Effect of increased fear of falling on falls in patients undergoing HD: A narrative review.

Increased fear of falling (FOF) increases the risk of falling and is an important issue for living an independent life.　Patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) frequently fall, and this may be attributed to increased FOF due to common fall risk factors as well as severe chronic kidney disease and HD-related factors.　The purpose of this narrative review was to summarize the current knowledge on the mechanisms of increased FOF leading to falls in patients undergoing HD.

Relationship Among Falls, Fear of Falling, and Physical Activity Level in Patients on Hemodialysis.

Objective: Patients on hemodialysis are highly susceptible to falls and fractures. Amplified apprehension regarding the fear of falling (FOF) constitutes a risk factor that restricts physical activity and escalates the probability of falls among the elderly population. This study aimed to elucidate the association between falls and FOF and physical activity in patients on hemodialysis.

Protein intake and its relationship with frailty in chronic kidney disease.

Introduction: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are susceptible to frailty because of a range of nutrition-related factors. While protein restriction is commonly advised to preserve kidney function in patients with CKD, insufficient protein intake could potentially exacerbate frailty risk. This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between frailty and protein intake in patients with CKD.

Low muscle strength and physical function contribute to falls in hemodialysis patients, but not muscle mass.

Introduction: Patients on hemodialysis (HD) have a higher incidence of fractures than the general population. Sarcopenia is frequently observed in patients on HD; however, the association of falls with sarcopenia and its diagnostic factors, including muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical function, are incompletely understood.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at a single center.

Rehabilitation Nutrition in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and Cachexia.

Rehabilitation nutrition is a proposed intervention strategy to improve nutritional status and physical function. However, rehabilitation nutrition in patients with cachexia and protein-energy wasting (PEW), which are the main nutrition-related problems in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), has not been fully clarified. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize the current evidence and interventions related to rehabilitation nutrition for cachexia and PEW in patients with CKD.

Dynamic and static balance functions in hemodialysis patients and non-dialysis dependent CKD patients.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) have a high risk of falls, whereas the impairment in balance function and their types in HD compared with non-dialysis dependent (ND) CKD have not been fully evaluated.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the balance function in 91 ND-CKD and 65 HD patients. The participants underwent the timed up-and-go (TUG) test to assess dynamic balance and the length of the center of pressure (CoP) with open eyes or closed eyes to evaluate static balance.

Relationship between Nutrition-Related Problems and Falls in Hemodialysis Patients: A Narrative Review.

Falls are a social problem that increase healthcare costs. Hemodialysis (HD) patients need to avoid falling because fractures increase their risk of death. Nutritional problems such as frailty, sarcopenia, undernutrition, protein-energy wasting (PEW), and cachexia may increase the risk of falls and fractures in patients with HD.

Dysfunction in dynamic, but not static balance is associated with risk of accidental falls in hemodialysis patients: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis (HD) have a high incidence of falls. Impairment of balance function is a risk factor for falls in the general elderly, and no report examining the association between balance dysfunction and fall incidence in HD patients exists.

Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at a single center.

Comparison of muscle strength between hemodialysis patients and non-dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease.

[Purpose] Muscle weakness in patients with chronic kidney disease is associated with several disease-related factors, and this study aimed to examine whether hemodialysis is one of risk factors for muscle weakness in patients with chronic kidney disease. [Participants and Methods] We conducted a cross-sectional study with 74 non-dialysis and 84 hemodialysis patients. Muscle strength evaluations were performed by measuring isometric knee extensor muscle strength and grip strength.

The Association between time spent in performing physical activity and physical function in outpatients with type 2 diabetes who may have diabetic neuropathy.

Aims: To determine the relationship between physical activity time and physical function according to the Japanese Clinical Practice Guideline for Diabetes, which recommended 150 min of activity for outpatients with type 2 diabetes who may have diabetic neuropathy.

Methods: We examined a cross-sectional study with 79 outpatients with Type 2 diabetes participated. A short version, Japanese language edition of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to evaluate physical activity.

Neointimal coverage after second generation drug-eluting stent implantation has a relationship with pre-existing atherosclerotic lesion characteristics.

The relationship between preexisting atherosclerotic lesion characteristics and neointimal thickness after second-generation drug-eluting stent (DES) placement is still unknown. Thus, we evaluated that relationship using optical coherence tomography (OCT).A single-center, retrospective, observational study was conducted.

Neopterin and Cardiovascular Events Following Coronary Stent Implantation in Patients with Stable Angina Pectoris.

Aim: Neopterin is an activation marker for monocytes/macrophages. We prospectively investigated the predictive value of plasma neopterin levels on 2-year and long-term cardiovascular events in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP) undergoing coronary stent implantation.

Methods: We studied 123 consecutive patients with SAP who underwent primary coronary stenting (44 patients with bare metal stent: BMS group and 79 with drug-eluting stent: DES group).

Enhanced expression of natriuretic peptide receptor A and B in neutrophils of culprit lesions in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Natriuretic peptides and their specific receptors have been suggested to have regulatory effects on smooth muscle cell (SMC) growth and inflammatory cell reactions. However, the roles of natriuretic peptide receptor A (NPR‑A) and B (NPR‑B) in unstable plaques remain to be studied in detail. Frozen sections from 82 coronary artery segments were used.

Physical function was related to mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease and dialysis.

Previous studies have shown that exercise improves aerobic capacity, muscular functioning, cardiovascular function, walking capacity, and health-related quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dialysis. Recently, additional studies have shown that higher physical activity contributes to survival and decreased mortality as well as physical function and QOL in patients with CKD and dialysis. Herein, we review the evidence that physical function and physical activity play an important role in mortality for patients with CKD and dialysis.

Typical coronary appearance of dilated cardiomyopathy versus left ventricular concentric hypertrophy: coronary volumes measured by multislice computed tomography.

Several coronary angiographic studies have reported that enlarged and tortuous epicardial coronary arteries are characteristic of patients with left ventricular concentric hypertrophy (LVCH). Recently, we showed that small volumes opacified by contrast medium can be accurately measured by 64-multislice computed tomography (MSCT) and that there is a direct relationship between the coronary artery volume and left ventricular (LV) mass. However, the relationship of coronary artery volume with LV mass in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is unknown.

The clinical value of apex beat and electrocardiography for the detection of left ventricular hypertrophy from the standpoint of the distance factors from the heart to the chest wall: a multislice CT study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical value of the apex beat and two ECG voltage criteria in the detection of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) while considering two distances, from the heart to the inner chest wall and to the chest surface, measured by using multislice CT (MSCT). The study population consisted of 151 patients clinically judged as requiring MSCT angiography. The apex beat was palpated with patients in the supine.

Utility of myocardial fractional flow reserve for prediction of restenosis following sirolimus-eluting stent implantation.

Drug-eluting stents reduce restenosis due to neointimal growth suppression. Considering long-term outcomes, it is both difficult and important to predict drug-eluting stent restenosis. Thus, this study was designed to examine the utility of myocardial fractional flow reserve (FFR) as a predictor of sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) restenosis.

Absence of left ventricular concentric hypertrophy: a prerequisite for zero coronary calcium score.

The identification and intervention of factors associated with a coronary artery calcification (CAC) score of zero, suggesting the absence of significant coronary artery disease (CAD) with high probability, would be meaningful in the clinical setting. Thus far, the relationship between CAC and left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy has not been documented. We identified factors associated with a CAC score of zero and evaluated the relationship between this score and LV concentric hypertrophy in 309 consecutive patients with suspected CAD who were clinically indicated to undergo multislice computed tomography angiography for coronary artery evaluation.

Neopterin and atherosclerotic plaque instability in coronary and carotid arteries.

Inflammation plays a key role in atherosclerosis and plaque vulnerability, and monocyte/macrophage activation contributes to these processes. Neopterin, a by-product of the guanosine triphosphate pathway, is produced by activated macrophages on stimulation with interferon-γ released from T lymphocytes, and is an activation marker for monocytes/macrophages. Coronary angiographic studies have shown a relationship between increased circulating levels of neopterin and the presence of complex coronary lesions in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP).

Relation of elevated levels of plasma myeloperoxidase to impaired myocardial microcirculation after reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Previous studies have shown that oxidative stress and endothelial dysfunction are related to impaired myocardial microcirculation after reperfusion. Moreover, elevated myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels are associated with endothelial dysfunction. Plasma MPO levels were measured in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction (n = 160) who had undergone percutaneous coronary stenting within 12 hours of symptom onset.

Comprehensive evaluation of the apex beat using 64-slice computed tomography: Impact of left ventricular mass and distance to chest wall.

Objectives: Although physicians frequently perform palpation of the apex beat to evaluate left ventricular (LV) size and hypertrophy, the clinical significance of apex beat palpation is still unclear. The introduction of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) has enabled assessment not only of coronary stenoses but also LV volume, mass, and distance from heart to chest wall. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships among presence, location, and sustained or double apical impulse of apex beat and LV function, volume, mass, and distance from heart to chest wall determined by MSCT.

Utility of novel volumetric intravascular ultrasound analysis software for coronary artery disease.

Background: Volumetric intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) analysis has contributed significantly to the assessment of coronary artery disease. The aim of this study is to validate the novel IVUS analysis software (NICORAS) compared to the previously validated software (EchoPlaque).

Methods: Selected from clinical cases, we used 30 IVUS images that utilized motorized pullback at 0.

Elevated levels of neopterin are associated with carotid plaques with complex morphology in patients with stable angina pectoris.

Objective: Neopterin is an activation marker for monocytes/macrophages, and circulating levels of neopterin are elevated in patients with coronary complex lesions in unstable angina pectoris. We investigated the possible association between neopterin and complex carotid plaques which may be associated with the risk of ischemic stroke in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP).

Methods: We measured plasma levels of neopterin in 102 patients with SAP and carotid ultrasound was performed for evaluation of the presence of carotid plaques and plaque surface characteristics categorized as complex or noncomplex.