Population pharmacokinetic analysis and dosage recommendations for digoxin in Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure using real-world data.

Background: Digoxin is an important treatment option for reducing the ventricular rate in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF). Digoxin has a narrow therapeutic window and large interindividual variability. A low target blood concentration, especially ≤0.

Clinical Outcomes of Direct Oral Anticoagulants and Warfarin in Japanese Patients with Atrial Fibrillation Aged ≥ 85 Years: A Single-Center Observational Study.

Background: Increasing age is associated with an increase in stroke in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Elderly patients have several comorbidities and increased bleeding risk.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of Japanese patients with NVAF aged ≥ 85 years who were treated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) or warfarin.

Effectiveness and safety of dabigatran warfarin in "real-world" Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation: A single-center observational study.

Background: In "real-world" practice, anticoagulant therapy is indicated for patients whose clinical profiles are not addressed in randomized clinical trials. We assessed the effectiveness and safety of dabigatran warfarin in "real-world" Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF).

Methods: Among 613 NVAF patients who initiated dabigatran or warfarin therapy during the period between 2011 and 2013, 362 patients were included in the study after propensity score adjustment.

Persistence of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant use in Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation: A single-center observational study.

Background: Non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) show a favorable balance between efficacy and safety compared with warfarin for patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). In "real-world" practice, however, NOAC adherence and persistence among patients are not clear. The aim of this study is to evaluate NOAC and warfarin persistence in Japanese patients with NVAF who newly started these drugs.

Contributing factors to the apparent clearance of bepridil in patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation: analysis using population pharmacokinetics.

Background: Bepridil is used as an antiarrhythmic drug due to its class I, class III, and class IV electrophysiological properties, but it has serious adverse effects such as QT prolongation and torsade de pointes. Bepridil has complex pharmacokinetic (PK) properties with large interindividual differences in plasma concentrations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contributing factors to changes in the dose-concentration relationship of bepridil and the risk factors for excessive QT prolongation in patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation (AF).

Clinical outcome in Japanese elderly patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation taking warfarin: a single-center observational study.

Background: Although a lower target prothrombin time-international normalized ratio (PT-INR) with warfarin therapy is recommended in Japan for atrial fibrillation (AF) patients ≥70 years of age, few studies have provided supporting data. The current study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcome in elderly Japanese patients with non-valvular AF who were taking warfarin.

Methods: We conducted a cohort study of 845 consecutive non-valvular AF patients ≥70 years of age who were taking warfarin (median age, 74 years; 30.

Clinical outcome in patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation receiving bepridil.

Background: It is unknown whether bepridil improves cardiovascular events in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, so this study evaluated the clinical outcome in paroxysmal or persistent AF patients receiving bepridil.

Methods And Results: We conducted a cohort study of 284 consecutive patients who received bepridil for AF (25% female, 5913 years) with a median follow-up period of 17 months (4-157 months). A total of 135 (48%) patients had structural heart disease, and 231 patients (81%) had previously received class I or class III antiarrhythmic drugs.

Low-dose systemic phosphodiesterase III inhibitor pimobendan combined with prostacyclin therapy in a patient with severe primary pulmonary hypertension.

Pimobendan, an oral inotropic drug with phosphodiesterase III-inhibitory activity, induces cAMP-dependent relaxation of vascular smooth muscle in the pulmonary artery, as well as in the systemic cardiovascular system. We report here a patient with severe primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH), who had developed right heart failure (New York Heart Association functional class IV) despite uptitrated intravenous epoprostenol, and who was treated with extremely low-dose (0.625-1.