An autopsy case of constrictive pericarditis following open chest surgery with severe pulmonary hypertension treated as HFpEF.

Unlabelled: A 73-year-old man with a history of aortic arch replacement for chronic type B aortic dissective aneurysm was admitted for heart failure. He had normal left ventricular systolic function and had pulmonary hypertension with a pulmonary artery pressure of approximately 90 mmHg. He had been diagnosed with pneumoconiosis from his occupation and pulmonary hypertension due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and respiratory disease.

A case of hepatic portal venous gas.

Portal venous gas (PVG) is rare. When PVG is seen, mesenteric ischemia should be differentiated. US is accurate in the diagnosis of mesenteric ischemia, but the value depends on various condition.

Association between equol and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Japanese women in their 50s and 60s.

Background And Aim: Equol is a metabolite of soy isoflavone and has estrogenic activity. The incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) increases after menopause in women, which is thought to result in a decrease in estrogen. This study aimed to evaluate the association between equol and NAFLD.

Infective Endocarditis Caused by Streptococcus sanguinis Resulting in Stroke, Ruptured Infected Pseudoaneurysm of Superior Mesenteric Artery, and Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis.

A 71-year-old-man was admitted to our hospital with a cerebral embolism and diagnosed with infective endocarditis (IE) caused by Streptococcus sanguinis. Mitral valve replacement was performed. About one month later, he experienced sudden abdominal pain and shock due to a ruptured infected mesenteric artery pseudoaneurysm.

Association between equol production and metabolic syndrome in Japanese women in their 50s-60s.

Objective: Equol is an active metabolite of soy isoflavone. As a phytoestrogen, equol has the potential to prevent metabolic disorders such as hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and obesity. This study aimed to determine the association between equol production and metabolic syndrome (METS) in postmenopausal women.

A normal pattern of mitral inflow predicts a better prognosis following cardiovascular events in early advanced-age patients.

Although a mitral inflow pattern usually changes from a normal pattern to an abnormal relaxation pattern as part of the aging process in healthy people, some early advanced-age individuals maintain a normal pattern. We investigated whether a normal pattern of mitral inflow predicts a better prognosis following cardiovascular (CV) events in early advanced-age patients. We enrolled 425 patients aged 60-65 years with 0.

The pacemaker lead dislocation.

An 88-year-old man with history of pacemaker implantation was admitted for septic shock. His first pacemaker in the left subclavian had been removed because of generator pocket infection. On presentation, the abandoned lead was fallen out of subclavian and coiled up in the right ventricle, causing moderate tricuspid regurgitation.

Permanent Pacemaker Implantation in a Patient with Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy and Complete Atrioventricular Block.

This case report presents a patient with Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) and complete atrioventricular (AV) block who was treated with permanent pacemaker implantation. A 78-year-old woman with a history of hypertension presented with a 6-month history of palpitations. On initial evaluation, her heart rate was 40 beats/minute.

Association of equol with obesity in postmenopausal women.

Objective: Equol, which is an active metabolite of isoflavone, has a beneficial impact on metabolic diseases such as dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia. However, the effect of equol on obesity remains uncertain. This study was performed to determine the association between equol and obesity in postmenopausal women.

Effects of sleep quality on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a cross-sectional survey.

Background: The effects of sleep quality on the risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remain uncertain. The purpose of this study was to clarify the association between sleep quality and NAFLD.

Methods: The data of 4828 participants who underwent health check-ups at four hospitals were analysed.

Common carotid artery kinking is a predictor of cardiovascular events: A long-term follow-up study using carotid ultrasonography.

Background: Kinking of the internal carotid artery is a cardiovascular (CV) risk factor. However, it remains unclear as to whether kinking of the common carotid artery (CCA) can also predict CV events. We conducted a long-term follow-up study to examine whether CCA kinking as assessed by carotid ultrasonography is a predictor of CV events in asymptomatic patients with CV risk factors.

Acute and chronic effects of mokuboito in a patient with heart failure due to severe aortic regurgitation.

Medical treatment for heart failure is still limited in patients with symptomatic aortic regurgitation (AR). Here we report the effects of mokuboito used in combination with standard medical therapy for heart failure in an inoperable patient with symptomatic severe AR. We observed acute effects of mokuboito in decreasing systemic vascular resistance and increasing cardiac output, as well as its chronic effects in improving New York Heart Association class, plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels, and left ventricular diastolic function.

Social vital signs for improving awareness about social determinants of health.

We, Team SAIL, have held sessions introducing social vital signs (SVS). SVS is a useful tool for evaluating patient's social determinants of health (SDH).

Validation of the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index in the diagnosis of liver disease of rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with methotrexate.

To validate the usefulness of a hepatic fibrosis scoring system fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index to diagnose liver diseases in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients treated with methotrexate (MTX). The FIB-4 index (age(years) × AST(U/L)/platelet (PLT) (10/L) × √ALT(U/L)), proposed as a predictor for liver fibrosis in HIV/HCV coinfection, was evaluated in this study. RA patients on MTX treatment were screened by FIB-4 index values to detect fibrotic change in the liver.

The importance of the concept and histological criteria of "intraepithelial squamous cell carcinoma" of the esophagus: in comparison between Western and Japanese criteria.

Background: There are differences in the histological diagnostic criteria for early stage gastrointestinal carcinoma between Western and Japanese pathologists. Western histological criteria of carcinoma are "presence of stromal invasion of neoplastic cells", while Japanese criteria are "the degree of cytological and structural abnormality of neoplastic cells, regardless of stromal invasion". The aim of the present study is to clarify and review the present status of the Western and Japanese histological criteria of early stage esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and also to clarify their significance and accuracy.

A novel gene expression scoring system for accurate diagnosis of basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus.

Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus (BSCE) is a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma that is difficult to distinguish from other carcinomas by preoperative endoscopic biopsy because of its histological varieties. Accurate diagnosis is essential for adequate treatment, and the methods proposed so far (e.g.

Simple Resistance Exercise for 24 Weeks Decreases Alanine Aminotransferase Levels in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Background: Exercise therapy is effective and recommended for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) based on the efficacy of hepatic fat reduction. However, the efficacies of exercise therapy are based on short-term intervention. Moreover, no reports have examined whether significant reductions in serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are achieved with exercise therapy in patients with NAFLD.

Simple Resistance Exercise helps Patients with Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

To date, only limited evidence has supported the notion that resistance exercise positively impacts non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We evaluated the effects of resistance exercise on the metabolic parameters of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in 53 patients who were assigned to either a group that performed push-ups and squats 3 times weekly for 12 weeks (exercise group; n=31) or a group that did not (control; n=22). Patients in the control group proceeded with regular physical activities under a restricted diet throughout the study.

Relation of risk factors with response to carvedilol in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction - a report from the Japanese Diastolic Heart Failure Study (J-DHF).

Background: The Japanese Diastolic Heart Failure Study (J-DHF) has suggested beneficial effects of the standard-dose prescription of carvedilol in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF). However, it is unclear whether any risk factors modulate the effects of the standard-dose carvedilol.

Methods And Results: Data from 245 patients with HFPEF in J-DHF were evaluated.

A case of left ventricular aneurysm caused by localized myocardial infarction.

A 73-year-old man was hospitalized for unstable angina pectoris with no history of myocardial infarction. After undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, left ventriculography incidentally revealed a cavity in the anterior wall, and echocardiography found the cavity wall to be dyskinetic. Myocardial contrast echocardiography revealed that the wall of the cavity was surrounded by myocardial tissue with low perfusion.

[Prognostic factors in patients undergoing percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy].

Objective: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) serves as a major artificial hydration/feeding method in the terminal care of elderly patients. We surveyed the state of patients who underwent PEG at our hospital and investigated the clinical characteristics of patients in the long-term survival group, and the short-term survival group.

Methods: The subjects were 125 patients who underwent PEG at our hospital between January 2007 and June 2011.

[Confirmation of intention by signature regarding terminal care treatment in elderly people].

Aim: In Japan, it is rare for patients to confirm their intentions regarding terminal care treatment in hospital by signature. To maintain respect for the autonomy of elderly patients, we encouraged confirmation by signature regarding terminal care treatment in elderly patients, after repeated discussions. The purpose of this study was to clarify the status of confirmation of intention by signature.