Aging, hypertension and diabetes are the three major risk factors that predispose to atherosclerosis. The authors tried to elucidate the terminal clinical pictures of these three major factors in terms of the mechanocardiographical findings and blood chemistry parameters related to nutrition (NBC), which are considered to be useful for the determination of the signifying or trigger risk factors of impending cerebral attacks.
As the terminal clinical pictures of each of these three major factors, increase in peripheral resistance and inclination to low cardiac functions were observed. And in the process of transition to terminal pictures, increase in serum lipids and decrease in albumin, accordingly, increase in lipid/protein ratio were observed. Increase in such ratio is considered to be important for the development of atherosclerosis and low cardiac function.
In rural areas mortality rate of strokes is markedly higher than in urban areas. Such high stroke incidence may be ascribed to the marked increase in cardiac impairments, as compared with the urban hypertensives of the same age groups. The factor of cardiac impairments may be ascribable to different nutritional conditions.
Therefore, for the purpose of prevention against predisposition to strokes, early detection, as well as treatment, of cardiac impairments of elderly people, hypertensives and diabetics are deemed necessary. In this connection, improvement of nutritional conditions is very important.

Thoracic and thoracolumbar ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) can be difficult to treat due to the anatomical position. The purpose of this study was to report the significance of a novel surgical technique that represented two cases of thoracic or thoracolumbar OPLL. The first patient was a 72-year-old woman who had a beak-type OPLL at the T11/12. The second was a 45-year-old woman who had a beak-type OPLL at the T12/L1. We performed circumferential spinal cord decompression through a single posterior approach with microendoscopy in both cases. The postoperative computed tomography revealed the complete removal of the OPLL, and the magnetic resonance imaging confirmed adequate decompression of the spinal cord. Preoperative symptoms were substantially improved in both patients. To date, we have used this novel technique to treat five patients with thoracic or thoracolumbar OPLL. This new surgical technique is likely to be useful in patients with a beak-type OPLL of the thoracic or thoracolumbar spine.
Aged ; Decompression* ; Dura Mater ; Female ; Humans ; Longitudinal Ligaments* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Cord* ; Spinal Fusion ; Spine

Cerebral stroke in rural areas is a very important disease both from medical and social aspects. Among strokes, infarction which occurs most frequently in elderly persons is liable to result from atherosclerosis. And for the development of atherosclerosis, essential hypertension is the most important predisposing factor. Other than hypertension, aging, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipemia, esp. low HDL/Tch ratio, increased hematocrit values, coronary insufficiency, cardiac failure, arythmia, esp. atrial fibrillation, are also accepted important risk factors. Affirmative of such findings, the authors are convinced of the fact that atrial fibrillation which is increasing recently is closely related to both cerebral thrombosis and embolism.
But, in regard to cerebral infarction no signifying or trigger factor, similar to very high blood pressure, that trigger cerebral hemorrhage, is clarified as yet. It is made clear in this connection that cardiac failure predisposed by hypertensive heart disease in old age, assisted by pathophysiological and other environmental conditions, is the important factor. The authors also studied the clinical predisposing parameters and preventive measures about strokes.