1.Chronic traumatic encephalopathy associated with cumulative soccer heading exposure: A review of the recent literature
Naoto USUI ; Koya YAMASHIRO ; Sho KOJIMA ; Daisuke SATO
Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine 2020;69(5):361-370
Soccer is the most popular sport worldwide, with over 265 million participants. Soccer is unique in that the ball can be directed deliberately and purposefully with the head, an act referred to as ‘heading’. In recent years, there has been concern about the association between repetitive subconcussive head impacts associated with heading and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Heading causes immediate changes in biochemical and electrophysiological markers of traumatic brain injury, and some studies have reported brain structural changes and dysfunction in former soccer players. In 2019, it was reported that the mortality associated with neurodegenerative diseases was about 3.5 times higher among former professional soccer players. Following that, in early 2020, the guidance have been published to limit heading by age in some regions including England and Scotland. In this review, we will expound the immediate and long-term effects of heading associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy and the measures that should be taken into consideration in the practice of soccer instruction, based on the latest findings.
2.Efficacy of zoledronic acid in older prostate cancer patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy
Ippei KOJIMA ; Yushi NAITO ; Akiyuki YAMAMOTO ; Yasuhiro TERASHIMA ; Norie SHO ; Jun NAGAYAMA ; Yurika OKADA ; Tatsuya NAGAI
Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia 2019;5(4):128-131
OBJECTIVES:
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of annual zoledronic acid treatment in Japanese patients with nonmetastatic prostate cancer during androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).
METHODS:
This is a single institution 12-month study. Between 2016 and 2019, patients aged 70 years or older on ADT for nonmetastatic prostate cancer had bone mineral density (BMD) measured and 10-year probability of fracture calculated using fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX). Patients who showed osteopenia or had a 10-year hip fracture risk ≥ 3% or a 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fracture ≥ 20% were offered treatment with zoledronic acid 5 mg intravenously (ZA group). The patients who did not receive treatment were set as the control group. Lumbar and hip BMD were measured 6 and 12 months after treatment in the ZA group and 12 months after baseline in the control group. The yearly BMD change of both groups was compared.
RESULTS:
The mean ages of the ZA group (n = 26) and control group (n = 12) were 80.5 ± 9.1 and 76.1 ± 6.7 years, respectively. In the ZA group, lumbar and hip BMD changes at 12 months were +2.1% and +0.8%, respectively. In the control group, lumbar and hip BMD changes were −0.9% and −4.9%, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between the 2 groups in BMD percent changes (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Without intervention, BMD tends to continue to decrease during ADT. Our findings suggest that administration of zoledronic acid enables maintenance of BMD in the older adults.