Prevalence of and risk factors for nocturia: Analysis of a health screening program

BACKGROUND: We examined the prevalence of and risk factors for nocturia in Kurashiki city and the surrounding area, a rural area in Japan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We collected data on 6517 individuals (4568 men and 1949 women) who participated in a multiphasic health screening. We analyzed the relationships between nocturia assessed by a questionnaire (voiding twice or more during night) and other variables including age, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic renal failure, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), smoking habit and alcohol intake. RESULTS: Overall, 1856 individuals (28.5%) answered that they arose to urinate at least twice during the night. This rate increased with age from 16.5% in individuals younger than 50 to 60.0% in those older than 69. Logistic regression analysis revealed that cohorts of subjects 50-59, 60-69, and 70 years old or over had, respectively, 1.75, 3.35, and 6.21 times the prevalence of nocturia of the 49 years or younger cohort. Hypertension (odds ratio [OR] 1.64) and DM (OR 1.70) were other independent positive risk factors for nocturia. On the other hand, current smokers who smoked 20 or more cigarettes per day were less likely to have nocturia than non-smokers (OR 0.72). In male individuals, BPH was another independent positive risk factor (OR 1.35). Gender was not associated with nocturia. CONCLUSIONS: Although population bias is an important limitation to this study, nocturia is associated with various factors suggesting that multiple approaches are needed to the treatment of patients with nocturia.     

Continuous monitoring of mixed venous oxygen saturation for detecting alterations in cardiac output after discontinuation of cardiopulmonary bypass

Although mixed venous oxygen saturation (     

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GENETIC POLYMORPHISM OF CYP2E1 AND ALDH2, AND POSSIBLE SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ALCOHOLISM

In 45 healthy Japanese volunteers, it was found that personsheterozygous for ALDH2 (ALDH2^*1/ALDH2^*2), and also either heterozygousor mutant homozygous for CYP2E1 (C₂/C₂ or C₁/C₂ can drink muchmore alcohol, even with (slight) flushing, than persons heterozygousfor ALDH2 (ALDH2^*1/ALDH2^*2) and normal homozygous for CYP2E1(C₁/C₁)     

3D Turbo Spin-echo MRI-based Mechanical Thrombectomy at Middle Cerebral Artery Bifurcations

We describe three cases with acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. From the pre-operative MRI, including three-dimensional turbo spin-echo sequences using T1WI and T2WI, we assessed both thrombus configuration and arterial anatomy at the MCA bifurcations. For efficient endovascular thrombectomy, we identified the applied MCA segment 2 (M2) branch, in which the main thrombus was buried. Sufficient recanalization after a single pass was achieved and the patients made a marked recovery. Although mechanical thrombectomy for M2 occlusion has not been of proven benefit, the endovascular procedure based on three-dimensional turbo spin-echo imaging is useful for more complete thrombus removal at MCA bifurcations.     

Assessment of body composition measured by bioelectrical impedance in children

Bioelectorical impedance methods have been found to be a valid and reliable way of estimating per cent body fat (%BF) in adults. We applied them to healthy children and compared them with conventional anthropometry methods. One thousand two hundred and sixteen children participated in this study. Impedance and skinfold thickness were measured, and %BF was estimated using these values. Bodyweight and height were measured, and per cent obesity (%OB) and body mass index (BMI) were obtained. The values of %BF by the bioelectrical impedance method (%BFi) were 8.6 ± 4.0% in the junior male group, 14.2±2.8% in the junior female group, 7.9±4.7% in the senior male group and 16.1 ±2.9% in the senior female group. The % BFi correlated strongly with skinfold thickness, %OB and BMI. Thus %BFi correlated strongly with variables from conventional methods. It was concluded that it is a reliable way of assessing lipid storage in children.     

Monoclonal Gammopathy in Adult T-Cell Leukemia/ Lymphoma: A Report of Three Cases

Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATL/L) is clustered in southwesternJapan, especially in the Nagasaki and Kagoshima areas. It wasshown that this clustering correlated with the presence of antibodiesto antigens of a new C-type RNA leukemia virus. Surface markeranalysis of neoplastic T-cells of ATL/L patients shows the helper/inducerphenotype (Leu-1⁺, Leu-2a^– and Leu-3a⁺). On the other hand, the association between T-cell malignancyincluding ATL/L and monoclonal gammopathy is very rare. Threeunique cases of ATL/L with monoclonal gammopathy are reported.Yet the meaning of an M-component in T-lymphocytic proliferationremains uncertain. The relationship between the leukemia virus,ATL/L-cells and monoclonal gammopathy is discussed.     

Mid-Diastolic Potential is Related to the Reentrant Circuit in a Patient with Verapamil-Sensitive Idiopathic Left Ventricular Tachycardia

Mid-Diastolic Potential in Idiopathic VT. We report a case of verapamil-sensitive idiopathic ventricular tachycardia in which a mid-diastolic potential (MDP) 45 msec preceding the Purkinje potential ( P potential) was recorded. Pacing during the tachycardia caused concealed entrainment, and the stimulus–QRS interval was equal to the P potential–QRS interval. The interval between the last pacing stimulus and the next P potential (postpacing interval) was longer than the ventricular tachycardia cycle length, but the MDP was orthodromically activated. These findings suggest that the MDP was on the reentrant circuit and the P potential was not on the reentrant circuit, but a bystander.     

Duration patterns of percussion sound in healthy and periodontally affected teeth

Ten periodontally affected subjects and 10 healthy subjects were selected in order to examine the duration patterns of percussion sounds in all upper teeth, excluding the 8's. Probing depth, loss of attachment, tooth mobility by 'Periotest', bone loss and percussion sound duration via occlusal sound analyser were recorded during the pretreatment period. The following results were obtained from the study: (i) the normal duration of percussion sounds ranged from 4.40-5.33 ms; (ii) percussion sound values of periodontal patients were of longer duration than those of healthy subjects; (iii) a close correlation between duration and other individual parameters was found in all upper teeth, with the exception of molars.