Implications of asymptomatic hypotension for patients prescribed sacubitril/valsartan: Insight from the REVIEW-HF registry.

Background: Sacubitril/valsartan has unequivocally demonstrated prognostic improvement in patients with chronic heart failure in large-scale randomized controlled trials. However, it remains uncertain whether patients presenting with asymptomatic hypotension have distinct prognoses compared to those with symptomatic hypotension, and there is no consensus on the optimal strategy for managing asymptomatic hypotension.

Methods And Results: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted, analyzing data from patients initiated on sacubitril/valsartan therapy.

Preconditioning intervention prior to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia.

The outcomes of patients with high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) remain poor despite many attempts at developing therapeutic strategies. Preconditioning interventions (PCIs) have been applied to patients with high-risk AML to reduce the disease burden before starting the conditioning regimen. A single-center retrospective study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of PCI in allograft patients with high-risk AML.

Impact of baseline-pool local impedance on lesion formation using a local impedance-sensing catheter: Lessons from a porcine experimental model.

Background: Impact of baseline-pool local impedance (BP-LI) on the lesion size remains unclear.

Methods: Lesion size in the porcine left ventricular myocardium was evaluated using the STABLEPOINT™ catheter across various ablation settings and BP-LIs (100, 140, and 180 ohms).

Results: A total of 184 lesions were created with different durations (15/30/60 s) at 30 watts or with different powers (30/40/50 W) for 15 s.

Evaluating optimal height for hamstring activity in maximum-speed single-leg bridge test.

Hamstring strain injuries often occur during high-speed movements, yet no functional test reliably induces rapid hamstring contractions. This study aimed to determine the optimal platform height in the maximum-speed single-leg bridge test (MS-SLBT) to maximize hamstring activation. This cross-sectional study included 26 healthy male recreational athletes.

A deep learning-based prediction model for prognosis of cervical spine injury: a Japanese multicenter survey.

Purpose: Cervical spine injuries in the elderly (defined as individuals aged 65 years and older) are increasing, often resulting from falls and minor trauma. Prognosis varies widely, influenced by multiple factors. This study aimed to develop a deep-learning-based predictive model for post-injury outcomes.

Impact of late-onset circulatory collapse and bronchopulmonary dysplasia on short-term outcomes in preterm infants: A Japanese retrospective cohort study.

Background: Late-onset circulatory collapse (LCC) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) are significant complications in extremely preterm infants, leading to adverse short-term outcomes. While adverse short-term outcomes associated with each condition have been reported individually, the impact of the interaction between BPD and LCC on adverse short-term outcomes remains unclear.

Methods: This was a retrospective multicenter cohort study based on the Neonatal Research Network of Japan (NRNJ) including extremely preterm infants weighing <1500 g who were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit and registered with NRNJ between 2010 and 2022.

Concurrent Therapy for Immunoglobulin Light Chain Cardiac Amyloidosis and Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Case Report.

Cardiac amyloidosis (CA), predominantly caused by amyloid transthyretin (ATTR) or immunoglobulin light chain (AL), has a poor prognosis, and a precise diagnosis is crucial because the optimal treatments differ between the two conditions. However, diagnosing AL-CA is challenging because of the unavailability of effective AL-detecting antibodies, particularly in cases with coexisting AL- and ATTR-CA. This report presents a successfully diagnosed case of complicated AL- and ATTR-CA that was successfully treated with tafamidis for ATTR-CA and combination chemotherapy for AL-CA.

High-risk plaque features and perivascular inflammation.

Background: The association between high-risk plaque (HRP) on coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) and the level of perivascular inflammation has not been fully investigated.

Methods: Patients who underwent both CTA and optical coherence tomography (OCT) were included. The level of perivascular inflammation was assessed by pericoronary adipose tissue (PCAT) attenuation at two levels: lesion-specific and the proximal segment of the culprit vessel.

Aldh2 and the tumor suppressor Trp53 play important roles in alcohol-induced squamous field cancerization.

Background: Field cancerization defined by multiple development of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) in upper aerodigestive tract was explained by excessive alcohol intake. A dysfunctional mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (Aldh2) delays the clearance of acetaldehyde, a genotoxic alcohol metabolite, and increases SCC risks. TP53 plays key roles in squamous carcinogenesis.

Cholinergic crisis in Lycoris radiata poisoning: A case of delayed onset and prolonged symptoms.

Lycoris radiata, commonly known to contain alkaloids such as lycorine and galanthamine, is toxic and is easily accessible in East Asian countries, including Japan. Lycorine is a central nervous system and gastrointestinal irritant, whereas galanthamine, a carbamate, exhibits reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibition. Symptoms of Lycoris radiata poisoning are generally acute and resolve quickly.

Disaster preparedness and kidney health in children.

Disasters pose significant risks to vulnerable populations, particularly children with chronic health conditions such as kidney disease. This paper explores the unique challenges faced by children with kidney disease during and after disasters, focusing on disruptions to essential medical services such as dialysis, access to clean water, and maintenance medications. The vulnerability of these children is further amplified in low-resource settings, where disaster preparedness is often lacking.

Mycophenolate mofetil reduces cell viability associated with the miR-205-PAX9 pathway in human lip fibroblast cells.

Cleft lip is a birth defect associated with environmental and genetic factors. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to play a crucial role in lip formation, with the disruption of miRNAs influencing the development of cleft lip. Exposure to medicinal agents in pregnant women is one of the reasons for cleft lip.

Short-term Assessment of Glaucoma Progression in Clinical Trials Using Trend-based Visual Field Progression Analysis.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of disease stage, frequency and clustering of visual field (VF) tests, inclusion of 1 or both eyes, and 1 (1 arm; before and after a treatment) or 2 groups (2 arms; treatment and control arm) on sample size calculation in clinical trials.

Design: Clinical cohort study.

Participants: A series of VFs were simulated based on test-retest VF data in the early, moderate, and advanced stages of glaucoma with 231, 204, and 226 eyes, respectively.

First-line biologics as a treatment for ulcerative colitis: a multicenter randomized control study.

Background: Despite the availability of several biologics for ulcerative colitis (UC), there remains a critical need to identify first-line treatment biologics. The superiority of infliximab (IFX) over vedolizumab (VED) and ustekinumab (UST) was evaluated as initial UC treatments in patients with biologic-naïve UC.

Methods: This multicenter, randomized control trial was conducted across 20 Japanese medical institutions.

Current Status and Prospects of Regional Collaborative Pathways for Management of Acute Coronary Syndrome in Japan - A Nationwide Survey.

Background: Comprehensive management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) requires seamless treatment across institutions, including intensive care centers and local clinics. However, maintaining guideline-directed medical therapy remains challenging. One promising option to improve the situation may be the implementation of regional collaborative clinical pathways.

Effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy on weight loss and metabolic improvement in subjects aged 65 years or older: a subanalysis of J-SMART study.

Aim: To investigate the effect of weight loss and metabolic improvement after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) in older adults aged 65 years or over compared with younger adults in a retrospective analysis.

Methods: The J-SMART study database of 322 Japanese individuals with body mass index (BMI) ≥32 kg/m who underwent LSG between 2011 and 2014 at 10 centers accredited by the Japanese Society for Treatment of Obesity were analyzed. The subjects were classified into two groups: ≥65 age group (range, 65-76 years; n = 25) and <65 age group (range, 22-64 years; n = 297).

The Effectiveness of Short-Term Group Psychoeducation for Patients With Bipolar Disorder in Japan.

Introduction Psychoeducation is a form of psychosocial treatment with proven efficacy in preventing the relapse of bipolar disorder (BD). However, the effectiveness of psychoeducation has not been verified in Japan. We aimed to examine the effect of a brief group psychoeducation course (eight-session long) on relapse prevention in Japanese patients with BD and associated factors.

Validation of a New Classification for Severe Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia in Extremely Preterm Infants: Insights from a Large Japanese Cohort.

Introduction: A recent scoping review identified histological chorioamnionitis (HCA), small for gestational age (SGA), and bubbly/cystic appearance on chest X-ray (bubbly/cystic CXR) as risk factors for severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). To further validate these results, a large-scale database was analyzed.

Methods: This retrospective multicenter cohort study included infants born at <28 weeks' gestational age between 2003 and 2016.

Pacing and Ablation Technique Using Microelectrode for Pulmonary Vein Isolation Using a Local Impedance-Guided Catheter.

Background: The IntellaNav MiFi OI catheter (MiFi) is equipped with a sensor for local impedance (LI) monitoring and three mini-electrodes. In this study, we investigated the target LI values for a successful pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) under the pacing and ablation technique using the MiFi catheter.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients underwent PVI using the MiFi catheter under mini electrode pacing from the MiFi catheter.