Predictive Factors of Unexpected Hospitalization within Six Months of Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients with Chronic Coronary Disease.

Background Recent guidelines recommend dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) for six months following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with chronic coronary disease, as unexpected hospitalization can trigger DAPT discontinuation. This study evaluated the predictive factors for unexpected hospitalization within six months after PCI in patients with chronic coronary disease. Methods This prospective multicenter study included 412 patients who underwent PCI for chronic coronary disease.

Geriatric nutritional risk index as readmission predictor in older adults with heart failure irrespective of ejection fraction.

Objectives: Malnutrition is associated with an increased risk of hospital readmission for heart failure in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Therefore, evaluation of the nutritional status in patients with ADHF may be important. The geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI), the controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, and the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) are widely used objective indexes for evaluation of the nutritional status.

Long-Term Outcomes and Clinical Predictors of Mortality Following Occurrence of Stent Thrombosis.

Background Stent thrombosis (ST) remains a significant medical issue. In particular, longer-term mortality and clinical predictors after ST occurrence have yet to be elucidated. Methods and Results This was a multicenter, retrospective, observational study.

A summary of the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Voice Disorders, 2018 in Japan.

Objective: To develop a summary of the first version of the Clinical Practice Guideline of Voice Disorders for Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment in Japan by the Clinical Practice Guideline Committee of the Japan Society of Logopedics and Phoniatrics and The Japan Laryngological Association. The 2018 recommendations, based on a review of the scientific literature, are intended to serve as clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis, management, and treatment of voice disorders in Japan.

Methods: A summary of the original version of the Clinical Practice Guideline of Voice Disorders for Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment in Japan was described.

Aortic Mural Thrombus in the Non-atherosclerotic Aorta of Patients with Multiple Hypercoagulable Factors.

An aortic mural thrombus (AMT) on a non-atherosclerotic wall is a rare but important cause of arterial thromboembolism. We herein report two cases of AMT in the thoracic aorta. Both showed multiple hypercoagulable factors (case 1: protein S deficiency and positive finding of anti-cardiolipin antibody; case 2: protein C deficiency, gastric cancer, and cisplatin-based chemotherapy) and were successfully treated with anticoagulation.

Hemilaterally masked arterial spin labeling by intentional magnetic field changes in the labeling area due to placement of material with high susceptibility.

Background And Purpose: Arterial spin labeling(ASL)with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an effective method for estimating cerebral blood flow (CBF). Furthermore, assessing perfusion territories of arteries is useful for determining the treatment strategy of patients with carotid artery stenosis. ASL with selective vessel labeling is an effective method to obtain perfusion mapping, however, the application for selective labeling is not installed on all MR scanners.

Novel risk stratification with time course assessment of in-hospital mortality in patients with acute heart failure.

Background: Patients with acute heart failure (AHF) show various clinical courses during hospitalization. We aimed to identify time course predictors of in-hospital mortality and to establish a sequentially assessable risk model.

Methods And Results: We enrolled 1,035 consecutive AHF patients into derivation (n = 597) and validation (n = 438) cohorts.

Diagnosis and management of unilateral thyroarytenoid muscle palsy.

The objective of this study is to assess and propose a method of diagnosis and management of patients with unilateral thyroarytenoid muscle palsy (TAMP). This is a retrospective review of clinical records. The records of seven patients diagnosed as having idiopathic TAMP were reviewed.

Contrast-free diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease guided by integrated cardiac imaging: concept and first clinical experience.

The use of iodinated contrast media (ICM) remains a potential hazard for patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac imaging and percutaneous coronary intervention. In particular patients with history of prior adverse reaction to a contrast agent are at a high risk in case of re-exposure, even if designated premedication is administered. Based on a patient with recurrent angina pectoris and history of systemic anaphylactic reaction to ICM, we describe the logical stepwise approach from diagnostic imaging to safe and successful imaging guided percutaneous coronary intervention without the use of contrast agent.

A novel homemade snare, safe, economical and size-adjustable.

Aims: Snaring has recently been reported as being effective in catching the retrograde guidewire (GW) in retrograde percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusion. However, commercially available snares and previously reported homemade snares have a number of drawbacks, such as additional cost, limited size adjustability, risk of vessel injury and difficult handling. We report here a novel method to create easily an inexpensive, safe and size-adjustable snare.

Carotid intima-media thickness, but not visceral fat area or adiponectin, correlates with intracoronary stenosis detected by multislice computed tomography in people with type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

We investigated the relationship between intracoronary stenosis detected by multislice computed tomography and various clinical parameters in type 2 diabetic patients with hypertension treated with candesartan (n=42). The results showed that carotid intima-media thickness, but not visceral fat area or adiponectin, correlated significantly with intracoronary stenosis (p<0.05).

[Discrimination thresholds for recognizing facial emotions: mostly higher among the elderly].

Elderly people have lower ability for recognizing facial emotions than younger people. Previous studies showed that older adults had difficulty in recognizing anger, sadness and fear, but there were no consistent results for happiness, surprise and disgust. Most of these studies used a small number of stimuli, and tabulated the number of correct responses for facial expressions.

Inhibiting effects of Enterococcus faecium non-biofilm strain on Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation.

Background And Purpose: Enterococcus faecium is a normal bowel commensal and lactic acid bacterium that is rarely found in the oral cavity. This study investigated whether a non-pathogenic and non-biofilm strain of E. faecium functioned as a probiotic strain toward biofilm formation by Streptococcus mutans, which is an etiological agent for dental caries.

Comparative study of polymorphisms on genes associated with lifestyle related diseases in Asian and Pacific populations.

An increase in prevalence of lifestyle related diseases becomes one of the main threats to human health in Asia-Pacific regions. Especially Pacific countries face the marked epidemic of obesity and related disorders. Understanding of the genetic basis for these diseases is awaited.

Large scale replication analysis of loci associated with lipid concentrations in a Japanese population.

Background: Recent genome wide association studies discovered seven novel loci that influence plasma concentrations of triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in Europeans. To date, large scale replication studies using populations with known differences in genome-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) pattern have not been undertaken.

Methods: To address this issue, we tested associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the seven novel loci and plasma lipid profiles in 21 010 Japanese individuals.

Streptococcus intermedius-associated late-onset endophthalmitis after trabeculectomy with adjunctive mitomycin C.

Purpose: To report a woman with congenital rubella syndrome of delayed-onset, bleb-related endophthalmitis induced by Streptococcus intermedius.

Methods: Interventional case report.

Results: A 33-year-old woman who underwent bilateral trabeculectomy with adjunctive mitomycin C, 11 years earlier presented with redness and blurred vision in her right eye.

Acute radiation dermatitis and pneumonitis in Japanese breast cancer patients with whole breast hypofractionated radiotherapy compared to conventional radiotherapy.

Objective: To evaluate acute morbidity, radiation dermatitis and pneumonitis, of Japanese patients treated with whole breast hypofractionated radiotherapy (RT) after breast-conserving surgery (BCS), compared to conventional RT.

Methods: Japanese patients who received whole breast RT after BCS between October 2003 and September 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who had selected the conventional or hypofractionated schedule received whole breast irradiation of 50 Gy in 25 fractions plus boost or 40 Gy in 16 fractions plus boost.

Genetic heterogeneity in a susceptible region for essential hypertension among demographically different local populations in Japan.

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate genetic heterogeneity among local Japanese populations.

Methods: We performed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) study of four demographically distinct local populations (population 1: a large city; population 2: isolated islands; populations 3 and 4: rural areas). Seventy SNPs in a region spanning 5 Mb of chromosome 17 known to be a candidate region for essential hypertension were genotyped and linkage disequilibrium analyses were performed.

Clinical significance of high-molecular weight form of adiponectin in male patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: It has been reported previously that the measurement of plasma total adiponectin level is clinically useful to estimate the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Here, the relevance of high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin with risk factors for atherosclerosis is investigated

Methods And Results: A total of 186 consecutive male CAD patients participated in the study and were categorized into quartiles based on their total adiponectin level. The interquartile cut-off points were 4.