Seasonal variation of severe hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients 60 years of age or older presenting to an emergency center hospital between 2004 and 2010.

Objective: To investigate the seasonal variation of severe hypoglycemia in hospitalized elderly patients.

Methods: Among the patients hospitalized in our department between 2004 and 2010, we analyzed the records of 67 patients who required emergency admission for severe hypoglycemia and were aged 60 years or older. Comparisons were made between those admitted during the warm season (April-September) and those in the cold season (October-March).

Second morning urine method is superior to the casual urine method for estimating daily salt intake in patients with hypertension.

The accuracy of the casual urine (CU) method for estimating daily salt intake was compared with the second morning urine (SMU) method and with 24-h urine collection (24 UC) method as the gold standard. Data were obtained from three previously reported studies, in which we evaluated the daily salt intake by the SMU method. Using SMU samples from 1315 outpatients, the estimated salt intake was lower with the CU method than the SMU method.

The influence of posture on the estimation of daily salt intake by the second morning urine method.

The second morning urine (SMU) method was developed to evaluate daily salt intake, but the posture that should be adopted until the SMU collection remains unclear. This study investigated the influence of posture in hypertensive patients who underwent this test. The subjects were 100 patients who could collect 24-h urine samples correctly and were on a diet containing 7 g of salt per day.

Salt preference according to a questionnaire vs. dietary salt intake estimated by a spot urine method in participants at a health check-up center.

Objective: Salt intake restriction is important to health maintenance in subjects tending toward excessive intake. For convenience salt intake is ordinarily estimated at health check up centers using a salt-preference questionnaire, but whether or not the questionnaire identifies excessive salt consumers is unclear.

Methods: Daily salt intake in 725 subjects including 452 men examined at our health-check center was estimated by a spot urine method developed by Kawasaki et al (Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 20:7-14, 1993).

Effectiveness of a spot urine method in evaluating daily salt intake in hypertensive patients taking oral antihypertensive drugs.

Kawasaki et al. developed a spot urine method (SUM) for evaluating daily salt intake using one pre-breakfast sample obtained after initial voiding upon arising. Their subjects were healthy persons who were not taking any regular medications.

Effect of uni-adrenalectomy on blood pressure in a patient with excessive adrenal 18-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone production bilaterally.

A 46-year-old woman was presented with mineralocorticoid excess syndrome and a large mass originating from the right adrenal gland. Clinical examination before right adrenalectomy revealed elevated serum concentrations of 18-hydroxy-11-deoxycorticosterone (18-OH-DOC) both systemically and in the adrenal veins bilaterally. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses of the surgical specimen demonstrated adrenal hyperplasia of outer fasciculata cells, and the presence of cystic mass.

Water intake and 24-hour blood pressure monitoring in a patient with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus caused by a novel mutation of the vasopressin V2R gene.

A 47-year-old man presented with polydipsia, which had had since childhood, and recent onset of hypertension. Genetic analysis proved that he had nephrogenic diabetes insipidus caused by a novel mutation (deletion of 6 amino acids between G107 and C112) in the vasopressin V2 receptor gene. Results of 24-hour blood pressure monitoring disclosed a greater dipping pattern and greater blood pressure variability during waking hours than in male patients with only essential hypertension.