Emperor Emeritus Akihito was admitted to the University of Tokyo Hospital on Monday afternoon to begin taking a new oral treatment for his heart.
The 91-year-old former emperor will take the treatment to alleviate burdens on his heart, in addition to his ongoing medication. Dosage for the new treatment will be decided after he undergoes an electrocardiogram.
In July 2022, the emperor emeritus was diagnosed with heart failure on the right side of his heart, caused by tricuspid valve insufficiency. He was admitted to the university hospital in May for a heart examination and diagnosed with asymptomatic myocardial ischemia.
According to his aides, the emperor emeritus has carried out low-strain exercises and walks to maintain his health since the May hospitalization. He also began taking medication to improve coronary artery blood flow.
As these efforts did not lead to improvements, a team of doctors concluded that the additional oral treatment was necessary.
It is yet to be determined how long the emperor emeritus will stay at the hospital. He may be discharged relatively swiftly once the dosage is decided based on his heart and overall condition.
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