• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.52-62
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• 2012

Object : The aim of this study was to examine the differences of symptom improvement between different diagnosis classification groups in acute cerebral infarction patients. Methods : We studied inpatients within a month after the onset of cerebral infarction who were admitted at Kyunghee University Oriental Medical Center from May 2011 to October 2012. We compared the improvement of Motricity Index and Scandinavian Stroke Scale score between Fire-heat group(n=20), Yin deficiency group(n=31), Dampness-phlegm group(n=30), and Qi deficiency group(n=13). Results : Yin deficiency group patients with cerebral infarction showed the most improvement in MI and SSS scores, and patients in Fire-heat group showed the poorest improvement in MI and SSS scores. There was a significant difference between the two groups, but there were no significant differences between all four diagnosis classification groups. Conclusions : This study provides evidence that diagnosis classification could be considered as an important factor in predicting the prognosis of acute cerebral infarction.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.7
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• pp.900-907
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• 2020

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of intraplaque neovascularization (IPN) for cardiovascular outcomes. Materials and Methods: We evaluated 217 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) (158 men; mean age, 68 ± 10 years) with a maximal carotid plaque thickness ≥ 1.5 mm for the presence of IPN using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. We compared patients with (n = 116) and without (n = 101) IPN during the follow-up period and investigated the predictors of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), including cardiac death, myocardial infarction, coronary artery revascularization, and transient ischemic accident/stroke. Results: During the mean follow-up period of 995 ± 610 days, the MACE rate was 6% (13/217). Patients with IPN had a higher maximal thickness than those without IPN (2.86 ± 1.01 vs. 2.61 ± 0.84 mm, p = 0.046). Common carotid artery-peak systolic velocity, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and ventricular-vascular coupling index were significantly correlated with MACE. However, on multivariate Cox regression analysis, increased LVMI was independently related to MACE (p < 0.05). The presence of IPN could not predict MACE. Conclusion: The presence of IPN was related to a higher plaque thickness but could not predict cardiovascular outcomes better than conventional clinical factors in patients with CAD.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.44-58
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to apply a health partnership program using commercially available mobile health apps to improve cardiovascular risk factors in male employees and verify its effectiveness. Methods: Using a randomized control group pretest-posttest design, male employees with cardiovascular risk factors from five small and medium-sized workplaces were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 32) and a control group (n = 31). The experimental group was encouraged to use three mobile health apps for 12 weeks to acquire the necessary cardiovascular disease-related information and practice strengthening training, walking, and diet management appropriate to their level. They also received feedback on their weekly activities and motivational text messages from health partners. Hypotheses were tested using the SPSS WIN 22.0. Results: The experimental group showed a significant difference compared to the control group in terms of their perception of mobile health app (p < .05), self-efficacy for exercise and diet, self-management partnership, and cardiovascular disease prevention health behavior (p < .001). In particular, there were significant decreases in the body mass index, ratio, serum fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, and triglyceride in the experimental group (p < .001); however, there was no significant difference in high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Conclusion: Intervention using mobile apps based on partnership with health managers is effective in improving the objective cardiovascular risk index in male employees; therefore, such intervention should be continuously used as a useful lifestyle modification strategy in the workplace.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.705-713
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• 2020

Arteriosclerosis is a disease in which blood circulation is impaired due to loss of elasticity as blood vessels become narrower, and is a potential cause of recently increasing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Carotid ultrasound is used as a predictor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases by evaluating the degree of atherosclerosis. Therefore, this paper attempted to investigate the correlation between the increase in the thickness of the inner media and various clinical variables in carotid ultrasound. Patients with carotid ultrasound findings were classified into three stages: mild intima thickening, sclerosis, and significant stenosis. CAVI (Carotid Ankle Vascular Index: vascular age) data measured in the degree and physical characteristics of the carotid artery(gender, age, body mass index, blood pressure), blood test(total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, creatine phosphokinase, fasting blood sugar), and arteriosclerosis test were collected. It was confirmed that the carotid intima thickness was correlated with variables such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and BMI, and also correlated with the risk factors of cardiovascular disease as CAVI increased.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.226-231
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• 2012

The purpose of the study was to assess the effects of a 12 weeks aged garlic extract (AGE) regimen with regular exercise on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in postmenopausal women. A total of 30 postmenopausal women ($54.4{\pm}5.4$ years) were randomly divided into the following four groups: Placebo (Placebo; n = 6), AGE intake (AGEI; n = 8), exercise and placebo (Ex + Placebo; n = 8), exercise and AGE (Ex + AGE; n = 8) groups. The AGE group consume 80 mg per day, and exercise groups performed moderate exercise (aerobic and resistance) three times per week. After 12 weeks of treatment, body composition, lipid profile, and CVD risk factors were analyzed. Body weight was significantly decreased in AGEI, Ex + Placebo, and Ex + AGE groups compared to baseline. Body fat % was significantly decreased in the AGEI and Ex + Placebo groups. Body mass index (BMI) was significantly decreased in the AGEI, Ex + Placebo, and Ex + AGE groups. Fat-free mass was significantly decreased in the AGEI group. Total cholesterol (TC) was significantly lower in the Ex + Placebo compared to the Placebo group. AGE supplementation or exercise effectively reduced low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C). Triglyceride (TG) was significantly increased in the AGEI group. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly decreased in the AGEI, Ex + Placebo, and Ex + AGE compared to the placebo group. AGE supplementation reduced homocysteine levels regardless of whether the women also exercised. The present results suggest that AGE supplementation reduces cardiovascular risk factors independently of exercise in postmenopausal women.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.375-379
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• 2016

Increasing fat tissue of obese people, increases the rate of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndromes and dyslipidemia. An increase in the focal tissue of pancreas is a known risk factor of these diseases. Although there exists sufficient research on the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer, studies have been done on fatty pancreas. In this study, based on ultrasound imaging and using a texture characteristic of GLCM, fatty pancreas was divided into three categories: mild, moderate and severe. We compared and analyzed the three groups was by Pancreatic ultrasonography and body characteristics, serological tests, pressure and the degree of arteriosclerosis, against normal control group. The following parameters of control and test groups were measured: WC (waist circumference),BMI (body mass index), TC (total cholesterol), TG (triglyceride), HDL-C (High-density lipoprotein cholesterol) and LDL-C (Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), SBP (systolic blood pressure), BST (Blood Sugar Test) and aortic PWV (pulse wave velocity). We observed the values correspondingly increasing fat deposition. However, ABI (Ankle Brachial pressure index) stenosis and HDL-C levels decreased with increasing fat deposit (p <0.05); a drop in these parameters are known to be harmful to the human body. The difference in texture characteristics between normal control group and pancreatic fatty group (mild, moderate, and severe) was statistically confirmed. Ultrasound imaging of pancreatic steatosis categorized the disease as mild, moderate and severe based on the characteristic texture. In conclusion, we observed on increase in metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, and arteriosclerosis, proportional to the degree of pancreatic fat deposition. The escalation of these diseases was confirmed and was directly related with predictors of cardiovascular diseases.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.305-312
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• 2018

The incidence of cardiovascular disease increases rapidly after 40's. The thickness of the epicardial adipose tissue was measured to analyze the risk factors affecting the thickness change. We present the cut off value for the epicardial adipose tissue thickness for high impacted variables. For the study, 547 patients underwent echocardiography, epicardial adipose tissue thickness, body mass index, abdominal subcutaneous fat thickness and diabetes mellitus were used as analytical variables. As a result, multiple regression analysis of age group showed that diabetes mellitus was highly influential in all age group, so we could predict the cut off value for the epicardial adipose tissue thickness for diabetes mellitus. As a result of ROC curve analysis, cut off value of 7.44 mm was obtained with sensitivity of 79.6% and specificity of 60.6% for diab etes variab le. Logistic regression analysis b ased on this value showed that the risk for diab etes increased 6 times with each increase in the thickness of the epicardial adipose tissue. Among the various obesity indexes, epicardial adipose tissue is used as an important index especially to prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, we suggest that the use of echocardiography as a routine screening method for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome, which is rapidly increasing in patients over 40's age, will enable more effective monitoring. Radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.601-608
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• 1989

We sought the relationship between the pulmonary artery development and cardiac performance from the analysis of the 36 cyanotic congenital heart disease patients [mainly TOF] who were operated and indwelled the pulmonary artery and left atrial pressure monitoring catheters for the postoperative care at the department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery SNUH in 1988. They were pre-evaluated of the pulmonary artery index from the cineangiographic films and post-operatively, calculated the cardiac index from the arterial and mixed venous blood gas and also measured the mean left atrial pressure and total inotropic supporting amount after operation. The post-operative cardiac indices were 3.46 * 1.03 1/min/M2 [immediate postoperative], 3.31 [ 1.08 [postoperative 6 hrs], 3.29 [ 1.01 [12 hrs], 3.54 * 1.02 [24 hrs], 3.92 * 1.14 [48 hrs], respectively. We divided the patients the group A and group B from the size of the pulmonary artery index, that is, group A was below 200 mm2/M2 and group B above 200 mm2/M2 of the pulmonary artery index. The cardiac indices and left atrial pressure between the group A and B were not different in the view of the statistical significance but the total post-operative inotropic amount of group A was more than group B and it was significant statistically. We concluded that the smaller the pulmonary artery index is, the more postoperative supportive treatment [for example, inotropics] for the enhancement of cardiac performance is needed, and indirectly, which means that the pulmonary artery index was correlated with the postoperative cardiac performance in cyanotic congenital heart disease.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.143-145
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• 2021

In a newborn in whom cor triatriatum was missed on echocardiography, infracardiac total anomalous pulmonary venous connection was successfully repaired with the aid of cardiac computed tomography (CT). In rare combinations, as in this case, an accurate diagnosis prior to surgery, which is of vital importance for successful repair, can be made through a high index of suspicion and the use of a supplemental imaging modality such as CT.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.297-306
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• 2022

Objectives: The incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality is increasing in developing countries. This study aimed to decompose the socioeconomic inequality of CVD in Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional population-based study was conducted on 20 519 adults who enrolled in the Ardabil Non-Communicable Disease cohort study. Principal component analysis and multivariable logistic regression were used, respectively, to estimate socioeconomic status and to describe the relationships between CVD prevalence and the explanatory variables. The relative concentration index, concentration curve, and Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition model were used to measure and decompose the socioeconomic inequality. Results: The overall age-adjusted prevalence of CVD was 8.4% in northwest Iran. Multivariable logistic regression showed that older adults, overweight or obese adults, and people with hypertension and diabetes were more likely to have CVD. Moreover, people with low economic status were 38% more likely to have CVD than people with high economic status. The prevalence of CVD was mainly concentrated among the poor (concentration index, -0.077: 95% confidence interval, -0.103 to -0.060), and 78.66% of the gap between the poorest and richest groups was attributed to differences in the distribution of the explanatory variables included in the model. Conclusions: The most important factors affecting inequality in CVD were old age, chronic illness (hypertension and diabetes), marital status, and socioeconomic status. This study documented stark inequality in the prevalence of CVD, wherein the poor were more affected than the rich. Therefore, it is necessary to implement policies to monitor, screen, and control CVD in poor people living in northwest Iran.