Low-Gradient Severe Aortic Stenosis: Insights From the CURRENT AS Registry-2.

Background: Low-gradient (LG) aortic stenosis (AS) has not been fully characterized compared with high-gradient (HG) AS in terms of cardiac damage, frailty, aortic valve calcification, and clinical outcomes.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes between each hemodynamic type of LG AS and HG AS.

Methods: The current study included 3,363 patients in the CURRENT AS (Contemporary outcomes after sURgery and medical tREatmeNT in patients with severe Aortic Stenosis) Registry-2 after excluding patients without indexed stroke volume or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) data.

Safety of Calcium Channel Blockers in Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis and Hypertension.

Background: There is a paucity of data on safety of calcium channel blockers (CCB) in patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and hypertension.

Methods And Results: Among 2,460 patients with severe AS and hypertension receiving antihypertensive therapy in the CURRENT AS registry-2, we compared the clinical outcomes between patients taking antihypertensive therapy with CCB (CCB group) and without CCB (no CCB group). In the entire study population, CCB was prescribed in 1,763 patients (71.

Bioprosthetic Valve Positions in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation - Insights From the BPV-AF Registry.

Background: Data on the impact of valve position on clinical outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and bioprosthetic valves (BPVs) are limited.

Methods And Results: The BPV-AF Registry was a multicenter, prospective, observational study involving 894 patients with BPVs and AF. In this post-hoc substudy, patients were classified according to BPV position: aortic (n=588; 65.

Acquired von Willebrand Disease Associated With Severe Functional Mitral Regurgitation Improved by TEER.

A 75-year-old man with a history of small intestinal angioectasia underwent transcatheter edge-to-edge repair for severe functional mitral regurgitation, resulting in recovery of large von Willebrand Factor multimers. This case highlights the potential of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair to manage both heart failure and acquired von Willebrand disease associated with functional mitral regurgitation.

An aspirin-free strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention in patients with diabetes: a pre-specified subgroup analysis of the STOPDAPT-3 trial.

Aims: Safety of aspirin-free strategy immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for cardiovascular events in patients with diabetes was unknown.

Methods And Results: We conducted the prespecified subgroup analysis on diabetes in the STOPDAPT-3 trial, which randomly compared prasugrel (3.75 mg/day) monotherapy (2984 patients) to dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with prasugrel and aspirin (2982 patients) in patients with acute coronary syndrome or high bleeding risk.

Regeneration of tunic cuticle is suppressed in edible ascidian Halocynthia roretzi contracting soft tunic syndrome.

Soft tunic syndrome is an infectious disease caused by the flagellate Azumiobodo hoyamushi, which severely damages the aquaculture of the edible ascidian Halocynthia roretzi. Tunic is a cellulosic extracellular matrix entirely covering the body in ascidians and other tunicates, and its dense cuticle layer covers the tunic surface as a physical barrier against microorganisms. When the tunic of intact H.

MMP2 and MMP9 are associated with the pathogenesis of recurrent pregnancy loss through protein expression rather than genetic polymorphism.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) degrade extracellular matrix proteins and are important for placenta formation during early pregnancy. Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is associated with abnormalities in endometrial extracellular matrix remodeling. This study aimed to elucidate the roles of MMP2 and MMP9 in RPL pathogenesis.

An Aspirin-Free Strategy for Immediate Treatment Following Complex Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: There was no study evaluating the effects of an aspirin-free strategy in patients undergoing complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Objectives: The authors aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an aspirin-free strategy in patients undergoing complex PCI.

Methods: We conducted the prespecified subgroup analysis based on complex PCI in the STOPDAPT-3 (ShorT and OPtimal duration of Dual AntiPlatelet Therapy after everolimus-eluting cobalt-chromium stent-3), which randomly compared low-dose prasugrel (3.

Positive Emotional Responses to Socially Assistive Robots in People With Dementia: Pilot Study.

Background: Interventions and care that can evoke positive emotions and reduce apathy or agitation are important for people with dementia. In recent years, socially assistive robots used for better dementia care have been found to be feasible. However, the immediate responses of people with dementia when they are given multiple sensory modalities from socially assistive robots have not yet been sufficiently elucidated.

Endoscopic and Histological Gastritis in University Students with Helicobacter pylori Infection.

Objective Although the characteristics of Helicobacter pylori infection have been extensively reported, there is a lack of consensus regarding its characteristics in young adults. The present study examined the endoscopic and histological characteristics of young adults who underwent eradication therapy for H. pylori infection.

Aspirin-free strategy for percutaneous coronary intervention in acute coronary syndrome based on the subtypes of acute coronary syndrome and high bleeding risk: the STOPDAPT-3 trial.

Background And Aims: High bleeding risk (HBR) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS) subtypes are critical in determining bleeding and cardiovascular event risk after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods And Results: In 4476 ACS patients enrolled in the STOPDAPT-3, where the no-aspirin and dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) strategies after PCI were randomly compared, the pre-specified subgroup analyses were conducted based on HBR/non-HBR and ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)/non-ST-segment elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS). The co-primary bleeding endpoint was Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) type 3 or 5, and the co-primary cardiovascular endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, definite stent thrombosis, or ischaemic stroke at 1 month.

Validity and reliability of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory among Japanese women with cesarean section.

This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of the expanded version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Japanese version (PTGI-X-J) among Japanese women who delivered by cesarean section. The study is a cross-sectional survey psychometric study. Participants were 517 Japanese women who were in the hospital after childbirth by cesarean section at six general hospitals and two obstetric clinics in Tokai Region, Japan.

An Aspirin-Free Versus Dual Antiplatelet Strategy for Coronary Stenting: STOPDAPT-3 Randomized Trial.

Background: Bleeding rates on dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) within 1 month after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remain high in clinical practice, particularly in patients with acute coronary syndrome or high bleeding risk. Aspirin-free strategy might result in lower bleeding early after PCI without increasing cardiovascular events, but its efficacy and safety have not yet been proven in randomized trials.

Methods: We randomly assigned 6002 patients with acute coronary syndrome or high bleeding risk just before PCI either to prasugrel (3.

Clinical and phototrichogrammatic evaluation of estradiol replacement therapy on hair growth in postmenopausal Japanese women with female pattern hair loss: a pilot study.

Background: Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is known to present with characteristic pathological conditions, including reduced overall hair density. Female hormones affect hair condition; however, the detailed mechanism is unknown. Furthermore, research on the topic is complicated by the fact that senescent alopecia often occurs concurrently with FPHL.

Clopidogrel vs Aspirin Monotherapy Beyond 1 Year After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

Background: It remains unclear whether clopidogrel is better suited than aspirin as the long-term antiplatelet monotherapy following dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Objectives: This study compared clopidogrel monotherapy following 1 month of DAPT (clopidogrel group) with aspirin monotherapy following 12 months of DAPT (aspirin group) after PCI for 5 years.

Methods: STOPDAPT-2 (Short and Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy 2) is a multicenter, open-label, adjudicator-blinded, randomized clinical trial conducted in Japan.