To assess the effect of pre-germinated brown rice on metabolism of glucose and lipids, blood parameters of glucose and lipids were measured before and after 3 months of intake of test rice, which was mixed with pre-germinated brown rice (PGBR) and white rice in a ratio of 1:1, in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM). Glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was significantly decreased from 6.40±0.23% to 6.23±0.19 after 3 months of intake of PGBR. The fasting plasma glucose level was not changed by intake of PGBR, but serum insulin level and HOMA-IR were decreased slightly. As the decrease of LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c) and the increase of HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c) were slightly observed after 3 months of intake of PGBR, the LDL-c/HDL-c ratio was decreased significantly from 2.03±0.13 to 1.83±0.12. These changes were significantly larger in the high PGBR in take group than in the low PGBR in take group. These results suggested that the PGBR intake might have potentialities as one of therapeutic methods for diabetes mellitus type 2 and also be useful in the freatment of hypercholesterolemia.

Continuous duodenal levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel delivery by a gastrostomy infusion system improves control of Parkinson’s disease. The overall complication rates of percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy were reported to be 41% and 59% for immediate and delayed adverse events, respectively. A 72-year-old woman underwent percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy using the delivery system noted above. Abdominal pain and vomiting occurred 3 months later. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a longitudinal ulcer extending from the lower gastric body to the ileum end, with small intestinal telescoping. Colonoscopy showed a large bezoar of food residue that was attached around the tip of the tube, reaching the ascending colon, which may have acted as an anchor. Thus, the gastric antrum and small intestine were shortened with telescoping. This complication was resolved by crushing the bezoar with forceps during colonoscopy and can be prevented by consuming a fiber-free diet and periodic exchanges of the tube using esophagogastroduodenoscopy.
Abdominal Pain ; Aged ; Bezoars ; Colon ; Colon, Ascending ; Colonoscopy ; Diet ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Female ; Gastric Bypass ; Gastrostomy ; Humans ; Ileum ; Intestine, Small ; Pyloric Antrum ; Surgical Instruments ; Ulcer ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Although daclatasvir with asunaprevir was approved in Japan for interferon ineligible or intolerant patients, patients aged ≥75 years were excluded in the phase III trial. The present study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this therapy for elderly patients aged ≥75 years and to clarify whether an extremely high sustained virological response (SVR) rate can be achieved, even in a real-world setting when patients with resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) to nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) inhibitors or prior simeprevir failure are excluded. METHODS: Daclatasvir (60 mg) and asunaprevir (100 mg) were orally administered daily for 24 weeks. Patients without pre-existing NS5A RASs and simeprevir failure were enrolled in this study. RESULTS: Overall, 110 patients were treated. The median age was 73 years old. The SVR rates of total patients, those aged ≥75 years, and those aged < 75 years were 97% (107/110), 98% (46/47), and 97% (61/63), respectively. The treatment of two patients (2%) was discontinued because of adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Daclatasvir with asunaprevir was a safe treatment, even in patients aged ≥75 years. When patients without pre-existing NS5A RASs and prior simeprevir failure were selected, an extremely high SVR rate could be achieved irrespective of age.
Aged ; Hepacivirus ; Humans ; Interferons ; Japan ; Simeprevir