Society

Empress Emerita Michiko to undergo heart exam

Jun 08 (NHK) - Japan's Imperial Household Agency says Empress Emerita Michiko will undergo a heart exam in the coming days after a blood test showed a higher risk of heart failure.

The 84-year-old Empress Emerita had the blood test earlier this week as part of regular medical checkups. It showed an increased level of a cardiac hormone called BNP.

BNP levels are often used as a marker for diagnosing heart failure.

They rise in response to a decline in cardiac function or an abnormal increase in the burden on the heart.

In 2015, then Empress Michiko underwent comprehensive tests at the University of Tokyo Hospital after she showed signs of myocardial ischemia, a condition in which there is insufficient blood flow to some parts of the heart.

Doctors found she had relatively minor narrowing in her coronary arteries due to arteriosclerosis.

Agency officials say the Empress Emerita will undergo the heart exam at the Imperial Household Hospital.

From next Tuesday, the Empress Emerita is set to visit Kyoto, accompanying Emperor Emeritus Akihito as part of his abdication rituals. The itinerary includes a visit to the mausoleum of Emperor Meiji.

The officials say they are not considering any change to her schedule at the moment, and that they will announce the results of the heart exam early next week.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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