieving optimal blood flow after stent placement.
- The use of a Ryusei perfusion balloon for extended balloon inflations proved effective in resolving intraprocedural stent thrombosis and improving blood flow, suggesting it as a beneficial option in similar acute coronary syndrome cases.
Article Synopsis
- Preventing phrenic nerve injury (PNI) during balloon-based ablation is crucial, as the phrenic nerve is located near the SVC-RA junction where the ablation takes place.
- A study compared cryoballoon ablation (CBA) and hot-balloon ablation (HBA) in patients with atrial fibrillation, revealing that CBA led to a higher incidence of transient PNI (7.3% vs 1.1%) but all cases were temporary.
- CBA created larger and more frequent lesions at the SVC-RA junction compared to HBA, suggesting that the design and positioning of the balloon systems play a significant role in the extent of damage to surrounding structures
Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) reduce the risk of heart failure progression and mortality rates. Moreover, osmotic diuresis induced by SGLT2 inhibition may result in an improved heart failure prognosis. Independent of conventional diuretics in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic heart failure, especially in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), it is unclear whether SGLT2i chronically reduces estimated plasma volume (ePV).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Aggressive lipid lowering by high-dose statin treatment has been established for the secondary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD). Regarding the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level, however, the "The lower is the better" concept has been controversial to date. We hypothesized that there is an optimal LDL-C level, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are widely used in various cancers as a standard treatment. However, while various immune-related adverse events related to immune checkpoint inhibitors have been reported, there are few reports of lower urinary tract symptoms.
Case Presentation: The patient was a 60-year-old man with primary lung cancer who was receiving long-term nivolumab therapy.
Effect of ipragliflozin on carotid intima-media thickness in patients with type 2 diabetes: a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial.
Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Pharmacother
February 2023
Aims: To examine the effects of a 24-month treatment with ipragliflozin on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in type 2 diabetes patients.
Methods And Results: In this multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, and blinded-endpoint investigator-initiated clinical trial, adults with type 2 diabetes and haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) of 6.0-10.
Article Synopsis
- The study explored whether fully circumferential lesions are necessary for achieving pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) during laser balloon ablation, especially considering potential complications like stenosis.
- In a trial with 51 patients, researchers found that 39% of PVs achieved early PVIs with significantly better success in lower PVs compared to upper PVs (60.1% vs. 17.6%).
- The results suggest that additional research is needed to understand the energy requirements for lower PVs to prevent chronic narrowing, as energy delivery was less for lower PVs yet stenosis rates were similar for both upper and lower PVs after 6 months.