Hemodialysis patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) experience blood glucose fluctuations owing to insulin removal. We evaluated the effects of single and long-term application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) during hemodialysis on glycemic control. This trial was conducted in two stages: Stage 1, following a crossover design and 4 week washout period, eleven outpatients with DKD either underwent a single bout of NMES for 30 min (NMES period) or rested (control period) after receiving nutritional support during hemodialysis; Stage 2, following a crossover design and 4 week washout period, each participant received the intervention for 12 weeks. NMES was administered for 30 min at the maximum tolerable intensity. The mean subcutaneous glucose concentration and mean amplitude of glycemic excursion (MAGE) were determined by flash glucose monitoring for 24 h. Changes in glycoalbumin and MAGE before and after NMES initiation were evaluated. The mean blood glucose level and MAGE after a single bout of NMES were significantly lower than those after rest. Glycoalbumin levels and echo intensity of the rectus femoris tended to decrease, but not significantly by ANOVA due to a lack in statistical power after the dropout of three patients. NMES in end-stage DKD decreased blood glucose levels during and after hemodialysis.

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation has been used to treat cardiovascular diseases and other types of muscular dysfunction. A novel whole-body neuromuscular electrical stimulation (WB-NMES) wearable device may be beneficial when combined with voluntary exercises. This study aimed to investigate the safety and effects of the WB-NMES on hemodynamics, arrhythmia, and sublingual microcirculation. The study included 19 healthy Japanese volunteers, aged 22–33 years, who were not using any medication. Electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiography, and blood sampling were conducted before a 20-min WB-NMES session and at 0 and 10 min after termination of WB-NMES. Their tolerable maximum intensity was recorded using numeric rating scale. Arrhythmia was not detected during neuromuscular electrical stimulation or during 10 min of recovery. Blood pressure, heart rate, left ventricular ejection fraction, and diastolic function remained unchanged; however, mild mitral regurgitation was transiently observed during WB-NMES in a single male participant. A decrease in blood glucose and an increase in blood lactate levels were observed, but no changes in blood fluidity, sublingual microcirculation, blood levels of noradrenaline, or oxidative stress were shown. WB-NMES is safe and effective for decreasing blood glucose and increasing blood lactate levels without changing the blood fluidity or microcirculation in healthy people.

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Background: Sedentary behavior may be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events. This study aimed to clarify the effects of extended sedentary time in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) on the risk of all-cause death and new events. Methods and Results:A prospective cohort study was performed over 39 months. The study included 173 patients with DKD who completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) (101 men; mean age, 71±11 years); 37 patients (21.4%) were diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD). New events were defined as all-cause death, cerebral stroke, or CVD requiring hospitalization or commencing hemodialysis (HD). Data were analyzed using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model with variables, including sedentary time. There were 34 cases of new events during the observation period, including 4 cases of stroke, 20 cases of CVD, 4 cases of HD implementation, and 6 cases of death. Hazard ratio (HR) calculations for the new event onset group identified sedentary time as a significant independent variable. The independent variable that was identified as a significant predictor of new events was the sedentary time (60 min/day; HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.05-1.45, P=0.012). Conclusions:Extended sedentary time increased the risk of new cardiovascular or renal events and/or all-cause death in patients with DKD.

Patients with coronary spastic angina (CSA) are often younger and exhibit fewer classic cardiovascular risk factors except for smoking [1]. In general, patients with CSA who respond to calcium channel blockers have a good prognosis; consequently, the 5-yearsurvival rate of CSA is more than 90% [2,3]. In a Japanese registry study including 1429 patients with CSA [4], 5.9% reached the primary major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) combined endpoint [cardiac death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina, heart failure, or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) shock] during a median follow-up of 32 months [4]. Patients with CSA who have obstructive coronary artery disease have a poorer prognosis [4,5]. Here, we present three cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) likely due to coronary spasm in the presence of nonobstructive coronary artery disease in men older than 65 years. We consider the prognosis of elderly CSA patients and the association of CSA with OHCA.