Japan's former Emperor Akihito hospitalized to get new treatment for heart condition
Akihito was diagnosed in May with myocardial ischemia, an asymptomatic heart condition of reduced blood flow from the coronary arteries to the heart muscle. He has since been on medication to improve blood flow to his heart while avoiding excessive exercise and reducing liquid intake.
Akihito abdicated in 2019, handing over the Chrysanthemum Throne to his son, current Emperor Naruhito and now holds the title of Emperor Emeritus.
After two months on the medication, doctors found little improvement in Akinito's condition and decided to give him an additional treatment to alleviate the burden on his heart, the Imperial Household Agency said.
Monday's hospitalization was to carefully determine the right dose of the new medication to avoid side effects, while monitoring his heart by electrocardiogram and other examination, the IHA said.
In 2012, Akihito underwent a coronary artery bypass surgery. Three years ago, he was diagnosed with right heart failure caused by tricuspid valve insufficiency.
Akihito was seen in the back seat of a palace car, wearing a white surgical mask and accompanied by his wife, Empress Emerita Michiko, as he was taken to the hospital.
Palace officials said they couldn't say how long Akihito would have to be hospitalized.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Divamics' AI and Molecular Dynamics Platform Powers Breakthroughs in Metabolic Disease Drug Discovery for Partners
SUZHOU, China, July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Divamics, a pioneer in AI-driven drug discovery, highlighted its critical role in advancing metabolic disease therapeutics through its advanced AI and molecular dynamics(MD) platform. This powerful platform recently supported the successful design of BGM1812, a novel dual AMY3R/CTR receptor agonist for obesity treatment, as published in the July 2025 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. This achievement underscores Divamics' consistent ability to empower its partners in accelerating their drug discovery pipelines. AI-Powered Efficiency & Precision in Collaborative Drug Discovery Divamics' platform proved instrumental in optimizing peptide interactions to achieve superior receptor binding for BGM1812. Preclinical studies demonstrated that BGM1812 achieved an optimized in vitro potency, registering a 50% increase in effect, alongside superior in vivo efficacy, including significant weight loss and an improved metabolic profile. Mechanistic Breakthroughs Enabled by Divamics' AI and Molecular Dynamics Divamics' platform enables a deep, mechanistic understanding of drug-receptor interactions at an atomic level. For instance, the mutation of Ile(Me)24 to Gly(Me)24 led to enhanced anti-aggregation properties. Further AI-guided MD simulations revealed how hydrophobic residues form a crucial "hydrophobic cage" with receptor, stabilizing the molecule. Strategic alpha-carbon methylation of these residues, precisely guided by Divamics' AI, ultimately yielded BGM1812, showcasing the platform's capacity to pinpoint and validate subtle yet critical structural enhancements that drive therapeutic efficacy for collaborative projects. Validated Track Record in Empowering Drug Discovery With its instrumental contribution to two successful candidates—BGM1812 and BGM0504 (in Phase III clinical trials since 2024)—Divamics' AI and molecular dynamics technology has proven its deep expertise in supporting the advancement of metabolic disease therapeutics. The iterative success in these collaborative projects highlights the platform's potential to re-imagine drug discovery, enabling partners to deliver high-quality leads with unprecedented efficiency. "Our collaboration with partners like Brightgene, leading to the publication of BGM1812 in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry and the advancement of BGM0504 into Phase III, establishes Divamics' AI and MD platform as a powerful engine for drug discovery in metabolic disease," said Dr. John Zheng, CEO of Divamics. "The consistent success our technology brings to these collaborative efforts is not just accelerating the pace of discovery; it's redefining how our partners can approach previously 'undruggable' targets and bring high-potential therapeutic leads to the clinic." Divamics remains committed to providing its cutting-edge AI and MD capabilities to advance the global drug development landscape. Reference View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Divamics Inc. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Brown Rice vs. White Rice: Nutrition Experts Reveal Which Is Actually Better for You
Brown rice packs more fiber and nutrients than white rice, supporting gut health, stable energy, and overall wellness. White rice digests faster and spikes blood sugar more, but can still fit into a healthy diet when paired with fiber- or protein-rich foods. Though it has a slightly different taste and texture, brown rice can be an easy, nutritious swap for white rice in many has been a culinary staple for thousands of years across cultures all over the world, especially in countries like China, India, Japan, and South Korea. But this grain's popularity has since gone global with this grain taking up permanent residence in many pantries across America. Historically, white rice has been the traditional choice, however, brown rice has become a go-to choice as well, with particular thanks to its reputation for having more health benefits than white rice. But what are the nutritional advantages of brown rice compared to white rice? How do white and brown rice differ from one another, and how do those differences impact our health (if at all)? Is it really 'healthier' to swap white rice for brown rice when ordering takeout or deciding what to make for dinner? It's time to unpack all your burning rice nutrition questions. Related: A Guide to the 10 Best Types of Rice, and How to Cook With Them How do these rice relatives differ on a physical and nutritional basis? 'Physically, white rice contains just one part of the usual rice grain anatomy due to a refining process that removes two key parts of whole rice grain,' explains clinical dietitian Caitlin Carr, MS, RD. Whole grains, including whole rice grains (aka brown rice), consist of three structures, or layers—the bran, germ, and endosperm. White rice is made by stripping the bran and germ from brown rice leaving behind its starchy core, the endosperm. This yields some important nutritional differences between the two rice varieties. In two-thirds of a cup, brown rice contains about two grams of fiber whereas white rice contains only about 0.5 grams. Additionally, 'brown rice has more essential minerals like manganese, phosphorus, selenium, and magnesium, along with B-vitamins such as niacin and folate when compared, per cup, to white rice,' Carr says. Brown rice is also a good source of plant compounds like flavonoids. These additional phytonutrients found in brown rice help to support better gut, bone, heart, immune, and metabolic health. 'Because of its fiber content, brown rice is a complex carbohydrate, while white rice is a simple carbohydrate. This means that brown rice takes a little longer to digest than white rice,' Carr explains. The increased digestion time of brown rice provides more stable energy levels and also has a positive impact on blood sugars through a more gradual rise and decline in sugar levels. This benefit is particularly significant for those with metabolic concerns like type 2 diabetes, as it can make blood sugar management easier. 'Brown rice also contains soluble fiber, which is beneficial for maintaining bowel regularity, lowering cholesterol levels, and feeding our gut microbiome,' Carr says. 'When the microorganisms in the gut microbiome metabolize soluble fiber, they produce short-chain fatty acids that are absorbed by the gut lining, beginning a cascade of events that are suggested to lower inflammation and oxidative stress throughout the body.' This benefit is part of the reason why a thriving gut microbiome is linked to better immune, gut, and brain health, among other impressive benefits. As we've already started to see, white rice doesn't quite measure up nutritionally to brown rice due it's lower fiber and micronutrient content. White rice's lower fiber content also equates to a higher score on the glycemic index, a scale to measure how quickly a given food will elevate blood sugars. This index ranks foods on a scale of zero to 100, where the higher the score, the more rapidly a food gets digested in the body, and the more quickly our blood sugars spike. As a refined, or simple, carbohydrate, white rice has a glycemic index of 70 while brown rice measures in at 50. Because of this, very frequent white rice consumption may put us at increased risk for type 2 diabetes, per a 2019 review. This is not to say, however, that white rice can't be part of a balanced, healthy diet—especially when it's eaten accompanied by healthy, high-fiber and high-protein sources. 'Brown and white rice are both naturally gluten-free and low-FODMAP foods,' Carr notes, 'For individuals with celiac and/or trialing a temporary elimination diet for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), rice [of either variety] may be a good carbohydrate option to include in their meal plans.' The eating experience between these two grains is similar, and they're typically easy to substitute for one another—however, there are some notable differences. White rice tends to offer a softer texture and more neutral, mild taste. Brown rice, on the other hand, has a chewier texture and nuttier flavor. These differences can take some getting used to if white rice has always been your go-to, but that doesn't preclude brown rice from being an equally delicious swap-out for white rice in most recipes. White rice is a delicious, traditional, and nostalgic comfort food for many of us, but when you dig into the nutritional details, there's no denying that brown rice has a leg up in terms of beneficial fiber, micronutrients, and plant compounds. And while white rice enjoyed in moderation can still fit into a healthy, balanced lifestyle, substituting it for brown rice every so often can definitely provide in some wholesome benefits. 'I love that both white and brown rice are affordable sources of carbohydrates that can be utilized in so many dishes, made in batches, and stored easily,' Carr says. Some tasty ways to enjoy rice, both white or brown, include stir-fries, fried rice, sushi, curry, rice and beans, rice pilaf, jambalaya, baked rice, soups, chicken and rice dishes, and stews. Related: The 15 Healthiest Grains to Eat, According to a Nutrition Expert Read the original article on Real Simple
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
From soy sauce to science: Remission Biotech joins NextShark Ventures to advance cancer research
[Source] NextShark Ventures is proud to welcome Remission Biotech as the latest addition to its portfolio of companies redefining the future of wellness and culturally rooted innovation. Remission Biotech is a nature-first biotechnology company dedicated to skin health and next-generation research into fungal-based wellness and cancer science. Founded by Ken Koh, third-generation leader of the iconic Nanyang Sauce, Remission Biotech continues a legacy of time-honored fermentation expertise passed down since 1959. Koh's work in fermentation first gained international attention when studies revealed that Nanyang Sauce's naturally brewed soy sauce contained significant antioxidant and anti-aging properties. Inspired by this discovery, Koh launched KITKOJI, a fermented skincare brand whose name combines 'koji' (the traditional fermentation mold) with 'Kit,' his daughter's name. Kitkoji quickly built a loyal following across Asia for its gentle, microbiome-friendly products. Trending on NextShark: But what began as skincare soon revealed a far greater potential. In 2023, a customer in Australia contacted Koh with an unexpected message: after using Kitkoji's products, the melanoma spots on his skin had disappeared. Taken aback, Koh saw this as more than a coincidence — it was a call to investigate further. Motivated by the possibility of scientific merit, he approached the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) to explore what might be happening on a cellular level. This moment would set Kitkoji and Koh on a bold new path: cancer research. Trending on NextShark: 'Our past started in the kitchen, but the future is taking us to the frontiers of cancer research,' said Ken Koh, CEO of Remission Biotech and KITKOJI. 'At Remission Biotech, we've always believed that Mother Nature holds answers to questions we've barely begun to understand. This collaboration with NextShark Ventures gives us the platform to share our research and purpose with a broader global audience—while staying true to our roots in heritage fermentation and holistic wellness. Together, we are bridging heritage and healing.' In May 2022, KITKOJI signed a formal research collaboration agreement with the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) to explore the use of fungal metabolites—bioactive molecules produced during fermentation—for cancer therapy development. The agreement is conducted through the Cancer Discovery Hub at NCCS. Early lab tests showed that KITKOJI's proprietary extract, 'Extract K,' exhibited promising anti-cancer effects against 25 different cancers, including breast, lung, gastrointestinal, and blood cancers. The extract also demonstrated efficacy in xenograft models and led to the identification of novel compounds potentially responsible for tumor cell death. Trending on NextShark: 'I never imagined soy sauce would lead me here,' said Koh. 'Whether in food or wellness, I've always believed nature knows best. This research is still in early stages, but the potential is beyond what we ever envisioned.' The joint research focuses on the cancer mycobiome—the fungal ecosystem within and around tumors. By exploring how fungal-derived compounds influence cancer progression, the goal is to identify lead compounds that could form the basis of future treatments. 'These findings not only validate the anti-proliferative potential of Extract K but also highlight the immense opportunity within fungal metabolites as a new class of cancer therapeutics,' said Koh. 'This collaboration exemplifies Singapore's growing capabilities in biomedical innovation, combining KITKOJI's expertise in fungal fermentation with NCCS's world-class cancer research.' Trending on NextShark: The project, jointly funded by KITKOJI and NCCS, is scheduled to run for 12 months. If successful, it could lead to clinical trials and contribute significantly to global cancer treatment options. 'We are pleased to extend our partnership with KITKOJI and hope to bring innovative new therapies to patients with cancer,' said Asst Prof Jason Chan, Director at the Cancer Discovery Hub at NCCS. 'This extended collaboration reflects our shared vision to translate scientific discovery into tangible clinical outcomes.' Remission Biotech was born out of this ongoing mission for cancer therapeutic discovery from mycobiota fermentation. Trending on NextShark: Its first product is the world's first spray-on herbal remedy formula designed for sensitive and sun-exposed skin. The product is gaining traction across Asia and globally for its gentle, non-invasive approach rooted in microbiome harmony. 'We're not here to overpromise—we're here to explore,' said Koh. 'Remission is about staying curious and grounded in what nature might still teach us.' For NextShark Ventures, Remission Biotech reflects its core mission: supporting founder-led, culturally driven companies that bridge tradition with innovation. From soy sauce to biotech, and skincare to oncology, Remission Biotech is a rare example of authentic heritage unlocking global scientific impact. 'This partnership is deeply personal for me,' said Benny Luo, Founder and CEO of NextShark. 'I lost my grandmother to cancer in 2021, and I haven't been the same since. I've watched too many friends and loved ones confront this disease head-on. Supporting Remission Biotech isn't just a business decision—it's a commitment to exploring the kinds of healing we need more of in this world. I believe in what Ken is building, and I'm proud to stand behind a vision that bridges tradition, science, and hope.' Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today!
