Incidence of Serious Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients Taking Non-steroidal Anti-infl ammatory Drugs in Japan

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a major adverse event of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and co-administration of proton pump inhibitors and H2 receptor antagonists has been established as a means of preventing such an eff ect. However, the incidence of bleeding associated with NSAID-induced ulcers under conditions where such strong anti-acid agents are used for prevention has yet to be clarified. We aimed to determine the annual incidence of serious upper gastrointestinal ulcer bleeding among Japanese patients in whom NSAIDs were used in our hospital. Before commencing the study, we recommended to all the physicians in our hospital the best method for caring for NSAID users, focusing on the concomitant use of proton pump inhibitors or H2 receptor antagonists. We conducted a cohort study involving 17,270 patients for whom NSAIDs had been newly prescribed. Bleeding from gastric ulcers was observed in 8 of the 17,270 patients using NSAIDs (0.05%). The pooled incidence rate for bleeding was calculated as 2.65 (95% confidence interval, 2.56-2.74) and 1.29 (1.27-1.31) per 1,000 patient years for low-dose aspirin and non-aspirin NSAID users, respectively. None of the bleeding ulcer patients required blood transfusion or were in serious condition. In conclusion, gastric ulcer bleeding occurred in low-dose aspirin or non-aspirin NSAID users, but its incidence was low and outcomes were not serious when adequate preventive measures were taken.</p

Self-perceived Oral Health of the Elderly in a Rural Area, Japan

Good oral health is considered essential in maintaining of individual\u27s good overall health. Information on oral problems and the behavior in visiting dentist is important for promoting oral health of the elderly. To elucidate the oral health status of the elderly in rural areas and factors affecting their oral health, we studied 147 people aged 60 years or over in a rural area of Nagasaki prefecture, Japan. We examined the dental status (dentate or edentate) and denture adaptability, and collected the information on socio-demographic variables, habits, chewing ability, visit to dentist for oral problems, self-perceived general health, and self-perceived oral health. About one-third of the subjects (47/147) had poor self-perceived oral health. Most socio-demographic variables were not associated with poor self-perceived oral health. Logistic regression analysis showed that poor chewing ability (odds ratio (OR): 3.4; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-8.7), being dentate (OR: 6.6, 95% CI: 2.2-24.0), inadequate denture adaptability (OR: 3.7; 95% CI: 1.7-8.8), and no visit to dentist for oral problems (OR: 4.8; 95% CI: 1.8-14.2) were significantly associated with poor self-perceived oral health. In rural areas in Japan, adequate dental care and its good accessibility would be important for promoting the oral health in the elderly

Self-perceived Oral Health of the Elderly in a Rural Area, Japan

Good oral health is considered essential in maintaining of individual's good overall health. Information on oral problems and the behavior in visiting dentist is important for promoting oral health of the elderly. To elucidate the oral health status of the elderly in rural areas and factors affecting their oral health, we studied 147 people aged 60 years or over in a rural area of Nagasaki prefecture, Japan. We examined the dental status (dentate or edentate) and denture adaptability, and collected the information on socio-demographic variables, habits, chewing ability, visit to dentist for oral problems, self-perceived general health, and self-perceived oral health. About one-third of the subjects (47/147) had poor self-perceived oral health. Most socio-demographic variables were not associated with poor self-perceived oral health. Logistic regression analysis showed that poor chewing ability (odds ratio (OR): 3.4; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4-8.7), being dentate (OR: 6.6, 95% CI: 2.2-24.0), inadequate denture adaptability (OR: 3.7; 95% CI: 1.7-8.8), and no visit to dentist for oral problems (OR: 4.8; 95% CI: 1.8-14.2) were significantly associated with poor self-perceived oral health. In rural areas in Japan, adequate dental care and its good accessibility would be important for promoting the oral health in the elderly

DESCUBIERTOS LOS GENES QUE CONTROLAN LA ALTURA DE LOS ARROZALES LUCHANDO CONTRA LAS INUNDACIONES

M&aacute;s del 30% de toda la superficie plantada con arroz a nivel mundial es susceptible a la p&eacute;rdida de cultivos por las inundaciones (1). Sin embargo, el arroz de aguas profundas puede escapar de la inmersi&oacute;n en una inundaci&oacute;n de crecimiento lento al alargar el crecimiento de sus tallos a una velocidad de 25 cent&iacute;metros por d&iacute;a (2). En un estudio realizado por cient&iacute;ficos japoneses, descubrieron dos genes importantes que controlan la altura de los cultivos de arroz. Este avance podr&iacute;a permitir el desarrollo de variedades productivas resistentes a las inundaciones o mejorar las variedades de bajo rendimiento que ya pueden hacer frente a inundaciones estacionales, las cuales se hacen m&aacute;s frecuentes por el cambio clim&aacute;tico