Comparison between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC) as an inflammatory component of metabolic syndrome in Japanese.

Objective: To compare two systemic inflammatory markers, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and white blood cell count (WBC), as a component of metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods: Data of hs-CRP and WBC from 2,185 Japanese men and 1,383 Japanese women were examined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for diagnosing MetS and Spearman's correlation coefficients.

Results: The area under ROC curve (AUC) of hs-CRP was 0.

Uric acid is positively associated with metabolic syndrome but negatively associated with diabetes in Japanese men.

Background: The relationships between uric acid and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and diabetes, as well as the gender differences in these relationships are controversial.

Methods: Medical check-up data from 2,449 Japanese men and 1,448 Japanese women were examined. The prevalence of MetS and diabetes was calculated by the quartiles of serum levels of uric acid.

Improvement of determination technique for extracting centerline in coronary artery with calcification on CTA.

The present study proposes a method for improving an existing technique used for extracting the centerlines of coronary arteries with calcifications on CTA. Through the use of the improved centerline extraction method, CPR images could be depicted accurately. In the proposed method, two dynamic range compression algorithms using two ITC for blood vessel regions and calcification regions were employed.

LDL cholesterol is more strongly associated with metabolic syndrome in Japanese women than in men.

Objective: LDL cholesterol is not usually considered as a component of metabolic syndrome (MetS) but rather it is associated with MetS components.

Methods: Data from 2,449 men and 1,448 women were examined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for diagnosing MetS and correlation coefficients.

Results: Blood levels of LDL cholesterol increased more steeply in women than in men as the number of MetS components increased.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases with the increase in blood levels of gamma glutamyltransferase and alanine aminotransferase in Japanese men and women.

Background: Gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is reported to be an independent risk factor of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and proposed as a component of metabolic syndrome (MS). However, there are few studies examining the direct association between MS and GGT or ALT in Japanese men and women.

Methods: Direct associations between GGT or ALT and MS defined by revised NCEP criteria for Japanese and between GGT or ALT and Japanese MS (JMS) defined by the Examination Committee for the Criteria of Metabolic Syndrome were examined using medical check-up data from 1,880 men and 1,079 women.

A cross-sectional relationship between vital capacity and metabolic syndrome and between vital capacity and diabetes in a sample Japanese population.

Objectives: A lower vital capacity (VC) has been reported to be an independent predictor of diabetes in Western countries. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between VC and diabetes and between VC and metabolic syndrome (MS) in Japanese individuals.

Methods: Stepwise multiple linear regressions with fasting glucose as a dependent variable and age, metabolic risk factors, and percentage vital capacity (%VC) as independent variables were performed using data obtained from 1651 men and 957 women.

Low vital capacity is associated with diabetes despite inverse relationships with metabolic risk factors in lean Japanese men.

Background: There is no study examining the relationships between vital capacity and diabetes or metabolic risk factors in lean subjects.

Methods: Cross-sectional relationships between % vital capacity (%VC) and diabetes and metabolic risk factors were examined in Japanese subjects using medical check-up data from 2,079 men and 1,215 women. Subjects were divided into lean (BMI <23 kg/m(2)) and obese (BMI >or=23 kg/m(2)) groups and then subdivided into lower %VC (or=96%) subgroups by gender.

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome and diabetes increases through the quartiles of white blood cell count in Japanese men and women.

Objective: Low-grade systemic inflammation is proposed as a component of metabolic syndrome (MS) and is reported as a predictor of diabetes. We studied the association between white blood cell count (WBC) and MS and diabetes in Japanese men and women.

Methods: Cross-sectional associations between WBC and metabolic syndrome (MS) defined by revised NCEP criteria for Japanese, Japanese MS (JMS) defined by the Examination Committee for Criteria of Metabolic Syndrome, and diabetes were examined using medical check-up data from 1,880 men and 1,079 women.

Very low levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein are not bimodally distributed but are significantly related to other metabolic risk factors in Japanese.

Background: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is an independent risk factor of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and it is proposed as a component of metabolic syndrome. Blood levels of hs-CRP are reported to be much lower in Japanese than in Westerners and bimodally distributed in Japanese.

Methods: Very low levels of hs-CRP were examined using medical check-up data of 1,360 Japanese men and 821 women whose plasma levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were below 10 mg/L.

Significance of heart rate in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its related risk factors in Japanese.

Background: Autonomic dysfunction is thought to be an important mechanism of metabolic syndrome (MetS), but there has not been a study on the direct association between MetS and heart rate (HR) in Japanese.

Methods And Results: The association between MetS and HR was examined using medical check-up data from 1,880 men and 1,079 women. HR was significantly higher in MetS subjects than in non-MetS subjects in both men and women (P<0.

[Exposure for harvesting gastroepiploic artery graft].

We present out technique for harvesting the gastroepiploic artery (GEA). We use a Universal Stabilizer Arm and an assistant attachment to push the liver against the diaphragm, giving en enough working space to harvest the graft. Between January and December 2007, 99 isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)s were performed, and in 36 (36.

A cross-sectional relationship between vital capacity and diabetes in Japanese men.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to examine the cross-sectional relationship between vital capacity and diabetes, metabolic syndrome (MS), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) among Japanese men.

Methods: Medical check-up data of 1353 men were examined. Spearman's correlation coefficients between respiratory function and MS-related risk factors were calculated excluding subjects with hypoglycemic medication.

[Delayed surgery for traumatic rupture of the aortic arch with an isolated left vertebral artery; report of a case].

Although traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta has been considered a surgical emergency, we report here an example of successful delayed surgery for acute traumatic rupture of the aortic arch with an isolated left vertebral artery in an 18-year-old woman. The patient was.admitted to the intensive care unit with hemothorax and, rib fractures, and a decision was made to treat the aortic injury conservatively until the patient was stabilized.

Age- and gender-related differences in correlations between abdominal obesity and obesity-related metabolic risk factors in Japanese.

Background: There have been conflicting data regarding the relationship between obesity and coronary heart disease (CHD) in Japan. Obesity was reported to be a risk factor of CHD in young and middle-aged males, but not in females or older males. The age- and gender-related differences in the correlations between obesity and obesity-related metabolic risk factors might contribute to these conflicting data.

[Assessment of proximal aortic anastomosis device in coronary artery bypass grafting].

The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of a new proximal anastomotic device (PAD) "Enclose II" in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). PAD enables the construction of a proximal aortic anastomosis without the use of partial clamp of the ascending aorta, thus reduces the incidence of adverse perioperative neurologic injury related to atheroembolic events. This device was used in 41 off-pump CABG and 11 on-pump beating heart CABG patients for performing 46 radial artery (RA) and 9 vein anastomoses to the aorta.

Tentative cut point of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein for a component of metabolic syndrome in Japanese.

Background: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is an independent risk factor of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and is proposed as a component of metabolic syndrome (MetS). An optimal cut point of hs-CRP as a component of MetS was previously reported as 0.65 mg/L based on data from a small-sized study.

[Clinical evaluation of landiolol hydrochloride, an ultra short-acting beta-blocker].

Postoperative supraventricular tachyarrhythmia (SVT) remains the most common complication of cardiovascular surgery. Current guidelines recommend treatment with beta-blockers in prevention and management of postoperative atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery. Landiolol hydrochloride is a newly developed ultra short-acting selective beta1-blocker with a half-life of approximately 4 minutes.

The metabolic syndrome as a concept of adipose tissue disease.

The metabolic syndrome is a constellation of interrelated metabolic risk factors that appear to directly promote the development of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, in 2005, the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes jointly stated that no existing definition of the metabolic syndrome meets the criteria of a syndrome, and there have been endless debates on the pros and cons of using the concept of this syndrome. The controversy may stem from confusion between the syndrome and obesity.

Large saphenous vein graft aneurysm with a fistula to the right atrium.

We report on a case of a 65-year-old man who was admitted for anterior chest pain on effort. He had received coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery 20 years ago with saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) to the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and right coronary artery (RCA). An angiography demonstrated large aneurysmal dilatation of both grafts and a fistulous communication between the middle portion of the right SVG and the right atrium (RA).

[Extracardiac rupture of aneurysm of the noncoronary sinus of valsalva: report of a case].

A 78-year-old female was admitted to our hospital because of sudden onset of chest pain and general fatigue. A chest X-ray showed marked cardiomegaly and computed tomography (CT) revealed pericardial effusion with left pleural effusion. Upon admission to CCU, she suddenly lost consciousness and was intubated.

[Off-pump versus conventional coronary artery bypass grafting in octogenarians].

Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in elderly patients is becoming increasingly common. From January 1996 to February 2002, 836 patients underwent CABG in our hospital, of whom 33 patients (3.9%) were aged 80 years or older.

[A case of postural and kinetic tremor caused by diffuse axonal injury].

We reported a 25-year-old woman with postural and kinetic tremor caused by diffuse axonal injury. The patient demonstrated consciousness disturbance, left oculomotor palsy and tetraparesis because of an automobile accident. T2-weighted and FLAIR MRI showed features of diffuse axonal injury.

[Prosthetic valve endocarditis complicated with cardiogenic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation; report of a case].

A 67-year-old man, who had been performed aortic and mitral valve replacement 3 years before, was admitted because of appetite loss, general fatigue and anemia. Although transthoracic echocadiogram showed no evidence of prosthetic valves failure, the patient fell in profound shock. He needed endotracheal intubation and inotropic support.

[A case of brain stem infarction with bilateral hearing loss].

The study case was a 66-year-old man who had bilateral neurosensory hearing impairment due to brain stem infarctions. He noticed mild hearing loss, frequent vertigo and tinnitus. About one month later, his hearing took a sudden turn for the worse, and he suffered from dysarthria, dysphagea and abasia.