This study is to evaluate the effectiveness of oriental medicine-based infertility treatment and to examine the validity of the oriental medicine-based infertility treatment program through a systematic review. The literature search database included not only PubMed, DBpia, and RISS (Research Information Sharing Service) but also OASIS (Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System) and Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal. Among 575 articles that searched, only three papers were randomized controlled trials and could be included for the evaluation of the effects of oriental medicine-based infertility treatment. There was no study showing the effectiveness of oriental medicine-based infertility treatment alone. Among 5,165 articles that searched, only 15 studies could be included for the evaluation of the natural pregnancy rate of infertile patients. These studies reported the natural pregnancy rates from 20.3% to 41.9%. As pregnancy rates ranged from 23.8% to 27.6% after the oriental medicine-based infertility treatment supporting programs, we cannot conclude that pregnancy rates for infertile patients might increase by this project. Therefore, there is a need to reconsider whether the oriental medicine-based infertility treatment program should continue in the future.
Acupuncture ; Humans ; Infertility ; Information Dissemination ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Pregnancy Rate ; Pregnancy

This study is to evaluate the effectiveness of oriental medicine-based infertility treatment and to examine the validity of the oriental medicine-based infertility treatment program through a systematic review. The literature search database included not only PubMed, DBpia, and RISS (Research Information Sharing Service) but also OASIS (Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System) and Korean Traditional Knowledge Portal. Among 575 articles that searched, only three papers were randomized controlled trials and could be included for the evaluation of the effects of oriental medicine-based infertility treatment. There was no study showing the effectiveness of oriental medicine-based infertility treatment alone. Among 5,165 articles that searched, only 15 studies could be included for the evaluation of the natural pregnancy rate of infertile patients. These studies reported the natural pregnancy rates from 20.3% to 41.9%. As pregnancy rates ranged from 23.8% to 27.6% after the oriental medicine-based infertility treatment supporting programs, we cannot conclude that pregnancy rates for infertile patients might increase by this project. Therefore, there is a need to reconsider whether the oriental medicine-based infertility treatment program should continue in the future.

Background: Despite the distinctly high risk of suicide among patients with psychiatric disorders, little is known regarding the nationwide rates and risk factors for suicide among individual subgroups of patients with psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to assess differences in suicide rates and identify risk factors for suicide across multiple psychiatric diseases using data from a nationally representative cohort in Korea. Methods: Six groups of incident patients with psychiatric disorders, namely those with drug use disorder (DUD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), depressive disorder (DD), or other affective disorders (OADs), were extracted from the National Health Information Database and followed up. Suicide rates and risk factors were then determined for each disease group. Results: Patients with psychiatric disorders had higher suicide rates than did the general population, with standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) ranging from 2.5 to 16.6. In particular, patients with DUD showed markedly higher suicide rate (584.0 per 100,000 person-years [PYs]; SMR, 16.6) than did patients with affective disorders, including DD (119.8 per 100,000 PYs; SMR, 3.1). AUD, DUD, SCZ, and BD showed lower male/female suicide rate ratios (1.1–1.4) than did depressive and OADs (2.2–2.4). Old age increased the risk for suicide among those with DUD and OADs, while medical aid recipients exhibited the lowest suicide risk among those with the AUD and SCZ. Male sex and the presence of multiple psychiatric comorbidities were consistently identified as suicide risk factors across mental illness subgroups. Conclusion The current study observed substantial variations in suicide rates and risk factors across psychiatric disorders and patient characteristics, which have significant implications for suicide prevention strategies.

Background: Despite the distinctly high risk of suicide among patients with psychiatric disorders, little is known regarding the nationwide rates and risk factors for suicide among individual subgroups of patients with psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to assess differences in suicide rates and identify risk factors for suicide across multiple psychiatric diseases using data from a nationally representative cohort in Korea. Methods: Six groups of incident patients with psychiatric disorders, namely those with drug use disorder (DUD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), depressive disorder (DD), or other affective disorders (OADs), were extracted from the National Health Information Database and followed up. Suicide rates and risk factors were then determined for each disease group. Results: Patients with psychiatric disorders had higher suicide rates than did the general population, with standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) ranging from 2.5 to 16.6. In particular, patients with DUD showed markedly higher suicide rate (584.0 per 100,000 person-years [PYs]; SMR, 16.6) than did patients with affective disorders, including DD (119.8 per 100,000 PYs; SMR, 3.1). AUD, DUD, SCZ, and BD showed lower male/female suicide rate ratios (1.1–1.4) than did depressive and OADs (2.2–2.4). Old age increased the risk for suicide among those with DUD and OADs, while medical aid recipients exhibited the lowest suicide risk among those with the AUD and SCZ. Male sex and the presence of multiple psychiatric comorbidities were consistently identified as suicide risk factors across mental illness subgroups. Conclusion The current study observed substantial variations in suicide rates and risk factors across psychiatric disorders and patient characteristics, which have significant implications for suicide prevention strategies.

Background: Despite the distinctly high risk of suicide among patients with psychiatric disorders, little is known regarding the nationwide rates and risk factors for suicide among individual subgroups of patients with psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to assess differences in suicide rates and identify risk factors for suicide across multiple psychiatric diseases using data from a nationally representative cohort in Korea. Methods: Six groups of incident patients with psychiatric disorders, namely those with drug use disorder (DUD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), depressive disorder (DD), or other affective disorders (OADs), were extracted from the National Health Information Database and followed up. Suicide rates and risk factors were then determined for each disease group. Results: Patients with psychiatric disorders had higher suicide rates than did the general population, with standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) ranging from 2.5 to 16.6. In particular, patients with DUD showed markedly higher suicide rate (584.0 per 100,000 person-years [PYs]; SMR, 16.6) than did patients with affective disorders, including DD (119.8 per 100,000 PYs; SMR, 3.1). AUD, DUD, SCZ, and BD showed lower male/female suicide rate ratios (1.1–1.4) than did depressive and OADs (2.2–2.4). Old age increased the risk for suicide among those with DUD and OADs, while medical aid recipients exhibited the lowest suicide risk among those with the AUD and SCZ. Male sex and the presence of multiple psychiatric comorbidities were consistently identified as suicide risk factors across mental illness subgroups. Conclusion The current study observed substantial variations in suicide rates and risk factors across psychiatric disorders and patient characteristics, which have significant implications for suicide prevention strategies.

Background: Despite the distinctly high risk of suicide among patients with psychiatric disorders, little is known regarding the nationwide rates and risk factors for suicide among individual subgroups of patients with psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to assess differences in suicide rates and identify risk factors for suicide across multiple psychiatric diseases using data from a nationally representative cohort in Korea. Methods: Six groups of incident patients with psychiatric disorders, namely those with drug use disorder (DUD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), depressive disorder (DD), or other affective disorders (OADs), were extracted from the National Health Information Database and followed up. Suicide rates and risk factors were then determined for each disease group. Results: Patients with psychiatric disorders had higher suicide rates than did the general population, with standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) ranging from 2.5 to 16.6. In particular, patients with DUD showed markedly higher suicide rate (584.0 per 100,000 person-years [PYs]; SMR, 16.6) than did patients with affective disorders, including DD (119.8 per 100,000 PYs; SMR, 3.1). AUD, DUD, SCZ, and BD showed lower male/female suicide rate ratios (1.1–1.4) than did depressive and OADs (2.2–2.4). Old age increased the risk for suicide among those with DUD and OADs, while medical aid recipients exhibited the lowest suicide risk among those with the AUD and SCZ. Male sex and the presence of multiple psychiatric comorbidities were consistently identified as suicide risk factors across mental illness subgroups. Conclusion The current study observed substantial variations in suicide rates and risk factors across psychiatric disorders and patient characteristics, which have significant implications for suicide prevention strategies.

PURPOSE: Assessing the immunogenicity of a single dose of hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccines is important because some people receive only a single dose. However, previous studies have shown variable results and have not examined the effects of demographic characteristics other than gender. This study was performed to examine the immunogenicity of a single dose of HAV vaccine according to the vaccine type and demographic characteristics in young adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seronegative medical school students were randomly allocated to receive either Havrix or Epaxal. RESULTS: After approximately 11 months, the seroconversion rate in 451 participants was 80.7%. In men, the Havrix group showed a significantly higher seroconversion rate (81.9%) than the Epaxal group (69.2%), whereas both vaccine groups showed similarly high immunogenicity in women (Havrix: 90.1%, Epaxal: 92.9%; P for interaction=0.062). According to the results of a multivariate analysis, Epaxal showed significantly lower immunogenicity than Havrix only in men. Age, obesity, drinking, smoking, and follow-up time did not significantly affect seroconversion in either gender. CONCLUSION: The seroconversion rate of single-dose HAV vaccines was low in men, particularly in those who received Epaxal. Our results suggest that gender effects should be considered when comparing the immunogenicity of different HAV vaccines.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Hepatitis A/*immunology/*prevention & control ; Hepatitis A Vaccines ; Hepatitis A Virus, Human/*immunology/*pathogenicity ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult