Low-Dose Aspirin for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Elderly Japanese Patients with Atherosclerotic Risk Factors: Subanalysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial (JPPP-70).

Introduction: This post hoc subanalysis of the randomized Japanese Primary Prevention Project investigated whether once-daily low-dose aspirin versus no aspirin reduced the risk of cardiovascular events (CVEs) in patients aged ≥ 70 years with atherosclerotic risk factors.

Methods: Patients aged < 70 years (young-old) or ≥ 70 years (old) with hypertension, dyslipidemia, or diabetes participated between 2005 and 2007. Patients were randomized 1:1 to receive 100 mg enteric-coated aspirin once daily or no aspirin plus standard of care.

Photoswitchable Sn-Cyt c Solid-State Devices.

Electron transfer across proteins plays an important role in many biological processes, including those relevant for the conversion of solar photons to chemical energy. Previous studies demonstrated the generation of photocurrents upon light irradiation in a number of photoactive proteins, such as photosystem I or bacteriorhodopsin. Here, it is shown that Sn-cytochrome c layers act as reversible and efficient photoelectrochemical switches upon integration into large-area solid-state junctions.

Association of blood pressure control and metabolic syndrome with cardiovascular risk in elderly Japanese: JATOS study.

Background: The impact of the metabolic syndrome (MS) on cardiovascular events in elderly subjects has not been clarified. We hypothesized that the impact differs between patients with and without strictly controlled blood pressure (BP) and also between early elderly (<75 years) and late (≥75 years) elderly patients.

Methods: Elderly hypertensive patients (65-85 years old) were randomly assigned to strict (target systolic BP <140 mm Hg) or mild (140-159 mm Hg) BP target, and were treated for 2 years with efonidipine-based regimen.

A liposome-based energy conversion system for accelerating the multi-enzyme reactions.

We report the first example of a liposome-based energy conversion system that is useful for entrapping enzymes and NAD coenzyme to accelerate multi-step enzymatic reactions. The liposome generates a much higher catalytic current compared with the non-liposome system, which is in good consistency with numerical simulations.

Impact of renal function on cardiovascular events in elderly hypertensive patients treated with efonidipine.

This study evaluated the impact of renal function on cardiovascular outcomes in elderly hypertensive patients enrolled in the Japanese Trial to Assess Optimal Systolic Blood Pressure in Elderly Hypertensive patients. The patients were randomly assigned to either a strict-treatment group (target systolic blood pressure (BP) <140 mm Hg, n=2212) or a mild-treatment group (target systolic BP, 140 to <160 mm Hg, n=2206), each with efonidipine (a T/L-type Ca channel blocker)-based regimens. Cardiovascular events (stroke, cardiovascular disease and renal disease) were evaluated during the 2-year follow-up period following the prospective randomized open-blinded end-point method.

A mediator-adapted diaphorase variant for a glucose dehydrogenase-diaphorase biocatalytic system.

Biofuel cell is an energy conversion device of the next generation which enables use of safer and higher energy-density fuels such as glucose. We have been developing a biofuel cell that comprises the three enzymes: glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) and diaphorase (DI) on anode, and bilirubin oxidase (BOD) on cathode. In this work, we have developed a DI variant suitable for our biofuel cell by using directed molecular evolution method.

Comparison of strict- and mild-blood pressure control in elderly hypertensive patients: a per-protocol analysis of JATOS.

We performed a per-protocol analysis of the Japanese Trial to Assess Optimal Systolic Blood Pressure in Elderly Hypertensive Patients (JATOS) to evaluate the optimal target blood pressure (BP) in elderly hypertensive patients. In JATOS, conducted in elderly (65-85 years) hypertensive patients treated with efonidipine hydrochloride, there were no differences between the strict-treatment group (systolic BP maintained at <140 mm Hg) and the mild-treatment group (systolic BP maintained at ≥140 mm Hg and <160 mm Hg) in the incidence of primary end points (cardiovascular disease and renal failure) for 2 years. The present study analyzed data in subgroups of JATOS in which the average systolic BP was within the range of target values.

Impact of electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy on the occurrence of cardiovascular events in elderly hypertensive patients. - The Japanese trial to assess optimal systolic blood pressure in elderly hypertensive patients (JATOS) -.

Background: Electrocardiographic (ECG) left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is a risk factor for cardiovascular events and the incidence of LVH increases with age. However, few studies have assessed risks associated with LVH in elderly hypertensive patients.

Methods And Results: The Japanese Trial to Assess Optimal Systolic Blood Pressure in Elderly Hypertensive Patients (JATOS) was conducted to determine optimal blood pressure in elderly patients.

Rationale, design, and baseline data of the Japanese Primary Prevention Project (JPPP)-a randomized, open-label, controlled trial of aspirin versus no aspirin in patients with multiple risk factors for vascular events.

Background: Prevention of atherosclerotic disease has become an important public health priority in Japan due to the aging of the population and changes in diet and lifestyle factors.

Methods: The Japanese Primary Prevention Project (JPPP) is a multicenter, open-label, randomized, parallel-group trial that is evaluating primary prevention with low-dose aspirin in Japanese patients aged 60 to 85 years with hypertension, dyslipidemia, or diabetes mellitus. The study cohort will be followed for a mean of 4 years.

Mechanism of intramolecular electron transfer in the photoexcited Zn-substituted cytochrome c: theoretical and experimental perspective.

Photoinduced electron transfer (ET) in zinc-substituted cytochrome c (Zn-cyt c) has been utilized in many studies on the long-range ET in protein. Attempting to understand its ET mechanism in terms of electronic structure of the molecule, we have calculated an all-electron wave function for the ground-state of Zn-cyt c on the basis of density functional theory (DFT). The four molecular orbitals (MOs) responsible for excitation by UV-vis light (Gouterman's 4-orbitals) are assigned on the basis of the excited states of chromophore model for Zn-porphine complex calculated with the time-dependent DFT method.

Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease with pravastatin in Japan (MEGA Study): a prospective randomised controlled trial.

Background: Evidence-based treatment for hypercholesterolaemia in Japan has been hindered by the lack of direct evidence in this population. Our aim was to assess whether evidence for treatment with statins derived from western populations can be extrapolated to the Japanese population.

Methods: In this prospective, randomised, open-labelled, blinded study, patients with hypercholesterolaemia (total cholesterol 5.

Binding of dioxygen to non-metal sites in proteins: exploration of the importance of binding site size versus hydrophobicity in the copper amine oxidase from Hansenula polymorpha.

Copper amine oxidases (CAOs) contain 2,4,5-trihydroxyphenylalanyl quinone (TPQ) and a copper ion in their active sites, catalyzing amine oxidation to aldehyde and ammonia concomitant with the reduction of molecular oxygen to hydrogen peroxide. Kinetic studies on the CAO from bovine serum (BSAO) [Su and Klinman (1999) Biochemistry 37, 12513-12525] and the recent reports on the cobalt substituted form of the enzyme from Hansenula polymorpha (HPAO) [Mills and Klinman (2000) J. Am.

Mechanistic comparison of the cobalt-substituted and wild-type copper amine oxidase from Hansenula polymorpha.

A recent report by Mills and Klinman [Mills, S. A., and Klinman, J.