Rare endocrine diseases are complex conditions that require lifelong specialized care due to their chronic nature and associated long-term complications. In Korea, a lack of nationwide data on clinical practice and outcomes has limited progress in patient care. Therefore, the Multicenter Networks for Ideal Outcomes of Pediatric Rare Endocrine and Metabolic Disease (OUTSPREAD) study was initiated. This study involves 30 centers across Korea. The study aims to improve the long-term prognosis of Korean patients with rare endocrine diseases by collecting comprehensive clinical data, biospecimens, and patient-reported outcomes to identify complications and unmet needs in patient care. Patients with childhood-onset pituitary, adrenal, or gonadal disorders, such as craniopharyngioma, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and Turner syndrome were prioritized. The planned enrollment is 1,300 patients during the first study phase (2022–2024). Clinical, biochemical, and imaging data from diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up during 1980–2023 were retrospectively reviewed. For patients who agreed to participate in the prospective cohort, clinical data and biospecimens will be prospectively collected to discover ideal biomarkers that predict the effectiveness of disease control measures and prognosis. Patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life and depression scales, will be evaluated to assess psychosocial outcomes. Additionally, a substudy on CAH patients will develop a steroid hormone profiling method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to improve diagnosis and monitoring of treatment outcomes. This study will address unmet clinical needs by discovering ideal biomarkers, introducing evidence-based treatment guidelines, and ultimately improving long-term outcomes in the areas of rare endocrine and metabolic diseases.

Rare endocrine diseases are complex conditions that require lifelong specialized care due to their chronic nature and associated long-term complications. In Korea, a lack of nationwide data on clinical practice and outcomes has limited progress in patient care. Therefore, the Multicenter Networks for Ideal Outcomes of Pediatric Rare Endocrine and Metabolic Disease (OUTSPREAD) study was initiated. This study involves 30 centers across Korea. The study aims to improve the long-term prognosis of Korean patients with rare endocrine diseases by collecting comprehensive clinical data, biospecimens, and patient-reported outcomes to identify complications and unmet needs in patient care. Patients with childhood-onset pituitary, adrenal, or gonadal disorders, such as craniopharyngioma, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and Turner syndrome were prioritized. The planned enrollment is 1,300 patients during the first study phase (2022–2024). Clinical, biochemical, and imaging data from diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up during 1980–2023 were retrospectively reviewed. For patients who agreed to participate in the prospective cohort, clinical data and biospecimens will be prospectively collected to discover ideal biomarkers that predict the effectiveness of disease control measures and prognosis. Patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life and depression scales, will be evaluated to assess psychosocial outcomes. Additionally, a substudy on CAH patients will develop a steroid hormone profiling method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to improve diagnosis and monitoring of treatment outcomes. This study will address unmet clinical needs by discovering ideal biomarkers, introducing evidence-based treatment guidelines, and ultimately improving long-term outcomes in the areas of rare endocrine and metabolic diseases.

Rare endocrine diseases are complex conditions that require lifelong specialized care due to their chronic nature and associated long-term complications. In Korea, a lack of nationwide data on clinical practice and outcomes has limited progress in patient care. Therefore, the Multicenter Networks for Ideal Outcomes of Pediatric Rare Endocrine and Metabolic Disease (OUTSPREAD) study was initiated. This study involves 30 centers across Korea. The study aims to improve the long-term prognosis of Korean patients with rare endocrine diseases by collecting comprehensive clinical data, biospecimens, and patient-reported outcomes to identify complications and unmet needs in patient care. Patients with childhood-onset pituitary, adrenal, or gonadal disorders, such as craniopharyngioma, congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), and Turner syndrome were prioritized. The planned enrollment is 1,300 patients during the first study phase (2022–2024). Clinical, biochemical, and imaging data from diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up during 1980–2023 were retrospectively reviewed. For patients who agreed to participate in the prospective cohort, clinical data and biospecimens will be prospectively collected to discover ideal biomarkers that predict the effectiveness of disease control measures and prognosis. Patient-reported outcomes, including quality of life and depression scales, will be evaluated to assess psychosocial outcomes. Additionally, a substudy on CAH patients will develop a steroid hormone profiling method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to improve diagnosis and monitoring of treatment outcomes. This study will address unmet clinical needs by discovering ideal biomarkers, introducing evidence-based treatment guidelines, and ultimately improving long-term outcomes in the areas of rare endocrine and metabolic diseases.

Objective: Dysphagia is a common clinical condition characterized by difficulty in swallowing. It is sub-classified into oropharyngeal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the mouth and pharynx, and esophageal dysphagia, which refers to problems in the esophageal body and esophagogastric junction. Dysphagia can have a significant negative impact one’s physical health and quality of life as its severity increases. Therefore, proper assessment and management of dysphagia are critical for improving swallowing function and preventing complications. Thus a guideline was developed to provide evidence-based recommendations for assessment and management in patients with dysphagia. Methods: Nineteen key questions on dysphagia were developed. These questions dealt with various aspects of problems related to dysphagia, including assessment, management, and complications. A literature search for relevant articles was conducted using Pubmed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and one domestic database of KoreaMed, until April 2021. The level of evidence and recommendation grade were established according to the Grading of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation methodology. Results: Early screening and assessment of videofluoroscopic swallowing were recommended for assessing the presence of dysphagia. Therapeutic methods, such as tongue and pharyngeal muscle strengthening exercises and neuromuscular electrical stimulation with swallowing therapy, were effective in improving swallowing function and quality of life in patients with dysphagia. Nutritional intervention and an oral care program were also recommended. Conclusion This guideline presents recommendations for the assessment and management of patients with oropharyngeal dysphagia, including rehabilitative strategies.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and report the antibacterial efficacy in relation to oral disease-causing bacteria using a mouthwash containing 0.05% CPC in an in vitro test. Methods: The sterilization test and susceptibility assay of mouthwash containing 0.05% CPC were investigated against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, and Lactobacillus acidophilus;Streptococcus sanguinis as oral bacteria related to dental caries; Enterococcus faecalis as apical periodontitis-related bacteria; and Actinomyces israelii, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescence, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Filifactor alocis as periodontal disease-related bacteria. Results: In the sterilization test, most of the bacteria had more than 99.99% sterilizing power for all samples but compared to other bacteria, the sterilizing power of these samples was not successful for L. acidophilus and E. faecalis bacteria. When comparing the sterilization power between the samples, sample 3 (0.05% CPC+20% ethanol) was the strongest. Conclusions In the antimicrobial activity test, sample 3 inhibited growth at the lowest concentration overall.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate and report the antibacterial efficacy in relation to oral disease-causing bacteria using a mouthwash containing 0.05% CPC in an in vitro test. Methods: The sterilization test and susceptibility assay of mouthwash containing 0.05% CPC were investigated against Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus sobrinus, and Lactobacillus acidophilus;Streptococcus sanguinis as oral bacteria related to dental caries; Enterococcus faecalis as apical periodontitis-related bacteria; and Actinomyces israelii, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, Prevotella nigrescence, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, and Filifactor alocis as periodontal disease-related bacteria. Results: In the sterilization test, most of the bacteria had more than 99.99% sterilizing power for all samples but compared to other bacteria, the sterilizing power of these samples was not successful for L. acidophilus and E. faecalis bacteria. When comparing the sterilization power between the samples, sample 3 (0.05% CPC+20% ethanol) was the strongest. Conclusions In the antimicrobial activity test, sample 3 inhibited growth at the lowest concentration overall.

PURPOSE: Excess sodium intake may contribute to the etiology of hypertension and cardiovascular disease risk. World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily sodium intake of less than 2 g. The aim of this study was to estimate the association of sodium intake with obesity in Korean adults. METHODS: This study used Dietary intake and Health data on 22,321 subjects aged 30 years and over from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2010~2014. Information on dietary intake was obtained by the one day 24-hour recall method in KNHANES, and sodium intake was classified into five groups (< 2,000 mg, 2,000~4,000 mg, 4,000~6,000 mg, 6,000~8,000 mg, ≥ 8,000 mg). Obesity was defined as having a body mass index (BMI) higher than 25 kg/m². Intake of sodium and obesity status were analyzed by logistic regression with SPSS Statistics 23. RESULTS: Men tended to have a higher sodium intake than women (p < 0.001). After adjusting for age, sex, year, daily energy intake, education level, smoking status, drinking status, physical activity, and chronic diseases and comparing the highest sodium intake group (≥ 8,000 mg) with the lowest intake group (< 2,000 mg), the OR of obesity was 1.351 (95% CI: 1.032~1.767) in men. The OR of obesity in the sodium intake group (4,000~6,000 mg) was 1.232 (95% CI: 1.063~1.427) in women. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest an independent relationship between sodium intake and as increased risk of obesity in Korean adults, implying the necessity for future research on low-sodium diet intervention in relation to obesity.
Adult* ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Chronic Disease ; Diet, Sodium-Restricted ; Drinking ; Education ; Energy Intake ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Methods ; Motor Activity ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Obesity* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Sodium* ; World Health Organization

The original version of this article contained wrong informations of some authors which should be changed.

The paper by Kang et al. was printed with an error regarding the order of the authors.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Nonmotor symptoms (NMS) in Parkinson's disease (PD) have multisystem origins with heterogeneous manifestations that develop throughout the course of PD. NMS are increasingly recognized as having a significant impact on the health-related quality of life (HrQoL). We aimed to determine the NMS presentation according to PD status, and the associations of NMS with other clinical variables and the HrQoL of Korean PD patients. METHODS: We surveyed patients in 37 movement-disorders clinics throughout Korea. In total, 323 PD patients were recruited for assessment of disease severity and duration, NMS, HrQoL, and other clinical variables including demographics, cognition, sleep scale, fatigability, and symptoms. RESULTS: In total, 98.1% of enrolled PD subjects suffered from various kinds of NMS. The prevalence of NMS and scores in each NMS domain were significantly higher in the PD group, and the NMS worsened as the disease progressed. Among clinical variables, disease duration and depressive mood showed significant correlations with all NMS domains (p<0.001). NMS status impacted HrQoL in PD (rS=0.329, p<0.01), and the association patterns differed with the disease stage. CONCLUSIONS: The results of our survey suggest that NMS in PD are not simply isolated symptoms of degenerative disease, but rather exert significant influences throughout the disease course. A novel clinical approach focused on NMS to develop tailored management strategies is warranted to improve the HrQoL in PD patients.
Cognition ; Demography ; Humans ; Korea ; Movement Disorders* ; Parkinson Disease* ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life*