BACKGROUND: As one of harm reduction strategies, tobacco manufacturers have begun to introduce lower-yield cigarettes. Lower-yield cigarettes, so called light cigarettes, have been perceived as less hazardous by some smokers. However, there have been very few studies concerning smoking lower yield products the lead to lower nicotine absorption. We evaluated the association between brand nicotine yield of cigarettes and actual nicotine intake by measuring urinary cotinine. METHODS: Four hundred sixty four male smokers aged 18 or over who participated in health check-ups in a hospital from May to October 2007 filled out a self-administered smoking questionnaire. Urinary cotinine concentration was measured at the time of participation. The subjects were divided into three groups (ultralight [nicotine: 0.05 mg], light [0.1 mg], and regular [> 0.1 mg] group) according to the level of brand nicotine yield of cigarettes which they smoked. RESULTS: The median urinary cotinine concentrations of ultralight (N = 62), light (N = 216), and regular (N = 186) groups were 735.5 ng/mL (interquartile range, 320 to 1,300 ng/mL), 956.0 ng/mL (429 to 1,491 ng/mL), and 1,067.5 ng/mL (615 to 1,613 ng/mL), respectively. There was a signifi cant difference in urinary cotinine between the regular and the other groups (P = 0.015). However, multiple logistic regression analysis to evaluate the risk of being in the highest quartile of urinary cotinine concentration (> or = 1,532 ng/mL) after adjusting for possible confounding variables showed that the odds ratios were 0.84 (95% CI, 0.52 to 1.37) in the light nicotine group and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.38 to1.72) in the ultralight nicotine group compared to the regular nicotine group. CONCLUSION: There was no significant difference in the risk of elevated urinary cotinine concentrations in male adult smokers according to brand nicotine yield of cigarettes groups.
Absorption ; Adult ; Aged ; Androsterone ; Confounding Factors (Epidemiology) ; Cotinine ; Harm Reduction ; Humans ; Light ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Nicotine ; Odds Ratio ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Tobacco ; Tobacco Products

BACKGROUND: The incidence of tetanus in adults and neonatal tetanus have been markedly reduced by world-wide use of DTP vaccines. But, tetanus is still one kind of major health problems in many developing countries, and several serosurvey stduies in developed countries revealed that substantial proportions of adult population may lack immunity against tetanus and immunity level against tetanus is continuously decreasing by age. In Korea, tetanus outbreaks have been disappeared since the 1980s by high acceptant DTaP vaccination rates. Annually, few tetanus patient has been reported since 1990s. But, there have been no seroepidemiological studies to tetanus, no trials to assess tetanus immunizations. And we do not use Td vaccine in adults for maintaning tetanus immunity. In this aspect, we conducted age related survey of immunity to tetanus and indirectly assessed the immunogenecity of tetanus vaccines, used in Korea. METHODS: For the evaluation of age related serosurvey of tetanus immunity in Korean population, study subjects were classified into 16 groups (A~J group; below 10 years with one year interval, K~O group; 11~60 yrs with 10 years interval, P group; over 60 yrs). The numbers of each group were 100, and sex distributions of each group were almostly equal. And for the indirect assessment of tetanus immunization in Korean children, children under 15 years old age were classified into 6 groups (I~VI) according to the status of DTaP vaccination. The numbers of this each group were 50, and sex ratio was almostly equal. Specific IgG antibody to tetanus toxin were detected by ELISA. And the ANOVA repeated t-test was used to compare antibody levels in study groups. RESULTS: In age related groups, the antibody levels to tetanus toxin were well maintained until 20 years old age group (L group), but thereafter the titers abruptly decreased below 0.1 IU/mL and over 75% populations among the groups over 30 years old age needed maintenance of protective immunity to tetanus. The antibody level of male was statistically higher than that of female in P group. In the groups related DTaP vaccination status, the antibody titer was very low in prevaccination group (I), but the titers after primary vaccinations were sharply increased and highly maintained until 15 years. CONCLUSOIN: The results of our study revealed that the immunity to tetanus was dramatically decreased in age groups over 30 years old. This result indicates that Td vaccination program in adults should be considered for maintenance of immunity to tetanus. And our study indicate that DTaP vaccination programs and vaccines, used in Korea, are effective for acquisition and maintenance of tetanus immunity in Korean children.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Developed Countries ; Developing Countries ; Disease Outbreaks ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Immunization ; Immunoglobulin G ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Seroepidemiologic Studies ; Sex Distribution ; Sex Ratio ; Tetanus Toxin ; Tetanus* ; Vaccination ; Vaccines ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the diabetes education program implemented in a community hypertension and diabetes education center. METHODS: Participants were thirty nine diabetic patients who received the education program in the center from May 2014 through May 2015. The education program consisted of two sessions for 2 days (45 minutes per session) regarding clinical information, nutrition and exercise for type 2 diabetes patients. Initially, they were assessed for general characteristics, knowledge on diabetes, self-efficacy and self-care behaviors. Reassessment was performed on their knowledge and self-efficacy directly after the program, and on self-care behaviors at 12 weeks after the program. RESULTS: The mean score of diabetes knowledge was significantly increased from 5.27±2.10 to 8.21±1.20 (p < 0.001) between before and after the program. The self-efficacy score was also significantly increased from 6.88±1.72 to 8.16±1.47 (p < 0.001). The self-care behavior score was significantly increased from 3.59±1.89 before the program to 4.35±1.29 (p < 0.001) at 12 weeks after the program. CONCLUSION: The diabetes education program may be effective on the improvement of knowledge, self-efficacy and self-care behaviors in type 2 diabetic patients.
Diabetes Mellitus ; Education* ; Health Education ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Self Care* ; Self Efficacy

Background: This study aimed to generate a Z score calculation model for coronary artery diameter of normal children and adolescents to be adopted as the standard calculation method with consensus in clinical practice. Methods: This study was a retrospective, multicenter study that collected data from multiple institutions across South Korea. Data were analyzed to determine the model that best fit the relationship between the diameter of coronary arteries and independent demographic parameters. Linear, power, logarithmic, exponential, and square root polynomial models were tested for best fit. Results: Data of 2,030 subjects were collected from 16 institutions. Separate calculation models for each sex were developed because the impact of demographic variables on the diameter of coronary arteries differs according to sex. The final model was the polynomial formula with an exponential relationship between the diameter of coronary arteries and body surface area using the DuBois formula. Conclusion A new coronary artery diameter Z score model was developed and is anticipated to be applicable in clinical practice. The new model will help establish a consensus-based Z score model.

Herein we report the case of a 71-year-old woman who complained of fatigue and enlarged right axillary lymph nodes for 18 months. At her first visit, her chest X-ray showed diffuse nodular opacities in both lung fields. Initial excisional biopsy of the axillary lymph nodes showed granulomatous lesions and acid fast bacilli were seen on Ziehl-Neelsen staining. However, even after 15 months of anti-tuberculosis (TB) medication, her right axillary lymph nodes were enlarged. We re-performed an excisional biopsy of the nodes, which showed Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). A retrograde review of the biopsy before anti-tuberculous medication, revealed HL coexisting with TB. HL and TB cause difficulties in differential diagnosis due to similarities in clinical course, imaging procedures and histopathological analysis of the involved tissue. Therefore, it is important to consider the possibility of concurrent HL and TB when patients who undergo treatment for TB or chemotherapy for lymphoma complain of persistent systemic symptoms or enlarged lymph nodes.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fatigue ; Female ; Hodgkin Disease ; Humans ; Lung ; Lymph Nodes ; Lymphadenitis ; Lymphoma ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis

Purpose: Microbiota manipulation through selected probiotics may be a promising tool to prevent cancer development as well as onset, to improve clinical efficacy for cancer treatments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate change in microbiota composition after-probiotics supplementation and assessed the efficacy of probiotics in improving quality of life (QOL) in postoperative cancer patients. Methods: Stool samples were collected from 30 cancer patients from February to October 2020 before (group I) and after (group II) 8 weeks of probiotics supplementation. We performed 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing to evaluate differences in gut microbiota between groups by comparing gut microbiota diversity, overall composition, and taxonomic signature abundance. The health-related QOL was evaluated through the EORTC Quality of life Questionnaire Core 30 questionnaire. Results: Statistically significant differences were noted in group II; increase of Shannon and Simpson index (P = 0.004 and P = 0.001), decrease of Bacteroidetes and Fusobacteria at the phylum level (P = 0.032 and P = 0.014, retrospectively), increased of beneficial bacteria such as Weissella (0.096% vs. 0.361%, P < 0.004), Lactococcus (0.023% vs. 0.16%, P < 0.001), and Catenibacterium (0.0% vs. 0.005%, P < 0.042) at the genus level. There was a significant improvement in sleep disturbance (P = 0.039) in group II. Conclusion Gut microbiota in cancer patients can be manipulated by specific probiotic strains, result in an altered microbiota. Microbiota modulation by probiotics can be considered as part of a supplement that helps to increase gut microbiota diversity and improve QOL in cancer patients after surgery.