This study examined the effects of the use of contact lenses on static and kinetic visual acuity, ocular pain, and blurred vision during a water polo match. Eleven male water polo players participated in this study, and were assigned to one of two groups: contact lens users (CL, n=5) and non-users (NCL, n=5). Both groups participated in a typical water polo match with four 7-min periods and 2-min resting intervals between the four periods. Static and kinetic visual acuity, subjective ocular pain, and blurred vision were measured before the match (pre-test), during the match (after each of four 7-min periods), and during the recovery phase at 5, 15, and 30 min after the completion of the match.Results showed that kinetic visual acuity was significantly lower for the NCL group than for CL in the 4^th period of the match. In addition, for the NCL group, kinetic visual acuity was significantly lower in the 3^rd and the 4^th periods than at the pre-test time. On the other hand, static visual acuity did not significantly differ between the two groups; but, for NCL, static visual acuity was significantly lower in the 4^th period than at the pre-test time. According to self-evaluation scores, ocular pain significantly increased in NCL compared to CL in the 3^rd and 4^th periods. Ocular pain in NCL was significantly higher between the 2^nd period and recovery phase at 5 min than at the pre-test time. Blurred vision was significantly higher in NCL than CL between the 2^nd period and recovery phase at 5 min. Blurred vision in NCL was significantly higher at the same duration than at the pre-test time.These findings indicate that the use of contact lenses may prevent ocular pain and blurred vision, maintaining both the static and kinetic visual acuity at a normal level during a water polo match. Further, the results of this study suggest that the use of contact lenses is effective for water polo players.

We examined the usefulness of serum leptin concentration as an index for the diagnosis of fatty liver. Twenty-two patients diagnosed with fatty liver by abdominal ultrasonography, participated in this study together with 7 indinduels as controls. As laboratory findings showed, body fat percentage (29.5±1.4 vs 19.1±1.6%, P<0.001), BMI (25.7±0.7 vs 20.8±1.0 kg/m2, P<0.005), procollagen III peptide (P III P) (0.58±0.04 vs 0.42±0.04 U/ml, P<0.05), and serum leptin levels (7.3±1.0 vs 2.9±0.5 ng/ml, P<0.001) were significantly higher in the fatty liver group than in the control group. Serum leptin levels were correlated significantly with body fat percentage (r=0.76, P<0.0001) and BMI (r=0.61, P<0.001), though there was a significant correlation between serum leptin levels and liver-kidney contrast (r=0.47, P<0.05) only in males. In addition, when the fatty liver group was classified into two groups by GPT levels, m-GOT (mitochondrial glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase) (8.6±1.0 vs 5.7±1.0 IU/l/37°C, P<0.05) and P III P (0.65±0.06 vs 0.49±0.04 U/ml, P<0.05) were significantly higher in the elevated GPT group than in the normal GPT group.These results suggest that serum leptin levels may be indicative of fatty liver and that fatty liver is not always a reversible disease.
upper case pea ; Fatty Liver ; Leptin ; Serum ; Lower case are

To clarify the views and needs on Rx-to-OTC switches in patients afflicted with lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and/or hyperlipidemia, our survey was conducted with 199 patients at a pharmacy in Tokyo, Japan.Of the 199 patients, 159 people were patients afflicted with lifestyle-related diseases.One hundred and ten patients afflicted with lifestyle-related diseases were seventy-year-old and older, and 149 of the patients have been to a hospital at least once in the past year.Thirty-six point five percent of the patients afflicted with lifestyle-related diseases replied that they wanted to use Rx-to-OTC switches when they had been ill and/or injured.The main reasons that they wanted to use Rx-to-OTC switches were “convenience” and “always the same drugs”.On the other hand, the main reason that they did not want to use Rx-to-OTC switches was “I want to have a detailed examination”.Twenty-three point nine percent of them replied that they wanted to switch their prescription drugs to Rx-to-OTC switches. We believe that the usage of Rx-to-OTC switches after the establishment of a support system to secure safety can be the answer to the issues of the rise in medical care expenditures and doctor shortage.

A 65-year-old man was referred to our hospital in April 2003 with a pancreas tumor detected by a thorough medical checkup. Computed tomography (CT) showed swelling of the pancreatic body and tail, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) showed only the main pancreatic duct in the head of the pancreas. Diagnosing autoimmune pancreatitis, we observed the patient without medication. However, one year later CT showed stenosis of the splenic artery and portal vein accompanied by development of collateral circulation around the pancreas. He had no symptoms, and CT showed no changes in the pancreatic swelling.;;He was admitted to our hospital on January 6, 2005, presenting with a history of jaundice which first appeared on January 1, 2005, and increased collateral circulation around the pancreas with pancreatic swelling were seen on CT. We started prednisolone therapy at 40 mg/day for exacerbation of autoimmune pancreatitis. Serum bilirubin levels improved from 11.9 mg/dl to 2.5 mg/dl, and pancreatic swelling also improved four weeks after starting therapy.;;We present a rare case of autoimmune pancreatitis that developed marked collateral circulations.
X-Ray Computed Tomography ; Pancreatitis ; Collateral Circulation ; Pancreatic polypeptide, avian ; Swelling