15-Hydroxyeicosatrienoic acid induces nasal congestion by changing vascular functions in mice.

Background: Nasal congestion in allergic rhinitis (AR) is caused by vascular hyperpermeability and vascular relaxation of the nasal mucosa. We previously detected high levels of a lipoxygenation metabolite of dihomogammalinolenic acid, 15-hydroxy-8Z,11Z,13E-eicosatrienoic acid (15-HETrE) in the nasal lavage fluid of AR model mice. Here, we investigated the effects of 15-HETrE on vascular functions associated with nasal congestion.

Analysis of Patient Narratives in Disease Blogs on the Internet: An Exploratory Study of Social Pharmacovigilance.

Background: Although several reports have suggested that patient-generated data from Internet sources could be used to improve drug safety and pharmacovigilance, few studies have identified such data sources in Japan. We introduce a unique Japanese data source: tōbyōki, which translates literally as "an account of a struggle with disease."

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the basic characteristics of the TOBYO database, a collection of tōbyōki blogs on the Internet, and discuss potential applications for pharmacovigilance.

Effectiveness of using long-acting angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker in Japanese obese patients with metabolic syndrome on morning hypertension monitoring by using telemedicine system (FUJIYAMA study).

Aim: Recently, obesity patients have been diagnosed as metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to evaluate which angiotensin type 1 receptor blockers (ARBs), telmisartan or candesartan, is superior for the control of home blood pressure (BP) in the morning when the outpatient clinic BP was well controlled in the patients with metabolic syndrome.

Methods: The patients with metabolic syndrome were enrolled.

Beneficial cardiometabolic actions of telmisartan plus amlodipine therapy in elderly patients with poorly controlled hypertension.

Background: There is a growing body of evidence that blood pressure (BP) level is one of the major determinants of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in individuals, including elderly people. However, to achieve a target BP level in the elderly is more difficult compared with patients aged <65 years. Current guidelines recommend combination drug therapy with different modes of action for the treatment of elderly patients with moderate hypertension (HT).

Effect of telmisartan and amlodipine on home blood pressure by monitoring newly developed telemedicine system: monitoring test by using telemedicine. Telmisartan's effect on home blood pressure (TelTelbosu).

We have developed a new home blood pressure (BP) monitoring system by using cellular telephone and the Internet. All data of home BP and pulse rate were directly collected by I-converter date collecting system and sent online to a main server constructed in a central data center. The home doctor can monitor the exercise data of each patient by using this system.

Crossover study of amlodipine versus nifedipine CR with home blood pressure monitoring via cellular phone: internet-mediated open-label crossover trial of calcium channel blockers for hypertension (i-TECHO trial).

Objective: We developed a new data collection system named i-converter that could transmit data to a website via cellular phone. Using the system, we compared the effects of two calcium channel blockers on the home blood pressure.

Methods: Amlodipine and nifedipine CR were administered to 41 patients with essential hypertension for more than 6 weeks each in a randomized open-label crossover study.

Blood pressure monitoring by cellular telephone in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

We have developed a new telemedicine system that uses a cellular telephone and Internet Web site to monitor changes of blood pressure (BP) in patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). An I-converter data collection system directly transmits all data on BP and heart rate (HR) measured by a fully automatic device (HEM-705IT: Omron Life Science, Tokyo, Japan) to a cellular telephone. The cellular telephone then sends the data directly to the main server at the NTT DoCoMo data center.

[Suppressive effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) on the progression of renal insufficiency: a propensity score analysis].

To clarify the renal protection conferred by angiotensin II converting enzyme inhibitor(ACEI), we compared an ACEI group and a conventional therapy (control) group with matched propensity scores. The propensity score is used to control imbalances in the conditional probability of a subject receiving a particular exposure given a set of defined confounders. To calculate the propensity score, the confounders are used in a logistic regression to predict the exposure of interest, without including the outcome.