• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.97-106
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• 2016

Background: Sevelamer is associated with reduced complications of chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) resulted from hyperphosphatemia, which may contribute mortality, in CKD patients with dialysis. So far clinical outcomes of sevelamer on mortality and risk of cardiovascular mortality related to CKD-MBD are debating. Purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of sevelamer HCl on mortality of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), risk of cardiovascular mortality and, frequency of osteopathy in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with dialysis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of 536 patients with ESRD, who were admitted for moderate to severe SHPT, for 36 months. 75 patients who met inclusion criteria were evaluated for the efficacy of sevelamer (mean serum iPTH = 487.5 pg/mL). Results: Sevelamer intervention was not associated with increased three-year survival time compared with non-sevelamers group [average survival month: 30.4 months in sevelamer group, 26.8 months in non-sevelamer group, p = 0.463]. Sevelamer intervention was not associated with significant mortality benefit and cardiovascular mortality benefit as compared to non-sevelamer group [sevelamer group: non-sevelamer group, all-cause mortality (iPTH > 600 pg/mL): 14.3% (1/34): 20% (1/41) p = 0.962, OR = 0.935, 95% CI, 0.058-14.98, heart disease mortality: 6.67% (2/30): 0% (0/32) p = 0.138]. Sevelamer was not associated with significantly lower cumulative incidence of osteopathy compared to non-sevelamer group (sevelamer group: non-sevelamer group, 5.9% (2/34):9.8% (4/41); p = 0.538; OR = 0.578; 95% CI, 0.099-3.367). Conclusion: Sevelamer was not associated with decreased all-cause mortality and risk of cardiovascular mortality compared to non-sevelamer group in ESRD patients with SHPT.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.10
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• pp.5681-5685
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• 2013

Background: To compare breast cancer incidence and mortality trends in Central Serbia between males and females in the period 1999-2009. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive study, mortality data were obtained from the National Statistics Institute and morbidity data were derived from Institute of Public Health of Serbia for the period of interest. Results: Breast cancer is a leading cancer in the female population of Central Serbia, whereas in male population it is not on the list of 10 leading localizations, concerning both incidence as well as mortality. In the period 1999-2009 the average standardized incidence rates of breast cancer were 60.5/100,000 in women and 1.4/100,000 in men, while average standardized mortality rates were 20.4/100,000 and 0.4/100,000. The average standardized incidence and mortality rates were about 45 times higher in females than males. Male breast cancer comprises approximately 2.1% of all breast cancer cases. The average age-specific mortality and incidence rates increased with age in both sexes. In the observed period standardized mortality rates of breast cancer increased significantly only in men ($y=0.320+0.0215{\times}$, p=0.044). Conclusions: The increase of breast cancer incidence in both sexes and mortality in men, indicate an urgent need for Serbian health professionals to apply existing cancer control and preventive measures. Male breast cancer is more present than in other world regions, with an outstanding increase of mortality, which demands a timely identification (screening) and adequate treatment. A national policy including mammography should be considered in the light of the newest findings.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.83 no.4
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• pp.268-275
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• 2020

Background: It is not evident that the attributable risk of smoking on mortality in Korea has decreased. We investigated the impact of smoking on all-cause mortality and estimated the attributable risk of smoking in Korean adults. Methods: Those aged ≥20 years with smoking history in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) 2007-2015 were enrolled. We categorized the participants into three groups as follows: never smoker, <20 pack-years (PY) smokers, and ≥20 PY smokers. We applied inverse probability weighting using propensity scores to control various confounders between the groups. All-cause mortality risks were compared between the groups using the Kaplan-Meier log-rank test. The effects of smoking-attributable risks (ARs) on mortality were also calculated. Results: A total of 50,458 participants were included. Among them, 19,334 (38.3%) were smokers and 31,124 (61.7%) were never smokers. Those with a smoking history of 20 PY or more (≥20 PY smokers), those with a smoking history of less than 20 PY (<20 PY smokers), and never smokers were 18.1%, 20.2%, and 61.7%, respectively, of the study population. Smokers had a higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to never smokers (log-rank test p<0.01). The ARs of smoking were 21.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.7%-37.9%) and 9.0% (95% CI, 6.1%-12.0%) in males and females, respectively. ARs decreased from 24.2% to 19.5% in males and from 9.5% to 4.1% in females between 2007-2010 and 2011-2015. Conclusion: Our study using KNHANES IV-VI data demonstrated that smoking increased the risk of all-cause mortality in a dose-response manner and the ARs of smoking on mortality were 21.8% in males and 9.0% in females during 2007-2015. This suggests that the ARs of smoking on mortality have decreased since around 2010.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.82-86
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• 2017

We determined the risk factors for late embryonic mortality in dairy cows. We diagnosed pregnancy at 31 days and then confirmed the diagnosis at 45 days after artificial insemination (AI) via ultrasonography. The presence of an embryo with a heartbeat was the criterion for a positive pregnancy diagnosis. A diagnosis of late embryonic mortality was made when there was no positive sign of pregnancy in cows previously diagnosed as pregnant. The overall incidence of late embryonic mortality among 3,695 pregnancies was 6.9%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that herd size, AI month, synchronization protocol, and postpartum disease were important risk factors for late embryonic mortality. Herd size > 100 (odds ratio [OR]: 0.66, p < 0.05) and 50-100 lactating cows (OR: 0.63, p < 0.01) had lower risks of late embryonic mortality than herd size < 50 lactating cows. Cows inseminated during May-July had a higher risk (OR: 1.49, p < 0.05) of late embryonic mortality than cows inseminated during February-April. Cows inseminated after estrus following $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ treatment also had a higher risk (OR: 1.77, p < 0.001) of late embryonic mortality than cows inseminated following natural estrus. Lastly, cows with postpartum disease tended to have a higher risk (OR: 1.26, p < 0.1) of late embryonic mortality than cows without postpartum disease. In conclusion, late embryonic mortality associated with the herd size, AI month, synchronization protocol, and postpartum disease in dairy cows.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between the nurse staffing level and the patient mortality using Korean National Health Insurance data. Methods: The data of 1,068,059 patients from 913 hospitals between 2015 and 2016 were analyzed. The nurse staffing level was categorized based on the bed-to-nurse ratio in general wards, intensive care units (ICUs), and hospitals overall. The x² test and generalized estimating equations (GEE) multilevel multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to explore in-hospital mortality and 30-day mortality after admission. Results: The in-hospital mortality rate was 2.9% and 30-day mortality after admission rate was 3.0%. Odd Ratios (ORs) for in-hospital mortality were statistically lower in general wards with a bed-to-nurse ratio of less than 3.5 compared to that with 6.0 or more (OR=0.72, 95% CI=0.63~0.84) and in ICUs with a bed-to-nurse ratio of less than 0.88 compared to that with 1.25 or more (OR=0.78, 95% CI=0.66~0.92). ORs for 30-day mortality after admission were statistically lower in general wards with a bed-to-nurse ratio of less than 3.5 compared to that with 6.0 or more (OR=0.83, 95% CI=0.73~0.94) and in ICUs with a bed-to-nurse ratio of less than 0.63 compared to that with 1.25 or more (OR=0.85, 95% CI=0.72~1.00). Conclusion: To reduce the patient mortality, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient number of nurses by improving the nursing fee system according to the nurse staffing level.

• Journal of the Korean Data and Information Science Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.125-136
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• 2011

Ground-level ozone, an air pollutant that is monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), damages human health by irritating the respiratory system, reducing lung function, damaging lung cells, and aggravating asthma and other chronic conditions. In March 2008, the EPA strengthened ozone standards by lowering acceptable limits from 84 parts per billion to 75 parts per billion. Here epidemiologic data is used to study the effects of ozone regulation on human health and assessed how various regulatory standards for ozone may affect nonaccidental mortality, including respiratory-related deaths during ozone season. The assessment uses statistical methods based on hierarchical Bayesian models to predict the potential effects of the different regulatory standards. It also analyzes the variability of the results and ho they are impacted by different modeling assumptions. We focused on the technical an statistical approach to assessing relationship between new ozone regulations and mortality while other researches have detailed the relationship between ozone and human mortality. We shows a statistical correlation between ozone regulations and mortality, with lower limits of acceptable ozone linked to a decrease in deaths, and projects that mortality is expected to decrease by reducing ozone regulatory standards.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1075-1081
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• 2006

In this research, mortality rates of pathogen indicator microorganisms discharged from various point sources and diffuse sources in urban area were measured. Water samples were taken at domestic sewer, combined sewer overflow, effluent from a wastewater treatment plant, urban river, and sediment of an urban river. Mortality rates of indicator microorganisms in domestic sewer estimated by assuming the first order kinetics at $20^{\circ}C$ were as follows: total coliform = 0.092/day, fecal coliform = 0.185/day, E. coli = 0.252/day, and fecal streptococci = 0.281/day. Sensitivity of mortality rates of total coliform on temperature was estimated as $K_{temp}=K_{20}{\times}1.162^{(temp-20)}$ for the range of $10-20^{\circ}C$. Mortality rates due to sunlight were measured as 1.22-1.59/day while mortality rate due to settling for 40 min were estimated as $9.21{\times}10^3-20.0{\times}10^3/day$.

• The Journal of the Korean life insurance medical association
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.22-28
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• 2010

Medical risk selection or mortality analysis is very important in insurance medicine. Among many kind of source articles there have been several limitations. There are few long-term follow-up studies in rare disease, as Romeo's article. We can do mortality analysis of this type using cause of death within the article and assumption of expected mortality q'. In the case of article which is published in foreign country such as Tikkanen et al, we can use comparative group from the control group within source article. It is another way for mortality analysis of limited article. However Retrospective study even performed in Korea, is unusable for estimation of extra-mortality.

• East Asian mathematical journal
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.305-318
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• 2019

Over the past decades, the Lee-Carter model [1] has attracted much attention from various demography-related fields in order to project the future mortality rates. In the Lee-Carter model, the speed of mortality improvement is stochastically modeled by the so-called mortality index and is used to forecast the future mortality rates based on the time series analysis. However, the modeling is applied to long time series and thus an important structural change might exist, leading to potentially large long-term forecasting errors. Therefore, in this paper, we are interested in detecting the structural change of the Lee-Carter model and investigating the actuarial implications. For the purpose, we employ the tests proposed by Coelho and Nunes [2] and analyze the mortality data for six countries including Korea since 1970. Also, we calculate life expectancies and whole life insurance premiums by taking into account the structural change found in the Korean male mortality rates. Our empirical result shows that more caution needs to be paid to the Lee-Carter modeling and its actuarial applications.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.3-8
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• 2023

Periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) is a sleep-related movement disorder characterized by involuntary, rhythmic limb movements during sleep. While PLMD itself is not considered life-threatening, its association with certain underlying health conditions raises concerns about mortality risks. PLMD has been found to be associated with cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The fragmented sleep caused by the repetitive limb movements and associated arousals may contribute to sympathetic activation, chronic sleep disruption, sleep deprivation, and subsequent cardiovascular problems, which can increase mortality risks. The comorbidities and health factors commonly associated with PLMD, such as obesity, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, may also contribute to increased mortality risks. PLMD is often observed alongside other neurological disorders, including restless legs syndrome (RLS) and Parkinson's disease. The presence of PLMD in these conditions may exacerbate the underlying health issues and potentially contribute to higher mortality rates. Further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms linking PLMD to mortality risks and to develop targeted interventions that address these risks.