• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.693-703
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• 2001

Background : Smoking is the most important and consistent determinant of the development and progression of COPD(Ed Note : Define COPD). The fact that cigarette smokers develop a different type of COPD, chronic bronchitis and emphysema, with different clinical and pathological aspects, suggests that the development of COPD has a relationship with other smoking-associated factors beyond just a simple smoking history. The aim of this was to analyze the smoking habits and history of patients with COPD and to evaluate the development of different types of COPD according to patient's smoking habits. Method : To evaluate the differences in the smoking patterns of patients with chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pulmonary function test was conducted, and the smoking history and patterns was obtained through a smoking history questionnaire by a direct personal interview from 333 male cigarette smokers diagnosed with COPD, in the Yeungnam university medical center(190 patients diagnosed with chronic bronchitis, 143 patients diagnosed with emphysema). Result : The patients with emphysema smoked earlier and had a higher smoking history(ie, more packyears, more total amounts of smoked cigarette, and more deep inhalation and longer duration of plain cigarette exposure) than those with chronic bronchitis. The depth of inhalation was also significantly higher in the emphysema patients after taking into account age, cumulative cigarette consumption and the type of cigarette smoked. Conclusion : Emphysema was more associated with the increasing degree of inhalation as assessed by the depth of inhalation. A high alveolar smoke exposure may be a significant risk factor for the development of emphysema.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.85-90
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• 2009

Introduction: There has been an increasing interest in the relationship between sleep and suicidality. In addition, suicidal patients habitually report their sleep problems. Although sleep-related complaints and electroencephalographic changes are generally encountered in psychiatric disorders, sleep complaints such as insomnia, hypersomnia and nightmares are more common in suicidal patients. In current study, we aimed at investigating the relationship between self-reported sleep duration and suicidality in general population. Methods: One thousand general population (male:female=500:500, mean age=$39.6{\pm}11.6$ years, ranged age=20-77 years) completed Center for Epidemiologic Study-Depression (CES-D), Beck Suicide Intent scale (BSI), Spielberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), Morningness-Eveningness Scale (MES) and brief questionnaire of sleep habits. Results: After controlling for age and sex, score of BSI was correlated positively with the score of CES-D, STAXI and BIS on partial correlation analysis ($r_p$=0.251; p<0.001, $r_p$=0.352; p<0.001, and $r_p$=0.175; p<0.001, respectively). In addition, score of BSI was inversely correlated with the score of MES (rp=-0.066; p=0.037). However, score of BSI showed no significant correlation with sleep duration. However, regression analysis revealed that short (<6 hrs) or long (>10 hrs) sleep duration, the family history of psychiatric illness, the score of CES-D, and the score of STAXI predicted higher score of BSI significantly in total subjects (F=17.837, adjusted $R^2$=0.166; p=0.003, p=0.003, p<0.001, and p=0.003, respectively). This model was explained better in depressed subjects with 16 or higher score of CES-D (F=9.920, adjusted $R^2$=0.298). Conclusion: Current result suggested that not only short sleep duration (<6 hrs) but also long sleep duration (>10 hrs) might be related to suicidality.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.323-328
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• 2010

Purpose : To verify the effect of hyperglycemia on mortality rates in critically ill children and to identify the blood glucose level that influences prognosis. Methods : From July 2006 to June 2008, a total of 206 patients who were admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Asan Medical Center and who survived for more than 7 days were retrospectively reviewed. We analyzed the maximum glucose value within 7 days in PICU, PRISM-III score and SOFA score within 24 hours, and mortality. We did not perform an adjustment analysis of drugs affecting glucose level. Results : The maximum glucose level within 7 days in PICU was higher in the nonsurvival group than in the survival group. Using 4 cutoff values (125, 150, 175, and 200 mg/dL), the mortality of patients with hyperglycemia was found to be 13.0 %, 14.4%, 19.8%, and 21.1%, respectively, and the cutoff values of 175 and 200 mg/dL revealed significant differences in mortalities between the hyperglycemic and normoglycemic groups. The PRISM-III score was not significantly different between the hyperglycemic and normoglycemic groups under a glucose cutoff value of 175 mg/dL, but the SOFA score was higher in the hyperglycemic group. Under a glucose cutoff value of 200 mg/dL, the PRISM-III score was higher in the hyperglycemic group, and the SOFA score did not differ between the 2 groups. Conclusion : Hyperglycemia with a maximal glucose value ${\geq}175\;mg/dL$ during the first 7 days after PICU admission was associated with increased mortality in critically ill children.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.179-198
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• 2021

Purpose: This study examined general characteristics, health status, accessibility to medical services, health-related quality of life, dietary behavior, and energy and nutrient intakes of the elderly at different levels of food security utilizing data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018). Methods: The elderly subjects (1,721 males and 2,271 females) were divided into 3 groups (secure, mildly insecure, moderately/severely insecure) according to their food security levels. Health and nutrient status was determined using energy intake, nutrient density, the prevalence of insufficient nutrient intake, dietary behavior, and health status. Results: The elderly with food insecurities had a lower self-evaluated health status and a higher prevalence of physician-diagnosed chronic diseases such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis for males, and hypertension, stroke, arthritis, and osteoarthritis for females. The associated financial burden was the major reason for not accessing medical services in the food insecure group. Furthermore, the food insecure group had a higher risk of impaired health-related quality of life compared to the secure group. The proportion of subjects with an energy intake below the estimated energy requirement was higher in the food insecure group and a significantly higher prevalence of insufficient intake was observed for all the nutrients (proteins, vitamin A, vitamin B₁, vitamin B₂, niacin, vitamin C, calcium, and iron) assessed in this study compared to the food secure group. Conclusion: This study suggests that food insecurity poses a challenge to the health and nutritional status of the elderly population in Korea and needs proper management. It would be helpful to develop food and nutrition assistance programs to ensure the food stability of the elderly population and assure quality to address gaps in their nutrient intake.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.51-59
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• 2015

Purpose: Predicting life expectancy of terminally ill cancer patients is very important. In many studies, ferritin is detected at higher levels in the sera of cancer patients, and higher ferritin level correlates with aggressiveness of disease and poor outcomes of patients. This study evaluated a prognostic role of serum ferritin levels in terminally ill cancer patients. Methods: This study enrolled 65 terminally ill cancer patients from March through June 2012. We assessed routine laboratory findings including serum ferritin levels as well as demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. To examine the association between serum ferritin levels and patient's characteristics, we used Spearman's correlation analysis, Wilcoxon's rank sum test or Kruskal-Wallis test, as appropriately. For multivariate analysis, Cox's proportional hazard regression model was used to evaluate significance of serum ferritin levels as a prognostic factor. Results: A negative correlation between serum ferritin levels and survival time was found. After adjusting for sex, age, performance status, creatinine levels and white blood cell counts, serum ferritin levels were significantly associated with survival time. Conclusion: Even at the very end of life of terminal cancer patients, serum ferritin levels were an independent prognostic factor for survival.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.172-179
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• 2010

Purpose: Visceral adipose tissue may be strongly linked to increased metabolic risks in adults. However, because little is known regarding the effect of visceral adipose tissue in children and adolescents, we performed this study to determine the association between abdominal fat distribution and metabolic risk factors in this population. Methods: One hundred one children and adolescents (78 males and 23 females; mean age, 10.8${\pm}$2.4 years) were enrolled. The anthropometric data and metabolic risk factors were evaluated. Theabdominal fat distribution was assessed according to the CT measurement. Age-adjusted, partial correlations were performed among the visceral adipose fat area (VFA), subcutaneous adiposefat area (SFA), metabolic risk factors, and anthropometrics. Results: The SFA increased more rapidly than the VFA with advancing years in both genders. In males, the VFA and SFA were positively correlated with anthropometrics. The VFA was correlated with low HDL-cholesterol and the SFA was correlated with diastolic blood pressure (DBP). However, there was no statistical significance between the VFA, SFA, anthropometrics, and other metabolic risk factors. The VFA and SFA were strongly linked to a number of metabolic risk factors, such as other anthropometrics. Conclusion: This study investigated how a low HDL-C was correlated with VFA and how a high DBP was associated with SFA in Korean male children and adolescents. Our results suggest that the correlation between the VFA, SFA, and metabolic risk factors was relatively weak compared to that reported in previous adult studies.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.6694-6701
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to identify the correlation between low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and the pulmonary function. This study enrolled premenopausal women in their aged 40s, who visited the health promotion center of a general hospital more than two times. A total of 384 subjects were classified into four groups based on their LDL-cholesterol levels; A, LDL(mg/dL)<100 at both initial and follow-up; B, LDL<100 at initial but ${\geq}100$ at follow-up; C, $LDL{\geq}100$ at initial but <100 on follow-up; and D, $LDL{\geq}100$ at both the initial and follow-up test. The result showed no significant differences in the pulmonary function between the four groups. Multiple linear regression analysis, which was adjusted for age, body mass index, smoking, exercise, and follow-up duration, showed a significant negative relationship between the changes in the LDL and the changes in the $FEV_1/FVC$ (${\beta}=-0.109$, S.E.=0.029, P<0.001), but not in the $FEV_1$ and FVC. In conclusion, there was a significant but weak relationship between the LDL and pulmonary function. Further larger studies will be needed.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.109-117
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• 2017

This study aims to identify the effect for exercise intensity on hypertension using propensity score based on the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data and to provide an evidence for the most effective exercise intensity for prevention or treatment of hypertension. Specifically, we select 3,486 subjects who aged between 18 and 65 years after excluding some subjects who are expected to have limited athletic ability. We estimate propensity scores for exercise intensity based on the confounders such as sex, age, smoking, drinking, and natrium intake. Considering the complex survey design, we conduct a descriptive analysis and multiple logistic regression for hypertension with propensity score as a covariate. Although the results of the study did not show statistically significant relationship between exercise intensity and hypertension, we expect that it can be used as a basis evidence that the appropriate exercise of moderate intensity may be more effective for the prevention and treatment of hypertension rather than strong intensity exercise and non-exercise.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.652-662
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• 2019

This study demonstrates the association between total sleep duration of adolescents, and its effects on their physical and mental health. Chi-square test and the multiple logistic regression model were applied to analyze the data collected in 2018 by the Korean Youth Health Behavior Survey (n = 52,928), conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Our analysis indicates increased suicidal ideation with insufficient total sleep duration as per the recommended amount and grade (OR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.06-1.29, p-value: 0.00]. Especially, insufficient sleep among adolescent girls significantly increases the risk of suicidal thoughts (OR: 1.22, 95% CI: 1.06-1.41, p-value: 0.01). Sufficient sleep showed reduced risk of suicidal ideation among boys (OR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.71-0.96, p-value: 0.02). We propose that to reduce the risk of suicide among teenagers, policy considerations are required to ensure sufficient sleep.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.140-146
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• 2013

Objectives: We compared the characteristics of the pain threshold and pain experience between demented group and non-demented group. Methods: This study was part of Gangwon projects for early detection of dementia in 2010. We recruited 8302 local resident ages over 65 years old. Of theses, 1259 people who scored low MMSE were selected and 365 of them completed CERAD-K(Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's disease). Finally, 90 in non-demented group and 57 in demented group(mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease) were analyzed. Pain threshold was experimentally measured by pressure algometer and we investigated the pain experience, by Brief pain inventory (BPI), a self-report test. Results: In the demographic characteristics, there are more female, higher ages, lower education in the demented group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the pain threshold. On the BPI results, 'shoulder pain', 'the number of pain' and 'interference of working' were significantly more prevalent in non-demented group. However, there are no significant differences between the groups in the 'pain severity', 'prevalence of pain' and 'pain treatment'. Conclusions: Demented group report less pain experience but, still perceived pain. It support previous studies that patient with dementia have increased pain tolerance but preserved pain threshold. Thus, active pain assessment and treatment for patients with dementia is needed.