Updated pathophysiological overview of functional MR (ventricular and atrial).

Basic mechanism of ventricular functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) is subvalvular tethering. Left ventricular (LV) dilatation, in association with mitral valve (MV) annular dilatation, causes outward displacement of papillary muscles (PMs), which abnormally pulls or tethers MV leaflets, resulting in MV tenting, reduction in leaflets coaptation and MR. Because surgical annuloplasty does shorten distance between anterior and posterior MV annuli to improve coaptation but does not address this subvalvular tethering, ventricular FMR frequently persists or recurs in the chronic stage after surgical annuloplasty.

Potential Effects of Mild Atrial Secondary Mitral Regurgitation in Patients With Isolated Atrial Fibrillation.

Background: Patients with only moderate atrial secondary mitral regurgitation (asMR) frequently develop heart failure (HF). Mechanisms of HF with moderate asMR and the impact of mild asMR remain unclarified. Although mild/moderate primary mitral regurgitation is compensated by left ventricular (LV) dilatation, the LV is not dilated in asMR.

Spread of infection and treatment interruption among Japanese workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in treatment interruption for chronic diseases. The scale of COVID-19 in Japan has varied greatly in terms of the scale of infection and the speed of spread depending on the region. This study aimed to examine the relationship between local infection level and treatment interruption among Japanese workers.

Novel noninvasive estimation of mixed venous oxygen saturation by echocardiography and expired gas analysis.

Mixed venous oxygen (O) saturation ([Formula: see text]) is an important measure for evaluating the sufficiency of cardiac output (CO) relative to whole body O consumption (V̇o), while clinical use is limited to the required invasive catheterization. According to Fick's equation, V̇o (mL/min) = CO (L/min) × Hb (g/dL) × 1.36 (mL/g) × ([Formula: see text] - [Formula: see text])/10 (Hb = hemoglobin concentration, [Formula: see text] = arterial blood O saturation).

Young adult preferences for physician decision-making style in Japan and the United States.

Studies in Japan and the United States investigate preferences for patient-physician decision-making style among young adults in the context of a primary care clinic visit for an upper respiratory infection. A treatment scenario described 1 of 3 decision-making styles: a young adult and doctor using a passive (physician decides), shared (patient and physician decide together), or autonomous (patient decides from a set of medically appropriate alternatives) decision-making style. Unexpectedly, Japanese respondents evaluated the autonomous interaction most positively.