Relationships of alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) genotypes with alcohol sensitivity, drinking behavior and problem drinking in Japanese older men.

OBJECTIVES: Many East Asians have the genetic polymorphisms rs1229984 in alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B) and rs671 in aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2). Here we analyzed the relationships of the two genotypes with alcohol sensitivity, drinking behavior and problem drinking among older and younger men living in rural areas of Japan. METHODS: The subjects were 718 Japanese men aged 63.3 ± 10.8 (mean ± SD), categorized into the older (≥65 years, n = 357) and younger (<65 years, n = 361) groups. Facial flushing frequency, drinking behavior and positive CAGE results were compared among the genotypes using Bonferroni-corrected χ(2) test and a multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, BMI and lifestyle factors. RESULTS: The frequency of 'always' facial flushing among the ADH1B*1/*2 carriers was significantly lower than that among the ADH1B*2/*2 carriers in the older group (P < 0.01). The alcohol consumption (unit/day) in the ADH1B*1/*2 carriers tended to be higher compared with that in the ADH1B*2/*2 carriers among the older group (P = 0.050). In the younger group, no significant differences in alcohol sensitivity and drinking habits were generally found among the ADH1B genotypes. The ADH1B*1/*1 genotype tended to be positively associated with problem drinking in the older group (P = 0.080) but not in the younger group. The ALDH2 genotypes consistently and strongly affected the alcohol sensitivity, drinking behavior and problem drinking in both the younger and older group. CONCLUSIONS: We for the first time observed a significant difference in alcohol sensitivity between ADH1B*1/*2 and ADH1B*2/*2 in older men aged 65 and above.

Multiple regression analysis for grading and prognosis of cubital tunnel syndrome: assessment of Akahori's classification.

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate Akahori's preoperative classification of cubital tunnel syndrome. We analyzed the results for 57 elbows that were treated by a simple decompression procedure from 1997 to 2004. The relationship between each item of Akahori's preoperative classification and clinical stage was investigated based on the parameter distribution. We evaluated Akahori's classification system using multiple regression analysis, and investigated the association between the stage and treatment results. The usefulness of the regression equation was evaluated by analysis of variance of the expected and observed scores. In the parameter distribution, each item of Akahori's classification was mostly associated with the stage, but it was difficult to judge the severity of palsy. In the mathematical evaluation, the most effective item in determining the stage was sensory conduction velocity. It was demonstrated that the established regression equation was highly reliable (R = 0.922). Akahori's preoperative classification can also be used in postoperative classification, and this classification was correlated with postoperative prognosis. Our results indicate that Akahori's preoperative classification is a suitable system. It is reliable, reproducible and well-correlated with the postoperative prognosis. In addition, the established prediction formula is useful to reduce the diagnostic complexity of Akahori's classification.

Lung function and blood markers of nutritional status in non-COPD aging men with smoking history: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Cigarette smoking and advanced age are well known as risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and nutritional abnormalities are important in patients with COPD. However, little is known about the nutritional status in non-COPD aging men with smoking history. We therefore investigated whether reduced lung function is associated with lower blood markers of nutritional status in those men. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This association was examined in a cross-sectional study of 65 Japanese male current or former smokers aged 50 to 80 years: 48 without COPD (non-COPD group), divided into tertiles according to forced expiratory volume in one second as percent of forced vital capacity (FEV(1)/FVC), and 17 with COPD (COPD group). RESULTS: After adjustment for potential confounders, lower FEV(1)/FVC was significantly associated with lower red blood cell count (RBCc), hemoglobin, and total protein (TP); not with total energy intake. The difference in adjusted RBCc and TP among the non-COPD group tertiles was greater than that between the bottom tertile in the non-COPD group and the COPD group. CONCLUSION: In non-COPD aging men with smoking history, trends toward reduced nutritional status and anemia may independently emerge in blood components along with decreased lung function even before COPD onset.

A handle electrode system for measuring heart rate while riding a bicycle.

In this paper, a handle-electrode system is proposed for obtaining the heart rate of a user while riding a bicycle. The system was designed to measure the user's heart rate by only gripping the handle of a bicycle. Three electrodes made from conductive cloth were adhered to the handle. A method detecting heart-rate from the obtained electrocardiogram was also proposed. To assess the applicability of the proposed system, a simple experiment was performed. The experiment was performed in four conditions of road surfaces; lawn, asphalt, a tiled, and an uneven road. Experimental result suggests that the proposed system can be useful for obtaining R waves while riding a bicycle.

Radiological follow-up study of rheumatoid wrists after radio-lunate limited arthrodesis with ulnar head resection.

Radio-lunate limited arthrodesis (RLA) is an established surgical intervention for damaged rheumatoid arthritis (RA) wrists. The goal of RLA is to conserve the range of motion (ROM) and level of activities of daily life (ADL) by delaying more extensive fusion. In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the outcome of RLA with ulnar head resection (UHR) in terms of pain score, ROM, and radiographic parameters, including carpal height ratio, ulnar translation ratio, and palmar subluxation. The clinical factors, such as dose of corticosteroids per day and laboratory examination data before surgery, including C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and rheumatoid factor (RF), did not influence the results of the surgery. The changes in these clinical factors were also statistically analyzed in relation to the Schulthess classification of preoperative radiographs of wrists reported by Simmen and Huber: Type I (ankylosis type), Type II (osteoarthritis type), and Type III (disintegration type). This study hypothesized that RLA with UHR would provide no significant improvement in Type III wrists. The results showed that RLA with UHR resulted in stable wrists with excellent pain relief and with limited, but temporary, functional ROM, suggesting that this procedure seems to be applicable for all types of wrists within this group of patients.