BACKGROUND: The long-term impact of symptom classification on quality of life (QOL) and economic outcomes among individuals with long coronavirus disease (COVID) remains poorly understood. This study aimed to clarify the situation of long COVID in Japan by analyzing patients using cluster classification. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study enrolled 515 patients with COVID-19 and followed up for 36 months via standardized questionnaires. Patients were classified based on: 1) symptom trajectory over time and 2) symptom cluster profiles at 3 months. RESULTS: While the number of symptoms decreased, fatigue and dyspnea frequently persisted, whereas anosmia and dysgeusia declined. Cough and sputum decreased gradually. The proportion of patients with 5-9 symptoms increased. The mean (interquartile range) presenteeism scores were lower in the continuous (60 [50-80]) and relapse groups (65 [48-80]) than in the recovered group (70 [50-80]). The multiple symptoms cluster had the worst SF-36, presenteeism, and absenteeism scores (47.2 [44.7-49.8], 48.8 [27.5-72.5], and 10.9 [0.0-11.0], respectively). CONCLUSIONS Patients with continuous and multiple symptoms experienced persistently lower QOL and greater economic burden up to 36 months after COVID-19 diagnosis. The long-term effects of long COVID are not only physical but also mental and economical. Thus, further research is needed to clarify the economical and physiological impact of long COVID.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; COVID-19/complications* ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome/psychology* ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; East Asian People

Background: Fertility preserving therapy using medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is an important option for young patients with endometrial cancer or atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH). However, the effectiveness and feasibility of repeated MPA therapy for patients with intrauterine recurrence following initial MPA therapy is controversial. Only a few single-institution retrospective studies have been conducted on repeated MPA therapy, therefore, multicenter prospective studies for repeated MPA therapy are highly needed.The aim of this study is to assess whether repeated MPA therapy is effective and feasible for patients with intrauterine recurrence following initial MPA therapy. Methods This is a prospective, single-arm, a multicenter phase II trial on repeated MPA therapy for intrauterine recurrence following fertility-preserving therapy for AEH or stage IA (the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] 2008) non-myoinvasive endometrioid carcinoma grade 1. Patients are treated with oral MPA (500–600 mg/day).Pathologically assessment via dilation and curettage will be performed every 2 months until complete response. The major inclusion criteria are 1) intrauterine recurrence of AEH or stage IA (FIGO 2008) endometrioid carcinoma grade 1 without myometrial invasion or extrauterine spread confirmed by imaging tests after complete remission with the previous MPA therapy. 2) The number of recurrences should be up to twice. 3) histologically diagnosed as AEH or endometrioid carcinoma grade 1, 4) 20–42 years of age, and 5) strong desire and consent for fertility-sparing treatment. The primary endpoint is 2-year recurrence-free survival rate. A total of 115 patients will be enrolled from multiple institutions in Japan and Korea within 4 years and followed up for 2 years.

Background: Fertility preserving therapy using medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is an important option for young patients with endometrial cancer or atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH). However, the effectiveness and feasibility of repeated MPA therapy for patients with intrauterine recurrence following initial MPA therapy is controversial. Only a few single-institution retrospective studies have been conducted on repeated MPA therapy, therefore, multicenter prospective studies for repeated MPA therapy are highly needed.The aim of this study is to assess whether repeated MPA therapy is effective and feasible for patients with intrauterine recurrence following initial MPA therapy. Methods This is a prospective, single-arm, a multicenter phase II trial on repeated MPA therapy for intrauterine recurrence following fertility-preserving therapy for AEH or stage IA (the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] 2008) non-myoinvasive endometrioid carcinoma grade 1. Patients are treated with oral MPA (500–600 mg/day).Pathologically assessment via dilation and curettage will be performed every 2 months until complete response. The major inclusion criteria are 1) intrauterine recurrence of AEH or stage IA (FIGO 2008) endometrioid carcinoma grade 1 without myometrial invasion or extrauterine spread confirmed by imaging tests after complete remission with the previous MPA therapy. 2) The number of recurrences should be up to twice. 3) histologically diagnosed as AEH or endometrioid carcinoma grade 1, 4) 20–42 years of age, and 5) strong desire and consent for fertility-sparing treatment. The primary endpoint is 2-year recurrence-free survival rate. A total of 115 patients will be enrolled from multiple institutions in Japan and Korea within 4 years and followed up for 2 years.

Background: Fertility preserving therapy using medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is an important option for young patients with endometrial cancer or atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH). However, the effectiveness and feasibility of repeated MPA therapy for patients with intrauterine recurrence following initial MPA therapy is controversial. Only a few single-institution retrospective studies have been conducted on repeated MPA therapy, therefore, multicenter prospective studies for repeated MPA therapy are highly needed.The aim of this study is to assess whether repeated MPA therapy is effective and feasible for patients with intrauterine recurrence following initial MPA therapy. Methods This is a prospective, single-arm, a multicenter phase II trial on repeated MPA therapy for intrauterine recurrence following fertility-preserving therapy for AEH or stage IA (the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics [FIGO] 2008) non-myoinvasive endometrioid carcinoma grade 1. Patients are treated with oral MPA (500–600 mg/day).Pathologically assessment via dilation and curettage will be performed every 2 months until complete response. The major inclusion criteria are 1) intrauterine recurrence of AEH or stage IA (FIGO 2008) endometrioid carcinoma grade 1 without myometrial invasion or extrauterine spread confirmed by imaging tests after complete remission with the previous MPA therapy. 2) The number of recurrences should be up to twice. 3) histologically diagnosed as AEH or endometrioid carcinoma grade 1, 4) 20–42 years of age, and 5) strong desire and consent for fertility-sparing treatment. The primary endpoint is 2-year recurrence-free survival rate. A total of 115 patients will be enrolled from multiple institutions in Japan and Korea within 4 years and followed up for 2 years.

The purpose of this study was to assess the negative effects of some factors on medicine-taking behavior. For the patients taking oral medication who visited a health insurance pharmacy, we enacted the actual situation of medication and conducted an attitude survey on the feeling of burden and resistance of taking the drugs. The survey also covered the factors that can influence medicine-taking behavior and the extent of the influence. For differences in each factor such as patient characteristics, lifestyle, and medication status, we used the 2 test to analyze the association with medicine-taking behavior. We found significant differences in age, dietary habits, occupation, periodic consultation with the pharmacy/doctor, and unpleasant experiences. In addition, in patients with multiple factors that cause noncompliance with medication, we observed a strong influence of age and occupation. From the factor analysis, we obtained data on time, quantity, and pharmaceutical factors (three factors called regular factors). These factors negatively influenced the use of medication by the patients. Next, in the covariance structure analysis, the influence of time and the quantity factor on medication-related stress was the observed to be the strongest, whereas the influence of the regular factors was not significant. Furthermore, there were differences in the influence of these factors depending on patient characteristics.

We set out to assess our treatment strategy of acute aortic dissection associated with atherosclerotic aortic aneurysm, and to assess its results. A total of 228 patients with acute aortic dissection were admitted to our hospital between 1994 and 2009. Among these, 30 cases were associated with atherosclerotic aortic aneurysm and we retrospectively analyzed their patient data. Of these, 5 patients received diagnoses of Stanford A dissection and 25 patients demonstrated Stanford B. Coexisting aneurysms consisted of postabdominal aortic replacement in 9 patients, ascending aortic aneurysm in 1, arch aortic aneurysm in 6, descending aortic aneurysm in 2, thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm in 3, and abdominal aortic aneurysm in 9. Patients were divided into 3 groups based on the relationship between aneurysm and dissection : acute aortic dissection occurred after graft replacement of an aortic aneurysm (Group 1, n=9), dissection coexisted with aneurysm in a different segment of the aorta (Group 2, n=8), and dissection extended to or involved the aneurysm (Group 3, n=13). Our treatment strategy for all patients excluding those with aortic rupture or malperfusion is described below. In the cases of Stanford A dissection, emergency ascending aortic replacement or total arch replacement was performed. In cases of Stanford B, patients were treated conservatively in the acute phase. Surgery for the coexisting aortic aneurysm was then performed in the chronic phase, if the aneurysm was large. We think that the interval between dissection onset and aneurysm surgery should be extended to at least 1 month, because the aortic wall was too fragile to perform anastomosis in the acute phase in the present cases. As a result, there were 2 hospital deaths in Group 3, but there was no aortic rupture during treatment in the acute phase in any of these 3 groups. There were no vascular-related deaths during follow up. Our treatment strategy obtained favorable outcomes.