Impaired glucose tolerance and albuminuria in patients with chronic heart failure: a subanalysis of the SUPPORT trial.

Aims: The study aims to evaluate the prognostic significance of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) with reference to albuminuria in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Methods And Results: We examined 535 CHF patients (mean 66 years, women 25%) in the control arm of our SUPPORT trial, in which we examined additive impact of olmesartan in hypertensive patients with symptomatic CHF treated with β-blockers and/or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors. We examined the association between glycaemic abnormality (assessed by 75 g of oral glucose tolerance test) and albuminuria for a composite outcome of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stroke, and HF hospitalization.

Influence of Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction on the Effects of Supplemental Use of Angiotensin Receptor Blocker Olmesartan in Hypertensive Patients With Heart Failure.

Background: There is no robust evidence of pharmacological interventions to improve mortality in heart failure (HF) patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (HFpEF). In this subanalysis study of the SUPPORT Trial, we addressed the influence of LVEF on the effects of olmesartan in HF.

Methods and results: Among 1,147 patients enrolled in the SUPPORT Trial, we examined 429 patients with reduced LVEF (HFrEF, LVEF <50%) and 709 with HFpEF (LVEF ≥50%).

Impact of the Intracoronary Rendezvous technique on coronary angioplasty for chronic total occlusion.

The Rendezvous technique, which requires bidirectional wiring, is one of the useful methods for improving the success rate of recanalization for chronic total occlusion (CTO) in the field of peripheral intervention. Recently, advanced new devices for percutaneous coronary intervention have enabled us to perform the Rendezvous technique for peripheral as well as for coronary CTO lesions. We used the Intracoronary Rendezvous technique to perform angioplasty for coronary CTO.

Beneficial effects of long-acting nifedipine on coronary vasomotion abnormalities after drug-eluting stent implantation: The NOVEL study.

Aims: It is widely known that drug-eluting stents (DES) induce coronary vasomotion abnormalities. We have previously demonstrated that chronic treatment with long-acting nifedipine suppresses coronary hyperconstricting responses induced by the first-generation DES (e.g.

Clinical impacts of additive use of olmesartan in hypertensive patients with chronic heart failure: the supplemental benefit of an angiotensin receptor blocker in hypertensive patients with stable heart failure using olmesartan (SUPPORT) trial.

We examined whether an additive treatment with an angiotensin receptor blocker, olmesartan, reduces the mortality and morbidity in hypertensive patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, β-blockers, or both. In this prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint study, a total of 1147 hypertensive patients with symptomatic CHF (mean age 66 years, 75% male) were randomized to the addition of olmesartan (n = 578) to baseline therapy vs. control (n = 569).

Start and initial results of the Fukushima Prefecture acute myocardial infarction registration survey.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains one of the most serious heart diseases and elucidation of its pathogenesis and advances in treatment strategies have been desired. In 2009, to understand the status of AMI in Fukushima Prefecture for improving treatment outcomes, a new AMI registration survey system was conducted throughout the prefecture. A total of 1,556 cases were registered in the initial 2 years from 2009 to 2010.

Successful recanalization of chronic total occlusion using retrograde approach in a patient with acute coronary syndrome due to aortosaphenous vein graft occlusion.

Although percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is one of the most suitable treatment options in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), PCI for ACS patients with occluded saphenous vein graft (SVG) remains challenging. An 80-year-old man with previous coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) was admitted with the diagnosis of ACS. Emergent coronary angiography showed a total occlusion of SVG to the left circumflex coronary artery (LCx) with large thrombus burden.

High serum erythropoietin level is associated with smaller infarct size in patients with acute myocardial infarction who undergo successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Objectives: We investigated whether a higher serum erythropoietin (EPO) level in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) subjected to successful primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) can predict a smaller infarct size determined by creatine kinase (CK) release.

Background: Erythropoietin has been shown to protect cardiomyocytes from ischemia-reperfusion injury in rodents.

Methods: We prospectively studied 101 patients with first MI who received successful primary PCI within 12 h from the onset of MI.

Rationale, design, and organization of the Diastolic Heart Failure Assessment Study in Tohoku District (DIAST).

Background: High mortality and a high readmission rate characterize diastolic heart failure (DHF), but evidence-based therapeutic strategies have not been established for DHF.

Methods: The aim of a multicenter, randomized open trial (the Diastolic Heart Failure Assessment Study in Tohoku District, DIAST) is to evaluate the safety and prognostic efficacy of the multiple action non-selective beta-blocker carvedilol in 160 patients with DHF (left-ventricular ejection fraction > or =50%). The target dose of carvedilol is 10 mg twice a day and the mean follow-up is estimated to be 2 years.

Greater impairment of right ventricular systolic function in patients with anterior myocardial infarction because of the extent of proximal lesions.

The present study examined the influence of the extent of the ischemic area on right ventricular (RV) systolic function and the relation between the RV global and regional systolic function in patients with anteroseptal myocardial infarction (MI). Biplane right ventriculography was performed in 15 subjects as the control group, and 46 patients with anteroseptal MI as the MI group. Three dimensions of the RV (the long axis dimension [LA], the anterior-posterior dimension [AP] and the septum-free wall dimension [SF]) were examined to assess regional function The MI group had a larger right ventricular end-systolic volume index and lower right ventricular ejection fraction than the control group.