• Korean Circulation Journal
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• v.53 no.8
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• pp.499-518
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• 2023

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, and hypertension, are the global leading causes of death, accounting for more than 30% of deaths worldwide. Although the risk factors of CVDs have been well understood and various treatment and preventive measures have been established, the mortality rate and the financial burden of CVDs are expected to grow exponentially over time due to the changes in lifestyles and increasing life expectancies of the present generation. Recent advancements in metagenomics and metabolomics analysis have identified gut microbiome and its associated metabolites as potential risk factors for CVDs, suggesting the possibility of developing more effective novel therapeutic strategies against CVD. In addition, increasing evidence has demonstrated the alterations in the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes and the imbalance of microbial-dependent metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids and trimethylamine N-oxide, play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of CVD. However, the exact mechanism of action remains undefined to this day. In this review, we focus on the compositional changes in the gut microbiome and its related metabolites in various CVDs. Moreover, the potential treatment and preventive strategies targeting the gut microbiome and its metabolites are discussed.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.404-420
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• 1991

Surgical treatment of congenital and acquired heart disease preceded the development of accurate techniques for diagnosis, heart lung machine and cardiopulmonary bypass, intraoperative myocardial protection, operative techniques and cardiac anesthesia. For 5 years from Sep. 1985 to Sep. 1990, six hundred cases of open heart surgeries [OHS] were performed in the department of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery, Pusan Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University. The results were summarized as follows. 1. The annual number of OHS[cases per year] was above 100 since 1987, and the increasing rate of cases was 23.5% per year since 1986. 2. Among the total 600 cases, there were 470 cases of congenital heart diseases and 130 cases of acquired. Age range of the congenital patients was 8 months to 44 years with the mean age of 10 years, and acquired patients was 16 to 56 years with the mean age of 36 years. 3. Among the 470 congenital anomalies, there were 429 cases of acyanotic and 41 cyanotic patients. Totally, VSD was 286 cases[60.6%], ASD 103 cases[21.9%], TOF 35 cases [7.4%], PS 20 cases [4.1%], ECD 12 cases [2.0%], Ebstein`s anomaly 3 cases [0.6%], Valsalva sinus rupture 3 cases [0.6%] and others. The appropriate one stage radical operations were applied to the all congenital cases with the result of 2.6% immediate postoperative hospital mortality rate. 4. Among the 130 acquired cases, there were 122 cases of valvular heart diseases, 6 of heart tumors [5 myxoma, one malignant histiocytoma], one of LA thrombus and one of annuloaortic ectasia. Cardiac tumors and LA thrombus were removed through the atrial septal approach. Bentall procedure was adopted to the annuloaortic ectasia case. AVR, MVR and TVA [DeVega procedure] were applied to 120 valve diseases, and there were also one of OMC and one of MVA[Jerome-Kay procedure]. 5. Among the 120 valve replacement cases, there were 87 of single valve replacement cases [AVR: 8, MVR: 79], 11 of double valve replacement [AVR+MVR: 11], 12 of MVR+TVR and 10 of MVR+AVR+TVA. The total number of implanted prosthetic valves were 141. In MVR, 45 of St. Jude Medical valves, 63 of Carpentier-Edward valves and 4 of Ionescu-Shiley valves were used. In AVR, 18 of St. Jude Medical valves and 11 of Carpentier-Edward valves were used. in MVR, 29mm and 31mm sized valves were used mostly and In AVR, 23mm sized valves were used mostly. 6. Postoperatively many kinds of complications were occurred. Among them, wound problems [30 cases], low output syndrome [29 cases], arrhythmia [20 cases], pleural effusion and pneumothorax [13 cases] were occurred frequently. The postoperative immediate hospital mortality was 3.0% in total [congenital 2.6%, acquired 4.6%].

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.407-413
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• 2018

Most sleep apnea patients exhibit severe snoring, and long-lasting sleep apnea may cause insomnia, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and other diseases. Although polysomnography is the typical sleep diagnostic method to accurately diagnose sleep apnea by measuring a variety of bio-signals that occur during sleep, it is inconvenient as the patient has to sleep with attached electrodes at the hospital for the diagnosis. In this study, a diagnostic pillow is designed to measure respiration, heart rate, and snoring during sleep, using only one polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) sensor. A PVDF sensor with piezoelectric properties was inserted into a specially made instrument to extract accurate signals regardless of the posture during sleep. Wavelet analysis was used to identify the extractability and frequency domain signals of respiration, heart rate, and snoring from the signals generated by the PVDF sensor. In particular, to separate the respiratory signal in the 0.2~0.5 Hz frequency region, wavelet analysis was performed after removing 1~2 Hz frequency components. In addition, signals for respiration, heart rate, and snoring were separated from the PVDF sensor signal through a Butterworth filter and median filter based on the information obtained from the wavelet analysis. Moreover, the possibility of measuring sleep apnea from these separated signals was confirmed. To verify the usefulness of this study, data obtained during sleeping was used.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.1 s.61
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• pp.115-122
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• 2005

Background and objective: Gastrodiae Rhizoma (GR), the rhizoma of Gastrodia elata BL., is one of the popular drugs to treat headache, dizziness, blackout, numbness of limbs, hemiplegia, facial paralysis, dysphrasia, and infantile convulsions. It has been reported that it provides an antihypertensive effect and lowers cerebrovascular resistance in animal experiments. However, there has been no data about these effects with human subjects. In this study, the author examined the effect of Gastrodiae water extracts on blood pressure and cerebrovascular reactivity in human subjects. Methods: We selected 16 normal volunteers, who were divided into 2 groups: Gastrodiae extract administration group and placebo (creamy powder) group. Using transcranial Doppler ultrasound, we monitored changes of mean flow velocity and breath-holding induced CO2 reactivity of middle cerebral artery in both groups. Mean blood pressure, heart rate and PETCO2 were measured using Compact Anesthesia Monitor. In both groups, all evaluation was performed during basal condition, and repeated at 30, 60, and 90 min after administration. Results: Gastrodiae extract decreased CO2 reactivity after administration, reaching the lowest level at 90 minutes $(-29.1\%\;vs.\;basal\;level)$, which showed significant difference compared with the placebo group (p = 0.004). In the placebo group, the pulse rates tended to decrease over time (at 90 minute, $-5.2\%$ vs. basal level) while in the Gastrodiae group the values showed nearly no change, which showed significant difference between both groups (p = 0.036). However, the changes of mean blood pressure and mean flow velocity did not show significant difference between both groups. Conclusion : This study demonstrated that Gastrodiae extract significantly decreased breath-holding induced CO2 reactivity. This result suggests that the clinical effect of Gastrodiae extract might be caused by increasing cerebral blood flow via dilation of cerebral resistant vessels instead of antihypertensive effect.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.39 no.6 s.263
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• pp.440-448
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• 2006

Background: Surgery of descending thoracic or thoracoabdominal aorta has the potential risk of causing neurological injury including spinal cord damage. This study was designed to find out the risk factors leading to spinal cord and brain damage after surgery of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta. Material and Method: Between October 1995 and July 2005, thirty three patients with descending thoracic or thoracoabdominal aortic disease underwent resection and graft replacement of the involved aortic segments. We reviewed these patients retrospectively. There were 23 descending thoracic aortic diseases and 10 thoracoabdominal aortic diseases. As an etiology, there were 23 aortic dissections and 10 aortic aneurysms. Preoperative and perioperative variables were analyzed univariately and multivariately to identify risk factors of neurological injury. Result: Paraplegia occurred in 2 (6.1%) patients and permanent in one. There were 7 brain damages (21%), among them, 4 were permanent damages. As risk factors of spinal cord damage, Crawford type II III(p=0.011) and intercostal artery anastomosis (p=0.040) were statistically significant. Cardiopulmonary bypass time more than 200 minutes (p=0.023), left atrial vent catheter insertion (p=0.005) were statistically significant as risk factors of brain damage. Left heart partial bypass (LHPB) was statistically significant as a protecting factor of brain (p=0.032). Conclusion: The incidence of brain damage was higher than that of spinal cord damage after surgery of descending thoracic and thoracoabdominal aorta. There was no brain damage in LHPB group. LHPB was advantageous in protecting brain from postoperative brain injury. Adjunctive procedures to protect spinal cord is needed and vigilant attention should be paid in patients with Crawford type II III and patients who have patent intercostal arteries.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.77-84
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• 1969

Retrograde left cardioangiographic studies using Amplatz spring coil guide catheter were carried out in 30 cases of acquired mitral valvular diseases. Of these 12 cases were compatible with the clinical diagnosis which were made pre-angiocardiographically. Eighteen out of 30 cases were diagnosed as pure mitral stenosis or mitral insufficiency which had been clinically diagnosed as mitral stenoinsufficiency or mitral stenosis with aortic insufficiency. The rate of difference is 60%. Twenty-five cases or 83% of all cases were operated. Of these 6 cases, the degree of regurgitation through the mitral valves were able to be evaluated cardioangiography and were confirmed by open heart operation. The retrograde left cardioangiography is considered to be a useful tool in conclusive dianosis of clinically equivocal mitral valvular diseases.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.390-396
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• 1991

From July 1984 to September 1990, 316 patients of congenital heart diseases were operated and 15 patients died. Hospital mortality was 4.75%. Five patients of 73 PDA had residual shunt after operation: 4 were ligated under support of Dacron patch, 1 was closed through the pulmonary arteriotomy under CPB. 3 patients were reoperated. No patient had residual shunt or reopening among the patients of simple ligation or division and suture. During the ligation of PDA, Dacron patch for protection from tearing may disturb the complete interruption of shunt. If the tissue around the ductus arteriosus looks weak or fragile, division and suture may be more reliable other than ligation with supporting patch. If the septal leaflet of tricuspid valve is adherent around the VSD, remained opening of VSD may be closed with simple suture directly. In these cases, the incidence of postoperative residual shunt is as high as the incidence of more large VSD closed with patch [10.9%: 9.6%]. During the direct closure of remained opening of VSD, another leaking route should be looked for carefully beneath the septal leaflet of tricuspid valve.

• Korean Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.185-196
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• 1995

The author reviewed cognitive-behavioral approach to A type behavior pattern and hypertension which are known to be risk factors for coronary heart diseases. Those cognitive distortions frequently found in persons with A type behavior include all-nothing thinking, selective attention, personalization, and attribution of causality. Cognitive-behavioral techniques were also described, which can be applied to management of each characteristic of A type behavior pattern such as time urgency, perfectionism, achievement striving, low self-esteem, excessive work involvement, hostility, and depression. Cognitive-behavioral intervention for hypertension might help the patients to recognize and monitor anger-engendering conflicts, identify characteristic styles of responding, and experiment with alternative ways of managing conflict and anger. Since different features predominate in different individuals, it is necessary to develop treatment plan on the basis of individual characteristics and problems.

• The Korean Journal of Medicine
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• v.93 no.6
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• pp.501-508
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• 2018

Obesity is a chronic disorder that is a significant risk factor for diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, malignancy, and other chronic diseases. Lifestyle modifications form the basis of most treatments for obesity, but it has become clear that such modifications alone are not enough for many obese patients. When a behavioral approach is insufficient, pharmacological treatment may be recommended. In recent years, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has withdrawn several therapeutic options for obesity due to their side effects, but has approved four novel anti-obesity agents. Until recently, orlistat was the only drug approved for the management of long-term obesity, but the US FDA approved the novel anti-obesity drugs lorcaserin and phentermine/topiramate in 2012, and naltrexone/bupropion and liraglutide in 2014. The present review discusses the different pharmacotherapeutic options for the treatment of obesity.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 1984

After open heart surgery, the patient must be carefully observed and adequately managed for his survival. This report reviewed 10 cases of ventricular septal defect and 12 mitral valvular diseases as hemodynamics early after open heart surgery. For postoperative 24 hours, clinical status was evaluated for left atrial pressure, central venous pressure,DP[LAP-CVP], peak systolic pressure, heart rate, urine amount, and other clinical findings. Especially, on postoperative fourth hour, cardiac output was most decreased, when the changes of monitoring were compared with two groups with or without using cardiotonics. Finally, we concluded as followings; 1.Postoperatively, variation of CVP was noted in VSD, but mitral valvular disease was more variable change of LAP. 2.DP was 1.3\ulcorner.4 cmH2O in VSD, and 6.4\ulcorner.2 cmH2O in mitral valvular disease. 3.Parameter using cardiotonic was CVP in VSD, and LAP in mitral valvular disease.