Practical Implications of the Update to the 2015 Japan Standard Population: Mortality Archive From 1950 to 2020 in Japan.

BACKGROUND: The 2015 Japan Standard Population (JSP) was established in response to changes in the age structure. However, the effects of major updates, especially the recategorization of older age groups, for interpreting various health metrics have not been clarified. METHODS: Population data were collected and estimated for older age categories (85-89, 90-94, and ≥95 years). Data on the number of deaths were also collected from the Vital Statistics. We recalculated the all-cause and leading cause-specific age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) using the 2015 JSP by the direct standardization method for data from 1950 to 2020. We compared ASMRs calculated using the 2015 JSP with those calculated using the 1985 JSP. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the consistency of mortality trends between the 2015 and 1985 JSPs. RESULTS: The absolute all-cause ASMRs calculated using the 2015 JSP were 2.22-3.00 times higher than those calculated using the 1985 JSP. The ASMR ratios increased gradually over time. While trends in all-cause and cause-specific ASMRs calculated using the 2015 JSP and 1985 JSP were generally highly correlated (Pearson's correlation coefficient [r] = 0.993 for all-cause), correlations were relatively low for malignant neoplasms (r = 0.720 for men and r = 0.581 for women) and pneumonia/bronchitis (r = 0.543 for men and r = 0.559 for women) due to non-monotonous trends over time and fluctuations in earlier time periods. CONCLUSION: The effect of introducing the new JSP for interpreting trends in all-cause mortality was considered minimal. However, caution is needed when interpreting trends in some cause-specific mortality rates.

Trends in cervical cancer incidence and mortality of young and middle adults in Japan.

In most high-resource countries with organized screening programs, the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer is decreasing. Recent statistics have also revealed a reduction in invasive cervical cancer incidence as a result of national vaccination programs. Paradoxically, cervical cancer incidence has increased in Japan, particularly amongst women of reproductive age. This study aimed to examine the trends in cervical cancer incidence and mortality for young and middle adult women in Japan, by analyzing trends in 10-year interval age-groups. Cervical cancer incidence for young and middle adult women (ages 20-59 years) was obtained from high-quality population-based cancer registries in three prefectures from 1985 to 2015. National cancer mortality data were obtained from published vital statistics from 1985 to 2019. Trends in crude and age-standardized rates (ASR) were analyzed using Joinpoint regression. The cervical cancer incidence trend in 20-59-year-old women combined significantly increased over the observation period. Both crude and ASR increased from 1985 to 2015 with an annual percent change (APC) of +1.6% (95% confidence interval, 1.1, 2.1) and +1.7% (1.2, 2.3), respectively. Similar increases were seen in ages 20-29, 30-39, and 40-49 years with higher APCs especially in 20s and 30s. Both crude and ASR mortality significantly increased after the early 1990s in ages 20-59 years combined. Based on the recognition that current cervical cancer control strategies in Japan have not been effective in reducing the cervical cancer burden in young and middle adults, promotion of screening and vaccination should be urgently strengthened.

Double figure-of-eight reconstruction technique for chronic anterior sternoclavicular joint dislocation.

Sternoclavicular joint dislocations account for <5 % of all dislocations of the shoulder girdle. Whereas most cases of anterior dislocation do not experience symptoms, some patients with anterior instability remain symptomatic and require reconstructive surgery to stabilize the sternoclavicular joint. We present the case of a 57-year-old male diagnosed with sternoclavicular joint anterior dislocation and unusual swallowing difficulty while bending the neck forward. The patient was treated using a new and effective surgical technique of sternoclavicular joint reconstruction named "double figure-of-eight" using the ipsilateral gracilis tendon. Surgical outcome was successful, based on the Rockwood SC joint rating scale, and the patient maintained excellent stability even after 2 years. This new surgical technique offers superior stability, without harvest site morbidity, to patients with rare, severe, and chronic sternoclavicular joint dislocation. Level of evidence IV.

[Liver injury and hepatic encephalopathy induced by the herbal medicine Hochuekkito].

A 57-year-old man was admitted with pruritus and jaundice following treatment for fatigue with the herbal medicine Hochuekkito. The patient was prescribed prednisolone and ursodeoxycholic acid, but he developed progressive cholestasis that required intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy. After treatment with plasma exchange for prolonged prothrombin time, the patient recovered; however, his liver function deteriorated because of liver injury induced by trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for pneumocystis pneumonia. After reduction of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, his liver function almost returned to normal by day 130 of admission. It has remained normal for 10 months since then. Therefore, when prescribing Hochuekkito, the possibility of drug-induced liver injury should be taken in account.