Publications by authors named "Nobuhiro Tahara"
A device that can evaluate human pulmonary microcirculation is currently unavailable. This study aimed to establish a novel approach for assessing pulmonary microcirculation in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). We used a guidewire embedded with temperature and pressure sensors to measure the following pulmonary microcirculatory function indicators: pulmonary flow reserve, pulmonary index of microcirculatory resistance (PIMR), and pulmonary resistive reserve ratio.
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- The study investigated the left atrial septal pouch (LASP), a variant found in about one-third of hearts due to incomplete fusion of two septal structures, the septum primum (SP) and septum secundum (SS).
- Out of 864 heart scans analyzed, 242 patients (31.4%) were found to have LASP, while 181 (23.5%) had a patent foramen ovale (PFO) and 339 (44.0%) had a completely fused septum (CFS).
- Significant differences were noted in the lengths of the SS and overlapping SP among different groups, with LASP hearts showing longer measurements, but similar atr
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- Transthyretin amyloidosis with cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) is a serious, progressive disease, and vutrisiran is a new treatment that works by reducing the production of transthyretin in the liver.
- In a double-blind trial involving 655 patients, those receiving vutrisiran had a lower risk of death and cardiovascular events compared to those on placebo, demonstrating significant efficacy.
- Vutrisiran also improved patient outcomes, showing less decline in walking distance and quality of life measurements over the study period compared to placebo.
Article Synopsis
- Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) leads to amyloid deposits in the heart, resulting in progressive cardiomyopathy, and patisiran has been developed to reduce the production of transthyretin in the liver.
- In a phase 3 trial, 360 patients with hereditary or wild-type ATTR cardiac amyloidosis received either patisiran or a placebo for 12 months, with various health metrics being assessed.
- Results showed that patients receiving patisiran experienced less decline in the 6-minute walk test and improved health scores compared to the placebo group, although benefits for some secondary outcomes were not significant and adverse reactions were noted.
Article Synopsis
- - Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a serious condition that typically requires treatments like pulmonary vasodilators, but new drug developments are exploring different mechanisms, particularly targeting specific patient needs.
- - A connection has been found between interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and PAH, leading researchers to investigate this cytokine as a potential target for treatment in patients showing elevated IL-6.
- - A clinical study is currently being conducted to see if an antibody called satralizumab can effectively treat PAH in patients identified through biomarker profiles, focusing on those with increased IL-6 levels.
Pulmonary vasodilators have improved pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) symptoms and prognosis; however, the drugs cause some side effects, including lower legs pain, which impair quality of life (QOL). The present study examined if compression stockings improved lower extremity symptoms and QOL caused by pulmonary vasodilators in PAH patients. We retrospectively enrolled consecutively ten patients with PAH treated by pulmonary vasodilators, who were regularly followed in Kurume University Hospital from January 2022 to June 2022.
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- Inhaled treprostinil, a stable analog of prostacyclin, is designed to target the lungs for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) while reducing side effects.
- A study involving 17 Japanese PAH patients assessed its effectiveness on hemodynamics, exercise capacity, and safety over a 12-week period, showing a significant decrease in pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRI).
- The treatment was well-tolerated, with the most common side effects being headache, cough, and throat irritation, suggesting inhaled treprostinil could be an effective option for Japanese patients, even those on combination therapy.
Background: Anti-hypertensive drugs can improve vascular endothelial function. However, the mechanism remains to be elucidated.
Objectives: This study sought to investigate mechanisms of anti-hypertensive drugs on improvement of vascular endothelial function in patients with essential hypertension.
Background: This study aimed to determine whether ongoing vascular inflammation presents in patients who had coronary artery aneurysms (CAAs) caused by Kawasaki disease (KD).
Methods: Subjects were 26 patients with a history of KD; 15 had giant CAA (gCAA) ≥ 8.0 mm and 11 had smaller CAA (smCAA) < 8 mm in the acute phase.