No abstract available.
Pulmonary Circulation*

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy & safety of a new HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, atorvastatin, to improve serum lipid profiles in patients with primary hypercholesterolemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred and six patients from 21 hospitals, all with total cholesterol level over 240 mg/dl and triglyceride level below 400 mg/dl were enrolled in the study. Following diet therapy for 2 weeks, atorvastatin 10 mg was taken for 6 weeks if the total cholesterol level remained higher than 240 mg/dl. The percent change of total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol from baseline to 6 weeks of treatment were evaluated. Patients were monitored for safety through careful history talking, physical examination, serum sampling for liver and muscle enzyme. RESULTS: 1) The study was completed in a total of 166 patients. The mean age of patients the was 58 1/2 years and the percent of male and female patients was 37%, 37% and 63%, respectively. 2) The baseline mean values of total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol following diet therapy for 2 weeks were 280+/-34 mg/dl, 172+/-77 mg/dl, 190+/-35 mg/dl, 56+/-13 mg/dl, respectively. 3) After 6 weeks treatment, the level of total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol were 195+/-34 mg/d, 150+/-67 mg/dl, 110+/-33 mg/dl, 55+/-12 mg/dl, respectively, and the rates of change were -30%, -7%, -42%, -0.2%, respectively. 4) The level of LDL-cholesterol at the end of treatment was below 100 mg/dl in 44%, 100-130 mg/dl in 33%, 130-160 mg/dl in 14%, over 160 mg/dl in 9% of patients. 5) 77% of total patients achieved the target goal of LDL cholesterol (below 130 mg/dl) according to the NCEP guideline. 6) The reduction rate of LDL-cholesterol was different among the patients. At the end of treatment, the patients with initial LDL-cholesterol below 100 mg/dl achieved a higher reduction rate (52%) as compared with those patient's inithal LDL-cholesterol level were higher. 7) There are was only 1 patient (0.6%) who showed 3 times a three-fold increase of liver enzyme and no patient showed an increase of creatine kinase. CONCLUSION: Atorvastatin is effective and safe in improving the lipid profiles in of patients with hypercholesterolemia without serious side effects. (Korean Circulation J 2001;31 (4):434-441)
Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Creatine Kinase ; Diet Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Hypercholesterolemia* ; Liver ; Male ; Oxidoreductases ; Physical Examination ; Triglycerides ; Atorvastatin Calcium

Three hormonal systems show decreasing circulating hormone concentrations during normal aging : (1) estrogen(in menopause), and testosterone (in andropause), (2) dehydroepiandrosterone and its sulfate (in adrenopause), and (3) the growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 axis (in somatopause). Throughout the adult life, all physiological functions gradually decline. There is a diminishing capacity for cellular protein synthesis, an decline in immune function, an increase in fat mass, a loss of muscle mass and strength, and a decrease in bone mineral density. Physical changes during aging have been considered physiologic, but there is evidence that some of these changes are related to the decline in the hormonal activity. Various hormonal replacement strategies have been developed, but many of their aspects remain controversial, and increased blood hormone levels in aging individuals to those found during the mid-adult life have not been uniformly proven to be safe and of benefit.
Adult ; Aging* ; Bone Density ; Dehydroepiandrosterone ; Female ; Hormone Replacement Therapy* ; Humans ; Menopause ; Testosterone

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Infant*

The purpose of this study was to investigate degree of the health promoting behavior and self-esteem of nursing college students, and to ide tify the relationship between self-esteem and the health promoting behavior. The sample consisted of 122 college nursing students and 100 university nursing student The instruments for this study were structured questionnaire which included health promoting behavior practice level(60 items), self-esteem(10), sociodemographic characteristics (10). Data were collected from September 14 to September 28, 1998 and analyzed by SAS rogram t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient, and multiple regreacion. The results of this study are as follows : 1. The results of the comparison between the two groups were not significantly different for self-esteem and health promoting behavior and socio-demographic characteristics. The average score for the health promoting behavior was high 162.5(total 240). and self-esteem was high, too 30.5(total 40). In the subcategories the highest practice level was "personal hygiene(3.30)", and the lowest level was "health management(1.57)". 2. Health promoting behavior was significantly correlated with self-esteem(r = .4970, p= .0001). 3. Self-esteem was the main factor predicting health promoting behavior and accounted for 24. 69% among variance. 4. There was a statistically significant the difference on health promoting behavior according to "personality"(t=2.58, p=.0l06), "residence pattern"(F=2.90, p=.0360) and on self-esteem according to "religion"(t=-2.20, p=.0291) and, "personality"(t = 4.40, p= .0001). In conclusion, there was not a significant difference between those of college nursing students and university nursing students on self-esteem and the health promoting behavior. Self-esteem correlated with health promoting behavior positively, and was identified to be an important variable that contributed to health promoting behavior.
Humans ; Nursing* ; Students, Nursing ; Surveys and Questionnaires

December 19, 1995 is the 80th anniversary of Alois Alzheimer's death. Recently, dementing illness including Alzheimer's disease has become the center of public interest in Korea. However, there are not much information about him or historical background of Alzheimer's disease. It is even misunderstanding. It seems to be meaningful to introduce the lifetime of the Alois Alzheimer and the historical background of Alzheimer's disease, especially in the anniversary of his death.

Endoscopy is often requested for patients who have had previous stomach aperation. In my practice these cases accounted for 2.2% of the total 5,000 cases of Gastric Fiberscopy. Endoscopist should be aware of the variois anatomic features which developed as a consequence of the surgical procedures to easy interpret and easy fiberscopic teahnique. A series of 111 cases of postperative stomach between 1982 to 1996 is described and analysied.
Endoscopy ; Humans ; Stomach*

No abstract available.
Vitamin D* ; Vitamins*

No abstract available.
Sleep Apnea Syndromes* ; Snoring*

A microsporidian parasite Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most common microorganism recognized in AIDS patients, and slow scientific progress is attributed to our inability to propagate the parasite. We report upon the development of a system of propagation using the pig biliary system. The parasite spores were continuously detected in the bile samples post onset of spore shedding in the gall bladder, which suggests that this organism maintain persistent infection in the biliary system and that the hepatobiliary tree may represent a reservoir of infection. In conclusion the biliary tree is an adequate niche for the propagation of E. bieneusi. This work has also resulted in the development of a procedure of ultrasound-guided cholecystocentesis for aspirating biles. This is a simple and non-surgical procedure, and creates no signs of clinical complications in the livers and the gall bladders after dozens of separate attempts. Thus, this is a very useful and safe technique for the aspiration of bile from live animals.
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/*parasitology ; Animals ; Bile/parasitology ; Biliary Tract/*parasitology ; DNA, Protozoan/analysis ; Disease Models, Animal ; Enterocytozoon/*growth & development/physiology ; Feces/parasitology ; Gallbladder/parasitology/ultrasonography ; Immunosuppression/veterinary ; Microsporidiosis/*parasitology ; Paracentesis/methods/veterinary ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Specimen Handling/methods/veterinary ; Spores, Protozoan/isolation & purification/physiology ; Swine