PURPOSE: The purposes of this study was to evaluate an occupational health promotion program for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. METHOD: This study employed a quasi-experimental non-equivalent pre and post test to evaluate the program. The subjects of this study were 48 employees selected by convenience sampling who were suspected of having hypertension and hyperlipidemia in routine physical examinations and who were working in A University Hospital in Suwon. 25 subjects were assigned to the experimental group and 23 to the control group. Data collection was done using questionnaries before and after the subjects used the program. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that systolic blood pressure, ALT, gamma-GTP in the experimental group was lower than that of the control group. There were significant differences between two groups in the percentage of 'irregularity of diet' and in health behavior compliance. There were significant differences between the two groups in the number of complaints of symptoms after using the program. CONCLUSION: This study shows that there were no obvious differences between the two groups in all areas, but this program had a positive effect on health behavior changes. It is expected that employees' lifestyles can be changed through continuous health promotion programs.
Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases* ; Compliance ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Gyeonggi-do ; Health Behavior ; Health Promotion ; Hyperlipidemias ; Hypertension ; Life Style ; Occupational Health* ; Physical Examination

No abstract available.
Antibodies* ; Fetus* ; Heart Block* ; Heart*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: In assessing the health-related quality of life of subjects with allergy, it is important to measure outcomes which are relevant to the concerns of patients. The goals of this study were to compare health-related quality of life and stress level among allergy, healthy and other-diseases groups, and also to compare the relationship of health-related quality of life and stress. METHOD: The study group consisted of 129 subjects with allergy, 139 healthy subjects and 68 subjects with other-diseases. The allergy group was divided into two sub groups: pure allergy group(65) and allergy group with other diseases(64). They completed a questionnaire measuring perceived health-related quality of life, stress and demographic characteristics. The health-related quality of life score was measured by Notingham Health Profile and the stress level was measured by Ok-Suk Lee's instrument. RESULTS: (1) In allergy group with other diseases, the total scores of health-related quality of life were significantly higher than for healthy, pure allergy and other-diseases groups. The results indicated that the perceived health-related quality of life of allergy group with other diseases was in the lowest status among the four groups. (2) Forty-two percent of allergy group with other diseases were in need of treatment for stress level. (3) Level of stress and scores of health-related quality of life have shared linear correlation in healthy and allergy group; higher stress indicates lower status in the quality of life for both groups. CONCLUSION: This study was examined the QOL and the stress level of allergy subjects. When compared with healthy and other-diseases groups, the scores of QOL and the level of stress of the pure allergy group were higher than those of the healthy group, and those of the allergy group with other diseases were also significantly higher than those of the other-diseases group. These results suggest a necessity for futher assessment to improve the QOL and to reduce the stress in allergy subjects.
Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Quality of Life* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: High plasma levels of coagulation factor VII (FVII) are associated with a risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). Plasma FVII levels are influenced by environmental and genetic factors. We investigated whether the risk of CAD is associated with R353Q polymorphism and whether this polymorphism is associated with factor VII activity METHODS: We analysed plasma levels of FVII:C and FVII genotype for R353Q polymorphism in 85 CAD patients, 63 healthy controls, and 27 patient controls. And total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride were measured in the same study populations. RESULTS: There was no difference among CAD patients, healthy controls, and patient controls in plasma levels of FVII:C. Allele Q of the R353Q polymorphism was less frequent in CAD patients (11.8%) than healthy controls (17.5%), although the difference was not statistically significant. Patients with the RQ genotype had a decreased risk of CAD (odds ratio, 0.29). There was no association between R353Q polymorphism and plasma levels of FVII:C. Plasma levels of FVII:C were positively correlated with total cholesterol and triglyceride. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that R353Q polymorphism may confer significant protection from CAD and that plasma levels of FVII:C may influenced by total cholesterol and triglyceride.
Alleles ; Blood Coagulation Factors* ; Cholesterol ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Factor VII* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Plasma ; Triglycerides

Hansens' disease is well known chronic inflammatory granulomatous disease by Macobacterium leprae., and occur rarely in these days. The wide range of clinical manifestations develop by status of the host resistant. These are from mild sensory change, erythematous macular patches, diffuse infiltrating plaque, and nodules to severe destruction of peripheral nerve and internal organ involvements. Vitilgo and xanthelasma rarely may occur in the lepromatous leprosy. The patient was a 60-year-old a farmer who complained erythematous diffuse ill defined infiltrative plaques or nodules on the face, trunk. He was diagnosed as lepromatous leprosy by skin biopsy and fite staining and had taken the standard 3 multidrug (dapsone, rifampicin, lamprene)therapy. About 3 months during the therapy, the existing skin lesions became erythematous and mild edematous, some of which show vitiligo like change, and severe general aching and neuralgia developed. Type 1 lepra reaction with upgrading was diagnosed by clinical symptoms and skin biopsy feature. The vitiligo lesions also appeared on the normal looking skin without previous lepromatous lesion. At that time, yellowish plaque appeared on both eyelid and diagnosed as xanthelasma without hypolipoproteinemia. The mutidrug therapy for lepsory continued and oral predinsolone was given for the general aching of neuralgia. The lepra skin lesions had been improved gradually and the vitiligo lesions also disappeared. Presenting case is very interesting in point of view that he had vitiligo related to type 1 lepra reaction, and simultaneously developed xanthelasma palpebrum.
Biopsy ; Eyelids ; Humans ; Hypolipoproteinemias ; Leprosy ; Leprosy, Lepromatous ; Middle Aged ; Neuralgia ; Peripheral Nerves ; Rifampin ; Skin ; Vitiligo

PURPOSE: Mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II) is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by a deficiency of iduronate-2 sulfatase (IdS), which is involved in the degradation of glycosaminoglycan (GAG). In this study, the frequency of fasting hypoglycemia in patients with MPS II was investigated and changes in accumulation of glycogen and GAG in the hepatocytes of IdS-knockout (KO) mice were evaluated before and after recombinant IdS enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Plasma glucose levels were evaluated after an 8-hour fast in 50 patients with MPS II. The IdS-KO mice were divided into three groups (group 2; saline, group 3; 0.15 mg/kg of IdS, and group 4; 0.5 mg/kg of IdS); wild-type mice were included as controls (group 1). ERT was initiated intravenously at four weeks of age, and continued every week until 20 weeks of age. RESULTS: The mean glucose level after an 8-hour fast was 94.1 +/- 23.7 mg/dL in the patients with MPS II. Two (4%) out of 50 patients had fasting hypoglycemia. For the mice, GAG in the lysosomes nearly disappeared and glycogen particles in the cytoplasm were restored to the normal range in group 4. CONCLUSION: Glucose metabolism in patients with MPS II appeared to function well despite hepatocytic GAG accumulation and hypothetical glycogen depletion. A higher dose of IdS infusion in MPS II mice led to disappearance of lysosomal GAG and restoration of glycogen to the cytoplasm of hepatocytes.
Animals ; Blood Glucose/analysis ; Enzyme Replacement Therapy/methods ; Glycogen/*analysis ; Glycosaminoglycans/*analysis ; Hepatocytes/chemistry/*enzymology ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia/enzymology/physiopathology ; Iduronate Sulfatase/genetics/*physiology ; Liver/ultrastructure ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Microscopy, Electron ; Mucopolysaccharidosis II/blood/enzymology/physiopathology

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare the physical activity and caloric intake trends of lipid-lowering drug users with those of non-users among Korean adults with dyslipidemia. METHODS: This study was a repeated cross-sectional study with a nationally representative sample of 2,635 Korean adults with dyslipidemia based on the 2010-2013 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and caloric intake was estimated through 24-hour dietary recall. All statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS ver. 21.0 (IBM Co., Armonk, NY, USA). The changes in physical activity and caloric intake were investigated for lipid-lowering drug users and non-users using generalized linear models. RESULTS: The proportion of lipid-lowering drug users in the 2010-2013 survey population increased from 3.5% to 5.0% (P<0.001). Among adults of dyslipidemia, total of 1,562 participants (56.6%) reported taking lipid-lowering drugs, and 1,073 (43.4%) reported not taking lipid-lowering drugs. Drug users were more likely to be older and less educated and to have a diagnosis of diabetes, higher body mass index, and lower low density lipoprotein cholesterol level. Physical activity trends were tested separately for the lipid-lowering drug users and non-users, and a significant decrease was found among the drug users during the study period. Physical activity among the drug users in 2013 was 38% lower (1,357.3±382.7 metabolic equivalent [MET]; P for trend=0.002) than in 2010 (2,201.4±442.6 MET). In contrast, there was no statistically significant difference between drug users and non-users in the trend of caloric intake during the same period. CONCLUSION: Physical activity significantly decreased among lipid-lowering drug users between 2010 and 2013, which was not observed among non-users. The importance of physical activity may need to be re-emphasized for lipid-lowering drug users.
Adult* ; Body Mass Index ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diagnosis ; Drug Users* ; Dyslipidemias* ; Energy Intake* ; Humans ; Korea ; Linear Models ; Metabolic Equivalent ; Morinda* ; Motor Activity* ; Nutrition Surveys

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized by pruritic and eczematous skin lesions, which often cause depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, sleep disturbances, social withdrawal, and stigmatization. METHODS: In total, 23,442 subjects (434 AD patients and 23,008 control subjects) aged 19 years or older and without a history of major medical illness or depressive disorders were selected from The Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2012. Following the initial selection, 2,170 age- and sex-matched control subjects were selected using 1:5 propensity score matching. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the presence of depressive symptoms of at least 2 weeks in duration. RESULTS: The demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics of AD patients and control subjects were presented and compared, and some variables differed significantly between groups. Presence of depressive symptoms was set as dependent variable, and multiple logistic regression analysis was performed as follows: (1) unadjusted; (2) with alcohol use, exercise status, smoking status, and body mass index (BMI) adjusted for; and (3) with alcohol use, exercise status, smoking status, marital status, occupation, BMI, total caloric intake, history of hypertension, and history of diabetes mellitus adjusted for. Depressive symptoms were significantly higher (odds ratios, 1.46, 1.40, and 1.36; 95% confidence intervals, 1.09-1.95, 1.0.4-1.88, and 1.01-1.85, respectively) in AD patients relative to those of matched controls. CONCLUSION: AD and clinical depression interact closely, and causal relationships between the two conditions have frequently been observed. Physicians should consider mental health interventions cautiously. It is particularly important that primary care physicians provide comprehensive, continuous long-term care.
Adult* ; Anxiety ; Body Mass Index ; Depression* ; Depressive Disorder ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Energy Intake ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Long-Term Care ; Marital Status ; Mental Health ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Occupations ; Physicians, Primary Care ; Propensity Score ; Skin ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Stereotyping

The Overlap syndrome is characterized by a combination of the major hepatobiliary autoimmune diseases such as autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. It is frequently accompanied by inflammatory bowel disease. Chronic lymphoplasmacellular osteomyelitis is characterized by recurrent episodes of bacterial osteomyelitis and is associated with autoimmune diseases (especially inflammatory bowel disease). We report the case of a girl who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and autoimmune hepatitis at 4 years of age and with the overlap syndrome with primary sclerosing cholangitis at 6 years. At 9 years, she was diagnosed with chronic lymphoplasmacellular osteomyelitis.
Autoimmune Diseases ; Child* ; Cholangitis, Sclerosing ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Female ; Hepatitis, Autoimmune ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary ; Osteomyelitis

BACKGROUND: Bronchoconstriction associated with aerosolized agents delivered by a metered dose inhaler (MDI) is relatively uncommon, but has been of particular interest. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In this study, we investigated to what extent the inert ingredients and propellants (freons) influence pulmonary function in 25 asthmatic patients. Forced expiratory volume in one second(FEV,) was measured by spirometry, Autospira HI 498(Chest, Japan) before and 1, 3, 5 and 10 minutes after the inhalation of saline control and MDI-placebo containing freons and inert ingredients. RESULT: Twenty four % (6/25) of asthmatics experienced a decrease in FEV20 by 10% or greater when compared to saline control. Number of positive cases in steroid dependent asthmatics is significantly higher compared to non-steroid dependent asthmatics. (p<0.05) Bronchoconstriction associated with the use of MDI-placebo appeared within 3 to 5 minutes and resolved spontaneouly at 10 minutes after the inhalation. CONCLUSION: The bronchoconstrictive response induced by MDI might be caused by the pro-pellants and/or the other inert ingredients contained in MDIs.
Bronchoconstriction ; Chlorofluorocarbons ; Forced Expiratory Volume ; Humans ; Inhalation ; Metered Dose Inhalers ; Spirometry