Aortic stiffness is strikingly increased with age ≥50 years in clinically normal individuals and preclinical patients with cardiovascular risk factors: Assessment by the new technique of 2D strain echocardiography

SummaryBackgroundVarious measures of aortic stiffness have been proposed as cardiovascular risk markers, but interest has now shifted to more direct and easier evaluation of aortic function. The present study was conducted to determine the feasibility of measuring aortic stiffness (β) with two-dimensional (2D) strain echocardiography and the impact of age and gender on preclinical atherosclerosis.Methods and resultsThe peak circumferential strain of the abdominal aorta was measured using 2D strain echocardiography, and β was determined in 54 clinically normal individuals and 104 patients with cardiovascular risk factors and no evidence of cardiovascular disease. The β correlated significantly with age in all 158 patients. However, the relationship was nonlinear, and β was markedly greater in patients ≥50 years. In 54 clinically normal individuals, the relationship was comparatively linear. The systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure were significantly greater in patients ≥50 years. There were no significant differences in β and blood pressure parameters between genders.ConclusionsThe β increased dramatically with advanced age (≥50 years), regardless of gender, in clinically healthy and community-based patients with cardiovascular risk factors. The aortic circumferential strain was measured with 2D strain echocardiography which is a new tool that can be used to directly and easily evaluate aortic stiffness

トクシマ コウケツアツ トウニョウビョウ study : コウケツアツ トウニョウビョウ ガッペイレイ ニ カンスル リンショウテキ ケントウ

Hypertension is frequently complicated by diabetes mellitus and vice versa. Since these ２ disorders are important risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, appropriate disease control is required. To understand the present state of treatment, we investigated hypertensive patients complicated by diabetes mellitus and vice versa who were under treatment by cardiology and diabetes specialists in Tokushima Prefecture, and evaluated the details of treatment and the state of disease control. The subjects consisted of １８２ hypertensive patients complicated by diabetes mellitus （Group C） who were under treatment by cardiology specialists and ２０５ diabetic patients complicated by hypertension （Group D） who were under treatment by diabetes specialists. When patient backgrounds were evaluated, patient age and BMI were significantly higher in Group C than in Group D, although HbA１c levels were significantly higher in Group D than in Group C. Calcium antagonists were most frequently used for the treatment of hypertension in both groups （７０．９％ in Group C and ６５．４％ in Group D）, and the percentage of patients who were treated with β‐blockers was significantly higher in Group C than in Group D （２８．６％ in Group C vs.８．８％ in Group D, p＜０．０００５）. The percentage of patients who fulfilled the criteria of blood pressure recommended by the Guidelines for the Management of Hypertension （JSH２０００） was ２１．６％ in Group C and ２２．９％ in Group D. When the type of antidiabetics was investigated, SU derivatives were most frequently used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in both groups （４７．２％ in Group C and ５０．２％ in Group D, n.s.）, followed by the use of α‐GI, insulin, and biguanide in descending order. The percentage of patients who were treated with those types of antidiabetics did not significantly differ between the two groups. The percentage of patients who showed HbA１c levels below ６．５％ was significantly higher in Group C than in Group D （４０．７％ in Group C vs．２１．９％ in Group D p＜０．００５）. However, the percentage of patients who showed HbA１c levels of ８．０％ or higher was significantly higher in Group D than in Group C （１８．９％ in Group C vs. ３６．８％ in Group D, p＜０．０００１）. In addition, the percentage of patients in whom total cholesterol levels were successfully controlled based on the Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Diseases （JAS２００２） did not significantly differ between the two groups （４９．７％ in Group C vs. ４５．０％ in Group D）. These findings suggest that the group at high-risk of atherosclerosis, such as hypertensive patients complicated by diabetes mellitus and vice versa, is not successfully managed. Therefore, more appropriate disease control is required in the future

トクシマ コウケツアツ トウニョウビョウ study 2011 : コウケツアツ トウニョウビョウ ガッペイ レイ ニ カンスル タシセツ ケンキュウ

Cardiologists and diabetologists in Tokushima Prefecture investigated patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus on treatment in２０１１. The findings were compared with our year‐２００４ data. The study population comprised ２３６ patients with hypertension and diabetes mellitus being treated by cardiologists（C２０１１group）, and ３９５ patients with the same condition being treated by diabetologists（D２０１１group）. The mean number of antihypertensives used per patient was１．９for the C２０１１group and１．６for the D２０１１group. In these two groups, calcium antagonists were the most frequently used drugs. Renin-angiotensin system（RAS）inhibitors were used in７１．５％ of the patients in the C２０１１group and７０．０％ in the D２０１１group. The ratio of patients meeting the blood pressure criteria of the Japan Hypertension Society Guidelines was ２１．６％ for the C２００４group,２２．９％ for the D２００４group,２９．１％ for the C２０１１group, and１８．２％ for the D２０１１group. The mean number of antidiabetics used per patient was１．３for the two groups, glimepiride being most frequently used（３８．５％ for the C２０１１group,５８．１％ for the D２０１１group）, followed by α-glucosidase inhibitors and pioglitazone. Frequency of use of biguanide increased compared with２００４. The ratio of patients with HbA１c＜６．５％ was４０．７％ for the C２００４group, ２１．９％ for the D２００４ group, ４６．５％ for the C２０１１ group, and ４９．０％ for the D２０１１ group ; a significant improvement was observed in the D２０１１group compared with the D２００４group. The serum cholesterol control rate was４９．７％ for the C２００４group,４５．０％ for the D２００４group,６０．９％ for the C２０１１group, and５６．５％ for the D２０１１group. The ratio of patients achieving good control for all three parameters（blood pressure, blood glucose level, serum lipid level）was low at７．６％ for the C２００４group,６．７％ for the D２００４group,９．４％ for the C２０１１group, and９．０％ for the D２０１１ group. This managerial situation for the condition is unsatisfactory, necessitating efforts for even better control

Phosphorylation of clock protein PER1 regulates its circadian degradation in normal human fibroblasts.

Recent advances suggest that the molecular components of the circadian clock generate a self-sustaining transcriptional-translational feedback loop with a period of approx. 24 h. The precise expression profiles of human clock genes and their products have not been elucidated. We cloned human clock genes, including per1, per2, per3, cry2 and clock, and evaluated their circadian mRNA expression profiles in WI-38 fibroblasts stimulated with serum. Transcripts of hPer1, hPer2, hPer3, hBMAL1 and hCry2 (where h is human) underwent circadian oscillation. Serum-stimulation also caused daily oscillations of hPER1 protein and the apparent molecular mass of hPER1 changed. Inhibitor studies indicated that the CKI (casein kinase I) family, including CKIepsilon and CKIdelta, phosphorylated hPER1 and increased the apparent molecular mass of hPER1. The inhibition of hPER1 phosphorylation by CKI-7 [ N -(2-aminoethyl)-5-chloro-isoquinoline-8-sulphonamide], a CKI inhibitor, disturbed hPER1 degradation, delayed the nuclear entry of hPER1 and allowed it to persist for longer in the nucleus. Furthermore, proteasome inhibitors specifically blocked hPER1 degradation. However leptomycin B, an inhibitor of nuclear export, did not alter the degradation state of hPER1 protein. These findings indicate that circadian hPER1 degradation through a proteasomal pathway can be regulated through phosphorylation by CKI, but not by subcellular localization

Concentric left ventricular hypertrophy brings deterioration of systolic longitudinal, circumferential, and radial myocardial deformation in hypertensive patients with preserved left ventricular pump function

SummaryBackgroundWe hypothesized that deterioration of systolic left ventricular (LV) myocardial deformation exists as an early sign of “isolated” diastolic heart failure in patients with hypertension (HT) and LV hypertrophy (LVH).Methods and resultsTwo-dimensional strain echocardiography was performed in 98 patients with HT and 22 age-matched normal controls. The LV mass index and relative wall thickness were used to assign patients into 3 groups with normal geometry (N-LV, n=31), concentric hypertrophy (C-LVH, n=25), and eccentric hypertrophy (E-LVH, n=42). The LV ejection fraction was preserved (≥50%) in the 3 HT groups. The mean peak systolic longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strains in the C-LVH group were lower compared to the control and other 2 HT groups. The mean peak systolic strain rates in the 3 directions in the C-LVH group and those in the longitudinal and radial directions in the E-LVH and N-LV groups were lower compared to the control group. In addition, the mean peak systolic circumferential strain rate was lower in the C-LVH group than in the other 2 HT groups. There were no differences in the LV torsion and torsional rate between the control and 3 HT groups. The mean peak systolic circumferential strain was an independent predictor related to LV ejection fraction in all patients.ConclusionsC-LVH caused deterioration of the systolic longitudinal, circumferential, and radial myocardial deformation in patients with HT. LV torsion and circumferential shortening were considered to be compensatory mechanisms for maintaining LV pump function

Evaluation of seafloor environmental characteristics of harvesting ground of a kelp Saccharina longissima using GIS in the Pacific coastal area of eastern Hokkaido, Japan

The characteristics of the seafloor environment of the harvesting grounds of the kelp, Saccharina longissima, were evaluated by spatial analysis using a geographic information system (GIS) in the Pacific coastal area of eastern Hokkaido. The kelp harvesting grounds were formed in water depths ranging from 1.2 m to 9.6 m, slopes ranging from 0° to 16.3°, bottom substrate (coarseness score) ranging from 1.82 to 3.00, bottom current velocities ranging from 0.7 cm/s to 116.4 cm/s, and a maximum slope of 37.6°. These values include the viable environmental conditions for the kelp. The kelp growth parameters estimated from kelp measurement data before the harvesting season were positively related to the bottom current velocity. This suggests that the bottom current velocity has a significant effect on kelp growth. The 58 harvesting grounds were classified into two categories based on their growth: those with high kelp growth and those with low kelp growth. Based on a decision tree model, the differences between the two harvesting ground categories were explained by the bottom current velocity, maximum slope, and bottom substrate. In addition, their specific environmental conditions were also quantified. The quantified environmental conditions were also used to create a potential map for the kelp growth in the harvesting grounds. This study provides an understanding of the environmental characteristics of the kelp harvesting grounds, as well as a procedure for mapping the kelp growth potential, thus contributing to the sustainable use of the kelp resources through kelp harvesting ground management and maintenance.This study was supported by the management expense grants of FRA, Japan and by the commissioned project for the survey on the fisheries infrastructure development of the Fisheries Agency “ Development of Methods for Selecting Sites Suitable for the Kelp Harvesting Grounds Based on the Elucidation of Marine Environmental Conditions Favorable to the Kelp Growth (2017–2019)”