
Emperor emeritus to be hospitalized for heart tests
The Imperial Household Agency announced Monday that Emperor Emeritus Akihito will be hospitalized on Tuesday for examination after being diagnosed with a high possibility of myocardial ischemia.
According to the agency, the emperor emeritus, 91, underwent a regular checkup at the Imperial Household Agency Hospital in mid-April, and was found to have symptoms suggesting myocardial ischemia, a condition in which blood flow from the coronary arteries to the heart muscle is insufficient.
As a result of another examination on Sunday, it was determined that there was a high possibility of myocardial ischemia, NHK reported. Akihito will be hospitalized at the University of Tokyo Hospital in Bunkyo Ward.
In 2012, at the age of 78, he was diagnosed with angina pectoris and underwent coronary artery bypass surgery.
Furthermore, in July three years ago, he temporarily experienced severe symptoms of cerebral anemia, and an MRI scan revealed that he had right-sided heart failure caused by tricuspid valve regurgitation, a condition in which the valve connecting the right ventricle and right atrium becomes difficult to close.
© Japan Today

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