著者
Masaru Suzuki Takuro Shimbo Toshiharu Ikaga Shingo Hori
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.81, no.8, pp.1144-1149, 2017-07-25 (Released:2017-07-25)
参考文献数
15
被引用文献数
18 23

Background:Bath-related sudden cardiac arrest frequently occurs in Japan, but the mortality data have not been sufficiently reported.Methods and Results:This prospective cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Tokyo Metropolis, Saga Prefecture and Yamagata Prefecture between October 2012 and March 2013 (i.e., in winter). We investigated the data for all occurrences in these areas for which the emergency medical system needed to be activated because of an accident or acute illness related to bathing. Emergency personnel enrolled the event when activation of the emergency medical system was related to bathing. Of the 4,599 registered bath-related events, 1,527 (33%) were identified as bath-related cardiac arrest events. Crude mortality (no. deaths per 100,000) during the observational period was 10.0 in Tokyo, 11.6 in Yamagata and 8.5 in Saga. According to the mortality data for age and sex, the estimated number of bath-related deaths nationwide was 13,369 in winter, for the 6 months from October (95% CI: 10,862–16,887). Most cardiac arrest events occurred in tubs filled with water with the face submerged in the water. This suggests that drowning plays a crucial role in the etiology of such phenomena.Conclusions:The estimated nationwide number of deaths was 13,369 (95% CI: 10,862–16,887) in winter, for the 6 months from October. Crude mortality during the winter season was 10.0 in Tokyo, 11.6 in Yamagata and 8.5 in Saga.
著者
Tatsuo Tokeshi Ayumi Date Hiroyuki Miura Leon Kumasaka Tetsuo Arakawa Kazuhiro Nakao Shigefumi Fukui Takuya Hasegawa Masanobu Yanase Michio Nakanishi Teruo Noguchi Satoshi Yasuda Yoichi Goto
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.CJ-22-0606, (Released:2023-02-17)
参考文献数
37
被引用文献数
3

Background: Whether the magnitude and predictors of improvement in exercise capacity after cardiac rehabilitation (CR) are the same between young-old (YO) and octogenarian (OCT) patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is unknown.Methods and Results: We studied 284 YO (age range 65–69 years; mean [±SD] 67±1 years) and 65 OCT (age range ≥80 years; mean [±SD] 83±2 years) patients who participated in a post-AMI CR program. After 3 months of CR, peak oxygen uptake (PV̇O2) measured during cardiopulmonary exercise testing improved significantly in both age groups (P<0.01), although the percentage increase in PV̇O2(%∆PV̇O2) was significantly smaller in the OCT than YO group (5.4±13.7% vs. 10.0±12.8%; P<0.01). Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that independent predictors of %∆PV̇O2were the number of outpatient CR (OPCR) sessions attended (P=0.015), left ventricular ejection fraction (P=0.028), and baseline PV̇O2(P=0.0007) in the YO group; and the number of sessions attended (P=0.018), atrial fibrillation (P=0.042), and the presence of nutritional risk (Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index ≤98; P=0.036) in the OCT group.Conclusions: The predictors of improvement in exercise capacity after CR differed between the YO and OCT patients with AMI. To obtain a greater improvement in PV̇O2in CR, frequent OPCR session attendance may be necessary in both groups; in addition, particularly in OCT patients, better nutritional status may be important.
著者
Shigeru Saito Seiji Yamazaki Akihiko Takahashi Atsuo Namiki Tomohiro Kawasaki Satoru Otsuji Shigeru Nakamura Yoshisato Shibata for the Disrupt CAD IV Investigators
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.85, no.6, pp.826-833, 2021-05-25 (Released:2021-05-25)
参考文献数
31
被引用文献数
2 58

Background:Intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) delivers acoustic pressure waves to modify calcium, enhance vessel compliance and optimize stent deployment. The objective of this study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of IVL treatment of de novo stenoses involving severely calcified coronary vessels in a Japanese population.Methods and Results:Disrupt CAD IV (NCT04151628) was a prospective, multicenter study designed for Japanese regulatory approval of coronary IVL (SWM-1234). The primary safety endpoint was freedom from major adverse cardiac events (MACE) at 30 days. The primary effectiveness endpoint was procedural success (residual stenosis <50% by QCA without in-hospital MACE). Noninferiority analyses for the primary endpoints were performed by comparing the CAD IV cohort with a propensity-matched historical IVL control group. Patients (intent-to-treat, n=64) were enrolled from 8 centers in Japan. Severe calcification by core laboratory assessment was present in all lesions, with a calcified length of 49.8±15.5 mm and a calcium angle of 257.9±78.4° by optical coherence tomography. Primary endpoints were achieved with non-inferiority demonstrated for freedom from 30-day MACE (CAD IV: 93.8% vs. Control: 91.2%, P=0.008), and procedural success (CAD IV: 93.8% vs. Control: 91.6%, P=0.007). No perforations, abrupt closures, or slow/no-reflow events occurred at any time during the procedures.Conclusions:Coronary IVL demonstrated high procedural success with low MACE rates in severely calcified lesions in a Japanese population.
著者
Hiroyuki Tsutsui Shin-ichi Momomura Akira Yamashina Hiroaki Shimokawa Yasuki Kihara Yoshihiko Saito Nobuhisa Hagiwara Hiroshi Ito Masafumi Yano Kazuhiro Yamamoto Junya Ako Takayuki Inomata Yasushi Sakata Takashi Tanaka Yasushi Kawasaki on behalf of the J-SHIFT Study Investigators
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.CJ-19-0227, (Released:2019-08-08)
参考文献数
18
被引用文献数
24 49

Background:Increased heart rate (HR) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular outcomes in chronic heart failure (HF). Ivabradine, anIfinhibitor, improved outcomes in patients with HF and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) in the SHIFT study. We evaluated its efficacy and safety in Japanese HFrEF patients in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III study: the J-SHIFT study. The main objective was to confirm a hazard ratio of <1 in the primary composite endpoint of cardiovascular death or hospital admission for worsening HF.Methods and Results:Patients with NYHA functional class II–IV, left ventricular EF ≤35%, and resting HR ≥75 beats/min in sinus rhythm under optimal medical therapy received ivabradine (n=127) or placebo (n=127). Mean reduction in resting HR was significantly greater in the ivabradine group (15.2 vs. 6.1 beats/min, P<0.0001). However, symptomatic bradycardia did not occur. A total of 26 (20.5%) patients in the ivabradine group and 37 (29.1%) patients in the placebo group had the primary endpoint event (hazard ratio 0.67, 95% CI 0.40–1.11, P=0.1179) during median follow-up of 589 days. Mild phosphenes were reported in 8 (6.3%) patients in the ivabradine group and 4 (3.1%) patients in the placebo group (P=0.3760).Conclusions:The J-SHIFT study supported the efficacy and safety of ivabradine for Japanese HFrEF patients, in accord with the SHIFT study.
著者
Tatsuya Nishikawa Takeshi Fujita Toshitaka Morishima Sumiyo Okawa Terutaka Hino Taku Yasui Wataru Shioyama Toru Oka Isao Miyashiro Masashi Fujita
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.CJ-20-1160, (Released:2021-02-17)
参考文献数
25
被引用文献数
9

Background:The effect of incidental pulmonary embolism (PE) on long-term prognosis in cancer patients is unclear. This study assessed the characteristics of cancer and venous thromboembolism (VTE) and the effect of incidental PE identified by oncologists on long-term survival of patients with cancer.Methods and Results:This single-center, retrospective, cohort study used hospital-based cancer registry data from the Osaka International Cancer Institute linked with electronic medical records and administrative data from Japan’s Diagnosis Procedure Combination Per-diem Payment System. Overall, 15,689 cancer patients underwent contrast-enhanced thoracic computed tomography during 2010–2018. After excluding patients with missing data, symptomatic patients, or patients with suspected PE, 174 with incidental PE (PE+ group) and 13,197 with no PE (PE− group) were identified. The total incidence of incidental PE was 1.3%. No deaths from thrombotic events were identified in the PE+ group. Both groups were adjusted for cancer- and VTE-related characteristics using inverse probability weighting. After adjusting for immortal time bias in the PE+ group, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that all-cause mortality was higher in the PE+ group (hazard ratio, 2.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.53–3.33). A Cox proportional hazard model revealed that metastatic cancer and a history of curative treatment were significant prognostic factors, whereas central PE and residual proximal deep vein thrombosis were not.Conclusions:Incidental PE in cancer patients indicates poorer prognosis. Cancer-related but not thrombosis-related factors determine prognosis.
著者
Takafumi Nakajima Makoto Murata Syogo Nitta Tatsunori Shitara Hiroko Kazama Yukiko Satoh Masayo Takizawa Akemi Mori Yasuyuki Kobayashi Hitoshi Adachi
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.CJ-20-1215, (Released:2021-06-22)
参考文献数
41
被引用文献数
7

Background:Many heart failure (HF) guidelines recommend sodium restriction for patients with HF, but the outcome of sodium restriction counseling (SRC) for HF patients is still unknown. We wanted to clarify whether SRC reduces cardiac events in patients with HF.Methods and Results:Overall, 800 patients (77±12 years) who were hospitalized for HF were enrolled. During HF hospitalization, patients received SRC; patients were required to have a salt intake of <6 g/day. After discharge, death or HF rehospitalization events were investigated. During a mean follow-up of 319±252 days, 83 patients died, and 153 patients were rehospitalized for HF. SRC significantly decreased all-cause death (odds ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.23–0.76; P<0.01), especially cardiac death of hospitalized HF patients after discharge. In the multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, SRC, body mass index, hypertension, dyslipidemia, β-blockers, and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist intake, cardiac rehabilitation, and the type of HF, SRC remained a significant predictor of death. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that SRC significantly reduced deaths and the combined outcome of HF rehospitalization and death. In patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, SRC significantly decreased the mortality rate (odds ratio, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.10–0.71; P<0.01).Conclusions:SRC reduced the mortality rate after discharge of hospitalized HF patients.
著者
Songren Shu Jie Ren Jiangping Song
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.CJ-20-1121, (Released:2021-04-22)
参考文献数
49
被引用文献数
15

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), as well as the arrival of the big data era, technological innovations have occurred in the field of cardiovascular medicine. First, the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is highly dependent on assistive examinations, the interpretation of which is time consuming and often limited by the knowledge level and clinical experience of doctors; however, AI could be used to automatically interpret the images obtained in auxiliary examinations. Second, some of the predictions of the incidence and prognosis of CVDs are limited in clinical practice by the use of traditional prediction models, but there may be occasions when AI-based prediction models perform well by using ML algorithms. Third, AI has been used to assist precise classification of CVDs by integrating a variety of medical data from patients, which helps better characterize the subgroups of heterogeneous diseases. To help clinicians better understand the applications of AI in CVDs, this review summarizes studies relating to AI-based diagnosis, prediction, and classification of CVDs. Finally, we discuss the challenges of applying AI to cardiovascular medicine.
著者
Christian-H. Heeger Huong-Lan Phan Roza Meyer-Saraei Thomas Fink Vanessa Sciacca Spyridon Liosis Ben Brüggemann Niels Große Bezhad Fahimi Makoto Sano Karl-Heinz Kuck Feifan Ouyang Julia Vogler Charlotte Eitel Roland Richard Tilz
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.CJ-19-0766, (Released:2019-11-09)
参考文献数
29
被引用文献数
22

Background:Radiofrequency (RF)-based pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) results in a favorable clinical outcome, although its complexity demands a long learning curve. Balloon-based systems have been developed to possibly solve these limitations. The 2nd-generation laser balloon (LB2) offers optimized features for improved tissue contact and visibility. We determined the safety, efficacy and learning curve of the LB2 for PVI.Methods and Results:A total of 45 consecutive patients (89% persistent AF) were prospectively enrolled and divided into 3 groups (T1, T2, T3) of n=15 patients per group. All patients underwent PVI by 2 operators using the LB2. The operators were experienced in RF and cryothermal procedures, but not in laser ablations. A total of 174/177 PVs (98%) were successfully isolated. The median procedure time significantly declined from 132 (114, 158) to 119 (102, 127) and 91 (86, 105) min in T1–3, respectively (P=0.0009). Similarly, the median fluoroscopy time significantly decreased from T1 to T3 (22 (17, 27) vs. 21 (16, 24) vs. 13 (10, 17) min, respectively, P=0.045). Adverse events occurred in 6.7%, with a trend towards a lower complication rate with increasing experience.Conclusions:The LB2 was safe and effective for PVI, even for operators without any previous experience in laser balloon-based PVI. Procedure time, left atrial dwelling time and fluoroscopy time decreased after a learning curve of 15 cases.
著者
Yoshiharu Kinugasa Masahiko Kato Shinobu Sugihara Masayuki Hirai Kensaku Yamada Kiyotaka Yanagihara Kazuhiro Yamamoto
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.77, no.3, pp.705-711, 2013 (Released:2013-02-25)
参考文献数
32
被引用文献数
92 208 15

Background: The clinical significance of nutritional risk assessment in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) remains undefined. Geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) is a simple nutritional assessment tool for elderly subjects. Its predictive value was evaluated in patients with HFpEF, a common HF phenotype in the elderly population. Methods and Results: The present study enrolled 152 consecutive patients (mean age, 77±11 years; male, 53.9%) who were hospitalized with HFpEF at the authors’ institution. GNRI on admission was calculated as follows: 14.89×serum albumin (g/dl)+41.7×body mass index/22. Characteristics and mortality (median follow-up of 2.1 years) were compared between 2 groups: low GNRI (<92) with moderate or severe nutritional risk; and high GNRI (≥92) with no or low nutritional risk. Patients in the low-GNRI group were more often female, and had lower serum hemoglobin and sodium, but higher serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN), C-reactive protein, and B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) compared to those in the high-GNRI group (P<0.05, respectively). Physical activity at discharge measured by Barthel index was significantly lower in the low-GNRI group than the high-GNRI group (P<0.05). On Cox hazard analysis, lower GNRI predicted increased mortality independent of age, gender, prior HF hospitalization, and higher BUN and BNP (P<0.01). Conclusions: GNRI may be useful for predicting functional dependency and mortality in patients with HFpEF.  (Circ J 2013; 77: 705–711)
著者
Kentaro Kamiya Takanobu Yamamoto Miyuki Tsuchihashi-Makaya Toshimi Ikegame Tetsuya Takahashi Yukihito Sato Norihiko Kotooka Yoshihiko Saito Hiroyuki Tsutsui Hiroaki Miyata Mitsuaki Isobe
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.CJ-19-0241, (Released:2019-06-11)
参考文献数
20
被引用文献数
70

Background:The purpose of this study was to clarify the implementation rate of multidisciplinary heart failure (HF) care and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in Japan, as well as the relationship between implementation rates and characteristics of the facility.Methods and Results:Survey participants were cardiologists who are members of the Japan Heart Failure Society and belonged to 1 of 845 medical institutions that are members of the Japan Heart Failure Society, as of April 2016. A total of 288 institutions (34.1%) returned the questionnaire. The percentages of hospitals implementing multidisciplinary HF care were 78.5% for inpatients and 32.6% for outpatients with HF. Inpatient and outpatient CR for HF had implementation rates of 80.4% and 56.5%, respectively. In addition, very few HF patients (7.3%, 3,741/51,323 patients) received outpatient CR. Both the presence of nurses certified in chronic HF care and registered CR instructors on staff were consistently associated with implementation of multidisciplinary HF care, and Japanese Circulation Society training hospitals, lower number of hospital beds, and presence of registered CR instructors on staff were consistently associated with implementation of CR.Conclusions:This first nationwide survey demonstrated that the implementation rates of multidisciplinary care and CR for HF, especially for outpatients, are low in Japan. Skilled healthcare professionals are expected to play important roles in the widespread implementation of this type of HF care in Japan.
著者
Eitaro Kodani Hiroshi Inoue Hirotsugu Atarashi Ken Okumura Takeshi Yamashita Hideki Origasa on behalf of the J-RHYTHM Registry Investigators
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.CJ-19-0267, (Released:2019-06-19)
参考文献数
34
被引用文献数
5

Background:Because the influence of digitalis use on the death of patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) remains controversial, a subanalysis of the J-RHYTHM Registry was performed.Methods and Results:A consecutive series of outpatients with AF from 158 institutions was enrolled and followed for 2 years or until the occurrence of an event. Among 7,406 patients with NVAF, 7,018 (age, 69.7±10.0 years; men, 71.1%) with information on antiarrhythmic drug and digitalis use at baseline were divided into 2 groups based on digitalis use. The influence of digitalis on death was investigated using a propensity score-matching model. In 802 patients treated with digitalis, all-cause death was significantly higher than in 6,216 patients with no digitalis use during the 2-year follow-up period (4.4% vs. 2.4%, unadjusted P<0.001). Digitalis use was significantly associated with all-cause death in the crude model (hazard ratio [HR] 1.85, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.28–2.68, P=0.001). However, after propensity score-matching, the association was not significant (HR 1.31, 95% CI 0.70–2.46, P=0.405). Older age, male sex, heart failure, coronary artery disease, and lower body mass index were significantly associated with all-cause death in NVAF patients treated with digitalis.Conclusions:Digitalis use was not independently associated with all-cause death, and several clinical confounding factors might contribute to increased mortality in NVAF patients treated with digitalis.
著者
Hong Li Qiang Liu Ningfu Wang Yizhou Xu Lan Kang Yaqi Ren Gangjie Zhu
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.CJ-17-1251, (Released:2018-07-10)
参考文献数
37
被引用文献数
18

Background:In a previous study, a low level of miR-126-3p in endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) was linked to the outcome of ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) patients. However, it remains unclear whether transplantation with miR-126-3p-overexpressing EPCs (MO-EPCs) can improve the cardiac function of ICM animal models.Methods and Results:miR-126-3p overexpression by lentiviral vector significantly increased migration and tube-like structures of EPCs from ICM patients. MO-EPCs or non-modified EPCs (NM-EPCs) were transplanted into nude rats with ICM induced by coronary artery ligation. MO-EPC transplantation increased capillary density and EPC survival rate in myocardial tissues of nude rats. Cytokines were also assessed by antibody array and real-time RT-PCR. G-CSF, VEGF-A, IL-3, IL-10, IGF-1, angiogenin, HGF, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were upregulated, and IL-8, MCP-1, MCP-2, TNF-α, TNF-β and MIP-1β were downregulated after miR-126-3p overexpression in EPCs. The same results were obtained in infarction tissues of nude rats after MO-EPC transplantation. Eight weeks after MO-EPC transplantation, left ventricular function improved significantly with clearly decreased infarction size, increased anterior wall thickness, and inhibition of inflammation compared with the results for NM-EPC transplantation. However, MO-EPC transplantation showed no increase in survival time of nude rats with ICM during 8 weeks of observation.Conclusions:miR-126-3p can restore the biology of EPCs from ICM patients. Moreover, MO-EPC transplantation improves cardiac function effectively, representing a promising future treatment for ICM.
著者
Takashi Kuragaichi Yuma Kurozumi Shogo Ohishi Yasuo Sugano Akihiro Sakashita Norihiko Kotooka Makoto Suzuki Taiki Higo Dai Yumino Yasuko Takada Seiko Maeda Saori Yamabe Koichi Washida Tomonori Takahashi Tomohito Ohtani Yasushi Sakata Yukihito Sato
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
pp.CJ-17-1305, (Released:2018-03-10)
参考文献数
45
被引用文献数
26

Background:Palliative care for heart failure (HF) patients is recommended in Western guidelines, so this study aimed to clarify the current status of palliative care for HF patients in Japan.Methods and Results:A survey was sent to all Japanese Circulation Society-authorized cardiology training hospitals (n=1,004) in August 2016. A total of 544 institutions (54%) returned the questionnaire. Of them, 527 (98%) answered that palliative care is necessary for patients with HF. A total of 227 (42%) institutions held a palliative care conference for patients with HF, and 79% of the institutions had <10 cases per year. Drug therapy as palliative care was administered at 403 (76%) institutions; morphine (87%) was most frequently used. Among sedatives, dexmedetomidine (33%) was administered more often than midazolam (29%) or propofol (20%). Regarding the timing of end-of-life care, most institutions (84%) reported having considered palliative care when a patient reached the terminal stage of HF. Most frequently, the reason for the decision at the terminal stage was “difficulty in discontinuing cardiotonics.” A major impediment to the delivery of palliative care was “difficulty predicting an accurate prognosis.”Conclusions:This large-scale survey showed the characteristics of palliative care for HF in Japan. The present findings may aid in the development of effective end-of-life care systems.
著者
Hiroyuki Tsutsui Hiroshi Ito Masafumi Kitakaze Issei Komuro Toyoaki Murohara Tohru Izumi Kenji Sunagawa Yoshio Yasumura Masafumi Yano Kazuhiro Yamamoto Tsutomu Yoshikawa Takayoshi Tsutamoto Junwei Zhang Akifumi Okayama Yoshihiko Ichikawa Kazuhiro Kanmuri Masunori Matsuzaki for the J-EMPHASIS-HF Study Group
出版者
The Japanese Circulation Society
雑誌
Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)
巻号頁・発行日
vol.82, no.1, pp.148-158, 2017-12-25 (Released:2017-12-25)
参考文献数
19
被引用文献数
23

Background:The mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist eplerenone improved clinical outcomes among patients with heart failure with reduced ejection faction (HFrEF) in the EMPHASIS-HF (Eplerenone in Mild Patients Hospitalization And SurvIval Study in Heart Failure) study. However, similar efficacy and safety have not been established in Japanese patients. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of eplerenone in patients with HFrEF in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled outcome study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01115855). The aim of the study was to evaluate efficacy predefined as consistency of the primary endpoint with that of EMPHASIS-HF at a point estimate of <1 for the hazard ratio.Methods and Results:HFrEF patients with NYHA functional class II–IV and an EF ≤35% received eplerenone (n=111) or placebo (n=110) on top of standard therapy for at least 12 months. The primary endpoint was a composite of death from cardiovascular causes or hospitalization for HF. The primary endpoint occurred in 29.7% of patients in the eplerenone group vs. 32.7% in the placebo group [hazard ratio=0.85 (95% CI: 0.53–1.36)]. Hospitalization for any cause and changes in plasma BNP and LVEF were favorable with eplerenone. A total of 17 patients (15.3%) in the eplerenone group and 10 patients (9.1%) in the placebo group died. Adverse events, including hyperkalemia, were similar between the groups.Conclusions:Eplerenone was well-tolerated in Japanese patients with HFrEF and showed results consistent with those reported in the EMPHASIS-HF study.