Prevalence, Impact, and Screening Methods of Sarcopenia in Japanese Patients With Parkinson's Disease: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Sarcopenia is a skeletal muscle disease manifesting as low muscle mass and impaired muscle function. It has been reported that sarcopenia correlates with a low quality of life (QOL) and an increased risk of falls in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Nevertheless, few studies have investigated the prevalence, impact, and screening methods of sarcopenia in Japanese patients with PD.

Determinants of Activity Phenotype in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Introduction: Physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB) have attracted attention in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and there have been efforts to evaluate PA and SB separately. The factors associated with the characteristics of the four activity phenotypes defined by the durations of PA and SB are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to clarify the factors that could differentiate each activity phenotype.

Objective Measurement of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Points to Keep in Mind during Evaluations.

Objective measurement methods using accelerometers have become the mainstream approach for evaluating physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior (SB). However, several problems face the objective evaluation of PA and SB in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). For example, indicators of PA differ depending on whether the accelerometer detects the kind of activity on the one hand, or its intensity on the other.

Validation of Simple Prediction Equations for Step Count in Japanese Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Physical activity is decreased in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and decreased physical activity leads to a poor prognosis. To determine an individual’s target step count from the measured step counts and predicted step counts, simple and detailed prediction equations for step count were developed. To verify the validity of the simple prediction equation, the validity of the simple equation was evaluated in a different cohort and the correlation between the step counts calculated by the simple equation and those by the detailed prediction equation were evaluated.

Association between knee extensor force steadiness and postural stability against mechanical perturbation in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Objective: Lower extremity force steadiness has been shown to decrease with aging and neuromotor dysfunction and to be associated with physical function and fall. Although patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience decreased force steadiness, whether the extent of force steadiness differs according to target force or whether this steadiness is associated with postural control remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the force steadiness while steadily exerting low and moderate levels of knee extensor force between individuals with and without PD and to examine the association between force steadiness and postural instability against mechanical perturbation in PD.

Impact of pre-existing interstitial lung abnormal shadow on lung injury development and severity in patients of non-small cell lung cancer treated with osimertinib.

Background: First-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) sometimes causes lung injury, thereby affecting survival. Although pre-existing interstitial lung abnormal shadow (pre-ILS) increases the risk of lung injury by EGFR-TKIs, its impact on osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR-TKI, remains unknown.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective cohort study consecutively enrolled patients of EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer treated with osimertinib.

Changes in Muscle Thickness and Echo Intensity in Chronic Stroke Survivors: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study.

Background And Purpose: The objective of this study was to identify 2-year longitudinal changes in the muscle thickness (MT) and echo intensity (EI) of the abdominal, thigh, and lower limb muscles in chronic stroke survivors.

Methods: This study included 15 chronic stroke survivors aged 74.1±9.

Effects of individualized target setting on step count in Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a pilot study.

Introduction: Improving physical activity in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a very important issue; however, effective recommended targets for individual patients remain to be determined.

Material And Methods: We developed a method for setting a target value for the step count for each patient using a measured value and the predicted step count. We then evaluated the effect of providing a pedometer or a pedometer with this target value for eight weeks on the step count in patients with COPD.

Reference Equations for Assessing the Physical Activity of Japanese Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: To improve physical activity (PA) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), providing a target PA value based on the individual patient's condition may be a useful interventional strategy. However, to determine the target value, a predictive PA value for each patient is required.

Research Question: What is the reference equation consisting of PA-related factors to determine the predictive PA value for each patient with COPD?

Material And Methods: In this prospective cross-sectional observational study, we measured the PA with a triaxial accelerometer and several other factors including demographic factors, pulmonary function, dyspnea, exercise capacity, muscle strength, nutrition, and indicators of several comorbidities in stable Japanese outpatients with COPD aged ≥40 years old and detected PA-related factors by a multiple regression analysis and stepwise method.

A case of primary racemose hemangioma in which the disappearance of an endobronchial lesion was confirmed after bronchial artery embolization.

The confirmation of the improvement of endobronchial lesions in addition to that of vascular lesions after bronchial artery embolization of primary racemose hemangioma could be important.

Longitudinal Relationship Between Growth Differentiation Factor 11 and Physical Activity in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Background: Daily physical activity is reduced in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and a reduced level of physical activity has been shown to be an important predictor for the prognosis, such as increased risk of exacerbation and mortality. However, there has not yet been a useful biomarker of the physical activity. In our previous cross-sectional study, we showed that the level of one of the possible myokines, which is an anti-aging factor, growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11), was decreased in the plasma from patients with COPD and correlated with the physical activity.

No Impact of Stochastic Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation on Arterial Pressure and Heart Rate Variability in the Elderly Population.

Objective: Noisy galvanic vestibular stimulation (nGVS) is often used to improve postural stability in disorders, such as neurorehabilitation montage. For the safe use of nGVS, we investigated whether arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate vary during static supine and slow whole-body tilt with random nGVS (0.4 mA, 0.

A Non-Interventional, Cross-Sectional Study to Evaluate Factors Relating to Daily Step Counts and Physical Activity in Japanese Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: STEP COPD.

Purpose: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have decreased physical activity (PA) compared with healthy adults. As lower PA is associated with increased mortality, improving PA is an important objective for COPD management. This large-scale, multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional study examined the activity status of COPD patients in Japan and explored factors related to PA.

Data Reproducibility and Effectiveness of Bronchodilators for Improving Physical Activity in COPD Patients.

Increasing physical activity (PA) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important issue, however, the effect of bronchodilators on PA is still controversial. The indicators of PA, as measured by an accelerometer, can easily fluctuate based on several factors, which might cause inconsistent results. In this review, we listed the indicators of PA and the factors influencing the reproducibility of indicators of PA, and reviewed reports in which the effects of bronchodilators on PA were evaluated by an accelerometer.

Prospective, multicentre, single-arm phase II trial of pembrolizumab combined with carboplatin and pemetrexed in elderly patients with advanced, non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction: Triplet regimen of carboplatin or cisplatin with pemetrexed and pembrolizumab is a standard treatment for patients with advanced, chemo-naïve, non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer. However, subgroup analysis for patients aged ≥75 years indicated that elderly patients who received the triplet regimen may have had shorter survival times than if they had chemotherapy alone (HR of 2.09).

Simple standard equation for daily step count in Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Purpose: The improvement of physical activity in patients with COPD is an important issue. However, no standard for the recommended number of steps for patients with COPD has been determined. We conducted a retrospective observational study to create a simple standard equation for the daily step count, which makes it easier to determine whether each subject is attaining his/her predicted value or not.

Effect of tiotropium/olodaterol on sedentary and active time in patients with COPD: post hoc analysis of the VESUTO study.

Background: Patients with COPD are less physically active. This post hoc analysis of a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, crossover trial assessed the efficacy of once-daily tiotropium/olodaterol combination therapy versus tiotropium monotherapy in Japanese patients with COPD.

Patients And Methods: Patients were provided with a three-axis accelerometer to measure sedentary and active behavior defined as 1.

Clinical benefit of two-times-per-day aclidinium bromide compared with once-a-day tiotropium bromide hydrate in COPD: a multicentre, open-label, randomised study.

Objective: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is mainly treated pharmaceutically with bronchodilators. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical benefits of two-times-per-day aclidinium bromide (Acli-BID) compared with once-a-day tiotropium bromide hydrate (Tio-QD) in patients with COPD.

Design: This study was a multicentre, open-label, randomised study.

Long-Term Results of Crossover Bypass for Iliac Atherosclerotic Lesions in the Era of Endovascular Treatment: The Re-ACTION Study (trospective ssessment of rossover Bypass as a reatment for liac Lesis).

The aim of this study was to elucidate the long-term results of crossover bypass (CB) for iliac atherosclerotic lesions in the era of endovascular treatment (EVT). A retrospective multicenter cohort study was performed. CB was performed in 242 patients between 2003 and 2014 by vascular surgeons at multiple medical centers in Japan.

Comparison of ICD shock rates in Japanese and non-Japanese patients in the PainFree SST study.

Background: The PainFree Smart Shock Technology (SST) study showed a low implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) inappropriate shock rate. However, the majority of patients were from Western countries with patient characteristics different from those in Japan. ICD shock rates using the novel SST algorithms in Japanese patients are still unknown.

Verification of a Motion Sensor for Evaluating Physical Activity in COPD Patients.

Background: Objective evaluation of the physical activity (PA) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is important. We validated a triaxial accelerometer, Active Style Pro HJA-750C® (HJA), and evaluated the necessary conditions for obtaining reproducible data.

Methods: The PA measured by HJA was compared with that measured by two already validated accelerometers in 11 patients with COPD (age: 76.

Efficacy of tiotropium/olodaterol on lung volume, exercise capacity, and physical activity.

Purpose: This study evaluated the efficacy of tiotropium/olodaterol vs tiotropium on lung function, exercise capacity, and physical activity in patients with COPD.

Patients And Methods: A total of 184 patients aged ≥40 years with COPD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease stage II-IV) received tiotropium/olodaterol for 6 weeks, then tiotropium for 6 weeks, or vice versa. The primary endpoint was inspiratory capacity (IC) at peak post-dose.