Cerebro-cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of compensable occupational diseases in Korea as in Japan or Taiwan. However, most countries accept only cardiovascular diseases (ischemic heart diseases) as compensable occupational diseases if any, but not cerebrovascular diseases. Korea has a prescribed list of compensable occupational diseases. CVD was not included in the list until 1993. In the early 1990s, a case of cerebral infarction was accepted as occupational disease by the Supreme Court. The decision was based on the concept that workers' compensation system is one of the social security systems. In 1994, the government has established a diagnostic criterion of CVD. The crude rate of compensated cerebrovascular disease decreased by 60.0% from 18.5 in 2003 to 7.4 in 2008 per 100,000 workers, and that of compensated coronary heart disease decreased by 60.5% from 3.8 in 2003 to 1.5 in 2008 per 100,000 workers. The compensated cases of CVD dramatically increased and reached its peak in 2003. Since many preventive activities were performed by the government and employers, the compensated cases have slowly decreased since 2003 and sharply decreased after 2008 when the diagnostic criterion was amended. The strategic approach is needed essentially because CVDs are common, serious and preventable diseases which lead to economic burden.
*Cardiovascular Diseases/economics/epidemiology/etiology/prevention & control ; *Cerebrovascular Disorders/economics/epidemiology/etiology/prevention & control ; Humans ; Occupational Diseases/economics/*epidemiology/etiology/prevention & control ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; *Workers' Compensation/economics/legislation & jurisprudence

Adolescent ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; etiology ; Child ; China ; epidemiology ; Diabetes Mellitus ; etiology ; Humans ; Metabolic Syndrome ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Obesity ; complications ; Practice Guidelines as Topic ; Risk Factors ; Waist-Hip Ratio

Although type 2 diabetes is a disease often associated with aging, the global prevalence of early-onset diabetes has been increasing due to man's sedentary lifestyle, low-physical activity, obesity, and some nonmodifiable risk factors. Many studies have found that individuals with early-onset type 2 diabetes were at higher risk of developing vascular complications than those with late-onset diabetes. Individuals with early-onset diabetes are usually unwilling to visit hospital and have more confidence in their health, which results in poor glycemic control and the delayed detection of diabetes-related complications. Few studies have focused on the treatment and prevention of complications in specific population of individuals with early-onset type 2 diabetes. Therefore, focusing on this particular population is critical for the government and academic societies. Screening for T2DM is imminent for young adults with a family history of diabetes, obesity, markers of insulin resistance, or alcohol consumption. More data are definitely required to establish a reasonable risk model to screen for early-onset diabetes.
Age of Onset ; Alcohol Drinking ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; epidemiology ; etiology ; China ; epidemiology ; Comorbidity ; Diabetes Complications ; prevention & control ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Obesity ; complications ; epidemiology ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify subgroups of the physical and behavioral risk profiles for cardiovascular disease among industrial workers, and to examine predicting factors for the subgroups. SAMPLE AND METHOD: Health records of 2,616 male and female workers aged 19-56 years who were employed in an airplane manufacturing industry were analyzed. Data were analyzed using the Latent class cluster analysis. RESULTS: Four different clusters (two high-risk groups, one low-risk group, and one normal group) were found and these clusters were significantly different by age, gender, and work type (p<.05). The two high-risk groups had higher chances of drinking alcohol, elevated BMI, FBS, total cholesterol, having hypertension, and were significantly older, and had relatively high chances of being day workers rather than other groups. The low-risk group had higher chances of drinking alcohol, higher BMI and total cholesterols compared to normal group, and highest portions of current smokers and shift workers in the four clusters and their mean BP was within prehypertension criteria. CONCLUSION: Industrial nurses should guide the lifestyle behaviors and risk factors of the high risk groups for CVD and need to intervene early for behavioral change for the low-risk group who are young and shift workers. Age, and work environment should be considered in planning for targeted preventive interventions for industrial workers.
Work Schedule Tolerance ; Risk Factors ; Occupations ; *Occupational Health ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Life Style ; Korea/epidemiology ; *Industry ; Humans ; Health Status ; Female ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Cluster Analysis ; Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology/etiology/*prevention & control ; Adult

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study were to investigate the effects of a 12-week brisk walking program on triglycerides (TG) and apolipoprotein B (Apo B) and to compare these effects to those of a brisk walking plus diet program in middle-aged overweight/obese (BMI> or =23) Korean women with hypertriglyceridemia. METHOD: This analysis was done with nineteen middle-aged overweight/obese Korean women who completed either the brisk walking program (9 women) or the brisk walking plus diet program (10 women) for 12 weeks. The brisk walking consisted of walking for 20 to 50 minutes/day at an intensity of 40 to 70% of heart rate reserve (HRR) for 3 to 6 days/week. The diet consisted of 60 minutes of group education and 20 to 30 minutes of individual counseling every week. TG and Apo B were assessed pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: TG and Apo B decreased significantly after the brisk walking program (Z = -2.31, p = 0.021; Z = -2.59, p = 0.009). TG and Apo B lowering effects of the brisk walking program were not significantly different from those of the brisk walking plus diet program (U = 37.0, p = 0.549; U = 42.0, p = 0.842). CONCLUSION: Brisk walking can be an effective intervention for overweight/obese middle-aged women with hypertriglyceridemia in reducing cardiovascular risk by lowering TG and Apo B levels. Adding diet to brisk walking may have no additional significant effects on changes in TG and Apo B.
Adult ; Apolipoproteins B/blood ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology/prevention & control ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Counseling/organization & administration ; Diet, Fat-Restricted/*methods ; Energy Intake ; Exercise Test ; Exercise Therapy/education/*methods ; Female ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertriglyceridemia/blood/complications/epidemiology/*prevention & control ; Korea/epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Nursing Evaluation Research ; Obesity/complications/epidemiology/*prevention & control ; Patient Education as Topic/organization & administration ; Prevalence ; Risk Reduction Behavior ; Triglycerides/blood ; *Walking