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Background: The spleen is a key organ in preventing pneumococcal infection, especially in patients with immunocompromised condition such as those with cancer. Previous studies have shown that a small spleen volume in pneumococcal pneumonia patients is associated with severe disease course. However, it is unknown whether a small spleen increases risk of pneumococcal infection. We investigated the association between spleen volume and risk of pneumococcal infection., Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort study using a nested case-control design and involved adult patients with malignancy who underwent chest and/or abdominal CT scans from January 1, 2008, to September 30, 2020, at a tertiary care center in Japan. Exclusion criteria comprised patients diagnosed with hepatic cirrhosis, leukemia, lymphoma, and/or post-splenectomy. From the cohort group that met all selection criteria (n = 22475), we identified all incident cases of pneumococcal infection (pneumococcal pneumonia and/or invasive pneumococcal diseases) and matched them with four controls by age, sex, and follow-up duration. Odds ratios (ORs) for the association between spleen volume and pneumococcal infection were estimated using conditional logistic regression models adjusted for body surface area, performance status, Charlson comorbidity index, and metastatic cancer., Results: The median spleen volume was 85.8 (interquartile range, 65.8-120.8) cm 3 . Over a median follow-up of 4.95 (interquartile range, 1.54-9.25) years, 60 patients were diagnosed with pneumococcal infection (20 with invasive pneumococcal disease and 40 with pneumonia without invasive pneumococcal disease) and matched with 240 controls. Spleen volume reduction (per 10 cm 3 ) did not increase risk of pneumococcal infection in a crude analysis [OR 1.04 (95% CI 0.98-1.11)]. The outcome remained unchanged in the multivariable analysis (OR 1.01 [95% CI 0.95-1.08])., Conclusions: Small spleen volume did not increase risk of pneumococcal infection in cancer patients., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical approval and participation consent: The current study was approved by the ethics committee of the Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center (Approval Number: Clinical S20-176). In accordance with Japanese ethical guidelines for medical and health research involving human subjects, the need for written informed consent was waived by the ethics committee of the Jichi Medical University Saitama Medical Center due to retrospective nature of the study. The study was conducted using a non-participation method based on our hospital’s website. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The general medicine in-training examination (GM-ITE) assesses physicians' clinical knowledge. This study expanded on findings from a previous pilot study to assess the relationship between general medicine in-training examination (GM-ITE) scores and the diagnostic skills of resident physicians in Japan by employing an innovative clinical simulation video (CSV-IE)., Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study included 4,677 resident physicians who took the GMITE between January 17 and 30, 2023. Participants watched the CSV-IE, depicting an emergency room scenario, and provided a diagnosis. The CSV-IE depicts an emergency case and provides a diagnosis. Discrimination indices were used to assess the CSV-IE's effectiveness across clinical competence domains, and multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze physician- and hospital-level factors associated with correct diagnoses., Results: Correct diagnoses were provided by 470 participants (10.0%). The CSV-IE demonstrated high discriminatory power across all assessed domains, including basic clinical knowledge (DI = 0.44), symptomatology and clinical reasoning (DI = 0.31), physical examination and clinical procedure (DI = 0.35), and knowledge about the disease (DI = 0.25), supporting its utility as an effective assessment tool. In the multivariable analysis, factors associated with a higher likelihood of providing a correct CSV-IE diagnosis included a higher annual number of emergency outpatients (adjusted odds ratio: 1.025; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.003-1.047; P = .0230) and being in a higher postgraduate year (adjusted odds ratio: 1.387; 95% CI: 1.104-1.742; P = .005). Conversely, resident physicians at university hospitals were less likely to provide a correct CSV-IE response (adjusted odds ratio: 0.624; 95% CI: 0.435-0.896; P = .0107)., Conclusions: CSV-IE modules may provide an integrative and realistic evaluation of clinical competence, addressing limitations of traditional MCQ-based assessments by offering contextualized, real-world scenarios that require dynamic decision-making and diagnostic reasoning., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was approved by the Ethical Review Committee of the Japan Organization for Advancing Medical Education (approval no. 23–26). All participants provided informed consent before participating in the study. This study was conducted according to the ethical standards and principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication: Informed consent was obtained from all participants for the publication of identifying information in an online open-access publication. All participants read and signed the informed consent document before participating in the study. To ensure confidentiality, all participant data were anonymized prior to analysis. No compensation was provided to the participants for their involvement in this study. In accordance with ethical standards and journal policy, we have obtained explicit informed consent from all actors appearing in the video material associated with this study. The actors have acknowledged and agreed that the video will be published as part of the study’s material. Competing interests: JAMEP was involved in collecting and managing data as the GM‐ITE administrative organization. It did not participate in designing and conducting the study, data analysis and interpretation, preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript, and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Dr. Nishizaki received an honorarium from JAMEP as the GM ITE project manager. Dr. Tokuda is the director of the JAMEP. Dr. Kobayashi received an honorarium from the JAMEP as a speaker for the JAMEP lecture. Dr. Shikino received an honorarium from the JAMEP as a reviewer of GM ITE. Dr. Shikino, Dr. Shimizu, and Dr. Yamamoto received honoraria from the JAMEP as exam preparers of GM ITE. No other authors possess any competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: With physician maldistribution recognised as a global issue, Japan implemented the physician uneven distribution (PUD) index as a strategic measure. Currently, there is a lack of objective assessment of core clinical competencies in regions influenced by varying levels of physician distribution. In this study, we objectively assess the core clinical competencies in regions affected by physician maldistribution and explore the relationship between the PUD index and the clinical competencies of resident physicians., Design, Setting and Participants: In this cross-sectional study, we gathered data from the January 2023 General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE) survey. Participants included postgraduate year 1 and 2 resident physicians in Japanese hospitals mandating the GM-ITE or those who voluntarily took it. The GM-ITE scores of the resident physicians were assessed. The PUD index, a Japanese policy indicator, reflects regional physician disparities. A low PUD index signals a medical supply shortage compared with local demand. The trial registration number is 23-7., Results: The high and low PUD index groups included 2143 and 1580 participants, respectively. After adjusting for relevant confounders, multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that the low PUD index group had significantly higher GM-ITE scores than the high PUD index group (adjusted coefficient: 1.14; 95% CI 0.62 to 1.65; p<0.001)., Conclusions: The study revealed no clinically differences in GM-ITE scores between residents in regions with disparate physician distributions, suggesting that factors beyond PUD may influence clinical competency. This finding prompts a re-evaluation of whether current assessment methodologies or educational frameworks fully support learning across varied community settings., Competing Interests: Competing interests: JAMEP was involved in collecting and managing data as the GM‐ITE administrative organisation. It did not participate in designing and conducting the study, data analysis and interpretation, preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. KS received an honorarium from the JAMEP as a speaker on the JAMEP lecture and exam preparer for the GM-ITE. YN received an honorarium from the JAMEP as a GM-ITE project manager. YT is the JAMEP director and received an honorarium from the JAMEP as a speaker on the JAMEP lecture. HK received an honorarium from the JAMEP as a speaker on the JAMEP lecture. TS and YY received an honorarium from the JAMEP as exam preparers for the GM-ITE., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: As healthcare professional trainees, resident physicians are expected to help with COVID-19 care in various ways. Many resident physicians worldwide have cared for COVID-19 patients despite the increased risk of burnout. However, few studies have examined the experience with COVID-19 care among resident physicians and its effects on competency achievement regarding clinical basics and COVID-19 patient care., Method: This nationwide, cross-sectional Japanese study used a clinical training environment questionnaire for resident physicians (PGY-1 and - 2) in 593 teaching hospitals during the General Medicine In-Training Examination in January 2021. The General Medicine In-Training Examination questions comprised four categories (medical interviews and professionalism; symptomatology and clinical reasoning; physical examination and clinical procedures; and disease knowledge) and a COVID-19-related question. We examined the COVID-19 care experience and its relationship with the General Medicine In-Training Examination score, adjusting for resident and hospital variables., Results: Of the 6,049 resident physicians, 2,841 (47.0%) had no experience caring for patients with COVID-19 during 2020. Total and categorical General Medicine In-Training Examination scores were not different irrespective of the experience with COVID-19 patient care. For the COVID-19-related question, residents with experience in COVID-19 care showed a significant increase in correct response by 2.6% (95% confidence interval, 0.3-4.9%; p = 0.028)., Conclusions: The resident physicians' COVID-19 care experience was associated with better achievement of COVID-19-related competency without reducing clinical basics. However, approximately half of the residents missed the critical experience of caring for patients during this unparalleled pandemic in Japan., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aim: This study aimed to assess the impact of a physician-led intervention on advance care planning (ACP) introduction among older outpatients using a model discussion video., Methods: This prospective interventional study included Japanese general practice outpatients aged ≥65 years. All participants received an ACP leaflet. Co-researchers were trained using a model discussion video based on the "Serious Illness Conversation Guide," and provided ACP introduction explanations to the intervention group to ensure intervention content consistency. The control group received the ACP leaflet only, with no standardized explanations. The primary outcome was ACP discussion occurrence. Secondary outcomes included ACP engagement (assessed through the 4-item ACP Engagement Survey), engagement score for advance directives acquisition and score for surrogate decision-maker identification, and anxiety incidence (assessed through Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7)., Results: This study included 48 participants: 25 (52.1%) in the intervention group and 23 (47.9%) in the control group. Regarding primary outcome, the intervention group had significantly more ACP discussions compared with the control group (92.0% vs 26.1%, adjusted odds ratio 50.2, P = 0.0012). Regarding secondary outcomes, the intervention group showed greater readiness (mean scores for the 4-item Engagement Survey [P = 0.0001], engagement score for advance directives acquisition [P = 0.01] and score for surrogate decision-maker determination [P = 0.03]) than the control group, without increasing anxiety., Conclusions: This physician-led ACP introduction for older patients in a Japanese general practice setting enhanced ACP readiness and stimulated discussions, without increasing anxiety. The model discussion video for ACP introduction might effectively train physicians in general practice settings. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 859-866., (© 2024 Japan Geriatrics Society.)

Objective The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has spread worldwide, and hospitals in Japan have been forced to respond to the situation. This study evaluated the broad-spectrum antimicrobial use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in an acute tertiary-care hospital. Methods This single-center, retrospective study was conducted between January 2019 and June 2021. Patients We reviewed patients treated with three broad-spectrum antipseudomonal agents: carbapenems, tazobactam/piperacillin, and cefepime. Monthly aggregated hospital antimicrobial consumption was measured as days of therapy (DOTs) per 1,000 patient-days, and the monthly incidences of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA), and carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) were recorded. Results The median monthly carbapenem-DOTs during the pre-pandemic and pandemic era were 8.4 and 8.2 per 1,000 patient-days, respectively. A time-series analysis showed non-significant changes in the level between periods (coefficients: 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.9 to 7.0; p=0.44). No change in the trend of monthly carbapenem-DOTs was observed after intervention. No post-intervention changes in the incidence of MRPA or CPE were observed; however, the trend in the incidence of CDI per 1,000 patient-days significantly differed between the two periods (coefficient: -0.04; 95% CI: -0.07, 0.00; p=0.01), and a downward trend was observed in the monthly CDI incidence during the COVID-19 period. Conclusion The consumption of broad intravenous antimicrobial agents has not changed significantly during the pandemic. We need to maintain the quality of medical care, including antimicrobial stewardship, even in specialized resource-limited facilities during a pandemic.

Background: This study evaluated the effectiveness of NUDT15 codon 139 genotyping in optimizing thiopurine treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Japan, using real-world data, and aimed to establish genotype-based treatment strategies., Methods: A retrospective analysis of 4628 IBD patients who underwent NUDT15 codon 139 genotyping was conducted. This study assessed the purpose of the genotyping test and subsequent prescriptions following the obtained results. Outcomes were compared between the Genotyping group (thiopurine with genotyping test) and Non-genotyping group (thiopurine without genotyping test). Risk factors for adverse events (AEs) were analyzed by genotype and prior genotyping status., Results: Genotyping test for medical purposes showed no significant difference in thiopurine induction rates between Arg/Arg and Arg/Cys genotypes, but nine Arg/Cys patients opted out of thiopurine treatment. In the Genotyping group, Arg/Arg patients received higher initial doses than the Non-genotyping group, while Arg/Cys patients received lower ones (median 25 mg/day). Fewer AEs occurred in the Genotyping group because of their lower incidence in Arg/Cys cases. Starting with < 25 mg/day of AZA reduced AEs in Arg/Cys patients, while Arg/Arg patients had better retention rates when maintaining ≥ 75 mg AZA. Nausea and liver injury correlated with thiopurine formulation but not dosage. pH-dependent mesalamine reduced leukopenia risk in mesalamine users., Conclusions: NUDT15 codon 139 genotyping effectively reduces thiopurine-induced AEs and improves treatment retention rates in IBD patients after genotype-based dose adjustments. This study provides data-driven treatment strategies based on genotype and identifies risk factors for specific AEs, contributing to a refined thiopurine treatment approach., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: A remission induction therapy of granulocyte and monocyte adsorptive apheresis (GMA) was given to patients with Crohn's disease (CD). However, establishing an appropriate treatment strategy for GMA in patients with CD remains unclear., Methods: This study evaluated the clinical efficacy and subsequent clinical progression after GMA in patients with CD who underwent GMA in seven independent institutions in Japan from 2010 to 2023., Results: Sixteen patients were enrolled. The overall remission and response rates were 25.0% and 68.8%, respectively. All patients responding to GMA received biologics that were continuously used and 36.4% of patients remained on the same biologics 52 weeks after GMA. Notably, all patients who continued the same biologics had previously experienced a loss of response to biologics., Conclusion: GMA may exhibit effectiveness even in cases with refractory CD. Moreover, it represents a potential novel therapeutic option for refractory CD with loss of response to biologics., (© 2024 International Society for Apheresis and Japanese Society for Apheresis.)

Background: The relationship between educational outcomes and the use of web-based clinical knowledge support systems in teaching hospitals remains unknown in Japan. A previous study on this topic could have been affected by recall bias because of the use of a self-reported questionnaire., Objective: We aimed to explore the relationship between the use of the Wolters Kluwer UpToDate clinical knowledge support system in teaching hospitals and residents' General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE) scores. In this study, we objectively evaluated the relationship between the total number of UpToDate hospital use logs and the GM-ITE scores., Methods: This nationwide cross-sectional study included postgraduate year-1 and -2 residents who had taken the examination in the 2020 academic year. Hospital-level information was obtained from published web pages, and UpToDate hospital use logs were provided by Wolters Kluwer. We evaluated the relationship between the total number of UpToDate hospital use logs and residents' GM-ITE scores. We analyzed 215 teaching hospitals with at least 5 GM-ITE examinees and hospital use logs from 2017 to 2019., Results: The study population consisted of 3013 residents from 215 teaching hospitals with at least 5 GM-ITE examinees and web-based resource use log data from 2017 to 2019. High-use hospital residents had significantly higher GM-ITE scores than low-use hospital residents (mean 26.9, SD 2.0 vs mean 26.2, SD 2.3; P=.009; Cohen d=0.35, 95% CI 0.08-0.62). The GM-ITE scores were significantly correlated with the total number of hospital use logs (Pearson r=0.28; P<.001). The multilevel analysis revealed a positive association between the total number of logs divided by the number of hospital physicians and the GM-ITE scores (estimated coefficient=0.36, 95% CI 0.14-0.59; P=.001)., Conclusions: The findings suggest that the development of residents' clinical reasoning abilities through UpToDate is associated with high GM-ITE scores. Thus, higher use of UpToDate may lead physicians and residents in high-use hospitals to increase the implementation of evidence-based medicine, leading to high educational outcomes., (© Koshi Kataoka, Yuji Nishizaki, Taro Shimizu, Yu Yamamoto, Kiyoshi Shikino, Masanori Nojima, Kazuya Nagasaki, Sho Fukui, Sho Nishiguchi, Kohta Katayama, Masaru Kurihara, Rieko Ueda, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Yasuharu Tokuda. Originally published in JMIR Medical Education (https://mededu.jmir.org).)

Background: In Japan, postgraduate clinical training encompasses a 2-year residency program, including at least 24 weeks of internal medicine (IM) rotations. However, the fragmented structure of these rotations can compromise the training's quality and depth. For example, a resident might spend only a few weeks in cardiology before moving to endocrinology, without sufficient time to deepen their understanding or have clinical experience. This study examined current patterns and lengths of IM rotations within the Japanese postgraduate medical system. It scrutinized the piecemeal approach-whereby residents may engage in multiple short-term stints across various subspecialties without an overarching, integrated experience-and explored potential consequences for their clinical education., Methods: This nationwide, multicenter, cross-sectional study used data from self-reported questionnaires completed by participants in the 2022 General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE). Data of 1,393 postgraduate year (PGY) one and two resident physicians who participated in the GM-ITE were included. We examined the IM rotation duration and number of IM subspecialties chosen by resident physicians during a 2-year rotation., Results: Approximately half of the participants chose IM rotation periods of 32-40 weeks. A significant proportion of participants rotated in 5-7 internal medicine departments throughout the observation period. Notable variations in the distribution of rotations were observed, characterized by a common pattern where resident physicians typically spend 4 weeks in each department before moving to the next. This 4-week rotation is incrementally repeated across different subspecialties without a longer, continuous period in any single area. Notably, 39.7% of participants did not undertake general internal medicine rotations. These results suggest a narrowed exposure to medical conditions and patient care practices., Conclusions: Our study highlights the need to address the fragmented structure of IM rotations in Japan. We suggest that short, specialized learning periods may limit the opportunity to gain broad in-depth knowledge and practical experience. To improve the efficacy of postgraduate clinical education, we recommend fostering more sustained and comprehensive learning experiences., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put a strain on the healthcare system, and sudden changes in disease status during home treatment have become a serious issue. Therefore, prediction of disease severity and allocation of sufficient medical resources, including high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), to patients in need are important. We aimed to determine risk factors for the need of HFNC use in COVID-19., Methods: This was a single-center retrospective observational cohort study including all eligible hospitalized adult patients aged ≥18 years diagnosed with COVID-19 between April 14, 2020 and August 5, 2021 who were treated in the study hospital. The primary outcome is the need for HFNC. Nineteen potential predictive variables, including patient characteristics at hospital admission, were screened using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and logistic regression to construct a predictive risk score. Accuracy of the risk score was determined using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve., Results: The study cohort included 148 patients. The rate of the need for HFNC was 22.9%. Among the 19 potential variables, percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2) <92% (odds ratio [OR] 7.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.806-20.82) and IL-6 (OR 1.021, 95% CI 1.010-1.033) were included in developing the risk score, which was termed interleukin (IL)-6-based COVID-19 severity (IBC-S) score., Conclusions: The IBC-S score, an easy-to-use risk score based on parameters available at the time of hospital admission, predicted the need for HFNC in patients with COVID-19. The IBC-S score based on interleukin-6 and SpO2 might aid in determining patients who should be transported to a tertiary medical institution or an isolation facility., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Kurihara, Sugawara. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Long duty hours (DH) impair sleep and negatively affect residents' health and medical safety. This cross-sectional study investigated the association among residents' DH, sleep duration, insomnia, sleep impairment, depressive symptoms, and self-reported medical errors among 5579 residents in Japan who completed the General Medicine In-Training Examination (2021) and participated in the training-environment survey. Weekly DH was classified under seven categories. Sleep duration and insomnia symptoms, from the Athens Insomnia Scale, were analysed to determine sleep impairment; depressive symptoms and medical errors were self-reported. Among 5095 residents, 15.5% slept < 5 h/day, and 26.7% had insomnia. In multivariable analysis, compared with ≥ 60 and < 70, DH ≥ 90 h/week associated with shorter sleep duration and worsen insomnia symptoms. Shorter durations of sleep and more intense symptoms of insomnia were associated with increased depressive symptoms. Medical errors increased only among residents with insomnia, but were not associated with sleep duration. DH > 90 h/week could lead to shorter sleep duration, worsen insomnia symptoms, and negatively impact well-being and medical safety. There was no significant association between sleep duration and medical errors; however, insomnia conferred an increased risk of medical errors. Limiting DH for residents to avoid excessive workload can help improve resident sleep, enhance resident well-being, and potentially reduce insomnia-associated medical errors., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Importance: Standardized examinations assess both learners and training programs within the medical training system in Japan. However, it is unknown if there is an association between clinical proficiency as assessed by the General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE) and pursuing specialty., Objective: To determine the relative achievement of fundamental skills as assessed by the standardized GM-ITE based on pursuing career specialty among residents in the Japanese training system., Design: Nationwide cross-sectional study., Setting: Medical residents in Japan who attempted the GM-ITE in their first or second year were surveyed., Participants: A total of 4,363 postgraduate years 1 and 2 residents who completed the GM-ITE were surveyed between January 18 and March 31, 2021., Main Measures: GM-ITE total scores and individual scores in each of four domains assessing clinical knowledge: 1) medical interview and professionalism, 2) symptomatology and clinical reasoning, 3) physical examination and treatment, and 4) detailed disease knowledge., Results: When compared to the most pursued specialty, internal medicine, only those residents who chose general medicine achieved higher GM-ITE scores (coefficient 1.38, 95% CI 0.08 to 2.68, p = 0.038). Conversely, the nine specialties and "Other/Not decided" groups scored significantly lower. Higher scores were noted among residents entering general medicine, emergency medicine, and internal medicine and among those who trained in community hospitals with higher numbers of beds, were more advanced in their training, spent more time working and studying, and cared for a moderate but not an extreme number of patients at a time., Conclusions: Levels of basic skill achievement differed depending on respective chosen future specialties among residents in Japan. Scores were higher among those pursuing careers in general medical fields and lower among those pursuing highly specialized careers. Residents in training programs devoid of specialty-specific competition may not possess the same motivations as those in competitive systems., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Emergency departments (ED) are unpredictable and prone to diagnostic errors. In addition, non-emergency specialists often provide emergency care in Japan due to a lack of certified emergency specialists, making diagnostic errors and associated medical malpractice more likely. While several studies have investigated the medical malpractice related to diagnostic errors in EDs, only a few have focused on the conditions in Japan. This study examines diagnostic error-related medical malpractice lawsuits in Japanese EDs to understand how various factors contribute to diagnostic errors., Methods: We retrospectively examined data on medical lawsuits from 1961-2017 to identify types of diagnostic errors and initial and final diagnoses from non-trauma and trauma cases., Results: We evaluated 108 cases, of which 74 (68.5%) were diagnostic error cases. Twenty-eight of the diagnostic errors were trauma-related (37.8%). In 86.5% of these diagnostic error cases, the relevant errors were categorized as either missed or diagnosed incorrectly; the others were attributable to diagnostic delay. Cognitive factors (including faulty perception, cognitive biases, and failed heuristics) were associated with 91.7% of errors. Intracranial hemorrhage was the most common final diagnosis of trauma-related errors (42.9%), and the most common initial diagnoses of non-trauma-related errors were upper respiratory tract infection (21.7%), non-bleeding digestive tract disease (15.2%), and primary headache (10.9%)., Conclusion: In this study, the first to examine medical malpractice errors in Japanese EDs, we found that such claims are often developed from initial diagnoses of common diseases, such as upper respiratory tract infection, non-hemorrhagic gastrointestinal diseases, and headaches.

Objective: The relationship between the care of patients with COVID-19 and mental health among resident physicians in Japan is imperative for ensuring appropriate care of patients with COVID-19 and should be clarified. We herein assessed the relationship between the care of patients with COVID-19 and mental health among postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) and PGY-2 resident physicians and factors associated with mental health., Design: This nationwide cross-sectional study analysed data obtained using the clinical training environment self-reported questionnaire., Setting: An observational study across Japan among resident physicians (PGY-1 and PGY-2) from 583 teaching hospitals., Participants: Examinees who took the general medicine in-training examination of academic year 2020., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: The Patient Health Questionnaire and Mini-Z 2.0 were used to assess mental health, and experience of caring for patients with COVID-19 was divided into three groups (none, 1-10 and ≥11). The prevalence of mental conditions in the three groups was compared using the 'modified' Poisson generalised estimating equations by adjusting for prefecture-level, hospital-level and resident-level variables., Results: Of the 5976 participants analysed, 50.9% were PGY-1. The prevalence of burnout was 21.4%. Moreover, 47.0% of all resident physicians had no experience in the care of patients with COVID-19. The well-experienced group accounted for only 7.9% of the total participants. A positive association was found between the number of caring patients with COVID-19 and burnout (prevalence ratio 1.25; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.53). Moreover, the shortage of personal protective equipment was identified as a major contributor to burnout (prevalence ratio 1.60; 95% CI 1.36 to 1.88)., Conclusions: Resident physicians who experienced more care of patients with COVID-19 had slightly greater burnout prevalence than those who did not. Approximately half of resident physicians did not participate in the care of patients with COVID-19, which posed a challenge from an educational perspective., Competing Interests: Competing interests: YN received an honorarium from JAMEP as a GM-ITE project manager. YT is the JAMEP director, and he received an honorarium from JAMEP as a speaker of the JAMEP lecture. TShinozaki received an honorarium from JAMEP as a statistical adviser. HK and KS received an honorarium from JAMEP as speakers of the JAMEP lecture. TShimizu, YY, KS and SF received an honorarium from JAMEP as exam preparers of GM-ITE., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

In Japan, general internal medicine (GIM) physicians must be aware of frequently encountered infections because of the shortage of infectious disease (ID) specialists. However, there are currently no epidemiological data on this subject. This study aimed to describe the frequency and pattern of ID consultations requested by GIM physicians in Japan. This is a 3-year retrospective review of the ID consultations requested by GIM physicians in Japan at a community-based acute tertiary care teaching hospital in Tokyo from April 2018 to March 2021. Demographic data, such as reasons for consultation, causative organism, and final diagnoses, were collected. During the study period, ID consultations were requested by GIM physicians 128 times. The incidence rates of bacteremia and 30-day mortality were 65.6% (n = 84) and 3.1% (n = 4), respectively. The most common diagnostic classifications after ID consultation were bone/joint (24.2%, n = 31), respiratory (17.7%, n = 22), and cardiovascular infections (12.5%, n = 16). The most common final diagnoses were bacteremia (11.7%, n = 15), infective endocarditis (9.4%, n = 12), and vertebral osteomyelitis (7.8%, n = 10). This is the first study to describe the ID consultation cases requested by GIM physicians in Japan in a community-based acute tertiary care teaching hospital. Despite the shortage of ID specialists, GIM physicians covered a wide range of IDs, including bone/joint infections and infectious endocarditis, which require long-term care. ID and GIM physicians, including hospitalists, should cooperate to promote the quality of care and clinical management. Future multi-center studies with large numbers of clinical cases are needed to determine the ID clinical knowledge required by GIM physicians in Japan., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Sarcopenia is prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), which is defined as a low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). It has been reported that oral hypofunction characterized by decreased tongue pressure is related to sarcopenia. Although there are several previous reports regarding the association of renal dysfunction with oral hypofunction characterized by low tongue pressure, the association between tongue pressure and renal function is not fully understood., Methods: This cross-sectional study included 68 men aged 79.0 ± 4.8 years and 145 women aged 77.3 ± 5.4 years from a rural area in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. We examined the relationships between cystatin C-based CKD (CKDcys), creatinine-based CKD (CKDcre), ratio of cystatin C-based GFR (eGFRcys) divided by creatinine-based GFR (eGFRcre): eGFRcys/eGFRcre, and tongue pressure in community-dwelling older adults., Results: Tongue pressure was significantly lower in participants with CKDcys than in those without CKDcys in men and women. However, there were no significant differences in tongue pressure with or without CKDcre. Tongue pressure was significantly lower in participants with eGFRcys/eGFRcre <1.0, than in those with eGFRcys/eGFRcre ≧ 1.0 in men. According to the receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal cut-off value of tongue pressure for the presence of CKDcys was 36.6kPa, area under the curve (AUC) 0.74 (specificity 54.8%, sensitivity 84.6%) in men and 31.8kPa, AUC 0.65 (specificity 67.3%, sensitivity 60.5%) in women., Conclusions: CKDcys but not CKDcre is associated with low tongue pressure. In addition, a lower eGFRcys/eGFRcre ratio is a useful screening marker of low tongue pressure in community-dwelling older adults., (© 2022 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Dental Research published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: To evaluate changes in the learning attitudes of primary care physicians., Design: Qualitative study through one focus group interview with the programme's participants. Analysis of the focus group content using the Steps for Coding and Theorization method., Setting: Japan., Participants: Eight primary care physicians who completed a 2-year continuing professional development (CPD) programme using a problem-based learning (PBL) approach, focused on acquiring the skills needed to practise as primary care physicians in the community., Results: Participants described positive changes in their attitudes and behaviours as a result of the training programme. These changes were grouped into three main themes: 'changes in learning methods regarding medical practice', 'encounters with diverse perspectives and values, and confidence gained from those encounters', and 'showing one's attitude towards learning and its influence on others'. The experienced practitioners participating in this study reported that the programme helped them apply their skills more broadly; for example, searching the literature for psychosocial aspects of practice and engaging more comfortably with diverse perspectives. They reported the positive impact of their learning on their coworkers., Conclusion: A 2-year CPD programme using PBL can influence primary care physicians' attitudes and learning-related behaviours. Further research is needed to determine which specific aspects of the programme are the most effective and whether the changes in attitudes and behaviours described affect patient care., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MM received lecture fees and lecture travel fees from the Centre for Family Medicine Development of the Japanese Health and Welfare Co-operative Federation. MM is an adviser for the Centre for Family Medicine Development Practice-Based Research Network. The other authors report no conflicts of interest., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The new duty hour (DH) limit for doctors in Japan will begin in 2024, setting the maximum DHs for postgraduate residents at approximately 80 h weekly. To set appropriate limits, understanding the association between DHs and psychological health is necessary. Thus, we assessed the relationship between residents' psychological health and DHs. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving examinees of the General Medicine In-training Examination 2020. Mental health outcomes were measured dichotomously using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 for depression and Mini-Z 2.0, for burnout, stress, and satisfaction. Weekly DHs were measured in seven categories at 10-h intervals. The prevalence ratios (PRs) between the DH categories were estimated for each outcome. Of the 6045 residents who provided data on DHs and psychological outcomes, 37.3% showed signs of depression, 21.6% experienced burn out, and 39.2% were highly stressed. In contrast, 62.3% were highly satisfied with their training. Proportions of burnout were higher among residents in Category 6 (≥ 90 and < 100 h; PR 1.36; 95% CI 1.11-1.66) and Category 7 (≥ 100 h; PR 1.36; 95% CI 1.10-1.68) compared with residents in Category 3 (≥ 60 and < 70 h; reference). The results partially support the weekly 80-h DH limit in terms of resident well-being., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Sarcopenia is defined as a combination of low skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), weak muscle strength, and reduced physical function. Recently, many studies have reported that the creatinine/cystatin C ratio (Cr/CysC) is useful for evaluating muscle mass. We designed a cross-sectional study with separate model development and validation groups to develop a prediction equation to estimate bioimpedance analysis (BIA)-measured SMI with Cr/CysC., Design: The current study was a retrospective cross-sectional study., Setting and Participants: The model development group included 908 subjects (288 men and 620 women) from the Frail Elderly in the Sasayama-Tamba Area (FESTA) study, and the validation group included 263 subjects (112 men and 151 women) from participants in the medical checkup program at the Anti-Aging Center in Ehime Prefecture., Measures: Multivariate regression analysis indicated that age, hemoglobin (Hb), body weight (BW), and Cr/CysC were independently associated with SMI in both men and women. The SMI prediction equation was developed as follows: Men:4.17-0.012×Age+1.24×(Cr/CysC)-0.0513×Hb+0.0598×BW Women:3.55-0.00765×Age+0.852×(Cr/CysC)-0.0627×Hb+0.0614×BW RESULTS: The SMI prediction equation was applied to the validation group and strong correlations were observed between the BIA-measured and predicted SMI (pSMI) in men and women. According to the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis, the areas under the curve were 0.93 (specificity 89.0%, sensitivity 87.2%) among men and 0.88 (specificity 83.6%, sensitivity 79.6%) among women for using pSMI to identify low SMI in the model development group. The pSMI also indicated high accuracy in ROC analysis for low SMI in the validation group. The Bland-Altman plot regression showed good agreement between BIA-measured and pSMI., Conclusions and Implications: Our new prediction equation to estimate SMI is easy to calculate in daily clinical practice and would be useful for diagnosing sarcopenia., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The relationship between duty hours (DH) and the performance of postgraduate residents is needed to establish appropriate DH limits. This study explores their relationship using the General Medicine In-training Examination (GM-ITE)., Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, GM-ITE examinees of 2019 had participated. We analyzed data from the examination and questionnaire, including DH per week (eight categories). We examined the association between DH and GM-ITE score, using random-intercept linear models with and without adjustments., Results: Five thousand five hundred and ninety-three participants (50.7% PGY-1, 31.6% female, 10.0% university hospitals) were included. Mean GM-ITE scores were lower among residents in Category 2 (45-50 h; mean score difference, -1.05; p  < 0.001) and Category 4 (55-60 h; -0.63; p  = 0.008) compared with residents in Category 5 (60-65 h; Reference). PGY-2 residents in Categories 2-4 had lower GM-ITE scores compared to those in Category 5. University residents in Category 1 and Category 5 showed a large mean difference (-3.43; p  = 0.01)., Conclusions: DH <60-65 h per week was independently associated with lower resident performance, but more DH did not improve performance. DH of 60-65 h per week may be the optimal balance for a resident's education and well-being.

This study aimed to review evidence on future long-term care associated with pre-existing factors among community-dwelling Japanese older adults. We systematically searched cohort and nested case-control studies published between 2000 and 2019 that assessed long-term care certification using the PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases. The relationship between long-term care insurance information and risk factors was investigated. The protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework. We extracted 91 studies for synthesis, including 84 prospective cohort studies, 1 retrospective cohort study, and 6 nested case-control studies. Certification for long-term care was classified into two endpoints: onset of functional disability and dementia. There were 72 studies that used long-term care certification as a proxy for functional disability, and 22 used long-term care information to indicate the onset of dementia. Common risk factors related to functional disability were physical function, frailty, and oral condition. Motor function and nutritional status were common risk factors for dementia. We found consistent associations between premorbid risk factors and functional disability and dementia. The accumulation of evidence on the incidence of long-term care and associated factors can aid the development of preventive measures. Future studies should aim to integrate this evidence.

Lower gastrointestinal perforation is rare and challenging to diagnose in patients presenting with an acute abdomen. However, no study has examined the frequency and associated factors of diagnostic errors related to lower gastrointestinal perforation. This large-scale multicenter retrospective study investigated the frequency of diagnostic errors and identified the associated factors. Factors at the level of the patient, symptoms, situation, and physician were included in the analysis. Data were collected from nine institutions, between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019. Timely diagnosis was defined as diagnosis at the first visit in computed tomography (CT)-capable facilities or referral to an appropriate medical institution immediately following the first visit to a non-CT-capable facility. Cases not meeting this definition were defined as diagnostic errors that resulted in delayed diagnosis. Of the 439 cases of lower gastrointestinal perforation identified, delayed diagnosis occurred in 138 cases (31.4%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between examination by a non-generalist and delayed diagnosis. Other factors showing a tendency with delayed diagnosis included presence of fever, absence of abdominal tenderness, and unavailability of urgent radiology reports. Initial misdiagnoses were mainly gastroenteritis, constipation, and small bowel obstruction. In conclusion, diagnostic errors occurred in about one-third of patients with a lower gastrointestinal perforation., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is associated with a high mortality rate in older adults; therefore, it is important for medical institutions to take measures to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. This study aimed to assess the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) and the effectiveness of infection control measures., Methods: This study had a cross-sectional component and a prospective cohort component. The cross-sectional component comprised an anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody survey among HCWs at a medical center in Saitama City, Japan. In the prospective cohort component, HCWs at the same medical center were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies monthly over a 3-month period (May to July 2020) to assess the effectiveness of infection prevention measures, including personal protective equipment use. All participants in the cohort study also participated in the antibody survey. The primary outcome was anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody (measured using Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2) positivity based on whether participants were engaged in COVID-19-related medical care. Other risk factors considered included occupational category, age, and sex., Results: In total, 607 HCWs participated in the antibody survey and 116 doctors and nurses participated in the cohort study. Only one of the 607 participants in the survey tested positive for anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. All participants in the cohort study were anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody negative at baseline and remained antibody negative. Engaging in the care of COVID-19 patients did not increase the risk of antibody positivity. During the study period, a total of 30 COVID-19 in-patients were treated in the hospital., Conclusions: The infection control measures in the hospital protected HCWs from nosocomially acquired SARS-CoV-2 infection; thus, HCWs should engage in COVID-19-related medical care with confidence provided that they adhere to infectious disease precautions., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: The timed up and go (TUG) test assesses balance and mobility performance., Aim: This study aims to investigate the association between TUG time and mortality in Japanese older persons and to clarify possible moderation effects on mortality and TUG time., Methods: In all, 874 participants who were ≥ 65 years of age completed the TUG test and had their anthropometric parameters and physical functions measured. We investigated the association between all-cause mortality and TUG using a Cox regression model that included confounders, and explored the time associated with mortality using a restricted cubic spline. We also performed subgroup analyses to explore whether age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) affected the relationship between TUG time and mortality., Results: The median age and mean follow-up period were 74 and 8.5 years, respectively. Median TUG time was 7.4 s and the prevalence of mortality was 25.7%. TUG time in one second was positively associated with an increased risk of total mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 1.054 (1.016-1.093); P = 0.005] in the Cox regression model. The positive association of mortality and TUG time was present when the TUG was over 10.5 s in the restricted cubic spline curve. Older age (75 years or older) moderated the relationship between TUG time and mortality [P interaction  = 0.096]., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that TUG time is associated with all-cause mortality in Japanese older adults., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG part of Springer Nature.)

Aim: Pneumococcal and influenza infections can cause serious morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and efficacy of simultaneous inoculations of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) and trivalent influenza vaccine (TIV) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD)., Methods: This was a prospective, randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled study. A total of 40 patients with CAD were randomly assigned to the TIV＋PPSV23 (simultaneous inoculations of TIV and PPSV23) and TIV＋Placebo (inoculations of TIV and placebo) groups. Primary outcomes were the safety of simultaneous vaccinations and the changing of circulating cardiovascular biomarkers before, at 4-, and at 12-weeks after vaccinations., Results: The baseline characteristics between the two groups were identical. The prevalence of injection-site pain, swelling, and reddening were 47%, 37%, and 37% in the TIV＋PPSV23 group, and 10%, 5%, and 0% in the TIV＋Placebo group, respectively. All reactions were self-limited. Body temperature ＞37.0℃ or serious injection-related reaction was not observed. The levels of white blood cells, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, pentraxin-3, and malondialdehide-modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL), were not significantly different between the two groups before and after vaccinations. The levels of anti-oxidized LDL were significantly and step-wisely decreased from baseline, to 4-, and 12-weeks vaccinations in the both groups. No significant changes of other markers were observed in both groups at each time point., Conclusion: Simultaneous inoculations of TIV and PPSV23 were safety in patients with CAD, suggesting that dual vaccinations can be considered even in patients with CAD.

Background: Gastric cancer remains one of the 3 most common causes of cancer death worldwide. Understanding the health and economic factors that affect screening cost-effectiveness in different countries will help address when and where it makes most sense to screen for gastric cancer., Methods: We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis using a Markov model to compare screening and surveillance strategies for gastric cancer in Brazil, France, Japan, Nigeria, and the United States. Primary outcome was the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. We then performed a sensitivity analysis to determine how each variable affected the overall model., Results: In all countries, the most cost-effective strategies, measured by incremental cost-effectiveness ratio relative to no screening, were screening every 10 years, surveillance of high- and low-risk patients every 5 and 10 years, respectively, and screening every 5 years. Only Japan had at least one cost-effective screening strategy. The most important variables across different screening strategies and countries were starting age of screening, cost of endoscopy, and baseline probability of local gastric cancer at time of diagnosis., Conclusions: Our model suggests that screening for gastric cancer is cost-effective in countries with higher incidence and lower costs of screening, but screening may still be a viable option in high-risk populations within low incidence countries.

Background: Some patients with Kawasaki disease (KD) have siblings who developed the same disease. Using a large-scale epidemiologic dataset, the present study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics of this population., Methods: We analyzed 89,725 patients diagnosed with KD during 2011-2018 who were registered in the nationwide Japanese KD survey database. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine factors associated with sibling history of KD., Results: Of the 89,725 patients, 1777 (2%) had sibling history of KD. Annual prevalence ranged from 1.5% to 2.3% during the study period and showed a tendency toward an increasing trend. Patients with recurrent KD and parental history of KD were significantly associated with sibling history of KD (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval] = 2.15 [1.82-2.54] and 2.64 [2.02-3.47], respectively). Although patients with a sibling history of KD were significantly associated with initial intravenous immunoglobulin treatment resistance (1.14 [1.02-1.28]), no significant association was found between sibling history and coronary artery abnormality development. Among patients with a sibling history of KD, male patients were less likely to have recurrent KD than female patients (0.68 [0.49-0.96])., Conclusions: The significant association between sibling history and parental history may indicate genetic susceptibility to KD onset. Among those with a sibling history, recurrent KD was more likely to occur in female patients. Further studies focusing on this population may contribute toward identification of the cause of KD onset., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Unlike the situation in the general population, most studies of patients receiving hemodialysis have reported lower uric acid (UA) as associated with higher mortality. However, the relationship between UA level and mortality remains unclear among patients receiving peritoneal dialysis (PD)., Methods: We collected baseline data for 4742 prevalent PD patients (age, 63 ± 14 years; male, 61.5%; diabetes, 29.1%; median dialysis duration, 28 months) from a nationwide dialysis registry in Japan at the end of 2012. One-year all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality and mortality caused by infectious disease were assessed using Cox regression analysis and competing-risks regression analysis, respectively. We used multiple imputation to deal with missing covariate data., Results: Within 1 year, 379 patients (8.0%) died, including 129 patients (2.7%) from CV causes and 95 patients (2.0%) from infectious disease. In multivariate analysis, serum UA, treated as a continuous variable, was not associated with any outcome. Conversely, both lower (<297 µmol/L) and higher (≥476 µmol/L) UA levels were independently associated with higher all-cause mortality compared to the reference group (416 to <446 µmol/L) in analyses where serum UA was treated as a categorical variable. Body mass index (BMI) affected the association between serum UA and all-cause mortality (interaction p = 0.049)., Conclusions: A U-shaped relationship appears to exist between UA levels and all-cause mortality among Japanese PD patients. Additionally, lower BMI significantly enhanced the effect of UA levels on mortality.

Whether tsunami survivors who suffered substantial damage experienced increases in blood pressure (BP) immediately after the disaster and in the medium to long term is unclear. We divided tsunami survivors into groups, those who relocated (substantial damage) and those who did not (little damage) and compared the BP trajectories between the groups over the first 5 years after the disaster. Of the 42,831 residents, 3914 were assessed from 2010 to 2015. Subgroup analysis was performed among the 2037 subjects with no information on antihypertensive medications between 2010 and 2015 (no antihypertensive medication group). The BP trajectories in the relocation and no relocation groups were compared using linear mixed models. The multivariate-adjusted mean systolic BP (SBP) values for all subjects significantly decreased after the disaster in both the group who relocated (2010: 130.6 mmHg, 2015: 124.8 mmHg) and the group who did not relocate (2010: 130.7 mmHg, 2015: 126.7 mmHg). The interaction between relocation and time points on SBP was significant (P = 0.017). In the no antihypertensive medication group, the SBP values in the subgroup who relocated were significantly lower in the second, third, and fifth years after the disaster than those in the subgroup who did not relocate. It was concluded that the SBP values of survivors of the tsunami caused by Great East Japan Earthquake decreased in the medium to long term after the disaster, and the group who relocated had a larger decrease in SBP than the group who did not relocate.

Background: The general medicine in-training examination (GM-ITE) is designed to objectively evaluate the postgraduate clinical competencies (PGY) 1 and 2 residents in Japan. Although the total GM-ITE scores tended to be lower in PGY-1 and PGY-2 residents in university hospitals than those in community-based hospitals, the most divergent areas of essential clinical competencies have not yet been revealed., Methods: We conducted a nationwide, multicenter, cross-sectional study in Japan, using the GM-ITE to compare university and community-based hospitals in the four areas of basic clinical knowledge". Specifically, "medical interview and professionalism," "symptomatology and clinical reasoning," "physical examination and clinical procedures," and "disease knowledge" were assessed., Results: We found no significant difference in "medical interview and professionalism" scores between the community-based and university hospital residents. However, significant differences were found in the remaining three areas. A 1.28-point difference (95% confidence interval: 0.96-1.59) in "physical examination and clinical procedures" in PGY-1 residents was found; this area alone accounts for approximately half of the difference in total score., Conclusions: The standardization of junior residency programs and the general clinical education programs in Japan should be promoted and will improve the overall training that our residents receive. This is especially needed in categories where university hospitals have low scores, such as "physical examination and clinical procedures."

A giant coronary artery (CA) aneurysm is a potentially fatal cardiac complication resulting from Kawasaki disease (KD). We aimed to identify epidemiologic characteristics and potential risk factors associated with giant CA aneurysms identified after acute KD. We analyzed 90,252 patients diagnosed with KD from 2011 to 2018, using data obtained in nationwide KD surveys conducted in Japan. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate potential risk factors associated with subsequent giant CA aneurysm complications (defined as lumen size ≥ 8 mm), adjusting for all potential factors. Giant CA aneurysms were identified in 144 patients (0.16%) after acute KD. The annual prevalence ranged from 0.07 to 0.20% during the study period. In the multivariate analyses, male sex (adjusted odds ratio 2.09 [95% confidence interval 1.41-3.11], recurrent KD (1.90 [1.09-3.33]), IVIG administration at 1-4 days of illness (1.49 [1.04-2.15]) and ≥ 8 days after KD onset (2.52 [1.38-4.60]; reference, 5-7 days), detection of CA dilatations and aneurysms at initial echocardiography (4.17 [1.85-5.41] and 46.5 [28.8-74.8], respectively), and resistance to IVIG treatment (6.09 [4.23-8.75]) were significantly associated with giant CA aneurysm complications identified after acute KD. The annual prevalence of giant CA aneurysms identified after acute KD did not increase during the study period. Patients with larger CA abnormalities detected at initial echocardiography were independently associated with progression to giant CA aneurysm complications after acute KD regardless of the number of days from onset at treatment initiation.

Background: Sarcopenia is prevalent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The indices of physical function, such as grip power and gait speed, decreased according to the decline in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)., Methods: We examined the relationships between cystatin C-based GFR (eGFRcys), creatinine-based GFR (eGFRcre), their ratio (eGFRcys/eGFRcre) and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults in Japan. This cross-sectional study included 302 men aged 73.9 ± 6.2 years and 647 women aged 72.9 ± 5.8 years from a rural area in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. eGFRcys and eGFRcre were simultaneously measured, and sarcopenia based on the Asia Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 criteria was evaluated., Results: eGFRcys and the eGFRcys/eGFRcre ratio were significantly correlated with grip power and gait speed (p < 0.001). The eGFRcys/eGFRcre ratio was also correlated with skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) (p < 0.01). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed eGFRcys and eGFRcys/eGFRcre ratio but not eGFRcre were associated with sarcopenia (p < 0.01). The presence of low eGFRcys (CKDcys) and low eGFRcys/eGFRcre ratio (< 1.0) but not that of low eGFRcre (CKDcre) were associated with sarcopenia (p < 0.01). In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, when the eGFRcys/eGFRcre ratio was added as a covariate to the basic model, it was significantly associated with sarcopenia in women (p < 0.05). Moreover, low eGFRcys/eGFRcre ratio (< 1.0) was associated with a higher risk of sarcopenia in men (p < 0.01)., Conclusion: In conclusion, CKDcys but not CKDcre is associated with sarcopenia. A lower eGFRcys/eGFRcre ratio may be a practical screening marker of sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults.

Risk factors associated with 72-h mortality in patients with extremely high serum aspartate aminotransferase levels (AST; ≥ 3000 U/L) are unknown. This single-centre, retrospective, case-controlled, cross-sectional study obtained data from medical records of adult patients treated at Saitama Medical Center, Japan, from 2005 to 2019. We conducted a multivariate logistic after adjusting for age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, Brinkman Index, vital signs, biochemical values, updated Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score, CCI components, and underlying causes. A logistic regression model with selected validity risks and higher C-statistic for predicting 72-h mortality was established. During the 15-year period, 428 patients (133 non-survivors and 295 survivors [cases and controls by survival < 72 and ≥ 72 h, respectively]) with AST levels ≥ 3000 U/L were identified. The 72-h mortality rate was 133/428 (31.1%). The model used for predicting 72-h mortality through the assessment of alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase, serum sodium, potassium, and phosphorus levels had a C-statistic value of 0.852 (sensitivity and specificity, 76.6%). The main independent risk factors associated with 72-h mortality among patients with AST levels ≥ 3000 U/L included higher serum values of alkaline phosphatase, creatine kinase, serum sodium, potassium, and phosphorus.

Background: Developing self-regulated learning in preclinical settings is important for future lifelong learning. Previous studies indicate professional identity formation, i.e., formation of self-identity with internalized values and norms of professionalism, might promote self-regulated learning. We designed a professional identity formation-oriented reflection and learning plan format, then tested effectiveness on raising self-regulated learning in a preclinical year curriculum., Methods: A randomized controlled crossover trial was conducted using 112 students at Jichi Medical University. In six one-day problem-based learning sessions in a 7-month pre-clinical year curriculum, Groups A (n = 56, female 18, mean age 21.5y ± 0.7) and B (n = 56, female 11, mean age 21.7y ± 1.0) experienced professional identity formation-oriented format: Group A had three sessions with the intervention format in the first half, B in the second half. Between-group identity stages and self-regulated learning levels were compared using professional identity essays and the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire., Results: Two-level regression analyses showed no improvement in questionnaire categories but moderate improvement of professional identity stages over time (R 2  = 0.069), regardless of timing of intervention., Conclusions: Professional identity moderately forms during the pre-clinical year curriculum. However, neither identity nor self-regulated learning is raised significantly by limited intervention.

Background: Although general medicine (GM) faculty in Japanese medical schools have an important role in educating medical students, the importance of residents' rotation training in GM in postgraduate education has not been sufficiently recognized in Japan. To evaluate the relationship between the rotation of resident physicians in the GM department and their In-Training Examination score., Methods: This study is a nationwide multi-center cross-sectional study in Japan. Participants of this study are Japanese junior resident physicians [postgraduate year (PGY)-1 and PGY-2] who took the General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE) in fiscal years 2016 to 2018 at least once (n = 11,244). The numbers of participating hospitals in the GM-ITE were 381, 459, and 503 in 2016, 2017, and 2018.The GM-ITE score consisted of four categories (medical interview/professionalism, symptomatology/clinical reasoning, physical examination/procedure, and disease knowledge). We evaluated relationship between educational environment (including hospital information) and the GM-ITE score., Results: A total of 4464 (39.7%) residents experienced GM department rotation training. Residents who rotated had higher total scores than residents who did not rotate (38.1 ± 12.1, 36.8 ± 11.7, and 36.5 ± 11.5 for residents who experienced GM rotation training, those who did not experience this training in hospitals with a GM department, and those who did not experience GM rotation training in hospitals without a GM department, p = 0.0038). The association between GM rotation and competency remained after multivariable adjustment in the multilevel model: the score difference between GM rotation training residents and non-GM rotation residents in hospitals without a GM department was estimated as 1.18 (standard error, 0.30, p = 0.0001), which was approximately half of the standard deviation of random effects due to hospital variation (estimated as 2.00)., Conclusions: GM rotation training improved the GM-ITE score of residents and should be considered mandatory for junior residents in Japan.

Background and Aim: Disability is an important health problem among older individuals, prompting the need for long-term care. Age-related disability is usually associated with mobility; however, little is known about the association between mobility and long-term care. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the association between the timed up and go (TUG) test measuring mobility and long-term care eligibility., Patients and Methods: We analyzed follow-up data of 489 community-dwelling healthy older adults (≥ 65 years) who participated in a prospective observational study. They were divided into certified (59 participants) and uncertified (430 participants) groups based on long-term care eligibility. Anthropometric and physical functioning measures included the TUG test and hand grip strength (HGS), among others. These measures were compared between groups and a multivariate logistic regression analysis evaluated the association between the TUG test times and long-term care eligibility., Results: Participants' minimum follow-up period was 4 years. TUG times were significantly slower (median time: 7.4 vs. 8.3 s, p < 0.001) and HGS and knee-extension strength significantly lower in the certified group than in the uncertified group. The logistic regression analysis showed that TUG times were significantly associated with long-term care eligibility after adjusting for potential covariates. In addition, mediation analysis showed that 53.1% of the association between HGS and long-term care eligibility was mediated through TUG times., Conclusion: The TUG test was associated with long-term care eligibility among healthy older adults, implying that the test may be helpful as a predictor for the early determination of dependence in old age.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify training needs among primary care physicians in Japan who had no formal primary care training., Methods:  We conducted a focus group interview with seven Japanese primary care physicians who had not previously undergone specialist training in primary care and had been recruited to a family medicine training program that used a problem-based learning approach. At the start of the program, the physicians attended the interview. The discussion was recorded, and the transcribed interview was analyzed using the Steps for Coding and Theorization method., Results:  Three main themes emerged. First, there is a lack of standard re-education programs for physicians who move away from their specializations into primary care. Second, there is insufficient training on primary care in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in Japan. Third, continuing professional development programs should cover the communication skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary for primary care practice., Conclusions:  This study clarified the needs to be addressed in our training program for primary care physicians involved in retraining in primary care. It is important to consider how to best include the communication skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary for primary care among the topics covered in the program. As the program undergoes further iteration, it will be important to check whether it meets the needs of primary care practitioners. It will be necessary to investigate the needs of re-education programs for more physicians in many areas, and to emphasize the importance of primary care re-education in these abilities in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.

Objective: To identify the key diagnostic features and causes of fever of unknown origin (FUO) in Japanese patients., Design: Multicentre prospective study., Setting: Sixteen hospitals affiliated with the Japanese Society of Hospital General Medicine, covering the East and West regions of Japan., Participants: Patient aged ≥20 years diagnosed with classic FUO (axillary temperature≥38.0°C at least twice within a 3-week period, cause unknown after three outpatient visits or 3 days of hospitalisation). A total of 141 cases met the criteria and were recruited from January 2016 to December 2017., Intervention: Japanese standard diagnostic examinations., Outcome Measures: Data collected include usual biochemical blood tests, inflammatory markers (erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive (CRP) protein level, procalcitonin level), imaging results, autopsy findings (if performed) and final diagnosis., Results: The most frequent age group was 65-79 years old (mean: 58.6±9.1 years). The most frequent cause of FUO was non-infectious inflammatory disease. After a 6-month follow-up period, 21.3% of cases remained undiagnosed. The types of diseases causing FUO were significantly correlated with age and prognosis. Between patients with and without a final diagnosis, there was no difference in CRP level between patients with and without a final diagnosis (p=0.121). A significant difference in diagnosis of a causative disease was found between patients who did or did not receive an ESR test (p=0.041). Of the 35 patients with an abnormal ESR value, 28 (80%) had causative disease identified., Conclusions: Age may be a key factor in the differential diagnosis of FUO; the ESR test may be of value in the FUO evaluation process. These results may provide clinicians with insight into the management of FUO to allow adequate treatment according to the cause of the disease., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Although hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp) has been associated with severe community-acquired infections that occur among relatively healthy individuals, information about hvKp infections in health care settings remains limited. Here, we systematically analyzed the clinical and molecular characteristics of K. pneumoniae isolates causing bloodstream infections in a cross-sectional study. Clinical characteristics of K. pneumoniae bloodstream infections from hospitals across Japan were analyzed by a review of the medical records. Whole-genome sequencing of the causative isolates was performed. Bacterial species were confirmed and hvKp were identified using whole-genome sequencing data. Clinical characteristics of hvKp infections were compared with those of non-hvKp infections by bivariate analyses. Of 140 cases of K. pneumoniae bloodstream infections, 26 cases (18.6%) were caused by various clones of hvKp defined by the carriage of cardinal virulence genes. Molecular identification revealed that 24 (17.1%) and 14 (10%) cases were caused by Klebsiella variicola and Klebsiella quasipneumoniae , respectively. Patients with hvKp infections had higher proportions of diabetes mellitus (risk ratio [RR], 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 2.94), and their infections had significantly higher propensity to involve pneumonia (RR, 5.85; 95% CI, 1.39 to 24.6), liver abscess (RR, 5.85; 95% CI, 1.39 to 24.6), and disseminated infections (RR, 6.58; 95% CI, 1.16 to 37.4) than infections by other isolates. More than one-half of hvKp infections were health care associated or hospital acquired, and a probable event of health care-associated transmission of hvKp was documented. hvKp isolates, which are significantly associated with severe and disseminated infections, are frequently involved in health care-associated and hospital-acquired infections in Japan., (Copyright © 2019 American Society for Microbiology.)

Background: Deteriorated physical function makes older adults prone to fall, and it is therefore known to prompt elders to require long-term care. In this regard, oral function can be related to the loss of motor function. This cross-sectional study assessed the oral factors that increase the risk of falling among older adults., Methods: We surveyed 672 self-reliant elderly individuals aged ≥65 years who were dwelling in a rural area. We assessed each subject's risk of falling and any related anxiety. Oral-related conditions (number of teeth, occlusal support, masticatory performance, occlusal force, and tongue pressure) and physical motor functions (gait speed, knee extension force, and one-legged standing) were also assessed. Statistical analyses were performed using Mann-Whitney's U-test, the χ 2 test, and a logistic regression model., Results: In all subjects, 23% had a history of falling, while 40% had anxiety over falling. Both factors were significantly higher among female subjects, who also had slower gait speeds, and greater lateral differences in occlusion. The subjects with histories of falling were older, had impaired physical motor function, and exhibited a decrease in occlusal force and left/right occlusal imbalances. We recognized similar trends for anxiety about falling., Conclusions: These results revealed that the risk of falling might be lessened by maintaining healthy teeth occlusion and promoting healthy oral function.

Whether higher serum uric acid (UA) values comprise a risk factor for death and whether treatment for high UA is effective in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are essentially unknown. To determine associations between UA and all-cause or cardiovascular (CV) mortality, interactions between UA or medication and effects on mortality, and significance of treatment for hyperuricemia in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). We collected the baseline data of 222,434 patients undergoing three HD sessions per week, extracted from a nationwide dialysis registry at the end of 2011 in Japan. Then we evaluated the interaction between serum uric acid level and all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality by the end of 2012. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression and Cox regression analyses found higher all-cause and CV mortality rates among patients with lower, than higher UA values. Hazard ratios (HR) for all-cause and CV mortality were significantly lower in a group with, than without medication for hyperuricemia (HR, 0.837; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.789-0.889 and HR, 0.830; 95%CI 0.758-0.909, respectively). Lower UA values remained associated with all-cause and CV mortality rates even when in patients taking medication for hyperuricemia. The chief interacting factors for higher mortality rates due to lower UA were higher BMI and diabetes mellitus. In conclusion, lower UA levels were independently associated with higher all-cause and CV mortality among Japanese patients undergoing HD. Intervention for hyperuricemia is considered to improve patient outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Aim: Adiponectin exhibits its biological effects through adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2), which are distributed in the kidneys, and activation of those receptors could prevent or ameliorate diabetic nephropathy. This study aimed to evaluate the associations between AdipoR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and kidney function in an elderly Japanese population., Methods: A total of 271 elderly Japanese volunteers underwent anthropometric and laboratory tests (cystatin C-based eGFR and total and high molecular weight adiponectin levels at baseline and a follow-up visit). Genotype data were obtained for the selected 7 and 5 AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 SNPs, respectively., Results: In a cross-sectional analysis at baseline, we found a significant association between the AdipoR2 SNP rs12230440 and kidney function; eGFRcys tended to increase as the number of carriers of T alleles increased after adjustment for covariates and Bonferroni correction, although the association of the SNP and annual eGFR decline could not be identified in the longitudinal data. Regarding the variants rs16850797, rs11061925, and rs10773983, each of the allele G, allele C, and allele G showed nominally significant associations with higher eGFRcys. However, this failed to reach significance after Bonferroni correction., Conclusion: Here, an AdipoR2 SNP was associated with kidney function, suggesting that the effects of this polymorphism on adiponectin receptor may affect kidney function in the elderly Japanese population.

Background: Oral functions are known to decline with aging. However, there is limited evidence that supports the relationship between oral health and frailty. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between oral hygiene conditions, measured by remaining teeth and mucosa, and frailty among elderly people dwelling in a Japanese rural community., Methods: We surveyed self-reliant elderly individuals aged ≥65 years who were dwelling in the Sasayama-Tamba area of Hyogo, Japan. Frailty was evaluated according to the total score of the Kihon Checklist (KCL). Based on the KCL score, elderly participants were divided into three groups: robust, pre-frail, and frail. The items measured to evaluate oral environment included the number of remaining teeth, denture usage condition, oral hygiene status, dry mouth condition, and salivary bacterial count. For statistical analysis, Fisher's exact test, one-way analysis of variance, and multiple comparison technique were used., Results: Of 308 elderly participants, 203 (65.9%), 85 (27.6%), and 20 (6.5%) belonged to the robust, pre-frail, and frail groups, respectively. The proportion of participants who were judged to have poor hygiene was significantly higher in the frail group than in the other two groups. The bacterial count was significantly smaller in the frail group than in the robust group, and the frail group had fewer number of remaining teeth than the other two groups, suggesting that the number of remaining teeth may be associated with bacterial count., Conclusion: In elderly adults, physical frailty may affect the oral hygiene status and condition of the remaining teeth.

To develop effective nutritional interventions for preventing frailty, the specific problems associated with the dietary habits of individuals based on sex differences must be identified. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between dietary habits and frailty in rural Japanese community-dwelling older adults. We recruited 800 participants, aged 65 and older, who underwent a comprehensive health examination between November 2015 and December 2017. Dietary habits were assessed by a brief self-administered dietary history questionnaire. Frailty was determined using either the Kihon Checklist (KCL) or the Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study (J-CHS). The percentage of frail older adults was 8.4% according to KCL and 4.0% according to J-CHS. Various kinds of nutrient intakes, including three major nutrients, minerals, and vitamins in frail men, according to KCL, were the lowest. By contrast, there were no differences in nutrient intake between the robust, prefrail, and frail female groups according to KCL. We found significant associations of the intakes of soluble dietary fiber, potassium, folate, and vitamin C with a frail status in men ( p = 0.035, 0.023. 0.012, and 0.007, respectively), and an association of the intake of vitamin C with a frail status in women ( p = 0.027) according to J-CHS. Attention should be paid to the diagnostic criteria of frailty and to sex differences, when nutritional interventions for the prevention of frailty are planned.

Rationale & Objective: Epidemiologic and clinical studies have suggested that urate-lowering therapy may slow the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, definitive evidence is lacking., Study Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial., Setting & Participants: 467 patients with stage 3 CKD and asymptomatic hyperuricemia at 55 medical institutions in Japan., Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive febuxostat or placebo for 108 weeks., Outcomes: The primary end point was the slope (in mL/min/1.73m 2 per year) of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Secondary end points included changes in eGFRs and serum uric acid levels at 24, 48, 72, and 108 weeks of follow-up and the event of doubling of serum creatinine level or initiation of dialysis therapy., Results: Of 443 patients who were randomly assigned, 219 and 222 assigned to febuxostat and placebo, respectively, were included in the analysis. There was no significant difference in mean eGFR slope between the febuxostat (0.23±5.26mL/min/1.73m 2 per year) and placebo (-0.47±4.48mL/min/1.73m 2 per year) groups (difference, 0.70; 95% CI, -0.21 to 1.62; P=0.1). Subgroup analysis demonstrated a significant benefit from febuxostat in patients without proteinuria (P=0.005) and for whom serum creatinine concentration was lower than the median (P=0.009). The incidence of gouty arthritis was significantly lower (P=0.007) in the febuxostat group (0.91%) than in the placebo group (5.86%). Adverse events specific to febuxostat were not observed., Limitations: GFR was estimated rather than measured, and patients with stages 4 and 5 CKD were excluded., Conclusions: Compared to placebo, febuxostat did not mitigate the decline in kidney function among patients with stage 3 CKD and asymptomatic hyperuricemia., Funding: Funded by Teijin Pharma Limited., Trial Registration: Registered at the UMIN (University Hospital Medical Information Network) Clinical Trials Registry with study number UMIN000008343., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Edwardsiella tarda is commonly isolated from aquatic environments and a variety of animals. We present the first case of E. tarda bacteremia with psoas and epidural abscess. The patient was a 65-year-old woman with recurrent gastric cancer who had frequently consumed raw fish and grilled eel. She was successfully treated with antimicrobials and surgery. We also review reports published in English regarding E. tarda bacteremia in Japan and the experience at our hospital. On the basis of this review, we conclude that the major underlying disease leading to E. tarda bacteremia is malignancy and that the gastrointestinal tract is the most commonly affected organ. The overall mortality rate due to E. tarda bacteremia in our review was 38.1% (8/21). Although E. tarda bacteremia is rare, clinicians should be aware of this fatal food-borne infection.

Objective: To determine whether low HDL-C is a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular events in patients with known CAD., Methods: We evaluated 10,391 patients who underwent PCI from January 2005 to December 2007. In total, 3838 (36.9%) patients had low HDL-C (HDL-C <40 mg/dL in males and <50 mg/dL in females) and 6553 (63.1%) patients had normal HDL-C based on measurements on admission., Results: The unadjusted 5-year incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE: composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke) was significantly higher in the low HDL-C group than in the normal HDL-C group (17.6% vs. 14.0%, P < 0.0001). However, after adjusting for confounders, low HDL-C was not associated with a higher risk of MACE (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97-1.19; P = 0.19). There was no significant interaction between the effect of low HDL-C on MACE and several subgroup factors including age, sex, clinical presentation of CAD, statins use, serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, and serum triglycerides level., Conclusion: Low HDL-C, as compared with normal HDL-C, was not associated with higher 5-year risk of MACE in patients who underwent PCI., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

The study aimed to identify predictors of severe acute hypertension (≥ 180/110 mmHg) during severe hypoglycemia and to assess the efficacy of prior use of catecholamine-blocking agents for preventing adverse influences in diabetic patients with severe hypoglycemia. We performed a retrospective study between January 2006 and March 2012 to assess diabetic patients with severe hypoglycemia at a single center in Japan. Severe hypoglycemia was defined as the presence of any hypoglycemic symptoms that required the medical assistance of another person after visiting the emergency room by ambulance. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify possible predictors of severe hypertension due to severe hypoglycemia and to assess whether prior use of alpha- or beta-blockers is beneficial for the prevention of severe hypertension in diabetic patients with severe hypoglycemia. Multivariate adjustments were made for age, sex, preexisting hypertension, history of ischemic heart disease, blood glucose level upon arrival, estimated GFR, and prior use of alpha- or beta-blockers. A total of 59,602 patients who visited the emergency room were screened and 352 diabetic patients with severe hypoglycemia were enrolled. Incidences of severe hypertension before and at 3 and 6 hours after the initiation of antihypoglycemic treatment were 21.3%, 6.7%, and 0% in patients with type 1 diabetes (n = 61) and 38.8%, 18.2%, and 8.2% in patients with type 2 diabetes (n = 291), respectively. Aging was positively (odds ratio [OR], 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00-1.03; P = 0.02) and female sex was negatively (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.29-0.86; P = 0.01) associated with occurrence of severe hypertension during severe hypoglycemia. In addition, prior use of beta-blockers was negatively associated with occurrence of severe hypertension during severe hypoglycemia using multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.11-0.83; P = 0.02). None of the patients with prior use of beta-blockers had hypokalemia (<3.0 mEq/L). Prior use of beta-blockers may prevent adverse influences such as severe hypertension and hypokalemia during severe hypoglycemia in diabetic patients.

The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between religiosity and cardiovascular risk factors in a Japanese population. A retrospective cohort study was conducted involving individuals who underwent annual health check-ups at St. Luke's International Hospital from 2005 to 2010. Data collected included self-reported demographics, clinical information, and health habits, as well as religiosity, baseline examination, and laboratory measures. We conducted multivariable regression analyses to examine the associations between religiosity and cardiovascular risk factors at baseline and longitudinally. The analyses were performed in 2012. A total of 36,965 participants were enrolled, and 13,846 (37.8%) reported being at least somewhat religious. Compared with those who were not religious at baseline, religious participants (n = 3685) were less likely to be current smokers (odds ratio [OR], 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.53-0.67) and to report excessive alcohol consumption (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.67-0.82), and more likely to exercise at least three times a week (OR, 1.27; 95% CI,1.16-1.39) and to be obese (OR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.19-1.47). There were no significant differences in the rate of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or dyslipidemia prevalence. In longitudinal data analyses, religiosity was associated with a lower likelihood of smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and a higher likelihood of regular exercise and a lower incidence of diabetes over time. Individuals who were more religious were significantly more likely to have favorable health habits and fewer cardiovascular risk factors, except for a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity at baseline. Religiosity was also associated with better health habits over time and less likely to be associated with future diabetes but not with blood pressure or lipid levels., (Copyright © 2015 American Society of Hypertension. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)