Kenji Takemoto

Atorvastatin 10 mg plus ezetimibe 10 mg compared with atorvastatin 20 mg: Impact on the lipid profile in Japanese patients with abnormal glucose tolerance and coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is a sensitive lipid marker for predicting atherosclerosis. Ezetimibe and statins are reported to decrease both LDL cholesterol and oxidized LDL cholesterol. This prospective randomized open-label crossover study compared combination therapy with atorvastatin plus ezetimibe versus high-dose atorvastatin monotherapy. Changes in serum lipids, including malondialdehyde-modified LDL (MDA-LDL) as a representative form of oxidized LDL cholesterol, and glucose metabolism were assessed. METHODS AND RESULTS The subjects were 39 Japanese patients with coronary artery disease and type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance who were taking 10 mg/day of atorvastatin (30 men and 9 women with a mean age of 67.8 years). They were randomized to a group that first received add-on ezetimibe (10 mg/day) or a group that first received atorvastatin monotherapy at a higher dose of 20 mg/day. Both treatments were given for 12 weeks each in a crossover fashion. Add-on ezetimibe significantly decreased MDA-LDL (109.0 ± 31.9 mg/dl to 87.7 ± 29.4 mg/dl, p=0.0009), while up-titration of atorvastatin did not. The decrease with add-on ezetimibe was significantly greater than with up-titration of atorvastatin (p=0.0006). Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were significantly decreased by both treatments, but the percent reduction with add-on ezetimibe was significantly greater (p<0.05). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly increased by both treatments and there was no significant difference between them. The apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A-I ratio and remnant-like particle cholesterol were only significantly decreased by add-on ezetimibe. Both treatments caused similar elevation of hemoglobin A(1c). CONCLUSION In Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance and coronary artery disease, adding ezetimibe (10 mg/day) to atorvastatin (10 mg/day) significantly improved the lipid profile compared with atorvastatin monotherapy at 20 mg/day.

Elevation of red blood cell distribution width during hospitalization predicts mortality in patients with acute decompensated heart failure

BACKGROUND Increased red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with adverse outcomes in heart failure. In the present study, we assessed the association between changes in RDW values during hospitalization and long-term prognosis in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). METHODS We measured the RDW value in 229 consecutive patients with ADHF. Blood samples were obtained at the time of hospital admission and at discharge. Changes in RDW were calculated as the mean difference between RDW values on admission and those at the time of hospital discharge. RESULTS Patients were followed up for a median of 692 days. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that patients whose RDW levels increased during hospitalization had significantly higher all-cause and cardiac-based mortality following heart failure than did patients whose RDW levels decreased during hospitalization. A multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that change in RDW values during hospitalization, but not the values of RDW and hemoglobin on admission, was independently correlated with all-cause and cardiac-based mortality after adjusting for other risk factors in patients with ADHF. CONCLUSIONS These data document that the change in RDW values during hospitalization independently predicts poor outcomes in patients with ADHF. Continuous follow-up of RDW values could provide useful information for long-term prognosis after heart failure.

Safety and Efficacy of Long-Term Use of Tolvaptan in Patients With Heart Failure and Chronic Kidney Disease

BACKGROUND We assessed the long-term safety and efficacy of tolvaptan in 102 patients with heart failure (HF) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Median follow-up duration was 1.6 years (1.0-4.4 years).Methods and Results:One patient discontinued tolvaptan because of hypernatremia. There were no changes in renal function or electrolytes during the 1-year follow-up. The cardiac-related death-free or HF-related hospitalization-free survival rate was significantly higher in patients receiving tolvaptan than in propensity score-matched patients who did not receive tolvaptan. CONCLUSIONS In patients with HF and CKD, long-term administration of tolvaptan was well-tolerated, relatively safe and effective, suggesting its utility for long-term management of these conditions.

Early Spontaneous Remission of Intramyocardial Dissecting Hematoma

Intramyocardial dissecting hematoma is a rare but potentially fatal complication of myocardial infarction. The decision to adopt a surgical or conservative strategy may depend on the clinical and hemodynamic stability of patients. Regardless, the precise and temporal assessment of the structure of hematoma is imperative. We herein report the first case of a patient with early spontaneous remission of intramyocardial dissecting hematoma successfully managed by a conservative approach with multimodality imaging.