Oral minocycline therapy as first-line treatment in patients with Myalgic encephalomyelitis and long COVID: A pilot study.

Background: Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is associated with long COVID and also untoward sequelae after anti-coronavirus vaccination. Recently, oral minocycline therapy has been reported to ameliorate symptoms in patients with ME, particularly at the initial stage of the disease.

Methods: Oral minocycline (100 mg × 2 on the first day, followed by 100 mg/day for 41 days) was administered to 55 patients with ME that emerged during the "Corona era," including 19 patients with long COVID and 5 patients diagnosed with untoward sequalae following coronavirus vaccination.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation ameliorates symptoms in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome).

Background: Central nervous system dysfunction has been postulated to cause debilitating symptoms in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) (originally called "chronic fatigue syndrome"). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a newly developed neuromodulatory procedure and has been suggested to facilitate the cortical neural activity.

Methods: This study enrolled 30 patients with ME (7 men and 23 women) with a mean age of 39 ± 12 years, who received rTMS treatment of both the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the left primary motor area in the brain.

Orthostatic Intolerance and Chronotropic Incompetence in Patients With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Orthostatic intolerance markedly affects the day-to-day activities of patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or chronic fatigue syndrome. Chronotropic incompetence (CI), defined as an impaired chronotropic response or reduced increases in heart rate during exercise and resulting in lower exercise capacity, may also be observed during orthostasis in patients with ME. In this study, the recordings of 101 adult patients with ME (36 men, 65 women; mean [±SD] age 37±12 years) who underwent conventional active 10-min standing tests at least 3 times to determine the presence of CI were analyzed.

Oral Minocycline Therapy Improves Symptoms of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Especially in the Initial Disease Stage.

Objective Central nervous system dysfunction associated with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) has been suggested to be the main cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. In animal models of chronic fatigue, minocycline was reported to act as a suppressor of neural inflammation. Minocycline may thus exert favorable therapeutic effects in patients with ME.

Paradigm shift to disequilibrium in the genesis of orthostatic intolerance in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Background: Orthostatic intolerance (OI) markedly impairs activities of daily living in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or chronic fatigue syndrome. OI is surmised to be a cardiovascular symptom correlated with cerebral hypo-perfusion and exaggerated sympathetic activation. Postural instability or disequilibrium may be part of the etiology of OI.

The etiologic relation between disequilibrium and orthostatic intolerance in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis (chronic fatigue syndrome).

Background: Orthostatic intolerance (OI) causes a marked reduction in the activities of daily living in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or chronic fatigue syndrome. Most symptoms of OI are thought to be related to cerebral hypo-perfusion and sympathetic activation. Because postural stability is an essential element of orthostatic tolerance, disequilibrium may be involved in the etiology of OI.

Down-regulation of renin-aldosterone and antidiuretic hormone systems in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Background: Central nervous system dysfunction associated with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) has been postulated as the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). A small heart or reduced left ventricular volume with reduced cardiac output has been reported to be common in patients with ME. The main circulatory blood volume regulators may be down-regulated.

Variability of postural orthostatic tachycardia in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and orthostatic intolerance.

Central nervous system dysfunction with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) has been suggested as the main cause of chronic fatigue syndrome. Fluctuation of the symptom severity and hierarchy is a characteristic feature in ME patients. The characteristics of the sympathetic activation may differ between the "good days" and "bad days" in them.

Cardiac dysfunction and orthostatic intolerance in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis and a small left ventricle.

The etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is unknown. Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) has been recently postulated to be the cause of CFS. Orthostatic intolerance (OI) has been known as an important symptom in predicting quality of life in CFS patients.

Small heart with low cardiac output for orthostatic intolerance in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Background: The etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is unknown. Orthostatic intolerance (OI) is common in CFS patients. Recently, small heart with low cardiac output has been postulated to be related to the genesis of both CFS and OI.

Fluctuation of serum vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) concentrations during exacerbation and remission phases in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome remains unknown. Oxidative stress may be involved in its pathogenesis. Vitamin E is a major endogenous lipid-soluble antioxidative substance, and is consumed during the lipid peroxidation process.

Pitavastatin reduces lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 ligands in hypercholesterolemic humans.

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of pitavastatin on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and lectin-like oxidized LDL receptor-1 (LOX-1) in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Twenty-five hypercholesterolemic patients (8 male, 17 female; age 66 +/- 13, 21-80 years) who had not received anti-dyslipidemic agents and had LDL-C levels of more than 160 mg/dL were examined. Biochemical factors were measured at baseline and after treatment with pitavastatin (2 mg/day) for 6 months.

Cardiovascular dysfunction with low cardiac output due to a small heart in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Objective: Little attention has been paid to possible cardiovascular involvement in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), although many of their symptoms and signs suggest cardiovascular dysfunction. Possible cardiovascular symptoms and cardiac function were investigated in CFS patients.

Methods: Cardiovascular symptoms were intensively investigated and cardiac function was evaluated echocardiographically.

Appearance of electrocardiographic initial U-wave inversion dependent on pressure-induced early diastolic impairment in patients with hypertension.

Background: ECG U-wave inversion can be classified as initial and terminal U inversion according to the phasic relationship to positive U-wave deflection. Initial U inversion is occasionally observed in hypertensive patients while terminal U inversion frequently appears during severe myocardial ischemia.

Hypothesis: The genesis of initial U inversion may be related to pressure-induced diastolic dysfunction.

Cardiac function fluctuates during exacerbation and remission in young adults with chronic fatigue syndrome and "small heart".

Background: "Small heart syndrome", previously referred to as so-called "neurocirculatory asthenia" associated with a small heart shadow on the chest roentgenogram, is characterized by weakness or fatigue even after mild exertion, palpitation, dyspnea, and fainting, many of which resemble symptoms in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Methods And Results: The study population comprised 42 patients with CFS younger than 40 years of age. Cardiothoracic ratio was determined on the chest roentgenogram and echocardiographic examination was performed to evaluate both the cardiac chamber size and function.

Increased oxidative stress suggested by low serum vitamin E concentrations in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Serum alpha-tocopherol concentrations were determined in 50 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and 40 control subjects (Control). Prevalence of each or any coronary risk factor was not significantly different between CFS and Control. CFS had significantly lower alpha-tocopherol concentrations than Control.

Small heart syndrome in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Background: Small heart syndrome has previously been reported as neurocirculatory asthenia, associated with a small heart shadow on a chest roentgenogram. This is characterized as weakness or fatigue even after ordinary exertion, palpitation, dyspnea, and fainting, resembling patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Hypothesis: Small heart syndrome may be prevalent in patients with CFS.

Comparative effects of amlodipine monotherapy and combination therapy with betaxolol on cardiac autonomic nervous activity and health-related quality of life in patients with poorly controlled hypertension.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate whether the combined treatment of calcium channel blocker, amlodipine and beta-blocker, betaxolol, favorably affects cardiac autonomic nervous activity (CANA) and health-related quality of life (HRQL).

Methods And Results: A total of 65 patients with a poor blood pressure (BP) control with a low dose amlodipine therapy were randomly assigned to the amlodipine dose-up group (n=21) and betaxolol adding group (n=44). Before and after a 6-month treatment, BP, heart rate variability (HRV), HRQL and blood chemistries were evaluated.

Detection of postischemic regional left ventricular delayed outward wall motion or diastolic stunning after exercise-induced ischemia in patients with stable effort angina by using color kinesis.

To determine whether postischemic diastolic stunning could be detected using color kinesis, we evaluated regional left ventricular (LV) diastolic wall motion in 36 patients with stable effort angina and a coronary stenosis (> or = 70% of luminal diameter), and in 30 control subjects. Regional LV filling fraction in the short-axis view during the first 30% of the LV filling time (color kinesis diastolic index) was determined before, 20 minutes, 1 hour, and 24 hours after the treadmill exercise test. In 33 of the 36 patients (92%), new regional LV delayed outward motion during early diastole (color kinesis diastolic index < or = 40%) was detected at 20 minutes after exercise.

Dose-dependency in pleiotropic effects of atorvastatin.

Statins are recognized as the principal and most effective class of drugs for reducing serum cholesterol levels and, therefore, significantly reducing cardiovascular events and mortality. Statins may have a wide range of beneficial biological effects in addition to lipid lowering, a phenomenon commonly termed a 'pleiotropic effect'. However, the dose-dependency of these effects remains unclear.