The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Oct 2023
Randomized Controlled TrialWeChat-Based Education and Rehabilitation Program Improves Physical Performance and Quality of Life in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.
WeChat provides the chance for online caring program to improve physical recovery and quality of life (QoL) in patients with cardio/cerebral vascular diseases, especially in special period such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread time. This study intended to evaluate the influence of the WeChat-based education and rehabilitation program (WERP) on physical performance and QoL in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) post percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Totally, 180 patients with ACS after PCI were randomized to the WERP (N = 90) and control care (CC) (N = 90) groups, then received corresponding caring program for 3 months. ⋯ Finally, EQ-5D score at M1 (P = 0.022) and M3 (P = 0.023) was lower, while EQ-VAS score at M1 (P = 0.020), M2 (P = 0.013), and M3 (P = 0.039) was higher in WERP group than in CC group. Subgroup analyses further showed that patients with baseline SPPB score ≤ 9 benefited more from WERP. Conclusively, WERP could be an option to improve physical performance and QoL in patients with ACS after PCI.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Oct 2023
Prevalence and Angiographic Characteristics of Coronary Artery Ectasia among Patients with Coronary Artery Disease: A Retrospective Analysis between 2014 and 2022.
Coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is defined as segmental dilatation with a diameter of 1.5-fold greater than that of an adjacent normal segment. Whether CAE is a unique clinical finding or results from other clinical entities remains to be determined. The purpose of the study was to investigate the prevalence, and clinical and angiographic characteristics of CAE in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). ⋯ The proportion of obesity, family history of CAD, and the proportion of hyperlipidemia in CAD patients who had ectasia were significantly higher than that in CAD patients who did not have ectasia (P < 0.05). In conclusion, CAE is an uncommon finding in coronary angiography, most commonly affecting the RCA. The obesity, family history of CAD, and the coexistence of hyperlipidemia were independent variables associated with CAE in CAD patients.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Oct 2023
The Relationship between the Distribution of Home Medical Clinics and Home Care Service Offices in Japan.
The increasing number of older people in Japan has led to a need for cooperation between home medical and care services. The collaboration between medical and care provisions in home settings is thus a matter for concern. The present study examines the distribution of and relationship between the number of home medical clinics (HMCs) and home care service offices (HCOs) in Japan. ⋯ While the southwestern region of Japan had a high number of HMCs relative to the northeastern region, there was not such a clear difference in the regional distribution of number of HCOs. A linear regression analyses, adjusted for the percentage of older people, revealed a significant positive correlation between the number of HMCs per 10,000 older people and HCOs per 10,000 older people (β = 0.58, p < 0.001). These findings may allow us to understand advances in cooperation between home medical and care services in Japan.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Oct 2023
Risk Analysis of Breast Cancer by Using Bilateral Mammographic Density Differences: A Case-Control Study.
The identification of risk factors helps radiologists assess the risk of breast cancer. Quantitative factors such as age and mammographic density are established risk factors for breast cancer. Asymmetric breast findings are frequently encountered during diagnostic mammography. ⋯ As a result, a significant difference in BMDD was found between cases and controls (P < 0.001) and the case-control study demonstrated that women with BMDD > 10% had a 2.4-fold higher risk of breast cancer (odds ratio, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-4.5) than women with BMDD ≤ 10%. In addition, we also demonstrated the positive association between BMDD and breast cancer risk among the subgroups with different ages and the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) mammographic density categories. This study demonstrated that BMDD could be a potential risk factor for breast cancer.
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Tohoku J. Exp. Med. · Oct 2023
The Transition of Pediatric Tracheobronchial Foreign Body Cases in the Past 36 Years: A Retrospective Single-Center Study in Japan.
Tracheobronchial foreign bodies (TFBs) are pediatric airway emergencies frequently seen. We aimed to examine the changes in the clinical characteristics of pediatric TFB patients in a single institution within the past 36 years. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 85 patients aged 0-10 years with TFBs lodged in the trachea or bronchus admitted at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Tohoku University Hospital between 1986 and 2021. ⋯ Foreign body extraction using rigid bronchoscopy was performed in all patients earlier, whereas flexible bronchoscopy was used in 14.3% later. Our study revealed a recent trend in the clinical characteristics of pediatric TFB patients in a single institution in Northeast Japan. The prevention and treatment of pediatric TFBs should be considered following the recent trends.