Association of PM2.5 exposure with hospitalization for cardiovascular disease in elderly individuals in Japan.

Although exposure to particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) influences cardiovascular disease (CVD), its association with CVD-related hospitalizations of super-aged patients in Japan remains uncertain. We investigated the relationship between short-term PM2.5 exposure and CVD-related hospitalizations, lengths of hospital stays, and medical expenses. We analyzed the Japanese national database of patients with CVD (835,405) admitted to acute-care hospitals between 2012 and 2014. Patients with planned hospitalizations and those with missing PM2.5 exposure data were excluded. We classified the included patients into five quintiles based on their PM2.5 exposure: PM-5, -4, -3, -2, and -1 groups, in descending order of concentration. Compared with the PM-1 group, the other groups had higher hospitalization rates. The PM-3, -4, and -5 groups exhibited increased hospitalization durations and medical expenses, compared with the PM-1 group. Interestingly, the hospitalization period was longer for the ≥ 90-year-old group than for the ≤ 64-year-old group, yet the medical expenses were lower for the former group. Short-term PM2.5 exposure is associated with increased CVD-related hospitalizations, hospitalization durations, and medical expenses. The effects of incident CVDs were more marked in elderly than in younger patients. National PM2.5 concentrations should be reduced and the public should be aware of the risks.

Endothelialization of a Venous Stent at 1 Month Post Implantation: First-in-Human Angioscopic Assessment.

This is the first report to evaluate endothelialization in vivo; the evidence of endothelialization on the venous stent in the early phase suggests that antithrombotic therapy could be stopped in some patients with high risk of bleeding in the chronic phase.

Endothelialization of an Amplatzer Septal Occluder Device 6 Months Post Implantation: Is This Enough Time? An In Vivo Angioscopic Assessment.

The current guidelines recommend a minimum of 6 months of antithrombotic and antibiotic prophylaxis following septal occluding device placement for transcatheter closure of atrial septal defect. Full neoendothelialization is thought to be completed within 6 months of device implantation; however, there is no method available that can assess the level of neoendothelialization in vivo. This report therefore evaluates endothelialization in vivo and demonstrates that 6 months of postimplantation prophylactic therapy may not provide sufficient time for adequate endothelialization. Further investigations are warranted to determine the optimal duration of these treatments after atrial septal defect closure.