An Alternative Approach to Determining Metabolic Syndrome Component Cutoffs in Children and Adolescents Using Segmental Regression Analysis.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is increasing in children and adolescents. Although some diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome exist, further research is needed to determine appropriate age-, sex-, and race-specific cutoffs for each component. Health examinations were conducted in 1,679 children aged 6-15 years in 9 regions of Japan.

Developmental trajectories at a high risk for childhood overweight/obesity.

Background: The associations between developmental patterns (trajectories) in children and maternal factors have been widely investigated, but paternal effects on these trajectories are unclear. This study aimed to determine child and parental factors involved in developmental trajectories at high risk for causing adverse cardiovascular (CV) profiles in children.

Methods: We analyzed longitudinal anthropometric data from birth to the present and CV profiles of 1,832 healthy volunteers (51% girls) aged 3-15 years who participated in a nationwide study between July 2012 and January 2014.

A double heterozygous variant in and associated with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in a Japanese Family.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is genetically heterogeneous. Different variants associated with HCM have been identified in several cardiac sarcomeric protein genes. We identified the heterozygous missense variant c.

Electrocardiographic Diagnosis of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy in the Pre- and Post-Diagnostic Phases in Children and Adolescents.

Background: The usefulness of electrocardiographic (ECG) voltage criteria for diagnosing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in pediatric patients is poorly defined.

Methods and results: ECGs at the 1st grade (mean [±SD] age 6.6±0.

Novel electrocardiographic criteria for short QT syndrome in children and adolescents.

Aims: Although shortening of the corrected QT interval (QTc) is a key finding in the diagnosis of short QT syndrome (SQTS), there may be overlap of the QTc between SQTS patients and normal subjects in childhood and adolescence. We aimed to investigate electrocardiographic findings for differentiation of SQTS patients.

Methods And Results: The SQTS group comprised 34 SQTS patients <20 years old, including 9 from our institutions and 25 from previous reports.

Impact of the T-wave characteristics on distinguishing arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy from healthy children.

Background: T-wave inversion (TWI) is not considered useful for diagnosing pediatric arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), because right precordial TWI in ARVC resembles a normal juvenile pattern.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to clarify the electrocardiographic (ECG) characteristics of pediatric ARVC to distinguish those patients from healthy children.

Methods: Between 1979 and 2017, 11 ARVC patients under 18 years old were registered and compared with school screening ECGs from 48,401 healthy children.

A significance of school screening electrocardiogram in the patients with ventricular noncompaction.

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a hereditary cardiomyopathy and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. However, the role and significance of school screening for LVNC have not been fully elucidated. In this multicenter, retrospective cohort study, a total of 105 children with LVNC were included from 2000 to 2017.

Multivariate analysis of TU wave complex on electrocardiogram in Andersen-Tawil syndrome with KCNJ2 mutations.

Background: The exact differences between the TU wave complex of ATS1 and that of healthy individuals remain to be investigated. We sought to characterize the TU wave complex of Andersen-Tawil syndrome type 1 (ATS1) using high frequency electrocardiogram (ECG) data.

Methods: Electrocardiograms were recorded as time series data with a 2 kHz frequency ECG amplifier in 13 patients with ATS1 (positive for KCNJ2 mutation, ATS1 group) and age-matched healthy individuals (control group).

Environmental risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome in Japan.

Unlabelled: While the prevalence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) has decreased worldwide, this decline has plateaued recently. Strategies are needed to resume the constant decrease of SIDS in Japan. A prospective electrocardiographic screening program for infants was performed between July 2010 and March 2011.

Circumstances and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in elementary and middle school students in the era of public-access defibrillation.

Background:  Circumstances and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in elementary and middle school students while at school in the era of public-access defibrillation are unknown.

Methods And Results:  We conducted a nationwide hospital-based survey of elementary and middle school students who had had OHCA of cardiac origin and received prehospital resuscitation in 2005-2009. Among 58 cases recruited, 90% were witnessed by bystanders; 86% had ventricular fibrillation as the initial rhythm; 74% were resuscitated by bystanders; 24% were defibrillated by bystanders; 55% occurred at school; 66% were exercise-related; 48% were followed up before the event; 67% had structural heart disease.

Electrocardiographic screening of 1-month-old infants for identifying prolonged QT intervals.

Background: Neonatal electrocardiographic screening is used to screen infants with prolonged QT intervals, as previously shown in whites. However, this procedure needs to be confirmed in other ethnic groups.

Methods And Results: In 8 areas in Japan, an ECG was recorded in 4285 infants at 1-month medical checkup.

Public access defibrillation improved the outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in school-age children: a nationwide, population-based, Utstein registry study in Japan.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine whether implementation of public access defibrillation (PAD) improves the outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in school-age children at national level.

Methods And Results: We conducted a prospective, nationwide, population-based Japanese Utstein registry study of consecutive OHCA cases in elementary and middle school children (7-15 years of age) who had a bystander-witnessed arrest of presumed cardiac origin during 2005-09 and received pre-hospital resuscitation by emergency responders. The primary endpoint was a favourable neurological outcome 1 month after an arrest.

Role of insulin resistance in non-obese adolescents.

Insulin resistance in the obese is closely related with cardiovascular diseases and their risk factors not only in adults but also in children and adolescents. We aimed to elucidate whether insulin resistance in non-obese adolescents is related with these conditions. A total of 74 non-obese high-school students (38 boys and 36 girls) were recruited.

Cut-offs for screening prolonged QT intervals from Fridericia's formula in children and adolescents.

Background: The corrected QT interval (QTc) according to Bazett's formula (QTc = QT/RR(1/2)) has been used in clinical practice. Bazett's formula, however, overcorrects the QT interval at fast heart rates and undercorrects it at low heart rates. Guidelines and some investigators have recommended using Fridericia's formula (QTc = QT/RR(1/3)) in these cases, especially in tachycardic subjects.

Clinical characteristics and genetic background of congenital long-QT syndrome diagnosed in fetal, neonatal, and infantile life: a nationwide questionnaire survey in Japan.

Background: Data on the clinical presentation and genotype-phenotype correlation of patients with congenital long-QT syndrome (LQTS) diagnosed at perinatal through infantile period are limited. A nationwide survey was conducted to characterize how LQTS detected during those periods is different from that in childhood or adolescence.

Methods And Results: Using questionnaires, 58 cases were registered from 33 institutions.

Role of exercise in the prevention of obesity and hemodynamic abnormalities in adolescents.

Background: Poor physical activity plays a key role in the development of obesity. Little is known, however, about how much or the level of intensity of exercise that is needed to prevent obesity and hemodynamic abnormalities in adolescents.

Methods And Results: Height, bodyweight, resting heart rate (HR), and systolic and diastolic blood pressure was measured in 17,523 male and 16,906 female high school students.

Adolescent obesity adversely affects blood pressure and resting heart rate.

Background: Obesity is associated with hypertension (HT) and high resting heart rate (HR), as well as metabolic disturbances. However, little is known about how strongly these hemodynamic abnormalities are associated with the degree of obesity in adolescents.

Methods And Results: Height, body weight, resting HR, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured in 20,165 male and 19,683 female high-school students.

Risk of obesity enhanced by poor physical activity in high school students.

Background: The aim of this study was to elucidate the interactions between a family history of obesity and poor physical activity.

Methods: A case-control study was performed based on medical check data for all first year high school students admitted to Aichi Prefectural public high schools in the 2004 academic year. Prior to the post-admission medical check up, all students received an interview sheet containing questions on family history of obesity and extent of physical activity.

Risk factors for arrhythmia and late death in patients with right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit repair--Japanese multicenter study.

Background: Arrhythmia and late cardiac deaths are thought to be major complications in patients after right ventricle (RV) to pulmonary artery (PA) conduit repair, although the incidence and predictors of these complications remain unknown. The aim of this study was to clarify the incidence and risk factors for arrhythmia and late deaths in patients with the RV to PA conduit repair through a Japanese multicenter study.

Methods: Three hundred fifty-one hospital survivors who underwent the RV to PA conduit repair before 1995 were studied.

Arrhythmias late after repair of tetralogy of fallot: a Japanese Multicenter Study.

Background: Arrhythmia is a major late complication in adults with repaired tetralogy of Fallot, although a large-scale study has not been carried out in Japan.

Methods And Results: A nationwide multicenter study with 512 operative survivors was performed. Actuarial survival rate at 30 years (maximum follow-up) was 98.

Who is at risk for cardiac events in young patients with long QT syndrome?

The objective of this study was to determine who is at risk for cardiac events among young patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS) with or without a past history of LQTS-related cardiac events. The subjects were young patients with LQTS who had visited one of 36 hospitals from January 1997 to August 2000 in Japan. To predict the risk factors for cardiac events, stepwise regression analyses were performed for a total of 197 cases.