Habitual exercise is important for improving or maintaining the arterial function with age. However, the role of functional fitness on arterial stiffness in the elderly is unclear. This study was conducted to examine the relationships between functional fitness and arterial stiffness in elderly woman. Four hundred and seventy-nine elderly woman participated in the present investigation. The systolic/diastolic blood pressure and brachial to ankle pulse wave velocity were obtained in the supine position using an automatic pulse wave form analyzer. Four items of functional fitness (standing/sitting, walking, hand working, and self-care working) were assessed. The measurement variables were calculated for five chronological classifications (60~64, 65~69, 70~74, 75~79 and 80 yrs or over). The four items of functional fitness and brachial to ankle pulse wave velocity increased linearly with age. A multiple stepwise regression analysis revealed that systolic blood pressure (β= 0.366), age (β= 0.225), heart rate (β= 0.188), body mass index (β= -0.102), and standing/sitting (β= 0.098) were independent contributors to brachial to ankle pulse wave velocity, accounting for 29.6% of the variability. The physical function, especially standing/sitting, influences the arterial function in elderly women.

Objective: To determine the factors affecting the antimicrobial effect of VCM on MRSA.
Study Design: Case series study.
Methods: This study was conducted on pneumonia patients admitted to a university-affiliated hospital between January 2000 and December 2008 and had MRSA in their sputum culture.  From seven days prior to the starting VCM administration through the end of the administration, detailed information such as underlying diseases, VCM serum concentration and quantity of MRSA were recorded.  Logistic regression analysis was carried out on current diseases, trough concentration, surgery experience, and the detection of Gram-negative bacteria to verify the antimicrobial effect of VCM.
Results: The number of subjects investigated this study was 55 subjects.  Multiple logistic regression analysis did not yield any significant factors when carried out using the factors affecting the antimicrobial effect of VCM on MRSA as independent variables.
Conclusions: Multivariable analysis yielded no factors as being significant in affecting the antimicrobial effect of VCM, but did indicate in that patients aged 70 and older, the antimicrobial effect of VCM was poor for MRSA.  This suggests that when pharmacists intervene in antimicrobial treatment for improved effects, it is important to consider not only the serum concentration of VCM, but also the background of the patient.

High-intensity interval exercise (IE) leads to greater improvements in the arterial function than continuous exercise at moderate intensity (CE). However, few studies have been performed on the effects of the repetition exercise (RE) on the vascular endothelial function. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of CE vs. IE vs. RE during aerobic exercise on the vascular endothelial function determined by flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD). Ten healthy male subjects randomly performed 3 trials as follows: CE (20-min cycling at 50%W_max), IE (10 × 1-min intervals cycling at 75%W_max interspersed with 1-min intervals cycling at 25%W_max), and RE (30 × 20-sec intervals cycling at 100%W_max interspersed with 20-sec intervals at rest). FMD was assessed at rest and 30 and 60 min after each exercise, and then the normalized FMD (nFMD) was calculated from the peak shear rate. The nFMD (a.u.) significant increased 30 min after IE (1.2 ± 0.2 to 3.0 ± 1.0, p<0.05) and increased 30 min after CE (1.0 ± 0.2 to 1.4 ± 0.2, n.s.) and returned to baseline at 60 min after both exercises, while the nFMD decreased 30 min after RE (1.3 ± 0.2 to 1.2 ± 0.1, n.s.) and was sustained at 60 min. The nFMD value at 30 min after IE was significantly greater than that at 30 min after RE (3.0 ± 1.0 versus 1.2 ± 0.1, p<0.05). These results suggest that RE may lead to a less improvement in the vascular endothelial function than CE and IE.

It is essential to prolong the term as possible in the treatment of threatened premature delivery. We report a case of threatened abortion successfully treated with hochuekkito. The patient was 31 year-old pregnant woman with lower abdominal pain. She was diagnosed to be at the risk of premature delivery on 21 weeks and 5 days of gestation. Intravenous ritodrine hydrochloride was started and she had to stay in bed. Severe side effects of ritodrine hydrochloride such as palpitation, tachycardia, tremor, nausea, and loss of appetite were appeared and she was consulted to our department on 23 weeks and 1 day of gestation. Those symptoms were markedly improved after administration of hochuekkito extract. She delivered a male infant of 1230g birth weight on 28 weeks of gestation. Hochuekkito suppressed severe side effects, and enabled to continue the infusion of ritodrine hydrochloride, suggesting the usefulness of Kampo therapy in the treatment of threatened premature delivery.

We report on 3 patients who presented with symptoms of Ki obstruction, Ki deficiency, and disorder of the body's fluid metabolism, successfully treated with bukuryoingohangekobokuto. In our experience, bukuryoingohangekobokuto has been effective in 25 of the 30 patients (6 men and 24 women) to whom is has been administered, who also presented with Ki obstructions, Ki deficiencies and disorders of the body's fluid metabolism as mentioned above. The most common subjective symptom in all these effectively-treated patients was hot flashes. Other signs were epigastric pain or discomfort accompanied by chest signs and symptoms, such as palpitations, heartburn, chest oppression or dyspnea. The most common objective findings in these effectively-treated patients were pulsation at the pit of the stomach and navel, and a fluid sound in the stomach upon palpation. Based on our experiences, we believe that prescription of bukuryoingohangekobokuto is best indicated when the presence of the above-mentioned symptoms and findings has been confirmed.
symptoms <1> ; Liquid substance ; Cases ; seconds ; findings

We report on a patient with residual complaints after an operation for lumber canal stenosis, successfully treated with the Kampo medicine, kigikenchutokauzu. The patient was 69 year-old woman complaining of severe coldness, numbness, and bilateral leg pain. She was diagnosed as having spinal canal stenosis when she was 67 years of age. Posterolateral fusion with laminectomy was performed at the age of 69, although severe coldness, numbness, and pain persisted even after her surgery. Also, her sutures had not healed. She was referred to our department 26 days after her surgery in order to receive Kampo therapy. Kigikenchutokauzu was prescribed, and her condition markedly improved. Her sutures healed completely 7 days after start of administration. This suggests that kigikenchutokauzu may be effective not only for the residual spinal canal stenosis symptoms, but also for the postoperative healing of sutures.
seconds ; Spinal Canal ; Surgical sutures ; Stenosis <3> ; Medicine, Kampo

We report a case with various postoperative abdominal symptoms that were successfully treated with Kampo medicine. A 58-year-old Japanese female had nausea, eructation, epigastric pain, lower abdominal pain and anorexia that appeared just after laparoscopic nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma. No abnormal findings were discovered by gastroenterological examinations. Western medical therapy was not successful. We used bukuryoin under the interpretation that nausea and eructation represent phlegm-fluid retention in the chest. The bukuryoin therapy cleared up her nausea and eructation in about one week. Additionally, her epigastric pain, lower abdominal pain and anorexia were cured by use of anchusan.
Therapeutic procedure ; Medicine, Kampo ; symptoms <1> ; Postoperative Period ; Nausea

We experienced four cases of perniosis successfully treated with bukuryoingohangekobokuto, or hangekobokuto. Swollen tongue, pulsation at the pit of the navel, and tympanitic abdominal sounds were taken as common objective findings in all four cases. In addition, decreased surface body temperature was diagnosed at the bilateral hands and feet, so as to be distal from the trunk in palpation. These four cases had both symptoms of an eminent Ki obstruction, and a disorder of body fluid metabolism. For the two cases administered bukuryoingohangekobokuto especially, a state of strong Ki deficiency was diagnosed. Efficacy in each case was prompt. Thus, we consider bukuryoingohangekobokuto and hangekobokuto to be prescriptions worth trying for perniosis that does not responding to the usual Western medicines, or Kampo treatment.
Obstruction ; Application, NOS ; Chilblains ; Medicine, Kampo ; Western Herbs and Botanicals

We report six cases with honton disease successfully treated with a combination of goshuyuto extract and ryokeijutsukanto extract. Five of the cases were diagnosed as panic disorder, and the remaining case as generalized anxiety disorder. All six cases complained of palpitation, nausea, dizziness, headache and anxiety attacks. We diagnosed them as a hontonto (Zhouhou fang) indication. Their various complaints disappeared after combination therapy with those extracts. Furthermore, efficacy of the combination therapy was proven to be equal to hontonto. These cases suggest that the combination therapy with goshuyuto extract and ryokeijutsukanto extract is useful in place of hontonto.

We report six cases with honton disease successfully treated with a combination of goshuyuto extract and ryokeijutsukanto extract. Five of the cases were diagnosed as panic disorder, and the remaining case as generalized anxiety disorder. All six cases complained of palpitation, nausea, dizziness, headache and anxiety attacks. We diagnosed them as a hontonto (Zhouhou fang) indication. Their various complaints disappeared after combination therapy with those extracts. Furthermore, efficacy of the combination therapy was proven to be equal to hontonto. These cases suggest that the combination therapy with goshuyuto extract and ryokeijutsukanto extract is useful in place of hontonto.