• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.1-17
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• 2011

Objectives : This study aimed to review randomized controlled trials of acupuncture performed in South Korea that used sham acupuncture as a control group. Methods : The following databases were searched through the end of September 2011: Koreanstudies information service system (KISS), Korean medical database (KMbase), national discovery OR science leaders (NDSL), oriental medicine advance searching integrated system (OASIS), and research information service system (RISS). The following search terms were used: acupuncture AND (sham or placebo). The reference lists of searched articles and Korea institute of oriental medicine (KIOM) reports(2005~2009) were identified. The following data were extracted: year/first author, disease, number of participants, blinding, intervention, outcome, and result. Where appropriate, we performed meta-analysis. The methodological quality was assessed according to the Jadad scale and 'risk of bias' by Cochrane Handbook procedure. Results : Twenty-nine studies were included in this review. In eighteen studies, penetrating sham controls were used as the control intervention, whereas the remaining eleven studies adopted non-penetrating sham controls such as the Park Sham Device or blunt auricular acupuncture. Nine studies showed statistically significant difference in outcomes. Twelve studies concerning insomnia after stroke, chronic tension-type headache, idiopathic Parkinson's disease, Hwa-Byung, and smoking cessation were included in meta-analysis. A meta-analysis of insomnia after stroke only found significant difference(MD -4.31, 95% Cl -6.19 to -2.42, $p$<0.00001). In general, all of the studies showed low methodological quality(Jadad score: mean 2.1). Risk of bias by Cochrane Handbook procedure varied. Conclusions : The results of this study could not suggest conclusive evidence that acupuncture is more effective than sham acupuncture in several diseases. In the future, more studies with rigorous acupuncture trials using sham controls should be conducted.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.200-210
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• 2003

Purpose: This quasi-experimental study was performed to investigate the effects of a health promotion program(HPP) on self-efficacy, healthy lifestyle and blood lipid profile in employees with hyperlipidemia. Methods: The subjects were forty-three employees who were diagnosed as having hyperlipidemia during routine health examination at two worksites in Seoul in 2001. Of the forty-three subjects, thirty were allocated to the experimental group and the remaining thirteen were allocated to the control group. Data were collected from September 24, 2001 to March 16, 2002. The HPP was applied to the experimental group for 11 weeks and included health education, diet counseling, watching videos, conference, and so on. The health education included information about exercise, smoking cessation, and abstinence from drinking alcohol and seven sessions of hyperlipidemia education. The experimental group was requested to keep a daily health promotion lifestyle diary. This diary was analyzed by a dietician and subjects were instructed based on the results. As for data analyses, wilcoxon signed rank test and wilcoxon rank sum test and x2-test were carried out using SAS program. Results: 1. Self-efficacy scores of the experimental group were significantly more increased than those of the control group (experimental: 5.86 10.80, control: -4.04 11.91, p=0.018). 2. Healthy lifestyle scores of the experimental group were significantly more increased than those of the control group (experimental: 0.19 0.26, control: -0.05 0.29, p=0.024). 3. Blood total cholesterol values of the experimental group were significantly more decreased than those of the control group (experimental: -13.07 30.10mg/dl, control: 10.00 26.57mg/dl, p=0.033). 4. Blood triglyceride values of the experimental group were significantly more decreased than those of the control group (experimental: -29.17 192.40mg/dl, control: 63.31 107.53mg/dl, p=0.050). Conclusion: These findings indicate that the HHP could be effective in improving self-efficacy, healthy lifestyle and blood HDL cholesterol and decreasing blood total cholesterol in employees with hyperlipidemia. Therefore, the HHP could be suggested as an effective nursing intervention for employees in the worksite by ultimately preventing cerebral and cardiac vessel complications related to hyperlipidemia.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.19-30
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• 2008

Osteoporosis, a disease characterized by low bone mass and microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to enhanced bone fragility and fracture risk, is a major public health problem. The diagnostic methods for osteoporosis include simple radiography, bone scan, DXA (Dual energy X-ray Absortiometry) and biochemical markers of bone turnover. Optimal treatment and prevention of osteoporosis require modification of risk factors, particularly smoking cessation, adequate physical activity, and attention to diet, in addition to pharmacologic intervention. The estrogens and raloxifene both prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women, and the estrogens probably also decrease the risk of first fracture. There is good evidence that raloxifene prevents further fractures in postmenopausal women who already have had fractures and some evidence that estrogen does as well. Bisphosphonate prevents bone loss and reduces fractures in healthy and osteoporotic postmenopausal women and in osteoporotic men as well. Risedronate is more potent and has fewer side effects than alendronate and reduces the incidence of fractures in osteoporotic women. Calcitonin increases bone mineral density in early postmenopausal women and men with idiopathic osteoporosis, and also reduces the risk of new fractures in osteoporotic women. All of the agents discussed above prevent bone resorption, whereas teriparatide and strontium increase bone formation and are effective in the treatment of osteoporotic women and men. New avenues for targeting osteoporosis will emerge as our knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of bone remodeling increases, although issues of tissue specificity may remain to be addressed.