Publications by authors named "Kei Kawada"
Aim: Rehospitalization of patients with heart failure (HF) incurs high health care costs and increased mortality. Infection-related rehospitalizations in patients with HF occur frequently, and the risk increases with age. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with infection-related rehospitalizations in older patients with HF.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Vitamin D supplementation is effective for allergic rhinitis; however, its usefulness is unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the conditions in which vitamin D supplementation was effective in allergic rhinitis management. : Randomized controlled trials of vitamin D supplementation used for patients with allergic rhinitis were searched for across different databases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMacrolides are associated with cardiovascular toxicity risk. However, data on their cardiovascular toxicity profiles beyond QT prolongation are limited, and differences in the profiles among various macrolide antibiotics remain unclear. We investigated the cardiovascular toxicity profiles of different macrolides using VigiBase, a global database of individual case-safety reports.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Constipation frequently affects heart failure patients because of medication side effects and physiological effects of the condition. Although recent speculation suggests that comorbid constipation may affect cardiovascular disease onset and survival rates, this relationship remains unclear. We examined the effect of comorbid constipation on the survival of patients with heart failure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. In particular, functional outcomes of SAH caused by large or giant (≥ 10 mm) ruptured intracranial aneurysms are worsened by high procedure-related complication rates. However, studies describing the risk factors for poor functional outcomes specific to ruptured large/giant aneurysms are sparse.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA combination of nivolumab and ipilimumab (NIVO + IPI) is the only approved combination of two immune checkpoint inhibitors for metastatic or advanced renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Inadequate evidence of treatment with NIVO + IPI has been reported in Japanese cohorts. We evaluated the clinical efficacy of NIVO + IPI treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Effective blood sampling times for vancomycin AUC estimation have not been clearly defined, prompting this study to explore different sampling times during dosing intervals.
- Six participants were studied after receiving intravenous vancomycin, with AUC estimated using various software and models, assessing accuracy through bias and imprecision.
- The study identified optimal blood sampling times of 2.5 and 5.5 hours post-injection for certain software, suggesting improved therapeutic drug monitoring could result from standardized sampling times.
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- The study aimed to assess how effective pharmacist-physician collaboration is in optimizing antimicrobial treatment for aspiration pneumonia patients.
- Group B patients who followed the antimicrobial protocol had better outcomes, showing fewer cases of underdosing and shorter hospital stays compared to Group A, which did not follow the protocol.
- Overall, the results indicate that using structured treatment protocols enhances patient care and could be beneficial for managing aspiration pneumonia, particularly as the population ages.
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- Some existing medications, like statins, may help treat chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, which is often inadequately managed.
- In experiments with mice, statins were found to reduce the pain response to mechanical stimuli without affecting cold sensations.
- The beneficial effects of statins were linked to the modulation of the glutathione S-transferase (GST) pathway, which plays a role in inflammation and could offer new therapeutic options for managing neuropathy.
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- Fluoroquinolones, common antibiotics, have been linked to aortic disease, leading to an FDA warning, but recent studies challenge this risk perception.
- The study focused on levofloxacin's impact on aortic dissection through both lab tests and mouse models, revealing endothelial cell damage in vitro but no significant increase in aortic dissection risk in vivo.
- Overall, despite some harmful effects observed in lab settings, the research concludes that fluoroquinolones do not significantly increase the risk of aortic dissection in clinical practice, suggesting their continued use is safe while recommending further studies for clarity.
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- - Asciminib has been introduced as a potential solution to overcome resistance in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), which is crucial for improving patient life expectancy.
- - Research found that combining asciminib with imatinib showed a synergistic effect that could enhance treatment outcomes even in imatinib-resistant CML cells, while also identifying key genes involved in this process.
- - Further studies are needed to understand how asciminib works and to confirm the risk of cross-resistance between it and other BCR-ABL inhibitors, which could impact treatment strategies.
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- The study investigates the effects of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors and beta-blockers on older patients with heart failure and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF).
- It analyzes data from 1,061 patients, revealing that while RAS inhibitors notably lower mortality rates, beta-blocker benefits vary significantly with age, showing effectiveness in those under 80 but not in older patients.
- Overall, the findings suggest that age should be a critical factor when prescribing beta-blockers for HFrEF patients, pointing to a need for tailored treatment strategies.
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- Exosome-like nanoparticles (ELNs) were isolated from the dried rhizome of Atractylodes lancea and studied for their potential to treat neuroinflammation.
- BV-2 microglial cells showed the capability to internalize these nanoparticles, which contained microRNAs that could reduce inflammation.
- ALR-ELN treatment significantly lowered pro-inflammatory markers in microglial cells exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS), suggesting their potential as therapeutic agents in neuroinflammatory conditions.
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- PDE5 inhibitors have been linked to serious health issues like aneurysm and arterial dissection based on recent data, raising concerns about their risks.
- Disproportionality analysis from VigiBase revealed a significant association between PDE5 inhibitors and arterial diseases, with a reporting odds ratio (ROR) of 2.30.
- The findings suggest that both men and women may be at risk, indicating that PDE5 inhibitors could contribute to the development of severe arterial conditions.
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- Selenium is an important trace element, and its deficiency can lead to serious health issues like myositis and heart damage, especially in patients on long-term intravenous or tube feeding.
- In Japan, selenium supplements are available, but existing forms pose challenges in preservation and administration.
- The study developed a new fast-disintegrating tablet with SmartEx that is easy to take, does not clog feeding tubes, and has good storage stability, which may enhance patient compliance and overall well-being.
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- Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) remains a significant issue, and while effectiveness of triplet antiemetic regimens for delayed CINV has been studied, their impact during the long-delayed phase (120-168 hours post-chemo) is still uncertain.
- A study analyzed data from 380 patients to compare the effects of 3-day versus 5-day aprepitant-containing regimens on long-delayed CINV, using advanced statistical methods to ensure accurate results.
- Findings revealed that the 5-day regimen significantly reduced rates of long-delayed vomiting compared to the 3-day regimen, while both regimens showed equivalent effectiveness for long-delayed nausea.
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- Aberrant melanin overproduction can lead to physical and psychological issues, highlighting the need for safer melanin synthesis inhibitors with fewer side effects.
- Recent research has explored plant-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (ELNs) as a potential solution, specifically those extracted from the rhizome of a plant.
- These nanoparticles were shown to significantly reduce melanin levels and inhibit the expression of melanin-producing enzymes in melanoma cells, suggesting their potential as a new topical treatment after further research and optimization.
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- The study investigates the relationship between the Areal Deprivation Index (ADI) and delays in hospital arrival for acute ischaemic stroke patients in Kochi, Japan.
- Higher ADI, indicating more deprived communities, was linked to significant prehospital delays and worse hospital outcomes, including increased mortality and higher chances of needing nursing facility care.
- In contrast, no significant association was found in capital areas, suggesting that socioeconomic factors may influence patient outcomes differently based on location.
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- Exosome-like nanoparticles (ELNs) derived from Allium tuberosum (A-ELNs) can effectively reduce inflammation in microglial cells, indicating potential as treatments for neuroinflammation-related diseases.
- A-ELNs displayed a size of approximately 145 nm and showed a specific miRNA profile, leading to decreased levels of nitric oxide and inflammatory cytokines in cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
- The combination of A-ELNs with the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone (creating Dex-A-ELNs) resulted in an even greater reduction of inflammation, highlighting their potential as drug-delivery systems in therapeutic applications.
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- The study investigates the effectiveness of palonosetron (PALO) compared to first-generation 5HT3 receptor antagonists in preventing delayed chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) within a Dexamethasone-sparing strategy for carboplatin-based chemotherapy patients.
- No significant differences were found in CINV incidence, pattern, or nausea severity between PALO and first-generation 5HT3RAs, with nausea typically peaking from days 4 to 5 post-treatment.
- The study concludes that better patient selection and monitoring, along with additional strategies, are essential for managing delayed CINV in this chemotherapy context.
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- Nerve inflammation is associated with various neurological disorders, and this study investigates the effects of Glycyrrhizae Radix on related conditions in a mouse model.
- Treatment with Glycyrrhizae Radix significantly reduced both the duration of loss of righting reflex induced by pentobarbital and the production of inflammatory markers like interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in nerve cells.
- The active compounds glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin in Glycyrrhizae Radix show potential as therapeutic agents for treating neurological disorders caused by nerve inflammation.
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- The study assessed the effectiveness and safety of combining immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) as the initial treatment for advanced renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), enrolling 51 patients from 9 institutions in Japan.
- After a median follow-up of 7 months, the overall survival rates were high at 93.1%, 82.5%, and 68.8% for 6, 12, and 18 months, respectively, with a median progression-free survival of 19.0 months and a response rate of 68.6%.
- Despite the promising results, 84.3% of patients experienced adverse events, suggesting that careful treatment selection based on prognostic factors is
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- Hyponatremia is a common electrolyte issue in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, leading to serious health risks and higher mortality rates.
- A study examined the connection between hyponatremia, various anticancer drugs (especially cisplatin, pemetrexed, and etoposide), and different cancer types using data from Japan's Adverse Drug Event Report database.
- The findings indicate that particularly patients with lung, oesophageal, and renal cancers are at risk, especially women and the elderly, highlighting the need for careful monitoring during cisplatin treatment.
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- A multicenter study assessed the effectiveness and safety of cabozantinib in 53 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma across eight Japanese institutions.
- The median overall survival was found to be 20 months, with objective response and disease control rates at 39.6% and 83.0%, respectively; median progression-free survival was recorded at 11 months.
- Results indicated that prior treatment with multiple tyrosine kinase inhibitors and high C-reactive protein levels were associated with shorter progression-free survival, while adverse events were common, affecting 79.2% of patients, highlighting the need for careful monitoring.
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- Bevacizumab, an effective cancer treatment by inhibiting VEGF, can lead to serious adverse effects, including central nervous system (CNS) ischemia, which may result in death or disability.
- Significant links were found between bevacizumab usage and CNS ischemia, especially in patients with glioma, with many cases occurring beyond 30 days post-treatment.
- The study emphasizes the need for careful patient evaluation and continuous monitoring of blood pressure during treatment to mitigate risks associated with CNS ischemia, particularly in elderly patients.