• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.41-46
• /
• 2000

We experienced the case of familiar hypercholesterolemia with multiple xanthomas which was treated by combined surgical and medical therapy. He was 26-year-old male patient of familiar hypercholesterolemia with multiple xanthomas in 22 sites on whole body, and was treated by 17 surgical excisions of the xanthomas and by medical therapy of the hypercholesterolemia. There was a normal healing process of the surgical wounds. Continual postoperative medical therapy of the hypercholesterolemia was done. There was no recurrence of the symptoms during more than 13 months of follow-up. But the serum level of the cholesterol was not lowered significantly, so we are treating him with drug therapy. Familial hypercholesterolemia is caused by a specific disorder of lipid metabolism, and is characterized by increased LDL cholesterol, tendon xanthomas, coronary disease associated with autosomal dominant transmission. Xanthomas usually appear in the second decade of life with familiar hypercholesterolemia which may have high risk for premature coronary atherosclerosis, which might be prevented with early diagnosis and medical treatment. So, orthopedic surgeons do not only excise the xanthomatosis surgically but also can diagnose the underlying hypercholesterolemia.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.20 no.2
• /
• pp.152-159
• /
• 2003

Background : Hyperlipidemia is the one of the major risk factors causing the atherosclerosis of coronary arteries. Treatment of hyperlipidemia with drugs has been confirmed the effects of therapy showing a decreased incidence of coronary artery disease. Simvastatin is a new drug of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and the short-term hypolipidemic effects and safety of simvastatin is evaluated in patients with hyperlipidemia. Methods: We studied 63 patients (39 males and 24 females, mean age 58) for 12 weeks whose plasma levels of total cholesterol were higher than 240 mg/dL or higher than 220 mg/dL with ischemic heart disease. Simvastatin was administered 20 mg/day and measured lipid profile at 12 week interval. Result: 1) Simvastatin significantly reduced the level of the plasma total cholesterol(-29.3%), LDL-cholesterol(-36.9%) and triglyceride(-13%)(p<0.05) but the level of HDL-cholesterol was not changed after 12 weeks simvastatin therapy. 2) the clinical symptoms and laboratory examination before and after simvastatin treatment showed no particular abnormal findings in short term follow up. Conclusion: These results suggested that short-term simvastatin therapy in patients with hyperlipidemia seeems to be very effective and safe.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.678-683
• /
• 2007

Extracts from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba are becoming increasingly popular as a treatment that is claimed to reduce atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, and thrombosis. In this study, the effect of ginkgolide B (GB) from Ginkgo biloba leaves in collagen (10 ${\mu}g/ml$)-stimulated platelet aggregation was investigated. It has been known that human platelets release matrix metallo-proteinase-9 (MMP-9), and that it significantly inhibited platelet aggregation stimulated by collagen. Zymographic analysis confirmed that pro-MMP-9 (92-kDa) was activated by GB to form an MMP-9 (86-kDa) on gelatinolytic activities. And then, activated MMP-9 by GB dose-dependently inhibited platelet aggregation, intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization, and thromboxane $A_2$ ($TXA_2$) formation in collagen-stimulated platelets. Activated MMP-9 by GB directly affects down-regulations of cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) or $TXA_2$ synthase in a cell free system. In addition, activated MMP-9 significantly increased the formation of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which have the anti-platelet function in resting and collagen-stimulated platelets. Therefore, we suggest that activated MMP-9 by GB may increase the intracellular cAMP and cGMP production, inhibit the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization and $TXA_2$ production, thereby leading to inhibition of platelet aggregation. These results strongly indicate that activated MMP-9 is a potent inhibitor of collagen-stimulated platelet aggregation. It may act a crucial role as a negative regulator during platelet activation.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.188-193
• /
• 2015

Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (CIMT) testing is a test that precisely assesses cerebrovascular and coronary heart diseases. According to many previous studies, CIMT predicts atherosclerosis and is highly correlated to cardiovascular disease risk factors. It has also been reported that CIMT is an independent predictor of risk factors for myocardial infarction and stroke. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate CIMT and other independent factors through a correlation study with the clinical laboratory test results of a blood test. As a result, this study could not prove the correlation between CIMT and risk factors of cardiovascular disease (TC, TG, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol) due to an insufficient number of subjects. Nevertheless, a positive correlation was demonstrated between CIMT and ALT (p<0.05), GGT (p<0.05), Uric acid (p<0.05), and CEA (p<0.05) at a statistically significant level, suggesting a continuation of the study.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.525-533
• /
• 2009

Objectives : There are lots of reports that cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, cerebro-vascular accident, and coronary heart disease, is related to atherosclerotic changes. Increased serum levels of lipids could play a role in these changes. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between PWV and risk factors of cardiovascular disease, including serum lipid values. Methods : This study included 261 subjects ($49.32{\pm}11.79$ years, 112 male) who underwent PWV and serum lipid evaluation. We investigated the correlation between serum lipid values, blood pressure, body mass index (EMI) and PWV. Pearson's correlation and partial correlation analysis were applied to examine the relationship between PWV and risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Results : Serum triglyceride, total cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were significantly correlated with PWV. Partial correlation coefficient adjusted by age yielded significant correlation between serum triglyceride, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure and PWV. Conclusion : In this study, it seems that there are significant relationships between PWV, triglyceride and blood pressure. We could suggest that PWV might have some relationships with Dam-eum and blood stasis in oriental theory.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.63-68
• /
• 1998

Nitric oxide (NO)-mediated relaxation in vascular smooth muscle involves not only activation of guanylate cyclase but also hyperpolarization of the membrane. It has been shown that depolarization decreases the [$Ca^{2+}$] sensitivity of myosin light chain kinase in arterial smooth muscle, and nitric oxide (NO)-mediated relaxation was attenuated in this situation. However, why potassium inhibits or attenuates the action of EDRF/NO is not clear. Therefore, we investigated the magnitude of relaxation and cGMP contents using measures known to release NO, such as photorelaxation, photo activated NO-mediated relaxation, and NO-donor (SNP)-mediated relaxation in porcine coronary arterial rings in which contractile conditions were made by different degree of depolarization, i.e., contraction in response to U46619 or U46619 plus KCl. In all cases, the magnitude of relaxation was significantly greater (P＜0.05) in U46619-contracted rings than in U46619+KCl-contracted ones. Although accumulation of cGMP was evident with three measures employed in the present study, no difference was found in cGMP contents between U46619 and U46619+KCl conditions, indicating that the diminished relaxation in KCl containing solution is cGMP-independent mechanism(s). To understand this further, cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ changes due to NO were compared in rat thoracic aorta by exploiting photoactivated NO using streptozotocin (STZ) that was contracted with either NE or KCl. Fura-3 $[Ca]_{cyt}$ signal caused by NO was small and transient in high $K^+$-, but large and sustained in NE-contracted aorta. The inhibitory potency of STZ expressed in terms of $IC_{50}$ was 5.14 and 3.88 ${\mu}M$ in NE and in high $K^+$, respectively. These results suggest that modification of the cellular mobilization of $Ca^{2+}$ rather than cGMP levels may be an important mechanism for the NO-mediated relaxation when vascular membrane is depolarized, such as atherosclerosis and hypertension.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.179-187
• /
• 2010

There is now growing evidence that psoriasis, like other inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, is a systemic disorder that is associated with enhanced atherosclerosis and risk of coronary artery disease. Erythrodermic psoriasis is a severe form of psoriasis that can be challenging to treat, and carries with it substantial morbidity and an increased risk of mortality compared with other forms of psoriasis. We experienced a case of an erythrodermic psoriasis patient with heart disease. The patient was suffering from whole body erythema, scale, edema and pain. She was admitted to the hospital, and herbal medication, acupuncture, herbal wet dressing and herbal ointment were applied. After 10 days, her edema and pain were remarkably improved, and the patient was discharged and treated through the outpatient clinic. Almost all symptoms were improved after approximately 3 months. We suggest that herbal medicines can be a choice for severe psoriasis patients and can also be helpful for cardiovascular disease.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.945-953
• /
• 2006

Hyperlipidemia is one of the major factors causing the atherosclerosis of coronary arteries and a well-documented modifiable risk factor for stroke, especially of the ischemic type. Constipation is the condition of being unable to empty the bowels frequently enough or effectively. However, it is usually temporary and not a serious disease. Salicornia herbacea is a sea coast plant that grows on the western and southern coastal beaches and salt flats of the Korean peninsula. Belonging to Chenopodiaceae by biological classification. Salicornia herbacea is not known from research except that it contains plenty of minerals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of treatment with Hamcho-hwanand to observe changes in total cholesterol (T-Chol) high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), triglyceride (TG) and constipation. After treatment, total cholesterol decreased from 273mg/dl to 235mg/dl. Triglyceride decreased from 201mg/dl to 126mg/dl. HDL cholesterol increased from 30mg/dl to 40mg/dl. Constipation changed for the better. These results support a role for oriental medical therapy in treating hyperlipidemia and constipation. Further case studies of herbal treatment of this ailment are needed.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.67-74
• /
• 2006

Objectives: This study was carried out to establish the normal values of Serum Total Cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol by age and sex for healthy adult and the frequency of dyslipidemia as a risk factor of coronary atherosclerosis. Methods: Total cholesterol, and HDL-cholesterol measured among 14,485 in general growing people (8,712 males and 5,773 females) aged 20 to 69 years and analyzed to use the auto-analyzer Hitach 7600 in enzyme method. Result: 1. The levels of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and atherogenic index were slightly positively correlated with age in both sexes. The mean values of serum lipid profiles were $190{\pm}32.9mg/dl$ in men and $181{\pm}32.8mg/dl$ in women for cholesterol, $50.1{\pm}11.4mg/dl$ in men and $54.5{\pm}12.0mg/dl$ in women for HDL-cholesterol, $3.9{\pm}1.0$ in men and $3.4{\pm}0.8$ in women for atherogenic index. 2. Mean values of total cholesterol and atherogenic index higher in men than in women at the age 20-40 years but significantly higher in women than in men at the age group 60 years.(p<0.001) 3. The frequency of hypercholesterolemia(${\geq}200mg/dl$) and low HDL-cholesterol(<35mg/dl) were increased with age in both sexs, significantly higher in women at the age group 60 years. The frequency of hypercholesterolemia(${\geq}200mg/dl$) and low HDL-cholesterol(<35mg/dl) in men and women was 37.5%, 25.3%, and 5.5%, 2.8%. Their requencies were higher in men than in women. Conclusion: Theses findings suggest that the mean concentrations of total cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol in men and women vary with age. The frequency of hypercholesterolemia(${\geq}200mg/dl$) in men and women was about 31.4% and increased with age.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
• /
• v.40 no.5
• /
• pp.411-417
• /
• 2007

Objectives: Although risk factors for coronary artery disease are also associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), there is little information available on the asymptomatic, young adult population. We examined the association between multiple cardiovascular risk factors and the common carotid IMT in 280 young Korean adults. Methods: The data used for this study was obtained from 280 subjects (130 men and 150 women) aged 25 years who participated in the Kangwha Study follow-up examination in 2005. We measured cardiovascular risk factors, including anthropometries, blood pressure, blood chemistry, carotid ultrasonography, and reviewed questionnaires on health behaviors. Risk factors were defined as values above the sex-specific 75th percentile of systolic blood pressure, body mass index, total cholesterol/ high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio, fasting blood glucose and smoking status. Results: The mean carotid IMT${\pm}$standard deviation observed was $0.683{\pm}0.079mm$ in men and $0.678{\pm}0.067mm$ in women (p=0.567) and the evidence of plaque was not observed in any individuals. Mean carotid IMT increased with an increasing number of risk factors(p for trend <0.001) and carotid IMT values were 0.665 mm, 0.674 mm, 0.686 mm, 0.702 mm, and 0.748 mm for 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 to 5 risk factors, respectively. The odds ratio for having the top quartile carotid IMT in men with 3 or more risk factors versus 0-2 risk factors was 5.09 (95% CI, 2.05-12.64). Conclusions: Current findings indicate the need for prevention and control of cardiovascular risk factors in young adults and more focus on those with multiple cardiovascular risk factors.