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Biomedical subjects

A Chishaki

Publications and source records attributed to A Chishaki.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Rate of health insurance reimbursement and adherence to anti-hypertensive treatment among Japanese patients.

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have reported the effects of free medical care on compliance in patients with hypertension, no study has reported the effects of an economic incentive, such as subsidized medical costs, on compliance with medication protocol, in patients with hypertension. The unique characteristics of the Japanese health insurance system provide for a 10% decrease in the subsidy for medication immediately on retirement (approximately 60 years of age) for insured patients, and a 100% subsidy for insured patients who are 70 years of age or older. We examined the association between level of health insurance coverage and follow-up rate of medical treatment among Japanese patients with hypertension. METHODS: The subjects, from throughout Japan, were patients with hypertension (n=1236). The study was conducted in 1991. The odds of completing a 1-year treatment in relation to the rate of health insurance reimbursement were calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: We found the following. (1) Compared with the base group, the odds of completing a 1-year treatment increased to 2.62 or 2.51 in the group whose reimbursement rate was 100%. (2) Compared with the base group, the odds of completing a 1-year treatment was no larger than 1 in the group whose reimbursement rate had been 100% for more than 6 years ('76-'). (3) Compared with the base level, the odds of completing a 1-year treatment increased to 1-1.81 in the group whose liability decreased to 80%. CONCLUSION: Although the results imply that even a small economic incentive might be effective in securing a patient's compliance with anti-hypertensive medical treatment, the effect appear limited in both duration and magnitude.

Aged↗
PubMed1998

Magnesium deficiency in adult rats promotes the induction of ventricular tachycardia by the administration of epinephrine.

The effects of magnesium deficiency on epinephrine-induced ventricular tachyarrhythmia were investigated in adult rats. Forty-two adult Wistar rats were fed a magnesium-deficient diet while 30 rats were fed a standard diet for 20 days. The plasma magnesium concentration was lower in the magnesium-deficient rats (0.22+/-0.01 mmol/l) than in the control rats (0.76+/-0.03 mmol/l, P < 0.001). Using a telemetry system, electrocardiograms and arterial blood pressure were recorded on a polygraph in an unrestrained condition. Epinephrine was infused intravenously starting at 5 microg/kg per minute. The QT interval was prolonged to 50+/-1 ms in the magnesium-deficient rats compared with 44+/-1 ms in the control rats (P < 0.001). Before the administration of epinephrine, no ventricular tachyarrhythmias or seizures were found in either the control or the magnesium-deficient rats. The incidence of epinephrine-induced sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) was higher in the magnesium-deficient rats (86%) than in the control rats (43%, P < 0.01). However, this VT did not result in sudden death. Seizures always preceded death in both the magnesium-deficient and control rats while the arrhythmias observed immediately before death were mainly bradyarrhythmias. The present study in an adult rat magnesium-deficient model revealed that magnesium deficiency enhances the susceptibility to epinephrine-induced ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Cardiac complications after hepatic resection.

During a period of 94 months between 1985 and 1993, 474 hepatic resections were performed in 451 patients, of whom 23 (5 per cent) had cardiac problems: ischaemic heart disease in 16 (previous myocardial infarction in five and angina pectoris in 11), arrhythmic disorders in three, valvular disease in three (previous mitral valve replacement in two) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in one. The cardiac patients had a higher incidence of cardiac complications (24 versus 0 per cent, P < 0.0001) including two myocardial infarctions, and of non-cardiac complications consisting of postoperative liver failure (16 versus 4 per cent, P < 0.01) and bile leak (16 versus 5 per cent, P = 0.02), as well as hospital death (16 versus 3 per cent, P < 0.001). However, long-term survival was similar in the two groups. Patients with preoperative cardiac conditions appear to be at increased risk for early postoperative morbidity and mortality after hepatic resection.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Sudden sound-induced death in magnesium-deficient rats after repetitive episodes of seizures result from brain dysfunction.

To clarify the changes occurring in EEG and ECG from seizure induction to sudden death, 25 weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a severely Mg-deficient diet for 18 days. In nine of 25 Mg-deficient rats, both EEG and ECG were recorded from the beginning of seizures induction until sudden death. When flattening of EEG became after seizure occurrence, all nine Mg-deficient rats did not recover and death occurred within a few minutes. These results may support the idea that sudden death in Mg-deficient rats resulted from brain dysfunction after repetitive episodes of noise-induced seizures and not from simple apnoea due to tonic contraction of respiratory muscle.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1994

In vivo assessment of prevention of white-noise-induced seizure in magnesium-deficient rats by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blockers.

The behavioral changes associated with seizures induced by auditory stimulation in magnesium (Mg)-deficient rats originate in deep brain structures and secondarily project to neocortex. In the present study, we examined the roles of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in this seizure model. The intraperitoneal administration of the competitive NMDA receptor blocker DL-2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (36 and 72 mg/kg) and the non-competitive NMDA receptor blocker MK-801 (1.35 and 2.7 mg/kg), completely prevented the induction of seizure and bradyarrhythmia or sudden death resulting from seizure. Therefore, the white-noise-induced seizures in Mg-deficient rats are linked to increased neuronal excitability via the NMDA receptor.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗
PubMed1993

Optimal coupling of the left ventricle with the arterial system.

In the human the heart contracts more than 2.0 billion times during the lifetime. The total amount of energy required in this period is equivalent to lift a huge tanker (more than 200 thousand tons) above your head. Thus there is no question that the heart requires a huge amount of energy. Since minimization of energy requirements would be one of the major design goals of the cardiovascular system, we investigated energy efficiency of ventriculo-arterial coupling under various conditions. In normal conscious dogs, the arterial system extracted maximal work from the left ventricle during exercise as well as at rest. At the same time, the energy consumption of the left ventricle to support the peripheral demand was minimum. This optimal coupling condition was well maintained despite changes in blood volume. The baroreflex system appeared to play a crucial role in this optimization. In the presence of left ventricular dysfunction, however, this optimality was no longer maintained. We conclude that the efficiency of cardiac contraction is fairly well maintained under various stresses as long as left ventricular function is normal.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Acute myocardial infarction with a hemodynamic pattern resembling constrictive pericarditis.

A 49-year-old woman experienced acute myocardial infarction with a hemodynamic pattern resembling constrictive pericarditis. To clarify its mechanism, we performed right atrial pacing and volume challenge test during the chronic state. Although these two interventions elevated diastolic pressures of the both ventricles, the dip and plateau pattern was not reproduced. Factors other than ischemia may be important in producing a hemodynamic pattern resembling constrictive pericarditis in acute myocardial infarction.

Blood Pressure↗