BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Stroke onset is known to vary by several factors. Although it has been known that stroke may develop most frequently in the morning, its association with the type of activity has quite rarely been described. METHODS: We prospectively investigated by interview the time of and the activity during or before the onset of stroke in patients with acute cerebral infarction from Aug. 1995 to Mar. 1996. The activities were subdivided into basal metabolic rate state, sedentary, light, moderate, and heavy movements based on the caloric expenditure. RESULTS: One hundred-twenty five patients were enrolled. The time of day when ischemic stroke most frequently occurred was from 8:00 AM to noon. The type of activity was significantly associated with stroke onset in that it developed most commonly during and just after sleep or resting. The relationship between the onset of stroke and such patterns of onset time and the activity was found only in the atherothrombotic infarction, but not in the other stroke types. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that stroke has clear diurnal variation. Our observations also suggested that the activity may be significantly associated with stroke onset. These findings may be useful for better understanding of the pathogenesis and prevention of ischemic stroke.
Basal Metabolism ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Health Expenditures ; Humans ; Infarction ; Prospective Studies ; Stroke

BACKGROUND: It is well known that a lacunar infarction may develop by an atherosclerosis of the large intracranial arteries at the site of the perforating arteries. However, their frequency, clinical, and radiological findings have rarely been described. METHODS: Carotid angiograpies were carried out in 26 Korean patients with lacunar infarctions in the carotid arterial territory. They all had classical lacunar symptoms with a computed tomogram (CT) or a magnetic resonance image (MRI) evidence of a small infarction. A transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was carried out in fifteen patients when either an angiography result was normal, the potential source of cardioembolism was suggested, or no other atherothrom-botic causes of stroke were found. Tc-99m single positron emission computed tomograms (SPECT) were performed in nine patients. We divided patients into two groups; one for patients with MCA occlusive lesion, and another for those without it. The clinical and radiological features were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Twenty patients (77%) demonstrated abnormal angiographic findings. Fourteen of them showed atherosclerotic changes in the proximal MCA at the site of the orifice of the lenticulostriatal arteries, while another three showed stenosis in the intracranial portion of the internal cerebral artery (ICA), and the other three in the extracranial ICA. Among six patients with normal angiograms, a TEE demonstrated embolic sources of embolism in two patients. The temporal profile and findings of MRI and SPECT in patients with MCA stenosis differed from those with ICA stenosis or normal angiograms. Unstable temporal profiles exclusively occurred in patients with MCA stenosis. The most patients with conglomatory aggregations of the lacune in a MRI showed MCA lesions. The SPECT findings were even more characteristic in that patients with MCA lesions showed relatively large areas of decreased perfusion. CONCLUSIONS: The atherosclerotic diseases at the orifice of the lenticulostri-atal arteries were the most common causes of lacunar infarctions in the carotid artery territory. They were clearly different from those without MCA occlusive lesions in terms of preceding transient ishemic attacks, unstable temporal profiles, uni-lateral multiple lacunes with conglomatory MRI findings, and widespread perfusion defects SPECT.
Angiography ; Arteries ; Atherosclerosis ; Carotid Arteries* ; Cerebral Arteries ; Constriction, Pathologic* ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; Electrons ; Embolism ; Humans ; Infarction ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Cerebral Artery* ; Perfusion ; Stroke ; Stroke, Lacunar* ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the incidence of obesity increased in Koreans. The main cause suggested is the diet style of Korean changed to that of Western. It has been proved that obesity is a risk factor or an aggravating factor of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, etc. Primary physician has been interested in the correlation of blood pressure with relative body weight and aging. The purpose of this study was to focus on the influence of age and relative body weight on blood pressure. METHODS: Subjects were collected from 2,068 adults who had received Adult Health Examination. That subjects were divided according to age, relative body weight and then the relation of blood pressure with age according to relative body weight and relation with relative body weight according to age were investigated. RESULTS: Systolic blood pressure increased significantly according to age in all male and female three weight groups and then increased significantly according to relative body weight in all male and female three age groups except male seventh decade group. Diastolic blood pressure increased significantly according to age in all male and female three weight groups except male obesity group and then increased significantly according to the relative body weight in all male and female three age groups except male and female seventh decade groups. Systolic blood pressure has higher correlation with age than relative body weight and diastolic blood pressure has higher correlation with relative body weight in male. In female, systolic and diastolic blood pressure have higher correlations with age. CONCLUSIONS: It can be suggested that blood pressure increase significantly according to aging process and relative body weight. These two factors have a little different effects to systolic and diastolic blood pressure according to sex. Relative body weight has more effect to diastolic blood pressure than systolic blood pressure in male.
Adult ; Aging ; Blood Pressure* ; Body Weight ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diet ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Incidence ; Male ; Obesity* ; Risk Factors

This study aimed to examine the positive effects of polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) on the wound-healing process in pressure ulcers. In this randomized controlled trial, the effects of PDRN were compared over time between an experimental group (n=11) and a control group (n=12). The former was administered the same dose of PDRN intramuscularly (1 ampule, 3 mL, 5.625 mg, for 5 days) for 2 weeks and perilesionally (1 ampule, 3 mL, 5.625 mg, twice a week) for 4 weeks. The primary endpoint for determining efficacy was wound healing in the pressure ulcers, which was reflected by the wound surface area determined using VISITRAK Digital (Smith & Nephew, Largo, FL). The secondary endpoint was the pressure ulcer scale for healing score, determined using pressure ulcer scale for healing (PUSH Tool 3.0 developed by the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel). After the 4-week treatment period, PDRN therapy was found to significantly reduce the wound size and PUSH score, without adverse effect during the treatment. The findings indicate that PDRN can positively modify the wound healing process in pressure ulcers, and its use could improve the clinical outcomes of patients and lower the need for additional therapies or hospital stay.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Intramuscular ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polydeoxyribonucleotides/*therapeutic use ; Pressure Ulcer/*drug therapy ; Treatment Outcome ; Wound Healing/*drug effects ; Young Adult

No abstract available.
Alzheimer Disease*

No abstract available.
Arteries* ; Perforator Flap*

Squamous papilloma is a benign epithelial tumor that can develop in any mucosal site of the upper aerodigestive tract. While this tumor is found mainly in the squamocilliary junction, its distribution does not occur randomly. However, in many cases, squamous papilloma is asymptomatic, and only a small number of cases are diagnosed. We experienced a patient presented with the complaint of snoring. This patient was diagnosed as having squamous papilloma of the soft plate on the nasopharyngeal surface. The patient might have been misdiagnosed as having merely a simple snoring problem, as nothing was found upon macroscopic examination. Nevertheless, squamous papilloma was detected through fiberoptic nasopharyngolaryngoscopy. This patient was successfully treated with laser-assisted uvulopalatoplasty, and we report this case, along with the associated literature.
Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; Palate, Soft ; Papilloma ; Snoring

BACKGROUND: Hair growth is spontaneously activated from quiescent bulge stem cells or is activated from precocious anagen. Upon spontaneous activation of hair growth or activation induced by nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1) inhibitors, NFATc1 expression is lost and cyclin dependent kinase (CDK4) repression is relieved. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of cyclosporine as a hair cycle regulator in the treatment of Alopecia areata (AA). METHODS: In this study, we planned to investigate the hair growing properties of cyclosporine in vitro conditions. Briefly, the effects of different concentrations of cyclosporine (200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 mmol) on the growth of cultured hair follicles were examined through the expression of NFATc1 and CDK4. RESULTS: NFATc1 was downregulated and CDK4 expression was upregulated especially in the bulge areas, outer root sheath and hair bulb matrix cells as the concentration of cyclosporine increased. CONCLUSION: Cyclosporine induces CDK4 expression by NFATc1 suppression, which acts to relieve repressed CDK4, resulting in hair growth. In conclusion, cyclosporine is one of the candidates as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of hair loss.
Alopecia Areata ; Cyclins ; Cyclosporine* ; Hair Follicle ; Hair* ; Phosphotransferases ; Repression, Psychology ; Stem Cells ; T-Lymphocytes

Background and objectives: Carvedilol is a cardiovascular drug, beta- and alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist, currently approved for the treatment of hypertension, angina, congestive heart failure by FDA. Carvedilol has been shown to attenuate oxygen free radical-initiated lipid peroxidation and to inhibit neointimal formation of aorta following vascular injury by balloon angioplasty. We have investigated the effect of carvedilol on DNA synthesis of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Rat aortic smooth muscle cells were obtained by the combined collagenase and elastase methods. Cells between the 4th and 8th passages were used for the experiments. Incorporated radioactivity of [3H]-thymidine was measured by liquid scintillation spectrometry. RESULTS: PDGF-BB (1 nM) increased [3H]-thymidine incorporation about 70-100% over basal value in cultured VSMC. PDGF-stimulated increase in DNA synthesis was significantly suppressed by simultaneous administration of carvedilol. In contrast, propranolol did not significantly affect 3[H]-thymidine uptake in rat aortic VSMC. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrate that carvedilol significantly inhibits the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cell in our condition. These results indicate that carvedilol may be effective in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases principally associated with abnormal vascular smooth muscle growth.
Angioplasty, Balloon ; Animals ; Aorta ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cell Proliferation ; Collagenases ; DNA ; Heart Failure ; Hypertension ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular* ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Oxygen ; Pancreatic Elastase ; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor ; Propranolol ; Radioactivity ; Rats ; Spectrum Analysis ; Vascular System Injuries