Status of uric acid management in hypertensive subjects.

Hyperuricemia in hypertensive subjects has been considered one of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. We investigated the status of uric acid management in 799 hypertensive subjects (432 females and 367 males; mean age 70.9 years) managed by 43 doctors (19 cardiologists and 24 noncardiologists; 25 private practice doctors and 18 hospital doctors). The serum uric acid level was available in 85.7% of the patients. This availability was equivalent regardless of facility size, and more cardiologists than noncardiologists monitored this information. The prevalence of hyperuricemia was 17.5% and was higher in men and in patients with high triglyceridemia, left ventricular hypertrophy, renal dysfunction, proteinuria, and smokers, but was not higher in subjects with chronic heart failure, diabetes mellitus, and those with prescriptions for diuretics and beta-blockers. The average serum uric acid level was higher in men and patients with chronic heart failure, renal dysfunction, high triglyceridemia, low high-density cholesterolemia, smokers, and subjects prescribed beta-blockers. Fifty percent of hyperuricemic patients were medicated, and 48.6% of them cleared the uric acid target level (6 mg/dL). No differences were observed in the treatment rate or the achievement rate of the target between genders, concurrent diseases, and physician specialties. Although doctors, especially cardiologists, have a high concern for the serum uric acid level, they do not intervene intensively, and specific treatment for individual patterns is not routinely given. Thus, more attention to uric acid management is necessary in hypertensive subjects to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Excessive purine degradation during semi-ischemic forearm test in patients with diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not the purine degradation in the skeletal muscle during forearm exercise is augmented in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). METHODS: We used the semi-ischemic forearm test to examine the release of lactate (deltaLAC), ammonia (deltaAmm) and hypoxanthine (deltaHX) before exercise, 0, 4, 10, and 60 minutes after exercise in eleven diabetic patients and seven normal controls. RESULTS: The sum of the increased HX (DM vs Controls: 26.1 +/- 21.2 vs 7.8 +/- 5.9 micromol/L, p < 0.05) was greater in diabetic patients. When patients were divided into the excessive response group (n = 7) and normal response group (n = 4), the maximum increments in deltaHX and deltaAmm in the excessive response group (16.8 +/- 3.2 micromol/l and 122 +/- 60 micromol/l) were greater (p < 0.05) than those in the control group (3.6 +/- 3.0 micromol/l and 32 +/- 34 micromol/l and the normal response group (2.9 +/- 2.9 micromol/l and 27.4 +/- 12.7 micromol/l). DeltaLAC both in the excessive response group (5.4 +/- 1.5 mmol/l) and the normal response group (3.6 +/- 1.0 mmol/l) were higher (p < 0.05) than that of the control group (1.7 +/- 0.5 mmol/l). The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was higher in the excessive response group than in the normal response group (75% vs. 25%). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that patients with DM, especially with microangiopathy have augmented purine degradation during the semi-ischemic forearm test. Factors responsible for the augmented purine degradation in these patients remain to be determined.

Autoperipheral blood mononuclear cell transplantation improved giant ulcers due to chronic arteriosclerosis obliterans.

We report the case of a 74-year-old man with Fontaine stage IV chronic arteriosclerosis obliterans who had been suffering from inveterate giant skin ulcers on the dorsum and heel of the right foot. As conventional medical treatments had not improved these ulcers and surgical treatment was considered unfeasible, amputation of the right lower limb below the knee appeared to represent the only option. The patient was admitted to Tottori University Hospital to attempt a new angiogenic therapy using auto-mononuclear cell transplantation to avoid amputation. On admission, neither right ankle blood pressure nor transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen at the right toe were detectable. The patient had a history of multiple cerebral infarctions, and collection of mononuclear cells from bone marrow was considered too difficult, so collection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was selected. Transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen and skin temperature in the treated limb started to improve from 2 weeks after implantation. Ulcer size was recognizably reduced by 1 month after treatment. Partial auto-skin implantation on the right heel was performed 2 months after treatment, and the giant skin ulcer was finally completely covered. No adverse effects were noted during follow-up lasting 1 year. These results suggest that peripheral blood mononuclear cell implantation may offer a suitable alternative rescue therapy for patients with critical limb ischemia whose general condition is not good.