Nighttime blood pressure and glucose control impacts on left ventricular hypertrophy: The Japan Morning Surge Home Blood Pressure (J-HOP) Study.

Several studies investigated the association between nighttime blood pressure (BP) and left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in diabetes, but since most of these studies were conducted in diabetes populations only, they did not compare differences in the impact of nighttime BP on LVH in subjects without diabetes. Moreover, data about the impact of glucose control in diabetes on the relationship between nighttime BP and LVH are sparse. We classified 1277 adults (age 64.7 ± 11.8 years) performing ambulatory BP monitoring while enrolled as part of the Japan Morning Surge Home Blood Pressure (J-HOP) study into groups according to the control status of daytime BP (systolic BP [SBP] < 135 mmHg or ≥135 mmHg), nighttime BP (SBP < 120 mmHg or ≥120 mmHg), and diabetes (HbA1c < 7.0% or ≥7.0%). LVH was assessed by echocardiography. LVH according to echocardiographic criteria was identified in 33.7% of the participants. The group with poorly controlled diabetes plus uncontrolled nighttime BP (n = 90) had a 2.1-fold higher risk of LVH compared to the group with controlled nighttime BP and non-diabetes (n = 505) (odds ratio [OR] 2.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.29-3.44). No association was observed between uncontrolled daytime BP and diabetes for LVH. In the participants with poorly controlled diabetes (n = 146), uncontrolled nighttime BP posed a 3.1-fold higher risk of LVH compared to controlled nighttime BP (OR 3.12, 95%CI: 1.47-6.62). This association was not found in controlled diabetes. Uncontrolled nighttime BP was associated with a risk of LVH, especially among individuals with poorly controlled diabetes.

Leadless Pacemaker Implantation for a Super-elderly Woman with a Mediastinal Tumor.

A 95-year-old woman with no cardiac history presented with symptomatic complete atrioventricular block. She underwent temporary cardiac pacing via the cervical vein, but a pacing lead could not be introduced via the usual route because of a mediastinal tumor. A leadless pacemaker (Micra™; Medtronic, Minneapolis, USA) was implanted at the right ventricular septum via the right femoral vein. The procedure time was 40 minutes, with no complications noted. Over the two-year follow-up period, the threshold and impedance remained stable. The implantation of a leadless pacemaker was useful for improving the symptoms of a super-elderly woman with a mediastinal tumor.

Different age-related impacts of lean and obesity on cardiovascular prognosis in Japanese patients with cardiovascular risks: The J-HOP (Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure) Study.

The relationship between lean and cardiovascular events has been shown to vary with age, but the relationship between age-related lean and cardiovascular events in Asia has not been established. We divided patients enrolled in the J-HOP (Japan Morning Surge-Home Blood Pressure) study with one or more cardiovascular disease risks into three groups based on their body mass index (BMI): lean (BMI < 21), normal-weight (21 ≤ BMI <27), and obese (BMI ≥ 27). We stratified the risk of cardiovascular events of lean and obesity compared to normal weight into the patients < 65 years old and those aged ≥ 65 years. A total of 286 cardiovascular disease events were observed during the follow-up period (73 ± 46 months). Regarding the relationship between BMI and cardiovascular disease risk, both lean and obesity were independent prognostic factors: lean: hazard ratio (HR) 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02-2.01, p = .040; obesity: HR 1.55, 95%CI: 1.13-2.12, p = .006. In patients < 65 years old, the risk of cardiovascular disease of the lean patients was lower than that of the normal-weight patients (HR 0.39, 95%CI: 0.12-1.29, p = .124) and the risk of obesity patients was significantly higher (HR 1.77, 95%CI: 1.08-2.92, p = .024). In the patients aged ≥ 65 years, lean was a significant independent factor of cardiovascular events compared to normal-weight (lean: HR 1.70, 95%CI: 1.18-2.47, p = .005). In conclusion, lean was an independent predictor of cardiovascular events in patients aged ≥ 65 years.

Evaluation of stent length on the outcome of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction receiving primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: A longer stent length is known to be a predictor of adverse events after a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, the evaluation of the stent length on the outcome of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients is not enough. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 686 STEMI patients who underwent primary PCI were divided into four groups according to the total stent length as follows: short (<18 mm, n=183), lower-medium (18-23 mm, n=256), upper-medium (24-31 mm, n=155), and long (≥32 mm, n=92). We compared the all-cause mortality, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs; composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke after discharge), target lesion revascularization, and target vessel revascularization with a median follow-up of 1213 days among these four groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in MACEs (10.4% in the short, 7.0% in the lower-medium, 6.5% in the upper-medium, 7.6% in the long, P=0.633) among the different stent length groups. The all-cause mortality, target lesion revascularization, and target vessel revascularization also did not differ among the four groups. In the drug-eluting stent (n=237) and bare-metal stent subgroups (n=449), all outcomes were comparable among the groups. However, in the diabetes subgroup (n=265), the rate of MACEs was higher in the long group than in the other groups, although the difference was not significant (6.6% in the short, 9.6% in the lower-medium, 3.4% in upper-medium, 16.7% in long group, P=0.095). CONCLUSION: A long stent length was not associated with adverse clinical outcomes in STEMI patients who underwent primary PCI.

Outcome of staged percutaneous coronary intervention within two weeks from admission in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction with multivessel disease.

BACKGROUND: The optimum timing of revascularization strategy for stenoses in nonculprit vessels in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and multivessel disease (MVD) remains unclear. At present, there is no evidence investigating the outcome of staged percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within two weeks from admission among STEMI patients with MVD. METHODS: A total of 210 STEMI patients with MVD who underwent primary PCI were analyzed. We compared the all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, heart failure, unstable angina, and stroke) with median follow-up of 1200 days among the patients who underwent staged PCI within two weeks from admission (staged PCI ≤2 W) (n = 75), staged PCI after two weeks from admission (staged PCI >2 W) (n = 37) and culprit-only PCI (n = 98) in patients with STEMI and MVD. RESULTS: The staged PCI ≤2 W showed lower all-cause mortality than culprit-only PCI (4.0 vs 29.6%, log-rank P = 0.001), and lower incidence of MACE than the staged PCI >2 W group (1.3 vs 18.9%, log-rank P = 0.001) and culprit-only PCI group (1.3 vs 22.5%, log-rank P = 0.001). In the multivariable Cox regression analysis, the staged PCI ≤2 W was a predictor of lower all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 0.176; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.049-0.630; P = 0.008) and lower incidence of MACE (HR, 0.068; 95% CI, 0.009-0.533; P = 0.011), but staged PCI >2 W was not. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, staged PCI within two weeks after admission showed more favorable outcomes compared with staged PCI after two weeks from admission or culprit-only PCI in STEMI patients with MVD.

Isolated Cardiac Sarcoidosis Mimicking Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy.

The diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) has become easier due to advances in imaging modalities, but we sometimes encounter difficult-to-diagnose patients. We herein report the case of a 60-year-old Japanese woman who was diagnosed with isolated CS, although she also met the diagnostic criteria of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). A histological examination by an endomyocardial biopsy of the right ventricle revealed the typical findings of granulomatous change for CS. Although she did not show any characteristics of systemic sarcoidosis, oral prednisolone treatment was introduced, and she achieved a good response. This case shows that the characteristics of CS can overlap with the diagnostic criteria of ARVC, and that a histological examination is essential for the correct diagnosis of CS.

Life- and limb-saving endovascular therapy in a patient with acute abdominal aortic occlusion.

A 79-year-old man developed severe bilateral ischemic symptoms in the lower limbs. Chest-abdominal-pelvic contrast computed tomography (CT) showed acute occlusion involving the abdominal aorta, and endovascular therapy (EVT) was used as emergency treatment. Two self-expandable stents placed in the thrombus area resulted in restoration of blood flow to the lower limbs, despite limited stent expansion, and movement of these limbs. Follow-up CT showed good stent expansion. The patient had a favorable recovery without additional surgery. This case suggests that EVT might be an additional option for acute abdominal aortic occlusion if surgery or thrombolytic therapies are not possible.

Successful hybrid treatment with endovascular aorto-iliac revascularization and coronary bypass surgery in a patient with an advanced complex polyvascular disease.

A 72-year-old Japanese man was admitted to our hospital for effort chest pain and bilateral claudication. He was diagnosed as having severe ischemic heart disease and chronic bilateral aorto-iliac occlusions (Leriche syndrome) by a diagnostic angiography. Manifest collaterals via bilateral internal thoracic arteries (ITA) supplied sufficient blood flow for his lower limbs. We planned a two-stage operation for both the severe coronary artery disease and peripheral artery occlusive disease. He first underwent endovascular therapy (EVT) for bilateral aorto-iliac occlusion. One month later he underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) that was carried out for three coronary arteries with bilateral ITAs, also known as the internal thoracic artery, and the gastroepiploic artery. His chest symptoms and claudication were completely relieved and he was discharged uneventfully. We hereby suggest that EVT can be a safe, effective, and minimally invasive treatment to enable the patient to undergo CABG with all arterial grafts. .

Acute respiratory distress syndrome caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae without elevated pulmonary vascular permeability: a case report.

Sporadic patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae have been reported. However, knowledge about the pathophysiology and pharmacological treatment of this condition is insufficient. Moreover, the pulmonary vascular permeability in ARDS related to M. pneumoniae infection has not been reported. We report a case of ARDS caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae without elevated pulmonary vascular permeability, which was successfully treated using low-dose short-term hydrocortisone, suggesting that pulmonary infiltration in ARDS caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae does not match the criteria of permeability edema observed in typical ARDS.

[Comparative study of sublingual midazolam with oral midazolam for premedication in pediatric anesthesia].

BACKGROUND: We studied the efficacy of sublingual midazolam compared with oral midazolam for predmedication in children. METHODS: Forty-two children (9 months-11 years of age) for minor elective surgery were divided into 2 groups; one group treated with sublingual midazolam at 30 minutes before the entrance into operating room, and the other group receiving oral midazolam at 30 minutes before entering operating room. The group treated with sublingual midazolam at 30 minutes received sublingual midazolam 0.2 mg x kg(-1), while the other group received oral midazolam 0.5 mg x kg(-1) with syrup. We evaluated the taste acceptability, the effect of sedation, the anxiolysis and the cooperation for mask acceptance by using scales. RESULTS: Twenty children accepted sublingual midazolam, and twenty-one accepted oral midazolam. It was effective and satisfactory in taste acceptability, sedation, anxiolysis and cooperation in both groups. There was no difference between the two groups. Any respiratory depression and delayed recovery were not observed. CONCLUSIONS: Sublingual midazolam 0.2 mg x kg(-1) is useful for premedication in pediatric anesthesia, and it equals with oral midazolam 0.5 mg x kg(-1) in efficacy.

[Gastric fluid volume and pH in scheduled surgical patients following unrestricted oral fluid intake until two hours before surgery].

BACKGROUND: In scheduled surgery, drinking is generally restricted for 6-8 hours before operation to avoid aspiration pneumonia induced by aspiration of residual gastric contents. However, the restriction is hard for patients and also there is no evidence of reduction of such a risk. We examined the correlation between water intake and residual gastric content. METHODS: We studied 60 patients scheduled for gynecological operations (ASA 1 or 2). They were allowed to drink clear water freely until two hours before operation, and timing and volume of their drinking were recorded. In addition, volume and pH of the residual gastric content were measured at induction of anesthesia. RESULTS: The mean volumes of fluids they had are 157 ml (range 0-750 ml) in the morning, and 486 ml (range 80-1300 ml) in the afternoon. The patients took more water as the scheduled time of operation became nearer. There was no correlation between the volume of preoperative drinking with the volume and pH of gastric content. CONCLUSIONS: Intake of clear water until two hours before surgery has been shown to be safe and contribute to patients' satisfaction.