Internal medicine
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The present study was undertaken to establish a useful range for the B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level, with the ultimate goal of determining a cut-off BNP level that will make it possible to identify patients with clinically important organic heart disorders among patients encountered in clinical practice. ⋯ These findings suggest that the lower range of the BNP level allowing for identification of patients with clinically important organic heart disorders increases with age; however, it might be appropriate to adopt a level of approximately 40 pg/mL, even in elderly patients, in order to avoid any possible age-related effects of diastolic dysfunction or other factors.
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Review Case Reports Multicenter Study
Clinical features of 10 patients with IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis.
To elucidate the clinical characteristics of IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis (RF). ⋯ IgG4-related RF has several clinical characteristic features. Our diagnostic criteria may be helpful in obtaining a correct diagnosis.
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Multicenter Study
Is proton pump inhibitor therapy for reflux esophagitis sufficient?: a large real-world survey of Japanese patients.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are widely used as the mainstay of treatment for erosive reflux esophagitis, based on the excellent results obtained in clinical trials. However, the endoscopic remission rates in patients treated with PPIs in actual clinical settings have not been fully assessed. We conducted a nationwide survey to evaluate the effectiveness of PPIs based on endoscopic findings in real-world clinical settings. ⋯ This study revealed that approximately 40% of the patients did not achieve remission of erosive esophagitis following PPI therapy for a mean of 1.1 years. This suggests the necessity of providing careful follow-up using periodic endoscopy and appropriately selecting PPI therapy.
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Multicenter Study
Status of dyslipidemia treatment in Japanese adults: an analysis of the 2009 Japan Society of Ningen Dock database.
The Japan Atherosclerosis Society (JAS) has recommended serum lipid management goals (SLMGs) based on the coronary heart disease (CHD) risk classification included in its 2007 guidelines for the diagnosis and prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the Japanese population (JAS GL 2007). The Japan Society of Ningen Dock created a database of subjects receiving annual health examinations at 21 institutes nationwide. Using this database, we evaluated the efficacy of current treatment for patients with dyslipidemia by identifying risk factors for CHD development, based on the JAS recommendations. ⋯ Our results regarding Japanese patients receiving dyslipidemia treatment for CHD prevention identified insufficient reductions in the levels of LDL-C and TG in those at high risk for CHD and suggest the need for more aggressive lipid-lowering therapy.
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Multicenter Study Clinical Trial
Polymyxin B-immobilized fiber column (PMX) treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with acute exacerbation: a multicenter retrospective analysis.
The prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients with acute exacerbation (AE) is reported to be extremely poor. Several clinical studies suggest that direct hemoperfusion with polymyxin B-immobilized fiber (PMX) may have beneficial effects on AE in patients with interstitial pneumonia (IP). The aim of this multicenter retrospective analysis was to investigate whether PMX treatment could provide improvement of oxygenation and survival benefits in IPF patients with AE. ⋯ PMX treatment may improve oxygenation and survival in IPF patients with AE. Prospective, controlled trials of PMX treatment for IPF with AE are warranted to verify this potential benefit.