Objective: This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of the patients who had hip osteoarthritis (hip OA) of more than K-L grade 3 and did not need total hip replacement (THR) two years after the diagnosis.Methods: Twenty-four patients who were followed up for at least 2 years were included and classified into surgical and non-surgical groups depending on the need for THR. Pain (rest pain, motion pain, gait pain), hip range of motion, performance tests (time up and go test (TUG), 10 m gait speed, 2-step test, one-leg standing time, chair standing-5 (CS-5)), and Japanese Orthopaedic Association Hip-Disease Evaluation Questionnaire (JHEQ) were evaluated at the initial visit.Results: Rest pain was significantly lower in non-surgical group compared to surgical group (p<0.01). JHEQ pain score (p<0.01), motor score (p=0.03), and mental health score (p<0.01) were significantly higher in non-surgery group than those in surgery group.Conclusion: Even if you have end-stage hip OA, those with low rest pain and a high JHEQ score at the time of initial diagnosis may be able to live for two years without undergoing surgery. In patients with hip OA of more than K-L grade 3, low rest pain and a high JHEQ score at the initial visit were associated with avoiding THR for two years.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ingesting yogurt fermented with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (OLL1073R-1) on the immune function of healthy university men track and field athletes. Study design Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study. A total of 37 track and field athletes aged ≥18 years were randomly assigned into two groups. For 2 weeks, two bottles of yogurt fermented with OLL1073R-1 and Streptococcus thermophilus OLS3059 or placebo sour milk were ingested daily to the participants. During the intake period, a 1-week training camp was held and participants were subjected to strenuous exercise. Natural killer (NK) cell activity, which is the primary endpoint, was significantly lower in the placebo group after ingestion than that at baseline; however, it remained unchanged during the pre-exercise level of the yogurt group. The two-way repeated measures analysis of variance showed an interaction effect in the NK cell activity change (P=0.018) and a significant difference between the groups after the 2-week ingestion (P=0.015). Among the secondary endpoints, cytokines and chemokines levels involved in activating innate immunity maintained or enhanced only in the yogurt group. ALT, LDH, and CK significantly elevated only in the placebo group. Furthermore, amino acid levels were significantly lower in the placebo group after ingestion than that at baseline; however, it remained unchanged during the pre-exercise level in the yogurt group. Consuming yogurt fermented with OLL1073R-1 prevents the decline in immune function associated with strenuous exercise. Additionally, the yogurt may contribute to stable physical condition.

Ankle exercises are useful for preventing deep vein thrombosis, as they increase venous blood flow velocity. The cause for the increased venous blood flow velocity during ankle exercises may be the skeletal-muscle pump, but the mechanism is not clearly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the dorsiflexion angle and gastrocnemius muscle contraction on venous blood flow velocity during ankle exercises and to investigate the mechanism of the increase in venous blood flow velocity. The blood flow velocity in the popliteal vein, ankle joint angle, and surface electromyographic activity of the gastrocnemius muscle were measured at rest and during ankle exercises in the prone position in young healthy volunteers. The significant increase in venous blood flow velocity was observed during dorsiflexion phase, max dorsiflexion and during planter flexion phase. The peak venous blood flow velocity was different in each subject and classified into four types. The correlations of venous blood velocity to ankle joint angle and with the surface electromyographic activity of the gastrocnemius muscle were not statistically significant. These findings suggest that venous blood flow velocity increases not only during plantar flexion and dorsiflexion.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, with increasing prevalence worldwide. IBD Ahead is an international educational program that aims to explore questions commonly raised by clinicians about various areas of IBD care and to consolidate available published evidence and expert opinion into a consensus for the optimization of IBD management. Given differences in the epidemiology, clinical and genetic characteristics, management, and prognosis of IBD between patients in Japan and the rest of the world, this statement was formulated as the result of literature reviews and discussions among Japanese experts as part of the IBD Ahead program to consolidate statements of factors for disease prognosis in IBD. Evidence levels were assigned to summary statements in the following categories: disease progression in CD and UC; surgery, hospitalization, intestinal failure, and permanent stoma in CD; acute severe UC; colectomy in UC; and colorectal carcinoma and dysplasia in IBD. The goal is that this statement can aid in the optimization of the treatment strategy for Japanese patients with IBD and help identify high-risk patients that require early intervention, to provide a better long-term prognosis in these patients.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Colectomy ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Consensus ; Crohn Disease ; Disease Management* ; Disease Progression ; Early Intervention (Education) ; Epidemiology ; Expert Testimony ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases* ; Japan* ; Prevalence ; Prognosis