Increased Incidence of Cancer in Japanese Patients with Critical Limb Ischemia.

: This multicenter observational study was conducted in order to investigate the incidence of cancer in patients with critical limb ischemia. : We prospectively investigated the incidence of cancer in 68 patients with critical limb ischemia over a two-year period. Patients underwent an intensive examination at enrollment, which included tumor marker levels and chest and abdominal computed tomography, as well as one- and two-year follow-up examinations.

Branch atheromatous disease diagnosed as embolic stroke of undetermined source: A sub-analysis of NAVIGATE ESUS.

Background: Branch atheromatous disease (BAD) is distinctive from large and small arterial diseases, which is single subcortical infarction larger than lacunar stroke in the territories of deep perforators without relevant arterial stenosis. BAD meets the current criteria of embolic stroke of undetermined source. We performed an exploratory analysis of BAD in patients recruited to NAVIGATE embolic stroke of undetermined source, a randomized controlled trial to compare rivaroxaban and aspirin in embolic stroke of undetermined source patients.

Clinical risk factors of stroke and major bleeding in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation under rivaroxaban: the EXPAND Study sub-analysis.

For Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF), the risk of stroke and major bleeding events was assessed by using the CHADS CHADS-VASc, and HAS-BLED scores. The risk factors for embolism and major bleeding under DOAC may be different from current reports. We analyzed the data set of the EXPAND Study to determine the risk factors for events among Japanese NVAF patients in the era of direct oral anticoagulant.

Baseline Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Stroke Recurrence During Secondary Prevention With Pravastatin.

Background and Purpose- As a prespecified post hoc analysis of the J-STARS (Japan Statin Treatment Against Recurrent Stroke) Echo Study, the 5-year stroke recurrence rate according to the baseline mean carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) with and without pravastatin treatment was investigated. Methods- Patients were randomly assigned to receive pravastatin 10 mg/day (pravastatin group) or control group (nonstatin treatment; 1:1) for 5 years. Baseline mean IMT of the common carotid artery was measured by ultrasonography.

Influence of blood pressure on the effects of low-dose asprin in elderly patients with multiple atherosclerotic risks.

Objective: We examined whether the efficacy of low-dose acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) for primary prevention of cardiovascular events is influenced by blood pressure (BP) using data from patients aged 60-85 years with hypertension, dyslipidemia, and/or diabetes, but without cardiovascular disease of the Japanese Primary Prevention Project.

Methods: All patients had received aspirin (100 mg/day) or no aspirin. BP subgroups were defined as low (average SBP from the baseline to the year of the events <130 mmHg), moderate (≥130 and <140 mmHg), and high (≥140 mmHg).

Association of CYP2C19 Polymorphisms With Clopidogrel Reactivity and Clinical Outcomes in Chronic Ischemic Stroke.

Background: CYP2C19variants are associated with the antiplatelet effects of clopidogrel against recurrent cardiovascular events. However, it remains unknown whether the elapsed time from stroke onset affects the relationship between the genetic variants and such events. To address this, we conducted a prospective cohort study to determine the effect ofCYP2C19variants on clinical outcomes in the chronic phase.

Psychometric validation of anti-clot treatment scale and treatment satisfaction questionnaire for medication version II in Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation.

The Anti-Clot Treatment Scale (ACTS) and Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication version II (TSQM-II) are validated treatment satisfaction patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments. The ACTS includes two domains: Burdens and Benefits; the TSQM-II includes four: Effectiveness, Side Effects, Convenience, and Global Satisfaction. Japanese-language versions of the ACTS and TSQM-II have been developed and linguistically validated.

Recurrent Stroke With Rivaroxaban Compared With Aspirin According to Predictors of Atrial Fibrillation: Secondary Analysis of the NAVIGATE ESUS Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The NAVIGATE ESUS randomized clinical trial found that 15 mg of rivaroxaban per day does not reduce stroke compared with aspirin in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS); however, it substantially reduces stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).

Objective: To analyze whether rivaroxaban is associated with a reduction of recurrent stroke among patients with ESUS who have an increased risk of AF.

Design, Setting, And Participants: Participants were stratified by predictors of AF, including left atrial diameter, frequency of premature atrial contractions, and HAVOC score, a validated scheme using clinical features.

WITHDRAWN: Effectiveness and safety of long-term dabigatran among patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in clinical practice: J-Dabigatran Surveillance.

The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published in Journal of Cardiology, 73/6 (2018) 507–514, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.

Comparison of prasugrel and clopidogrel in patients with non-cardioembolic ischaemic stroke: a phase 3, randomised, non-inferiority trial (PRASTRO-I).

Background: The effect of prasugrel in terms of the prevention of recurrence of ischaemic stroke is unknown. We investigated the non-inferiority of prasugrel to clopidogrel for prevention of ischaemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and death from other vascular causes in Japanese patients with non-cardioembolic stroke.

Methods: In this phase 3 randomised, double-blind, non-inferiority trial, patients aged 20-74 years who had had a non-cardioembolic stroke in the previous 1-26 weeks were recruited from 224 hospitals in Japan.

Rivaroxaban administration after acute ischemic stroke: The RELAXED study.

The efficacy of early anticoagulation in acute stroke with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) remains unclear. We performed a study to evaluate the risk of recurrent ischemic stroke (IS) and major bleeding in acute IS patients with NVAF who started rivaroxaban. This observational study evaluated patients with NVAF and acute IS/transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the middle cerebral arterial territory who started rivaroxaban within 30 days after the index IS/TIA.

Effectiveness and safety of long-term dabigatran among patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation in clinical practice: J-dabigatran surveillance.

Background: The effectiveness and safety of dabigatran etexilate (DE) have not been elucidated thoroughly in clinical practice for Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). In particular, those of DE at a reduced dose due to dose reduction recommendations (DRR) remain unknown.

Methods: NVAF patients who had newly initiated DE treatment for prevention of thromboembolic events between December 2011 and November 2013 were enrolled.

Incidence of osteonecrosis of the jaw in Japanese osteoporosis patients taking minodronic acid.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) associated with bisphosphonate therapy is a rare but severe side effect in osteoporosis patients. Recently, the number of osteoporosis patients with ONJ has dramatically increased in Japan. This has contributed to an increase in the number of patients avoiding extractions.

CD4 T cells from patients with primary biliary cholangitis show T cell activation and differentially expressed T-cell receptor repertoires.

Aim: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease with unknown pathogenesis. In PBC, activation of T-cell receptor (TCR) signaling is associated with inflammatory cytokine production through N-Ras upregulation. Although the CD4 T cell TCR repertoire could be associated with PBC pathogenesis, it has not been evaluated.

[Growth spurts of the bone from infancy to puberty.].

Growth spurts of the bone occur during infancy(1 to 4 years)and puberty(12 to 17 years). While, generally, pubertal spurts appear to draw more attention than infantile spurts, the latter constitute maximum growth spurts. Indeed, those during the first year of life lead to a 1.

Multiple vitamin deficiencies additively increase the risk of incident fractures in Japanese postmenopausal women.

Unlabelled: The associations of multiple vitamin deficiencies on incident fractures were uncertain, the relationships between serum vitamin markers and incident bone fractures were investigated in Japanese postmenopausal women. The number of deficiencies was additively associated with incident fracture after adjustment for possible confounding factors including the treatment of osteoporosis.

Introduction: To evaluate the associations of multiple vitamin deficiencies on incident fractures, the relationships between serum vitamin markers and incident bone fractures were investigated in Japanese postmenopausal women.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with autoimmune hepatitis.

Background And Aim: The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing all over the world. NAFLD develops in patients with liver disease, including patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). NAFLD and AIH have some similar laboratory and histological findings.

Evaluation of Risk Factors for Limb-Specific Peripheral Vascular Events in Patients With Peripheral Artery Disease: A Post Hoc Analysis of the SEASON Prospective Observational Study.

Surveillance of cardiovascular Events in Antiplatelet-treated arterioSclerosis Obliterans patients in JapaN (SEASON) is a 2-year, prospective, real-world, registry study conducted in Japan from 2009 to 2013. This post hoc analysis evaluated risk factors for limb ischemia in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and ankle-brachial index (ABI) <0.90.

Caveolin-1 is related to lipid droplet formation in hepatic stellate cells in human liver.

Caveolins (CAVs) regulate intracellular cholesterol transport by a complex process involving caveolae, endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and the Golgi network. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the central site for retinoid storage in the liver and indeed the entire body. Herein, we attempted to elucidate the ultrastructural localization and expression of caveolin-1 (CAV-1) in human HSCs during the progression of liver cirrhosis (LC).

Usefulness of Carotid Arterial Strain Values for Evaluating the Arteriosclerosis.

Aim: We investigated the clinical usefulness of carotid arterial strain and the strain rate for evaluating the progression of arteriosclerosis measured using a two-dimensional speckle-tracking method in carotid ultrasonography.

Methods: We enrolled 259 participants (age: 64±12 years; men: 149; women: 110) in this retrospective analysis. The circumferential strain and the strain rate were measured in bilateral common carotid arteries, and the lowest values were used for the analyses.