• Toxicological Research
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.71-75
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• 2014

Ambient air pollution (AAP) and particulate matters (PM) have been closely associated with adverse health effects such as respiratory disease and cardiovascular diseases. Previous studies have examined the adverse health effects associated with short- and long-term exposure to AAP and outdoor PM on respiratory disease. However, the effect of PM size ($PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10}$) on cardiovascular disease has not been well studied. Thus, it remains unclear how the size of the inhalable particles (coarse, fine, or ultrafine) affects mortality and morbidity. Airborne PM concentrations are commonly used for ambient air quality management worldwide, owing to the known effects on cardiorespiratory health. In this article, we assess the relationship between cardiovascular diseases and PM, with a particular focus on PM size. We discuss the association of $PM_{2.5}$ and $PM_{10}$, nitrogen dioxide ($NO_2$), and elemental carbon with mortality and morbidity due to cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and altered blood pressure, based on epidemiological studies. In addition, we provide evidence that the adverse health effects of AAP and PM are more pronounced among the elderly, children, and people with preexisting cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. Finally, we critically summarize the literature pertaining to cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis and stroke, and introduce potential studies to better understand the health significance of AAP and PM on cardiovascular disease.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.2 s.66
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• pp.253-261
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• 2006

Backgrounds : Hyperlipidemia is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Lowering serum cholesterol levels could reduce the risk of CVD. Insamsansa-eum (Renshenshanzha-yin, ISE), composed of Ginseng Radix and Crataegii Fructus, is a new medicine developed to treat hyperlipidemia and CVD. Objectives : In this study, we intended to explore the clinical effects of ISE on patients with hypercholesterolemia, and moreover we also compared its effects according to the pattern identification. Methods : Subjects were administered ISE with the dose of 600 mg three times a day for 4 weeks. Patterns of subjects were identified with diagnostic scoring system for Yin-Yang and the condition of Excess-Deficiency before treatment. Serum lipids were measured at baseline and after 4 weeks of medication. Results : ISE lowered total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), total lipid(TL), phospholipid(PL) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL) significantly. Compared with the data of our previous study, it was less effective than Atorvastatin but showed equal lipids-lowering effect to Chunghyul-dan (Qingxue-dan, CHD). In Yang pattern group, ISE was less effective in lowering TG and LDL than it was in not-Yang-not-Yinpattern group. On safety assessment, there was no adverse effect, hepatic or renal toxicity. Conclusions : We suggest that ISE is a safe and useful herbal medicine for hypercholesterolemia, and moreover it could be more useful when it is used for patients with not Yang pattern.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.563-574
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• 2005

Objectives : Poststroke depression is a frequent and specific entity that impaires the rehabilliation and functional recovery of patients with hemiplegia. The author evaluated the effect of Banhahubak-tang(Banxiahoupotang) in patients with poststroke depression. Methods : 38 patients suffering from poststroke depression(determined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, revised. 3rd edition. and Beck Depression Inventory[BDI] cutoff $point{\geqq}10$) in Kyunghee Oriental hospital were randomized into two groups; treatment group(n=19) and control group(n=19). The treatment group was prescribed with Banhahubak-tang(Banxiahoupotang) three times a day fur a week. Control troop was prescribed with other herbal medicines used for stroke Patients three times a day for a week. Patients were evaluated by use of BDI scale, Modified Barthel Index, Depression of Ki score, Yin syndrome score, and Yang syndrome score. Among 38 patients, 24 patients got BDI scores above 21, which is the cut-off score for depression in Korean. The same procedures and assessments described above were applied. Results : Treatment group did not significantly improve compared with control group. Results yielded only slight significance (P=0.086). Especially. patients with poststroke depression as yin syndrome improved more significantly on BDI than those classified as yang syndrome. When BDI cutoff point for depression was defined as being ${\geq}\;21$, treatment group did not significantly improve compared with control group(P=0.114). However, patients with poststroke depression classified as yin syndrome were also significantly improved on BDI than those classified as yang syndrome. Conclusions : This study suggests that Banhahubak-tang(Banxiahoupotang) is significantly effective in patients with poststroke depression classified as yin syndrome.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3 s.71
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• pp.289-298
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• 2007

Objectives : Electrical acupoint stimulation (EAS) has been used to treat motor dysfunction of stroke patients with reportedly effective results. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of EAS with different frequencies in treating motor dysfunction of ischemic stroke patients. Methods : The subjects of this study were sixty-two ischemic stroke patients with motor dysfunction at Kyunghee Oriental Medicine Hospital who were hospitalized for one week to one month from onset. They were treated with 2Hz or 120Hz EAS for two weeks, and motor evoked potentials (MEP) were measured before and after EAS treatment. To compare the effect of 2Hz EAS with 120Hz, we measured latency, central motor conduction time (CMCT) and amplitude of MEP before and after EAS treatment. Results : After two weeks of treatment, we compared MEP data of the affected side between the 2Hz group and the 120Hz group. The 2Hz group showed more significant improvement than the 120Hz group in latency, CMCT and amplitude (P=0.008, 0.002, 0.002). In case of the affected side MEP data divided by normal side MEP data, the 2Hz group also showed improvement on latency, CMCT and amplitude with significant differences (P=0.003, 0.000, 0.008). Conclusions : These results suggest that low frequency EAS activates the central motor conduction system better than high frequency EAS, and it means that EAS with low frequency is more helpful for motor recovery after ischemic stroke than that with high frequency.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.195-201
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• 2004

Background and Purpose : Hypertension is one of the modifiable risk factors for stroke. Lowering blood pressure is a primary or secondary preventative measure for stroke. This study aims to assess the efficacy of Chunghyul-dan(Qingxue-dan) in stage 1 hypertensive patients who have suffered a stroke by 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring(24ABPM). Subjects& Methods : We enrolled 40 hospitalized stroke patients with stage 1 hypertension and divided them into 2 groups by stratified randomization; group A took 1200mg of Chunghyul-dan(Qingxue-dan) at 8:00 a.m. for two weeks without changing herbal medicine, and group B was the control group. 28 patients were included in the final analysis(15 in group A. 13 in group B). Blood pressure is monitored from 8:00 am to 7:30 am every 30 minutes for 24 hours. Blood pressure was monitored two times at baseline and again two weeks later. We used 3 parameters for evaluating the efficacy of Chunghyul-dan(Qingxue-dan); The first parameter is change from baseline to two weeks later in blood pressure and pulse rate. The second parameter is the trough/peak ratio(TPR) and smoothness index(SI). The third parameter is antihypertensive rate by antihypertensive efficacy guideline. Results : There is no significant difference in the baseline assessment hetween the two groups. Systolic blood pressure $(141.37{\pm}8.96\;mmHg\;vs\;132.28{\pm}9.46\;mmHg)$ decreased after two weeks of 1200mg(P=0.03) intake of Chunghyul-dan(Qingxue-dan). Systolic TPR and SI was 0.87 and 1.04 in group A. Antihypertensive rate was higher in group A. Conclusion: These results suggest that 1200mg doses of Clunghyul-dan(Qingxue-dan) is an effective antihypertensive agent on stage 1 hypertension patients who have suffered a stroke.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.719-731
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• 2009

Objectives : Stroke is the most common disabling neurological disease of adult life. The treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients is an important and challenging area in the field of medicine. In Korea, a lot of stroke patients are treated using oriental medicine and there have been reports on their functional recovery. The aim of this study was to prove the therapeutic effect of oriental medicine on ischemic stroke. We also tried to identify characteristics of patients whose functional recovery was prominent and studied whether or not the use of fluids, anticoagulants, antiplatelets and neuroprotective agents increased the functional recovery of patients. Methods : We studied 794 patients within 2 weeks after first attack of ischemic stroke who were admitted to Kyung-Hee Oriental Medical Center from 1999 to 2000. Their maximum admission period was 60 days. Results : Motor power grade, NIHSS and MBI scores of patients improved during hospitalization significantly. Factors affecting functional recovery were admission period, motor power grade, NIHSS and MBI at admission. Age, waist-hip ratio and HDL cholesterol also affected functional recovery of patients. Whether or not fluids, anticoagulants, antiplatelets and neuroprotective agents were administered had nothing to do with functional recovery. Conclusion : Oriental medicine is effective for treatment and rehabilitation of ischemic stroke patients. When we manage stroke, we have to consider some important factors.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.434-441
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• 2007

Objectives : Peripheral neurodegeneration occurs in diabetes mellitus (DM), both sensory and motor nerve. but we don't know exactly if DM affects central nerve pathway for all studies. Electrophysiologic study is one of the most important diagnostic tools for diabetic neuropathy. Electroneurography and electromyography are usually used. but evoked potentials (EP) is more sensitive to small nerve fiber damages and useful for central nerve evaluation in addition to peripheral nerves. Most diabetic neuropathy studies by EP have been performed with somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP). In contrast, the objective of this study is to investigate if DM targets central motor neurons by assessing the relation between fasting blood sugar (FBS) and motor evoked potentials (MEP) latency. Methods : We inspected the medical records of 34 patients who had MEP tests during admitting days. The latency from cervical portion to abductor pollicis brevis was used as peripheral motor conduction time (PMCT). and the latency from vertex to cervical portion was used as central motor conduction time (CMCT). Then, they were correlated to FBS using correlation analysis. Results : There was a significant linear relation between FBS and PMCT (Pearson's correlation coefficient r=0.487, p<0.01), but a poor linear relation between FBS and CMCT (Pearson's correlation coefficient r=-0.l97. p>0.05). Conclusions : This study suggests that prolonged latencies of MEP in DM may be due to peripheral neuropathy rather than dysfunction of central motor pathway. therefore the clinical use of MEP to diabetic neuropathy has to be divided segmentally.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2006

Objectives and methods : The Euibujipsung is the one of the huge-scale encyclopedias about Oriental Medicine. To investigate the most frequently used acupoints for hemiparesis after stroke, we used Euibujipsung CR-ROM database with several key words concerned with motor weakness (半身不遂 不遂不隨 癱瘓 中臟 中腑 風痱, etc.). Results : In the result, we found five popular acupoints (GV20, LI11, LI15, ST36 and GB39), and four meridians (Stomach, Gall bladder, Large intestine and Small intestine). We also found that the Yang meridians were cited more frequently than the Yin. Conclusion : Therefore we think that these findings can give further ideas to clinical practice and research fields for stroke rehabilitation in Oriental medicine.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.40-45
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• 2008

Meniere's disease is characterized by intermittent episodes of vertigo lasting from minutes to hours, with fluctuating hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural pressure. The primary histopathological correlate is endolymphatic hydrops, but its etiology is still disputed. Several medical therapies have been offered to patients with this disease since 1961 that the first report had been given by Prosper Meniere. Some will be helpful for relieving the symptoms but there is still no absolutely effective treatment to cure the disease. One male patient with Meniere's disease was hospitalized in Kyung-Hee medical center, and we treated him with oriental medical therapies. The treatment was effective to relieve his symptoms, and they had been successfully controlled until he was discharged from hospital. The result suggests that the oriental medical therapy is safe and helpful to patients with Meniere's disease, so we reported this case.

• The Journal of the Society of Stroke on Korean Medicine
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2007

Objectives : This study was aimed to assess the distribution of metabolic syndrome according to Sasang constitution(SC) in acute stroke patients. Methods : We assessed the type of SC of acute stroke patients in the oriental medical hospitals of 3 universities located in metropolitan region from October 2005 to June 2007 by Ouestionnaire for the Sasang Constitution Classification II(QSCC II). Then, we investigated the general characteristics, the prevalence of each factor of the metabolic syndrome and the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome according to SC. Results : 338 subjects were included into the final analysis. 1. This study showed that the proportion of So-yang was highest of all constitutions(45.9%). 2. The prevalence of high TG, low HDL-chol, high BP, high FBS of Tae-um were higher than those of the other constitutions, but the differencecs were not statistically significant. The prevalence of high WC of Tae-um was significantly higher than other constitutions(p<0.001). 3. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome of Tae-um was significantly higher than other constitutions (p=0.002). Conclusion : There were significant differences in the prevalence of metabolic syndrome according to SC in acute stroke patients. For the further research, it seems to be necessary to construct fundamental databases for stroke by increasing the number of patients and by diagnosing SC more delicately.