This study was designed to clarify the relationship between Sho, which represents a clinical status in oriental medicine, and the clinical parameter in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). In 65 patients [male 27 (mean age: 60.9±12.0) and female 38 (64.9±8.4)] with type 2 DM, we determined the incidence of Sho [In/Yo (yin/yang) and Kyo/Jitsu (xu/shi)], measured the indices of insulin resistance (fasting plasma insulin level: F-IRI and HOMA-IR), and analyzed the relationship between them. The incidences of In, intermediate, Yo were 30.8%, 32.3% and 36.9%, respectively, while the incidence of Kyo, intermediate, Jitsu were 30.8%, 33.8%, and 35.4%, respectively. The incidences of combined Sho represented as Yo-Jitsu, intermediate-intermediate, In-Kyo, Yo-Kyo, intermediate-Jitsu, Yo-intermediate, In-intermediate and intermediate-Kyo were 26.2%, 21.5%, 18.5%, 10.8%, 7.7%, 6.2%, 6.2% and 3.1%, respectively. F-IRI was significantly higher in patients with Jitsu than those with Kyo (p=0.044) and significantly higher in patients with Yo-Jitsu than those with In-Kyo (p=0.033). HOMA-IR is significantly higher in patients with Yo-Jitsu than those with In-Kyo (p=0.017). Our study indicated that the incidences of In and Yo were almost the same and those of Kyo and Jitsu were also nearly the same in patients with type 2 DM. In addition, our study suggested that Sho of Jitsu and Yo-Jitsu could be related with the degree of insulin resistance in patients with type 2 DM.

Objective : To investigate the safety and effects of long-term administration of denopamine, β-1 stimulant, on the activities of daily living in heart failure patients.
Design : Case-series.
Methods : One hundred forty patients with mild to moderate chronic heart failure were administered denopamine at dose of 5 to 10 mg three times daily for 24 weeks. Concomitant circulatory system drugs such as digitalis, diuretics, vasodilator drugs, etc., were used without changing the administration method and dose. However, the use of a concomitant β-blocker was prohibited.
Results : Following administration of denopamine, the NYHA cardiac function classification improved by one degree or more in 50 patients (35.7%). The body weight decreased significantly from 54.9± 10.2kg (mean±SD) before administration to 54.0±10.2kg after administration (P<0.05), and the cardiothoracic ratio also decreased from 58.0±7.3% to 56.6±7.2% (P<0.001). No significant changes were observed in the heart rate, systolic blood pressure, or diastolic blood pressure. The activities of daily living improved by one level or more for 49 patients (51.6%). There were 36 withdrawal or dropout cases (patients' own convenience : 12 cases ; complications/accidental symptoms : 7 cases) during the investigation period. Four patients (2.9%) exhibited adverse reactions.
Conclusion : Denopamine seemed to improve the quality of life, which is one of the therapeutic purposes for patients with chronic cardiac failure. A large-scale study including investigation of the long-term prognosis for such patients needs to be performed.

A cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate the effect of physical exercise in daily lives of healthy women on the aging process in terms of maximal aerobic capacity (VO₂max), body fat tissue mass (FTM), lean tissue mass (LTM), bone mineral density (BMD), serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), HDL-C and LDL-C concentrations, and systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) . These parameters are considered as risk factors of cerebrovascular disease and/or osteoporosis, which are the main causes of becoming bedridden and demented in middle-aged and older women. One hundred sixty-five healthy female volunteers aged 20 to 76 years participated in the study, 82 of whom were postmenopausal with a mean age at menopause of 49.7±3.1 years. Eighty-two of the subjects had been exercising regularly by jogging, swimming, aerobic dancing, or playing tennis more than twice a week for 2 years (Ex group), whereas 83 individuals had not been engaging in regular exercise (Cont group) . Serum lipid concentrations, SBP and DBP measurements at rest and treadmill VO₂max and HRmax measurements were determined in the morning after an overnight fast. Whole-body BMD (TBMD), head, lumbar, arm and leg BMD, FTM and LTM were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry one to two hours after a light lunch. The mean and SD of each measurement were calculated for five-year age groups between 40 and 60 years and one group each under 40 and over 60 years.
The results were as follows:
1, VO₂max (r=-0.590) and HRmax (r=-0.632) decreased significantly with age. The VO₂max of the Ex group was significantly higher than that of the Cont group in all each age groups. However, no differences in the aging process in terms of HRmax were found between the two groups.
2, Resting SBP (r=-0.391) and DBP (r=0.315) increased significantly with age. However, no hypertensive individuals (160/95 mmHg-) were found among the 165 subjects.
3. Only serum TC (r=0.346) and LDL-C (r=0.339) among the blood constituents measured changed with age. No changes in serum HDL-C were detected with age. Lower TC (189.2±23.3 mg/dl) and higher HDL-C (72.2±10.9 mg/dl) were observed in eleven runners (49.7±7.7 years) among the subjects who participated frequently in official races than in subjects of the same ages in the Cont group. The highest serum HDL-C (75.8±15.8 mg/dl) and HDLC/TC ratios (0.362) were noticed among the subjects (n=26) who both regularly exercised and consumed alcoholic beverages.
4. A tendency for FTM to increase and LTM to decrease with age were observed in both groups, and a lower %FTM (percentage of FTM to body weight) and higher %LTM were evident in the Ex group. Differences in %FTM and %LTM between the Ex and Cont groups at 40-45 years were significant.
5. Partial and whole BMDs decreased significantly with age (TBMD-Age ; r=- 0.527) . Significantly higher leg BMDs in both the 20-39-year and 40-45-year groups, and spine and TBMD in the 20-39 years in the Ex group, who were premenopausal women, were shown. No significant differences in BMDs between the two groups were observed in postmenopausal women, but the Ex group tended to have higher partial and whole BMDs. The postmenopausal official race runners (n=5.52.6-1.5years) also had higher TBMD and leg BMD values than subjects of the same ages in the Cont group.
6. Investigation of correlations between VO₂max, LTM, FTM, BMDs and serum lipid concentrations, yielded a significantly higher correlation (r=0.669) between LTM (kg) and absolute VO₂max (1/mm) . Although VO₂max per LTM (VO₂max/LTM) decreased with age (r=-0.595), VO₂max/LTM in the Ex group was significantly higher than in the Cont group in each age group. The VO₂max per body weight (ml/kg/min) was negatively correlated with %FTM (r=-0.442) and positively correlated with

Methods: LSS patients who underwent decompression surgery with or without fusion were included. Clinical outcomes were measured before surgery and 6 months postoperatively using the Zurich Claudication Questionnaire (ZCQ); Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of low back pain, leg pain, and leg numbness; Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire; and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-36). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and Pain Anxiety Symptoms Scale were used to evaluate psychological status before surgery. Patients were classified as satisfied or dissatisfied with surgery based on a ZCQ satisfaction subscale cutoff score of 2.5. Results: The satisfied and dissatisfied groups contained 128 and 29 patients, respectively. Six months postoperatively, outcome scores for the dissatisfied group were unchanged or worse than preoperative scores (p>0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed significant associations between dissatisfaction and preoperative low back pain VAS score ≥ median (odds ratio [OR], 0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10–0.74; p=0.01), preoperative mental health SF-36 score ≥ median (OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.08–0.89; p=0.03), and preoperative anxiety HADS score ≥ median (OR, 3.95; 95% CI, 1.16–13.46; p=0.03). Conclusions Preoperative less severe low back pain, lower mental health, and higher anxiety are associated with patient dissatisfaction with lumbar surgery, not depression, pain catastrophizing, or fear-avoidance beliefs. Pre- and postoperative psychological status should be assessed carefully and managed appropriately.