A decline in activities of daily living due to acute heart failure is an independent risk factor of hospitalization for heart failure and mortality.

Background: Although activities of daily living (ADL) are recognized as being pertinent in averting relevant readmission of heart failure (HF) and mortality, little research has been conducted to assess a correlation between a decline in ADL and outcomes in HF patients.

Methods: The Kitakawachi Clinical Background and Outcome of Heart Failure Registry is a prospective, multicenter, community-based cohort of HF patients. We categorized the patients into four types of ADL: independent outdoor walking, independent indoor walking, indoor walking with assistance, and abasia.

Symptomatic ventricular tachyarrhythmia is associated with delayed gadolinium enhancement in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and with elevated plasma brain natriuretic peptide level in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Delayed gadolinium enhancement (DGE) in cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging indicates the areas with myocardial fibrosis, which are suggested to be arrhythmogenic substrate in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Elevated brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is associated with cardiovascular events in HCM. We investigated the grade of DGE in CMR and plasma BNP levels in HCM patients with or without symptomatic ventricular tachycardia (VT) or ventricular fibrillation (VF).

[Postgastrectomy beriberi exaggerated by diuretic use: a case report].

A 66-year-old male was referred to our hospital because of severe pitting edema in the lower extremities in April 2003. He had undergone a partial gastrectomy for gastric cancer 17 years before and radiotherapy for oropharyngeal cancer 1 year before. He had suffered from the edema for 4 years.

Chylomicron remnants stimulate release of interleukin-1beta by THP-1 cells.

Recent findings suggest that the oxidative modification of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and an increase in triglyceride-rich lipoprotein particles including chylomicron remnants contribute to the progression of atherosclerosis, as does the inflammatory response. We therefore examined whether and how these lipoproteins affected interleukin (IL)-1beta release and mRNA expression for IL-1beta and IL-18 in THP-1 cells, a human monocyte cell line. Chylomicron remnants increased IL-1beta release into the conditioned medium by THP-1 in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

Plasma interleukin-18 concentration: a novel marker of myocardial ischemia rather than necrosis in humans.

Objective: Myocardial ischemia contributes to cytokine expression in the myocardium in animals; therefore, plasma interleukin-18 concentration may be a good marker of myocardial ischemia/injury in patients with possible acute coronary syndrome. We sought to determine whether increases in plasma interleukin-18 concentrations might be indicative of myocardial ischemia in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: Plasma interleukin-18 concentrations were assessed in 27 acute coronary syndrome patients in whom creatine kinase activity was within normal range on admission, in addition to 10 controls.

Mizoribine-induced rhabdomyolysis in a rheumatoid arthritis patient receiving bezafibrate treatment.

Bezafibrate, one of fibric acid derivatives, is widely used to treat hypertriglyceridemia and diabetic dyslipidemia. Fibric acid derivatives are known to induce rhabdomyolysis as a side effect, especially when given to patients with renal dysfunction. Mizoribine, an imidazole nucleoside, is used as an immunosuppressive agent.

Cardiac wall motion abnormalities observed in a patient with transient hyperthyroidism.

A 74-year-old woman, with a history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia, was admitted to our hospital. She was found to have a sinus tachycardia with ST-segment elevations in leads II, III, (a)V(F), and V(3) through V(6) in electrocardiography, hypokinesis of the left ventricular apex by echocardiography, and normal findings on coronary angiography. Blood analysis revealed an increase in the creatine kinase MB fraction, a significant positive detection in troponin T, and transient elevations in the concentrations of free triiodothyronine, free thyroxine, thyroid globulin antibody, and thyroid peroxidase antibody.

Cilnidipine as an agent to lower blood pressure without sympathetic nervous activation as demonstrated by iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine imaging in rat hearts.

Background: Administration of short-acting antihypertensive agents to patients with ischemic heart disease results in increased sympathetic nervous activity and is associated with worsened outcomes. Cilnidipine is an agent which blocks not only L-type calcium channels at the smooth muscle in the artery, but also N-type calcium channels at the presynaptic terminal. The goal of the present study was to determine the effect of cilnidipine on sympathetic nervous activity as on agent which blocks both L-type and N-type calcium channels at the presynaptic terminal, on sympathetic nervous activity in an experimental rat model using iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) myocardial imaging.

Circadian gene expression of clock genes and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in heart and aorta of spontaneously hypertensive and Wistar-Kyoto rats.

Objective: Heart and aorta possess biologic clocks, but their involvement in genetic hypertension has been unknown. Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) expression is directly regulated by clock genes, while angiotensin II modulates both PAI-1 and clock gene expression. We therefore examined circadian expression of PAI-1 and clock genes, and effects of angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonism, in heart and aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats.

The renin-angiotensin system is involved in the production of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 by cultured endothelial cells in response to chylomicron remnants.

Triglyceride-rich lipoproteins have been suggested to promote atherosclerosis. Plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) plays an important role in the events of cardiovascular pathophysiology. The renin-angiotensin system influences various vascular functions, including PAI-1 production.

Troglitazone reduces activity of the Na+/H+ exchanger in fructose-fed borderline hypertensive rats.

Activation of the Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) is known to be related to elevated blood pressure in hyperinsulinemia. We previously demonstrated that a fructose-enriched diet induced hyperinsulinemia and hypertriglyceridemia, elevated NHE activity, increased intracellular calcium concentrations ([Ca2+]i), and increased blood pressure in borderline hypertensive rats (BHR). This study examines whether pharmacologically reducing plasma triglyceride or insulin concentrations lowers blood pressure and reduces NHE activity in fructose-fed BHR.

Eicosapentaenoic acid improves endothelial function in hypertriglyceridemic subjects despite increased lipid oxidizability.

Background: Epidemiologic investigations suggest that fish oil, which contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), has favorable cardiovascular effects. Fish oil improves endothelial function in subjects with hypercholesterolemia or diabetes. However, controversy persists regarding relationships between primary hypertriglyceridemia and endothelial dysfunction.