Objectives: Lonely death is defined as “a person living in a state of social isolation, disconnected from family, relatives, and others, who dies from suicide, illness, or other causes”. This study investigated the characteristics of individuals who die alone in Korea. Methods: We constructed a database of lonely death cases by linking data from the Korea Crime Scene Investigation Unit of the Korea National Police Agency with National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) records. A descriptive analysis was performed to evaluate the demographics, underlying diseases, and healthcare utilization patterns among lonely death cases. Results: Among the 3122 individuals identified as lonely death cases, 2621 (84.0%) were male and 501 (16.0%) were female. The most common age group was 50-59 years (n=930, 29.8%). The NHIS covered 2161 individuals (69.2%), whereas 961 individuals (30.8%) were enrolled in Medical Aid (MA). The highest number of lonely deaths occurred in Seoul areas, with 1468 cases (47.0%). Mood disorders were diagnosed in 1020 individuals (32.7%), and various alcohol-related diseases, including alcoholic liver disease, were also observed. Outpatient visits increased leading up to death but declined in the final 3 months, while hospitalizations decreased and emergency room visits slightly increased. Conclusions Most lonely death cases involved male in their 50s, with a disproportionately high number of MA beneficiaries compared to the general population. Many of these individuals also experienced mental health issues or alcohol-related disorders. Preventing social isolation and strengthening social safety nets are critical to reducing the occurrence of lonely deaths.

Recently, usage of the term ‘heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)’ has predominated over the term ‘diastolic heart failure (DHF).’ The term ‘preserved ejection fraction’ represents only one aspect of DHF and does not provide insight into the hemodynamic mechanism of heart failure. In heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), depressed ejection fraction is the independent determinant of prognosis regardless of etiology. However, in HFpEF, because the prognosis is predominantly determined by etiologies of HFpEF, results of the drug on the prognosis in the clinical trial cannot be interpreted as it is. Therefore, studies on patients with HFpEF should be restricted to patients with diastolic dysfunction and, effects of drugs should be focused on symptom improvement not survival benefit. One reason for the prevalent use of HFpEF over DHF is the complexity in assessing diastolic function. Current official recommendations for the evaluation of diastolic function are too complex to be widely applied in the patient enrollment in large clinical trials as well as not easily applicable in our daily clinical practice. Therefore, there is a clinical need for a simple and practical way of assessing diastolic function.

Cataract is a common eye disease in the elderly. It is affected by various factors including oxidative stress which cause inflammation and damage to the lens. In this study, we aimed to analyze the relationship between the dietary inflammatory index (DII), which indicates the contribution of various dietary components to inflammation, and cataract. The study was a cross-sectional study using data from the 2019∼2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) and included 3,427 people aged 65 years and older. The DII was derived using a 24-hour recall method. To analyze the association between dietary inflammation and cataracts, we divided the DII into tertiles and performed logistic regression analysis. All analyses were performed using SPSS version 29.0. The results showed that 1,457 (42.5%) patients had cataracts.The DII was 1.56±0.1 in the cataract group and 1.18±0.1 in the non-cataract group (P＜0.001). Logistic regression analysis with adjusted variables to analyze the association of DII with cataracts showed that the odds ratio (OR) of cataract incidence was lower from T1 to T3 (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.68∼0.99, P for trend=0.040). This study shows that a lower DII score is associated with a lower OR of cataract development in the Korean elderly. This suggest that dietary strategies focusing on anti-inflammatory foods are needed to delay and effectively manage cataract development.

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly impacted adolescent health, highlighting the need for effective health promotion strategies. This qualitative study analyzed adolescent health concerns during the pandemic and explored management strategies through focus group interviews (FGIs).FGIs were conducted on November 23 and 25, 2023, with six secondary school nutrition teachers, six educational supervisors, and six adolescent students. Semi-structured questions were used to explore five key domains: health behaviors, factors contributing to health problems, social support, perceived health beliefs, and health education. The FGI recordings were transcribed, and Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis method was applied to classify and categorize the data. To ensure the reliability and validity of the study, all processes were meticulously documented, and member checking and triangulation were conducted. The analysis revealed that adolescents faced reduced physical activity, irregular eating habits, school lunch disruptions, social isolation, worsening obesity, mental health challenges, and decreased engagement in health-promoting behaviors. Nutrition teachers and educational supervisors emphasized the importance of the food environment in schools and policy support, whereas adolescent students. highlighted motivation and accessibility as the key factors for adopting healthy behaviors. Based on these findings, strengthening social support, expanding health education, and establishing a national support system are essential for improving adolescent health. This study has implications for policy and education to address adolescent health challenges during a pandemic and serves as a foundation for future health promotion strategies.

This study developed and validated a standardized scale to assess the adaptation of novice nutrition teachers to the teaching profession. A comprehensive literature review and a Delphi survey were conducted to identify the key adaptation factors, followed by a survey of 200 novice nutrition teachers across South Korea.Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to verify the reliability and validity of the scale. The final scale consisted of five factors: personal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy factors, having 56 items. Reliability analysis indicated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α≥0.7 for all factors), and EFA confirmed that all items met the factor loading threshold (≥ 0.3). The CFA results revealed good model fit indices (CFI, TLI≥0.9, RMSEA≤0.1), confirming the structural validity of the scale. The socioecological scale developed in this study is an objective and practical tool for evaluating the adaptation levels of novice nutrition teachers and can be used as foundational data for developing support programs and policy development. Unlike previous studies that focused on individual teacher characteristics, this study applied a socioecological approach, incorporating organizational, social, and policy-related factors in addition to personal adaptation. Future research should extend the empirical application of this scale to diverse educational settings that verify its effectiveness, and develop comprehensive support strategies.

Progressive spastic weakness of the lower limbs is a major feature of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) and primary lateral sclerosis (PLS). The motor band sign (MBS) is characterized by a band-like hypointensity along the precentral gyrus in susceptibility-weighted image of brain magnetic resonance imaging. This sign has been reported in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and is recognized as an indirect marker of upper motor neuron degeneration. The presence of MBS could serve as a marker for PLS but not for HSP.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the peripheral nervous system, primarily treated with corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulin as first-line therapies. Early treatment yields better outcome before nerve damage caused by the immune response. Once axonal damage has progressed, immunotherapy becomes ineffective, making early intervention crucial. Additionally, as treatment responses vary among patients, it is essential to assess treatment efficacy objectively and tailor therapy accordingly. Since there are currently no biomarkers that accurately reflect disease status, regular physical examinations are necessary to evaluate treatment effectiveness and adjust maintenance therapy. This review outlines the current clinical guidelines for the treatment of CIDP and explores emerging therapeutic options, including neonatal Fc receptor inhibitors and complement pathway inhibitors.

Objective: This study examined the predictive values of presepsin compared with that of other biomarkers (C-reactive protein and procalcitonin) for intensive care unit (ICU) admission and the 28-day mortality in patients with a suspected infection presenting to the emergency department (ED). Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted from January 2021 to December 2021 at the ED of a university hospital. The serum presepsin levels were obtained from adult patients suspected of having an infection based on the judgment of clinicians. Results: Of the 1,772 patients analyzed, 389 patients (22.0%) were admitted to the ICU, and 190 patients (10.7%) died within 28 days. The presepsin levels were significantly higher in the ICU admission group (P<0.001) and non-survivor group (P<0.001) than in the other patients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for predicting ICU admission indicated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.660 for presepsin (vs. 0.640 and 0.700 for the C-reactive protein and procalcitonin, respectively). The ROC curve for predicting the 28-day mortality indicated an AUC of 0.719 for presepsin (vs. 0.675 and 0.720 for C-reactive protein and procalcitonin, respectively). Conclusion The initial presepsin level might be useful for predicting ICU admission and 28-day mortality in patients with a suspected infection in the ED.