Association of a Transitional Heart Failure Management Program With Readmission and End-of-Life Care in Rural Japan.

Background: Evidence on transitional care for heart failure (HF) in Japan is limited. Methods and Results: We implemented a transitional HF management program in rural Japan in 2019. This involved collaboration with general practitioners or nursing care facilities and included symptom monitoring by medical/nursing staff using a handbook; standardized discharge care planning and information sharing on self-care and advance care planning using a collaborative sheet; and sharing expertise on HF management via manuals. We compared the outcomes within 1 year of discharge among patients hospitalized with HF in the 2 years before program implementation (2017-2018; historical control, n=198), in the first 2 years after program implementation (2019-2020; Intervention Phase 1, n=205), and in the second 2 years, following program revision and regional dissemination (2021-2022; Intervention Phase 2, n=195). HF readmission rates gradually decreased over Phases 1 and 2 (P<0.05). This association was consistent regardless of physician expertise, follow-up institution, or the use of nursing care services (P>0.1 for interaction). Mortality rates remained unchanged, but significantly more patients received end-of-life care at home in Phase 2 than before (P<0.05). Conclusions: The implementation of a transitional care program was associated with decreased HF readmissions and increased end-of-life care at home for HF patients in rural Japan.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic-associated reduction in respiratory infections on infantile asthma development.

Background: It is speculated that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-associated reduction in the prevalence of respiratory tract infections has influenced the incidence of asthma in young children. Objectives: We investigated an association between the reduction in viral infections and the reduction in asthma in young children. Methods: The subjects were infants born in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, which began in February 2020. A questionnaire survey related to asthma and allergy was conducted at 18 months and 3 years of age. These results were compared to those of age-matched infants during the nonpandemic period. Results: There were no epidemics of viral infectious diseases until the target child was 18 months old. At 18 months, the incidence of asthma/asthmatic bronchitis diagnosed by physicians in pandemic children was significantly lower than that in nonpandemic children. In 3-year-olds, no marked difference was observed between nonpandemic infants and pandemic children, except for an increase in respiratory syncytial virus infection in pandemic children. In a comparative study of the same children at ages 18 months and 3 years, an increased prevalence of asthma/asthmatic bronchitis was observed in pandemic children. Furthermore, the incidence of asthma after respiratory syncytial virus infection in pandemic infants was significantly lower than that in nonpandemic children. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic-associated reduction in respiratory tract infections may have reduced the incidence of asthma in early childhood, and respiratory syncytial virus infection after 18 months of age had little effect on the onset of asthma. These results indicate the importance of preventing respiratory tract infections in early infancy.

Association between the Combination of Speed-Eating and Eating until Full and Overweight/Obesity in Part-Time High School Students.

INTRODUCTION: This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the association between overweight/obesity and the combined behavior of speed-eating and eating until full among part-time high school students. METHODS: In 2015, 2,507 male and female part-time high school students from Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, who completed a self-reported questionnaire on lifestyle, were included in the analysis. Overweight/obesity was defined as a body mass index of 25 kg/m2 or more. Responses regarding speed-eating and eating until full were obtained by self-reporting. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) for overweight/obesity. RESULTS: Among the participants, 340 (13.6%) were overweight/obese and 468 (18.7%) reported both speed-eating and eating until full. Compared to neither speed-eating nor eating until full group, after adjustment for sex, age, work pattern, physical activity level, sleep duration, frequency of picky eating, frequency of snack intake, fast food intake frequency, frequency of adding salty condiments, frequency of eating less food to save money, and survey schools, the OR (95% CI) for overweight/obesity in speed-eating and not eating until full, eating until full and not speed-eating, and speed-eating and eating until full was 2.11 (1.38-3.22), 1.54 (1.12-2.10), and 2.94 (2.08-4.16), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of speed-eating and eating until full was associated with overweight/obesity among part-time high school students independent of other lifestyle factors.

Factors affecting the willingness of nursing care staffs for cooperation with heart failure care and the role of internet video education.

Background: With the aging of heart failure (HF) patients, collaboration between medical and nursing care facilities is essential for HF care. The aims of this study were: (1) to identify the factors that affect willingness of nursing care staffs to cooperate with HF care; (2) to test whether the internet video education is useful in improving their willingness to collaborate. Methods: A web-based questionnaire was e-mailed to 417 registered medical corporations that operated nursing care facilities in the prefecture where the authors work. Medical and care staff working at each facility were asked their willingness to cooperate with HF care and their problems about collaboration. Machine learning analysis was used to assess the factors associated with unwillingness to cooperate. After watching a 6-min YouTube video explaining HF and community collaboration, we reaffirmed their willingness to cooperate. Results: We received responses from 76 medical and care staff members. Before watching the video, 32.9% of participants stated that they were unwilling to cooperate with HF care. Machine learning analysis showed that job types, perceived problems of collaboration, and low opportunities to learn about HF were associated with unwillingness to cooperation. After watching the video, we observed an increase from 67.1% to 80.3% (p < 0.05) of participants willing to cooperate with HF care. Conclusions: Job types, perceived problems of collaboration, and low opportunities to learn about HF are associated with unwillingness of nursing care staff for HF care. Internet videos are potential learning tool that can easily promote community collaboration for HF.

Lung sound analysis for predicting recurrent wheezing in preschool children.

Background: In young healthy children, assessing airflow limitation may be difficult because of narrowing of the airways, which is a pathology of asthma, and responsiveness to bronchodilators. Objective: We investigated whether lung sound analysis could predict the development of recurrent wheezing (RW), which is one of the signs of asthma. Methods: In healthy children aged 3 to 24 months, we recorded and analyzed lung sounds before and after inhalation of bronchodilators and conducted a questionnaire survey. The children were followed up and assessed for the development of RW at age 3 years. Results: Of the 62 patients analyzed, 19 (30.6%) developed RW. The parameters ratio of power and frequency at 50% of the highest frequency of the dB power spectrum (RPF50) and ratio of power and frequency at 75% of the highest frequency of the dB power spectrum (RPF75), calculated by lung sound analysis, were lower in the RW group, with odds ratios of 0.77 (95% CI = 0.61-0.98) and 0.81 (95% CI = 0.66-0.99), respectively. The rate of change of lung sound analysis parameters after bronchodilator inhalation did not differ among the participants as a group; however, in the subgroup of children with a history of atopic dermatitis, the fourth area under the curve (B4) divided by the total area under the curve of 100 Hz to the highest frequency of the dB power spectrum (AT) and difference between the values of the ratio of power and frequency at 50% of the highest frequency of the dB power spectrum (ΔRPF50) were elevated in the RW group (P = .015 and P = .041, respectively). In the subgroup of children with total a IgE level greater than 20 kUA/L, the sensitivities and specificities for predicting the development of RW were 85.7% (95% CI = 48.7-99.3) and 68.8% (95% CI = 44.4-85.8), respectively, when the cutoff value of ΔRPF50 was set at 10.5%. Conclusion: The method of lung sound analysis allows noninvasive assessment of the airway, including airway hypersensitivity, in young children and may predict the risk of development of RW.

Palivizumab prophylaxis in preterm infants and subsequent wheezing/asthma: 10-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes not only infantile recurrent wheezing but also the development of asthma. To investigate whether palivizumab, an anti-RSV monoclonal antibody, prophylaxis given to preterm infants during the first RSV season reduces the incidence of subsequent recurrent wheezing and/or development of asthma, at 10 years of age. METHODS: We conducted an observational prospective multicenter (52 registered hospitals in Japan) case-control study in preterm infants with a gestational age between 33 and 35 weeks followed for 6 years. During the 2007-2008 RSV season, the decision to administer palivizumab was made based on standard medical practice (SCELIA study). Here, we followed these subjects until 10 years of age. Parents of study subjects reported the patients' physician's assessment of recurrent wheezing/asthma, using a report card and a novel mobile phone-based reporting system using the internet. The relationship between RSV infection and asthma development, as well as the relationship between other factors and asthma development, were investigated. RESULTS: Of 154 preterm infants enrolled, 113 received palivizumab during the first year of life. At 10 years, although both recurrent wheezing and development of asthma were not significantly different between the treated and untreated groups, maternal smoking with aeroallergen sensitization of the patients was significantly correlated with physician-diagnosed asthma. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to the prior study results at 6 years, by 10 years palivizumab prophylaxis had no impact on recurrent wheezing or asthma, but there was a significant correlation between maternal passive smoking with aeroallergen sensitization and development of asthma by 10 years of age.

Fasting hepatic insulin clearance reflects postprandial hepatic insulin clearance: a brief report.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic insulin clearance (HIC) is an important pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). HIC was reported to decrease in patients with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. HIC is originally calculated by post-load insulin and C-peptide from the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). However, OGTT or meal tolerance tests are a burden for patients, and OGTT is not suitable for overt diabetes due to the risk of hyperglycemia. If we can calculate the HIC from the fasting state, it is preferable. We hypothesized that fasting HIC correlates with postprandial HIC in both participants with T2DM and without diabetes. We investigated whether fasting HIC correlates with postprandial HIC in overt T2DM and nondiabetes subjects (non-DM) evaluated by using glucose clamp and meal load. METHODS: We performed a meal tolerance test and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp in 70 subjects, 31 patients with T2DM and 39 non-DM subjects. We calculated the postprandial C-peptide AUC-to-insulin AUC ratio as the postprandial HIC and the fasting C-peptide-to-insulin ratio as the fasting HIC. We also calculated whole-body insulin clearance from the glucose clamp test. RESULTS: The fasting HIC significantly correlated with postprandial HIC in T2DM (r_S = 0.82, P < 0.001). Nondiabetes subjects also showed a significant correlation between fasting and postprandial HIC (r_S = 0.71, P < 0.001). Fasting HIC in T2DM was correlated with BMI, HbA1c, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, HOMA-IR, HOMA-beta, M/I, and whole-body insulin clearance. Fasting HIC in nondiabetes subjects was correlated with HOMA-IR and HOMA-beta. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that fasting HIC is strongly correlated with postprandial HIC in both overt T2DM and non-DM patients, as evaluated by the meal test and glucose clamp method. Fasting HIC could be a convenient marker of HIC.

Diet- and Sleep-Based Approach for Cardiovascular Risk/Diseases.

Central sleep apnea represented by Cheyne-Stokes Respiration (CSR) is frequently observed in heart failure (HF) patients, and its severity has been reported to be associated with morbidity and mortality in patients with HF [...].

Skull Base Fracture or Abuse Suspicion Based on Intraorbital Lymphangioma Secondary to Periorbital Hematoma.

Intraorbital lymphangiomas are among the orbital tumors that can cause sudden eye protrusion in children. In children with periorbital hematoma (panda eye sign), a skull fracture or abuse is likely first considered as the differential diagnosis. A 7-month-old boy presented to the ophthalmologist with complaints of swelling of the right upper eyelid, subconjunctival hemorrhage on the right ear side, and periorbital subcutaneous hemorrhage, which had appeared since the morning of the day before the visit. The eyeball did not protrude. Based on the interview and clinical findings, right eyeball contusion was suspected. The patient was then followed up for observation. Later, during the physical examination, the abovementioned symptoms were noted. Hence, the patient was admitted for a close examination based on the suspicion of skull base fracture and abuse. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after admission revealed a multifocal cystic structure within the right intraorbital muscular cone. Thus, he was diagnosed with right intraorbital lymphangioma. Intraorbital lymphangioma may not show ocular protrusion, and this disease should be considered in cases where abuse is suspected, considering the periorbital subcutaneous hemorrhage.

Clinical application of a lung sound analysis in infants with respiratory syncytial virus acute bronchiolitis.

BACKGROUND: Objective investigation of the characteristics of acute bronchiolitis in infants is important for its diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: Lung sound data of 50 patients diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) acute bronchiolitis (m:f = 29:21, median of age 7 months), 20 patients with RSV acute respiratory tract infections without acute bronchiolitis (m:f = 10:10, 5 months) and 38 age-matched control infants (m:f = 23:15, 8 months) were analyzed using a conventional method and compared. Furthermore, the relationships between lung sound parameters and clinical symptoms (clinical score, length of hospital stay and SpO2 level) in the bronchiolitis and the non-bronchiolitis patients were examined. RESULTS: Results of lung sound analysis showed that the inspiratory sound power of patients with RSV respiratory tract infections was low and the expiratory sound power was high compared with those of the controls. When the patients with RSV respiratory tract infections were divided into the bronchiolitis and non-bronchiolitis groups, the expiratory/inspiratory ratio of the bronchiolitis patients was greater than that of the non-bronchiolitis patients. There was no difference in the clinical symptoms, clinical score and length of hospital stay between the bronchiolitis and non-bronchiolitis patients, except for the SpO2 level on admission. CONCLUSION: Lung sound analysis confirmed that patients with RSV acute bronchiolitis present with marked airway narrowing. Considering these results as a characteristic of acute bronchiolitis, it would be meaningful to reflect it in the improvement of diagnosis, treatment and subsequent management.

Association of carnitine insufficiency with sarcopenia and dynapenia in patients with heart failure.

AIM: L-carnitine transports fatty acids into mitochondria and contributes to energy metabolism in skeletal muscles. However, the association between carnitine insufficiency and skeletal muscle weakness, namely sarcopenia and dynapenia, in patients with heart failure (HF) remains unclear. METHODS: In total, 124 patients with HF were enrolled in this study. Carnitine insufficiency was indicated by a decrease in serum free carnitine (FC) levels of less than 36 µmol/L or an elevated serum acylcarnitine (AC) to free carnitine (FC) ratio (AC/FC ratio) of 0.27 or higher. Skeletal muscle weakness was defined as reduced handgrip strength and classified into two phenotypes: sarcopenia (low muscle strength with low skeletal muscle mass) and dynapenia (low muscle strength with normal skeletal muscle mass). RESULTS: Patients with carnitine insufficiency had a significantly higher prevalence of muscle weakness and a lower 6-min walk distance than those without carnitine insufficiency (P < 0.05). A machine learning model showed that older age (≥77 years) and, in patients aged 64-76 years, a higher AC/FC ratio (≥0.31) were associated with sarcopenia. However, there was only a week association between carnitine levels and dynapenia. The effect of carnitine insufficiency on skeletal muscle weakness was greater in patients with low skeletal muscle mass than in those with normal skeletal muscle mass (P < 0.05 for interaction). CONCLUSIONS: Carnitine insufficiency is more closely associated with sarcopenia than with dynapenia in patients with HF, suggesting carnitine insufficiency as a potential therapeutic target for sarcopenia in these patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 524-530.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 polymorphism is an important gene for insulin resistance in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is an important enzyme involved in alcohol metabolism. ALDH2 polymorphism has been reported as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and is associated with liver insulin resistance due to alcohol consumption in non-diabetic individuals. Herein, we investigated the association between ALDH2 polymorphisms and insulin resistance in patients with T2DM. Methods: We performed a meal tolerance test and the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp on 71 Japanese participants: 34 patients with T2DM, and 37 non-diabetic participants. We analyzed the ALDH2 polymorphism (ALDH2 rs67); GG type was defined as the T2DM high-risk group, compared with the low-risk AG and AA groups. Results: Glucose levels were similar in the high- and low-risk T2DM groups. The high-risk group for T2DM showed a significantly higher BMI (p < 0.005), insulin resistance in HOMA-IR (p < 0.05), and Insulin sensitivity index (p < 0.05); however, there were no significant differences in insulin resistance in the clamp test (p = 0.10). Alcohol consumption did not differ significantly between groups (p = 0.66). Non-diabetic participants also showed higher HOMA-IR insulin resistance in the high-risk group (p < 0.05), but insulin resistance levels in the glucose clamp tests (p = 0.56) and insulin secretion were not significant. Conclusion: The results suggest that ALDH2 is an important gene associated with insulin resistance and obesity in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Effect of wheeze and lung function on lung sound parameters in children with asthma.

BACKGROUND: In children with asthma, there are many cases in which wheeze is confirmed by auscultation with a normal lung function, or in which the lung function is decreased without wheeze. Using an objective lung sound analysis, we examined the effect of wheeze and the lung function on lung sound parameters in children with asthma. METHODS: A total of 114 children with asthma (males to females = 80: 34, median age 10 years old) were analyzed for their lung sound parameters using conventional methods, and wheeze and the lung function were checked. The effects of wheeze and the lung function on lung sound parameters were examined. RESULTS: The patients with wheeze or decreased forced expiratory flow and volume in 1 s (FEV1) (% pred) showed a significantly higher sound power of respiration and expiration-to-inspiration sound power ratio (E/I) than those without wheeze and a normal FEV1 (% pred). There was no marked difference in the sound power of respiration or E/I between the patients without wheeze and a decreased FEV1 (% pred) and the patients with wheeze and a normal FEV1 (% pred). CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that bronchial constriction in the asthmatic children with wheeze similarly exists in the asthmatic children with a decreased lung function. A lung sound analysis is likely to enable an accurate understanding of airway conditions.

Assessing Autonomic Nervous System Function by Pulse Rate Variability in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Heart rate variability (HRV) is measured to analyze autonomic nervous system function in humans, and pulse rate variability (PRV) assessed using the photoplethysmography method with a pulse oximeter has been proposed as a surrogate for HRV. To examine whether PRV is compatible with HRV in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), we simultaneously measured HRV with an electrocardiogram and PRV with a pulse oximeter in patients with COPD, and compared low-frequency and high-frequency components computed from HRV and PRV as indicators of autonomic nervous system function. In a Bland-Altman analysis, the low-frequency component computed from HRV exhibited good consistency with that computed from PRV. The high-frequency component showed a significant fixed error but relatively good consistency. Our results indicate that autonomic nervous system function may be estimated with the low-frequency component by measuring PRV with a pulse oximeter in patients with COPD.

Preeclampsia in a pregnant woman with severe aplastic anemia: A case report.

A pregnant woman with severe aplastic anemia was managed using biweekly red blood cell transfusion and oral eltrombopag olamine administration during pregnancy. She was diagnosed with preeclampsia at 35 weeks of gestation. The severity of aplastic anemia is very important for predicting the course of pregnancy.

A Boy Presenting with a Fever and Pancytopenia Diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus without a Positive Anti-ds-DNA Antibody Result or Hypocomplementemia: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Hematological involvement, including anemia, leukopenia, lymphopenia, and thrombocytopenia, is one of the most common manifestations of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE). Specifically, relatively severe forms of hematological involvement, such as macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) and thrombotic microangiopathy, occur in the course of the disease. Positivity for anti-double stranded-DNA (ds-DNA) antibody and hypocomplementemia are important as not only criteria of diagnosing cSLE but also in the determination of the disease activity. CASE REPORT: A 13-year-old boy without pre-existing disease was referred to our hospital chiefly complaining of a fever for > 7 days, long-lasting malaise, nausea, and non-malar face rash. His blood examination showed pancytopenia and hyperferritinemia, but positive results for anti-ds-DNA antibody and hypocomplementemia were not recognized. Bone marrow aspiration revealed no evidence of malignant diseases, hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, or MAS. A renal biopsy for the differential diagnosis of proteinuria and hematuria revealed class IIIa +V lupus nephritis, leading to the diagnosis of cSLE. CONCLUSIONS: It is important for cSLE to be considered in patients with pancytopenia, even those without positive anti-ds-DNA antibody findings or hypocomplementemia, and for aggressive approaches to be adopted for the differential diagnosis, including a renal biopsy.

Allergic Sensitization Is Crucial for the Suppressive Role of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the Acute Exacerbation of Asthma.

INTRODUCTION: Allergic sensitization is an important factor in the development, severity, and exacerbation of asthma, which is attributed to type 2 (T2) inflammation. Evidence suggests that respiratory bacterial pathogens (e.g., Streptococcus pneumoniae) exert suppressive effects on airway T2 inflammation. To clarify the role of allergic inflammation in bacterial colonization in asthma based on allergic sensitization, we investigated pharyngeal bacterial colonization, biomarkers (e.g., serum eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) and cytokines/chemokines), and symptoms in the acute exacerbation of childhood asthma. METHODS: Pharyngeal samples were collected from 53 children (mean/median age 2.7/2.5 years). Serum levels of total and allergen-specific IgE against aeroallergens, ECP, and 17 cytokines/chemokines were measured. RESULTS: Allergic sensitization was recognized in 62.2% patients. S. pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Haemophilus influenzae, and other bacteria were detected in 47.1%, 11.3%, 11.3%, and 30.1% of all patients, respectively. Patients with S. pneumoniae had a significantly shorter duration of wheezing than those without (4.7 ± 3.6 vs. 7.1 ± 3.5 days, p = 0.024). In patients with allergic sensitization, patients with S. pneumoniae had a significantly shorter duration of wheezing than those without (4.0 ± 3.6 vs. 7.7 ± 4.0 days, p = 0.003). Serum total IgE was significantly lower in patients with S. pneumoniae than in those without (81.9 [7.8-894] vs. 287 [4.4-1,840] IU/mL, p = 0.014). Serum ECP was significantly higher (33.1 [2-109] vs. 7.8 [3-35] ng/mL, p = 0.042), and IFN-γ was significantly lower (5.6 [4-10] vs. 16.4 [7-28] pg/mL, p = 0.032) in patients with allergic sensitization than those without. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that the suppressive effects of S. pneumoniae colonization were observed only in patients with allergic sensitization, wherein serum total IgE, ECP, and IFN-γ may have an important role on acute exacerbation of asthma.