BACKGROUND: The objective of the current study was to determine whether there was an association between urinary albumin excretion and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk by estimating the Framingham Risk Score (FRS) in postmenopausal women without diabetes. METHODS: This study was based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was conducted by the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare in 2011 to 2013. Data on 2,316 postmenopausal women from a total of 24,594 participants was included in the analysis. RESULTS: The mean FRS was significantly different in each of the urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR) subgroups, and it increased with UACR. The FRS was 12.69±0.12 in the optimal group, 14.30±0.19 in the intermediate normal group, 14.62±0.26 in the high normal group, and 15.86±0.36 in the microalbuminuria group. After fully adjusting for potential confounding factors, high normal levels and microalbuminuria were significantly associated with the highest tertile of FRS ([odds ratio (OR), 1.642; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.124 to 2.400] and [OR, 3.385; 95% CI, 2.088 to 5.488], respectively) compared with the optimal subgroup. High normal levels and microalbuminuria were also significantly associated with a ≥10% 10-year risk of CVD ([OR, 1.853; 95% CI, 1.122 to 3.060] and [OR, 2.831; 95% CI, 1.327 to 6.037], respectively) after adjusting for potential confounding covariates. CONCLUSION: Urinary albumin excretion reflects CVD risk in postmenopausal women without diabetes, and high normal levels and microalbuminuria were independently associated with a higher risk of CVD.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Creatinine ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Postmenopause

Acute toxic-metabolic encephalopathy (TME) is an acute condition of global cerebral dysfunction in the absence of primary structural brain disease. Severe hypophosphatemia leads to muscle weakness and involves the diaphragm but hypophosphatemia-induced TME is very rare. Herein, we report the case of a 43-year-old woman with encephalopathy with severe hypophosphatemia during continuous renal replacement therapy. She presented with features of oliguric acute kidney injury on diabetic kidney disease due to volume depletion. At admission, her mental status was alert but gradually changed to stupor mentation during continuous renal replacement therapy. Her phosphate level was less than 0.41 mEq/L and Glasgow coma scale decreased from 15 to 5. After phosphate intravenous replacement and administration of phosphate-containing replacement solution, the phosphate level increased to 2.97 mEq/L and mental state returned to alert state. This case demonstrates that the level of phosphorus should be observed during continuous renal replacement therapy.

Background: Although the consumption of vitamin beverages has increased because of the recent interest in health and beauty, guidelines addressing appropriate consumption habits are lacking. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the erosive potential of several vitamin beverages and to propose guidelines for the appropriate intake of these drinks. Methods: Five vitamin beverages were selected after a pre-investigation of the current beverage market. Coca-Cola and mineral water were selected as the control beverages. The pH of the beverages was measured with a calibrated pH meter, and the titratable acidity (TA) was determined by using 1 M sodium hydroxide to reach pH 5.5 (TA5.5) and 7.0 (TA7.0). The screening method suggested by the International Organization for Standardization was used to measure pH variation (pH) by using an under-saturated hydroxyapatite solution to determine the difference between the initial and final pH of the screening solution. All measurements were performed in triplicate. Results: All vitamin beverages tested in this study exhibited a low pH (2.53∼2.99), similar to Coca-Cola, which is known to be a highly acidic beverage. The highest TA5.5 and TA7.0 values of the vitamin beverages were 7.03 ml and 8.81 ml, respectively. The largest change in pH determined by using the screening solution was found in Bacchus D (pH 1.44±0.05). The mean pH of the vitamin beverages was 1.12±0.29, which was higher than that of Coca-Cola (positive control, pH 0.58±0.05). Conclusion Vitamin beverages exhibited an erosive potential capable of damaging enamel surfaces. Therefore, the frequency of vitamin beverage intake should be limited, and individuals consuming these drinks should try to restore normal oral pH as quickly as possible.

Mucormycosis is an extremely rare but potentially life-threatening fungal infection. Mucormycosis of the gastrointestinal tract manifests with features similar to ischemic colitis. A 48-year-old man with end-stage renal disease due to diabetic nephropathy underwent deceased donor kidney transplantation. He complained of abdominal pain and distension on postoperative day 17. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed symmetrical wall thickening of the ascending colon, which was consistent with ischemic colitis. However, a follow-up CT scan showed a localized wall-off colon perforation in the hepatic flexure and segmental mural gas in the ascending colon. Microscopic examination obtained from a surgical specimen demonstrated numerous fungal hyphae and spores in the mucosa and submucosa. A total colectomy was performed, but the patient died 36 days later due to multiple organ failure, despite antifungal agents. Clinicians should be informed about fungal infection, such as colonic mucormycosis mimicking ischemic colitis, in kidney transplant patients with diabetes mellitus, and treatment should be initiated at the earliest.
Abdominal Pain ; Antifungal Agents ; Colectomy ; Colitis, Ischemic* ; Colon* ; Colon, Ascending ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Follow-Up Studies ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Humans ; Hyphae ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Kidney Transplantation ; Kidney* ; Middle Aged ; Mucormycosis* ; Mucous Membrane ; Multiple Organ Failure ; Spores ; Tissue Donors ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Transplant Recipients*

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a disorder characterized by repeated emotional, behavioral, and physical symptoms before menstruation, and the exact cause and mechanism are uncertain. Hyperprolactinemia interferes with the normal production of estrogen and progesterone, leading to PMS symptoms. Thus, we judged that the inhibition of prolactin hypersecretion could mitigate PMS symptoms.MATERIALS/METHODS: Hordeum vulgare L. extract (HVE), Chrysanthemum zawadskii var. latilobum extract (CZE), and Lomens-P0 the mixture of these extracts were tested in subsequent experiments. The effect of extracts on prolactin secretion at the in vitro level was measured in GH3 cells. Nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory mediator expression were measured in RAW 264.7 cells to confirm the anti-inflammatory effect. Also, the hyperprolactinemic Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) mice model was used to measure extract effects on prolactin and hormone secretion and uterine inflammation. RESULTS: Anti-inflammatory effects of and prolactin secretion suppress by HVE and CZE were confirmed through in vitro experiments (P < 0.05). Treatment with Lomens-P0 inhibited prolactin secretion (P < 0.05) and restored normal sex hormone secretion in the hyperprolactinemia mice model. In addition, extracts significantly inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory biomarkers, including interleukin-1β, and -6, tumor necrosis factor-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 (P < 0.01). We used high-performance liquid chromatography analyses to identify tricin and chlorogenic acid as the respective components of HVE and CZE that inhibit prolactin secretion. The Lomens-P0, which includes tricin and chlorogenic acid, is expected to be effective in improving PMS symptoms in the human body. CONCLUSIONS The Lomens-P0 suppressed the prolactin secretion in hyperprolactinemia mice, normalized the sex hormone imbalance, and significantly suppressed the expression of inflammatory markers in uterine tissue. This study suggests that Lomens-P0 may have the potential to prevent or remedy materials to PMS symptoms.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of black soybean (CJ-3) testa extracts on lipid profiles in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: One control group and four STZ-induced diabetic groups with different doses of black soybean (CJ-3) testa extracts treatment [0 mg/kg (diabetic control, EX), 250 mg/kg (EX-250), 500 mg/kg (EX-500), 1,000 mg/kg (EX-1000)] were orally administered for 4 weeks. RESULTS: All CJ-3 treatment groups had remarkably lower serum triglyceride (TG) levels than that of EX group (p < 0.05) whereas hepatic TG contents did not show any differences. Results from serum total cholesterol (TC) concentrations of EX-250 and EX-1000 groups were decreased compared to EX group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, protein levels of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-Coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase from the liver decreased in all treatment groups (p < 0.05). However, significant differences were not observed in serum glucose and insulin, and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4) protein expression in skeletal muscle tissue. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that black soybean testa extracts could be useful for improvement of hyperlipidemia and hypercholesteremia in diabetes.
Animals ; Anthocyanins ; Blood Glucose ; Cholesterol ; Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative ; Hypercholesterolemia ; Hyperlipidemias ; Insulin ; Liver ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Oxidoreductases ; Rats* ; Soybeans* ; Streptozocin ; Triglycerides