Averaged oxygen desaturation improves the prognostic value of the six-minute walk test in elderly patients with heart failure.

Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of hospitalization, and exercise capacity is a key prognostic marker. The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is widely used to assess exercise capacity, but six-minute walk distance (6MWD) varies among individuals, especially the elderly. This study aimed to assess the hypothesis that Δ[Formula: see text]-Ex, the average oxygen desaturation during the 6MWT, could enhance the prognostic value of 6MWD in elderly patients with HF for cardiovascular risk prediction.

Plasma renin activity variation following admission predicts patient outcome in acute decompensated heart failure with reduced and mildly reduced ejection fraction.

Unlabelled: Plasma renin activity (PRA) level at admission is reported to be a prognostic predictor of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients. Although PRA is affected during hospitalization by several factors including fluid volume and drug titration, whether the changes in PRA levels during hospitalization (ΔPRA) are associated with prognosis of ADHF patients are largely unknown.

Purpose: Investigate the predictive impact of ΔPRA on the prognosis of ADHF patients with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF).

Clinical utility of reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent in patients with heart failure.

Anemia and iron deficiency (ID) are common in patients with heart failure (HF) and intravenous (IV) administration of iron to patients hospitalized for decompensated HF with ID improves outcome. The diagnosis of ID in routine practice is based on serum ferritin and transferrin saturation (TSAT) but both have limitations; alternatives should be considered. Reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent (Ret-He) reflects iron content in reticulocytes but its clinical utility in patients with HF remains uncertain.

Successful withdrawal of catecholamine with ivabradine administration in catecholamine-dependent heart failure.

Ivabradine is a heart rate (HR)-lowering agent that blocks hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel in the sinus node without a negative inotropic effect on cardiac function. Here we report a case of catecholamine-dependent heart failure, who was intolerant to β blockers, and successfully withdrew catecholamine by administering ivabradine. A 39-year-old male acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patient with severe systolic cardiac failure, refractory to diuretic and dobutamine treatment was transferred to our hospital.

Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio on admission predicts early rehospitalization in patients with acute decompensated heart failure.

Detecting high-risk patients for early rehospitalization is crucial in heart failure patient care. An association of albuminuria with cardiovascular events is well known. However, its predictive impact on rehospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) remains unknown.

Assessment of Microvasculature After Intervention as a Predictor of Wound Healing in Patients With Tissue Loss.

Objectives: This study investigated the correlation between vascular flow reserve (VFR) values and wound healing rate in patients with critical limb ischemia.

Background: Peripheral VFR may be useful for predicting complete wound healing after endovascular therapy (EVT). However, published reports included small numbers of patients from single centers and long-term outcomes remain unknown.

Effects of early diuretic response to carperitide in acute decompensated heart failure treatment: A single-center retrospective study.

Background: Diuretic response is a strong predictor of outcome for admitted patients of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). However, little is known about the effects of early diuretic response to carperitide.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed records of 85 patients hospitalized for ADHF who received carperitide as initial treatment and <40 mg furosemide during the early period.

Clinical subsets associated with different anti-aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase antibodies and their association with coexisting anti-Ro52.

Objective: To characterize clinical features of polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) patients with different anti-aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase (ARS) antibodies and their association with anti-Ro52.

Methods: Autoantibodies in sera from 97 Japanese patients (36 PM, 56 DM, and 5 clinically amyopathic DM), who satisfied Bohan and Peter or modified Sontheimer's criteria, were characterized by immunoprecipitation and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Clinical information was from medical records.

Longterm survival and associated risk factors in patients with adult-onset idiopathic inflammatory myopathies and amyopathic dermatomyositis: experience in a single institute in Japan.

Objective: To analyze clinical characteristics, survival, causes of death, and risk factors associated with mortality in patients with adult-onset idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) in Japan.

Methods: We retrospectively investigated 197 patients diagnosed with adult-onset IIM at our hospital from 1984 to 2009 according to Bohan and Peter criteria for polymyositis (PM)/dermatomyositis (DM) and modified Sontheimer's criteria for clinically amyopathic DM (ADM).

Results: Survival in the whole group at 1, 5, and 10 years was 85%, 75%, and 67%, respectively.

Incidence and predictive factors for malignancies in 136 Japanese patients with dermatomyositis, polymyositis and clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis.

The aim of this study was to define the standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of malignancy and the potential risk factors of concomitant malignancies in patients with inflammatory myopathies, including clinically amyopathic dermatomyositis (CADM). A total of 145 patients diagnosed with either dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM) or CADM at our institute between 1984 and 2002 were enrolled in the study. The demographic, clinical and laboratory features of the patients at the time of DM/PM or CADM diagnosis were compared between patients with and without malignancies, respectively.