PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine mediating effects of pleasurable activities on the relationship between depression and suicidal ideation among the elderly moderated by living arrangement such as those living alone (LA) versus those living with others (LWO). METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional and correlational design using secondary data analysis of the 2017 Korean National Survey on the Elderly (2,416 for the LA group, and 6,106 for the LWO group). Logistic regression analysis was conducted comparing effects of pleasurable activities on suicidal ideation between the two groups. RESULTS: For suicidal ideation, there were significant differences in suicidal ideation by sex, religion, and senior center visits in the LA group, while the LWO group had no significant differences identified. Both groups showed significantly different associations of suicidal ideation by socioeconomic status, gathering, meaningful interaction, and depression. Senior center visits were statistically significant in the LA group, while there was not significant in the LWO group. CONCLUSION: Visiting senior centers can reduce suicidal ideation of the LA group. To prevent suicidal ideation of the elderly living alone, mental health specialists should provide community-cooperative environments to address these issues, especially LA elderly.
Aged ; Depression ; Humans ; Leisure Activities ; Logistic Models ; Mental Health ; Negotiating ; Residence Characteristics ; Senior Centers ; Social Class ; Specialization ; Statistics as Topic ; Suicidal Ideation

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the prevalence and nutritional status of patients with dysphagia using the National Health Insurance Claim database collected from all Koreans. Methods: According to the claim data from the National Health Insurance Service from 2007 to 2017, we calculated the prevalence, comorbidity, and direct medical costs of dysphagia patients. We analyzed the difference in medical costs according to the malnutrition rate and presence of malnutrition. Results: The prevalence of dysphagia was 635.4 per 100,000 population in 2007 but increased to 1031.6 in 2017. The proportions of type insurance showed an increasing trend in both health insurance and national free medical care, while nursing hospitals showed a significant increase of 8.46%. Esophageal and gastrointestinal disorders accounted for the highest number of diseases with dysphagia. The average medical expense per person for dysphagia was 11,984,632 Korea Won (KRW), and the average length of hospital stay was 154.1 days. The malnutrition rate of patients with dysphagia was 686.8 out of 100,000 people in 2007 to 362.9 out of 100,000 people in 2017. The malnourished group had 70.7 more inpatient hospital stays and nine more outpatient visits than the non-malnourished group. Conclusion The proportion of nursing hospitals and medical expenses increased significantly in the number of patients with dysphagia, and the length of hospital stay and medical costs were higher with malnutrition. As incidence of dysphagia patients may increase due to aging, active management of dysphagia is required to improve the patient’s prognosis and quality of life.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The "closing-in" phenomenon refers to the tendency to copy near or overlap a model while performing figure-copying tasks. The mechanisms underlying the closing-in phenomenon have not been fully elucidated, and previous studies only investigated the mechanisms through neuropsychological tests. We investigated the neuroanatomical correlates of the closing-in phenomenon using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). METHODS: Thirty-eight patients diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 21 normal controls were included. All subjects underwent neuropsychological testing to diagnose dementia and magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo brain magnetic resonance imaging for the voxel-based statistical analysis. The subjects were asked to copy the modified Luria's alternating squares and triangles to quantify the closing-in phenomenon. We applied SPM8 for the VBM analysis to detect gray matter loss associated with the closing-in phenomenon. RESULTS: The patients with probable AD showed a higher closing-in score than that of the normal control subjects (p<0.0001). The VBM analysis revealed more parietal and temporal atrophy in the patients with AD than that in the normal control group. Moreover, atrophy of the orbito-frontal area was associated with the closing-in phenomenon. CONCLUSIONS: The closing-in phenomenon is dysfunction while performing figure-copying tasks and is more common in patients with AD. The analysis of the orbito-frontal area, which is associated with inhibiting primitive reflexes, revealed that the closing-in phenomenon is an imitation behavior commonly observed in patients with frontal lobe damage.
Alzheimer Disease ; Atrophy ; Brain ; Dementia ; Frontal Lobe ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Rabeprazole ; Reflex

Postmenopausal women aged 50s generally experience gradual changes in body such as decline in antioxidant and estrogen levels as the body ages. To overcome these aging-associated changes, the needs for health functional foods are increasing. Dendropanax morbifera (DM) have antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory against cancer cells, antidiabetic, and antiatherogenic effect which are associated with postmenopausal symptoms. We analyzed clinical effects of DM on aging-related symptoms by reporting their antioxidant, anticancer and inflammatory activity, etc. and their bioactivity. Data sources EMBASE, SCOPUS, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched up to August 2016 for studies investigating medicinal plants in prevention and treatment of diabetes. The search terms were “Dendropanax morbifera”. The reference lists of articles were also reviewed for additional relevant studies. Extracts of DM have various efficacy such as antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory activity and anti-thrombotic effect.
Aging ; Antioxidants ; Estrogens ; Female ; Functional Food ; Humans ; Information Storage and Retrieval ; Menopause ; Plant Extracts ; Plants, Medicinal

BACKGROUND: Even young adults are highly interested in their osteological health, yet their calcium intake does not match the level of such interest. Increase in bone loss is known to be associated with higher intake of caffeine and coffee consumption among the young Korean is rising steadily. This study was conducted to reveal the relationship between coffee consumption and serum vitamin D level in Korean young adults. METHODS: This study analyzed potential difference in lifestyle and concentration of vitamin D in blood in relation to coffee intake frequency of 2,523 subjects on the basis of data from the 5th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. RESULTS: According to the analysis, groups of males, with high income, frequent social activity followed by alcohol consumption and smoking, and high rate of dining out showed a high frequency of coffee consumption. Vitamin D concentration among the groups was 16.2±5.3 mL and 80.3% of them were considered to be vitamin D-deficient. All the groups appeared to have deficiencies compared to males who did not consume caffeine at all. CONCLUSIONS: The practice of having an adequate amount of coffee is needed, and more efforts should be done to improve vitamin D intake among young adults.
Alcohol Drinking ; Caffeine ; Calcium ; Coffee* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Life Style ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Vitamin D* ; Vitamins* ; Young Adult*

BACKGROUND: The vitamin D deficiency rate in Koreans is still high and dietary intake is insufficient. The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for the management of metabolic syndrome (MetS) by analyzing the effect of vitamin D levels on the MetS in patients with fatty liver. METHODS: We analyzed the MetS ratio and serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25[OH]D) concentration in 151 adults diagnosed with fatty liver by using obesity index and blood profiles. We collected data on demographic factors, nutrient intake, and lifestyle habits. RESULTS: The mean 25(OH)D concentration of all subjects was 14 ng/mL and the insufficiency and deficiency rates were 40.4% and 29.8%. The proportion of MetS was 38.4% and the mean 25(OH)D level of MetS group was 12.1 ng/mL. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, and blood glucose were higher in the MetS group than in the normal group, and the waist circumference of the male was significantly higher than that of the normal group. The results showed that the lower the vitamin D concentration, the higher the risk of MetS (odds ratio, 1.47, 95% confidence interval, 0.98–2.81; P=0.043). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that serum 25(OH)D levels may be a risk factor for MetS in patients with fatty liver.
Adult ; Blood Glucose ; Cholesterol ; Demography ; Fatty Liver* ; Humans ; Life Style ; Lipoproteins ; Male ; Obesity ; Risk Factors ; Triglycerides ; Vitamin D ; Vitamin D Deficiency ; Waist Circumference

PURPOSE: Disposable one piece laryngoscope (DOL), which probably carries a lower risk of infection than conventional reusable ones, is the only device which has received approval by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug safety. In the current study, we evaluated the effectiveness and usefulness of the conventional Macintosh laryngoscope (MAC) and DOL in inexperienced personnel. METHODS: A randomized crossover trial was designed. Ninety seven participants (Medical students, Paramedic students) were enrolled and performed endotracheal intubation with MAC and DOL in Manikin (SimMan(R) Laedal Medical Corporation, Stravanger; Norway). Cormack-Lehane grade, the number of attempts, time required for intubation, and dental compression were measured to evaluate the effectiveness. The participants were given a questionnaire survey on the usefulness of laryngoscopes (easier to use, lightness, brightness, manageable to use, delivering power, safer for patients, intense to use). RESULTS: Regarding the aspect of effectiveness, a significant difference in dental compression was observed between DOL and MAC (p=0.011). Others showed no significant differences. Regarding the aspect of usefulness, DOL was superior to MAC except in delivering power. CONCLUSION: The DOL appears to be a reasonable device for use in emergency airway management. It should be verified for effectiveness and usefulness of newly developed equipment in emergency airway management because it is directly related to life.
Airway Management ; Allied Health Personnel ; Disposable Equipment ; Emergencies ; Humans ; Intubation* ; Intubation, Intratracheal ; Laryngoscopes* ; Manikins*

STUDY DESIGN: Animal study. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of microelectric treatment by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on functional recovery and histological changes in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: The effects of TENS on spasticity and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SCI was induced by a 1.5-mm impactor with 200,000–260,000 dyne after laminectomy. Rats were divided into the following groups: group I (normal control), group II (microelectric treatment of 0 A), group III (microelectric treatment of 100 µA for 1 hr/day), group IV (microelectric treatment of 400 µA for 1 hr/day), and group V (microelectric treatment of 400 µA for 24 hr/day). After inducing SCI, rats were assessed by a sensory test with von Frey filaments and the locomotor recovery test (BBB rating scale) at 1, 4, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. To evaluate spinal cord damage, histopathological studies were performed with hematoxylin and eosin. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and TrkB immunohistochemistry studies were performed at 28 days. RESULTS: In groups IV and V, the BBB score had significantly improved on days 21 and 28 after SCI, and the TENS-treated groups showed significant neuronal recovery. After SCI, groups IV and V showed a significant recovery of locomotor function and the motor sensory response of the withdrawal threshold to 3.5 g. In addition, necrotic tissue and cystic spaces in the spinal cord were significantly reduced and BDNF/TrkB-positive cells were highly expressed in groups III, IV, and V. CONCLUSIONS: Microelectric treatment can play a role in facilitating the recovery of locomotion following SCI.
Animals ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; Eosine Yellowish-(YS) ; Hematoxylin ; Immunohistochemistry ; Laminectomy ; Locomotion ; Models, Animal ; Muscle Spasticity ; Neurons ; Rats ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spinal Cord ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation

The prevalence and progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is mediated via several factors correlating with hepatic necroinflammation (adipokines/cytokines). This study was performed to analyze the level of inflammatory markers according to the presence of NAFLD and to identify related nutritional factors. A total of 80 adults were classified into 2 groups (healthy and NAFLD), and their body composition, blood tests, and eating habits were evaluated. In addition, inflammatory markers (adiponectin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [CRP], and tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α]), nutrient intake status, and dietary quality were compared. The quality of diet was assessed according to the nutrient adequacy ratio and the mean adequacy ratio (MAR). The NAFLD group had a higher body mass index (p < 0.001) than the healthy group and also carried significantly higher CRP levels (p < 0.001) but lower adiponectin (p = 0.001). TNF-α levels increased significantly with fatty liver grade (p = 0.023). The NAFLD group showed significantly higher intake of energy, carbohydrates, iron, sodium, vitamin A and saturated fatty acids, but significantly lower intake of zinc and vitamin E than the healthy group. The MAR values were slightly higher in the NAFLD group but without any significant difference. The levels of adiponectin and vitamin E showed a significant inverse correlation (p < 0.05). Nutritional management of NAFLD patients is important, and the intake of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients such as zinc and vitamin E should be emphasized.