Internal medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Beneficial Effects of Ipragliflozin on the Renal Function and Serum Uric Acid Levels in Japanese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, 12-week, Open-label, Active-controlled Trial.
Objective To examine the add-on effects, compared to the existing antidiabetes treatment, of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor ipragliflozin on glycemic control and the risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes. Methods This 12-week, randomized, open-label, active-controlled trial included 30 patients with type 2 diabetes who were randomized 1:1 to ipragliflozin and control groups (n=15 each). The ipragliflozin group received 50 mg of ipragliflozin once daily in addition to conventional therapy. ⋯ Furthermore, ipragliflozin add-on therapy resulted in a greater reduction in serum UA levels than control therapy [Δ=-52.3 (95% CI: -85.5-19.1) μmol/L, p=0.003]. The changes in the eGFR with ipragliflozin treatment were associated with ipragliflozin-mediated changes in the UA, even after adjusting for the age, sex, baseline HbA1c, baseline UA, and baseline eGFR (standardized regression coefficient=-0.535, p=0.010). Conclusion Ipragliflozin add-on therapy was associated with beneficial renal effects in parallel with reducing serum UA levels.
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Review Case Reports
Myocarditis with Advanced Atrioventricular Block after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Case Report and Literature Review.
A 51-year-old woman with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia underwent a second cord blood transplantation followed by maintenance therapy with interferon-α. After 33 months, she developed cardiogenic shock caused by advanced atrioventricular block. ⋯ Myocarditis after allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a rare but potentially fatal complication. However, it is important for physicians to be aware of this complication because all of the symptoms may be reversed with immunosuppressive treatment.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A Comparison of the Weight Loss Effect between a Low-carbohydrate Diet and a Calorie-restricted Diet in Combination with Intragastric Balloon Therapy.
Objective Intragastric balloon (IGB) therapy is a low-invasion treatment for obesity. Recently, a low-carbohydrate diet has shown effectiveness for encouraging weight loss, but whether or not a low-carbohydrate diet improves the efficacy of IGB therapy remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the effectiveness of a low-carbohydrate diet compared with a calorie-restricted diet in combination with IGB therapy. ⋯ Results At 12 months after IGB placement, the body weight was significantly lower than that observed at baseline in both the IGB plus low-carbohydrate diet group (baseline 101.9±25.8 kg, 12 months 88.2±21.9 kg) (p<0.0001) and the IGB plus calorie-restricted diet group (baseline 103.5±17.0 kg, 12 months 89.1±6.2 kg) (p<0.005). The percentage of excess weight loss in the IGB plus low-carbohydrate diet group was slightly higher than that in the IGB plus calorie-restricted diet group, but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups at 12 months after IGB placement (IGB plus low-carbohydrate 49.9±60.0%, IGB plus calorie-restricted diet 33.1±27.0%). Conclusion Our study demonstrated that both a low-carbohydrate diet and a calorie-restricted diet were effective interventions for weight reduction in combination with IGB therapy.
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It has become clear that sodium glucose cotransporter (SGLT)-2 inhibitors not only do not increase the incidence of cardiovascular events but they also reduce the duration of hospitalization for heart failure in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. The administration of SGLT2 inhibitor in T2DM patients with hypertension and a fluid retention tendency lowers the blood pressure and mitigates fluid retention. It also reduces the heart rate in T2DM patients with a fast heart rate. As an explanation for the multifaceted effects of SGLT2 inhibitors on hemodynamics, we hypothesize that these agents act on the inter-organ communication pathway, which modulates the sympathetic nerve activity to the cardiovascular system.
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The novel coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, has spread worldwide from China. There are no case reports from Asia of COVID-19 with facial paralysis and olfactory disturbance. We herein report a case of COVID-19 pneumonia in a Japanese woman who showed facial nerve palsy and olfactory disturbance.