Previous studies have demonstrated a positive association between obesity and decreased lung function. However, the effect of muscle and fat has not been fully assessed, especially in a healthy elderly population. In this study, we evaluated the impact of low muscle mass (LMM) and LMM with obesity on pulmonary impairment in healthy elderly subjects. Our study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2008 to 2011. Men and women aged 65 yr or older were included. Muscle mass was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. LMM was defined as two standard deviations below the sex-specific mean for young healthy adults. Obesity was defined as body mass index > or = 25 kg/m2. The prevalence of LMM in individuals aged over 65 was 11.9%. LMM and pulmonary function (forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 second) were independently associated after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and frequency of exercise. LMM with obesity was also related to a decrease in pulmonary function. This study revealed that LMM is an independent risk factor of decreased pulmonary function in healthy Korean men and women over 65 yr of age.
Age Distribution ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Causality ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Diseases/*epidemiology/*pathology ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Obesity/*epidemiology/pathology ; Organ Size ; Prevalence ; Reference Values ; Reproducibility of Results ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Respiratory Muscles/*pathology ; Risk Factors ; Sarcopenia/*epidemiology/*pathology ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sex Distribution

BACKGROUND: Subjects diagnosed and treated for cancer may experience weight loss, especially in the skeletal muscles. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sarcopenia and its association with metabolic syndrome in Korean cancer survivors. METHODS: We used the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2008 to 2011 and enrolled a total of 312 cancer survivors older than 40 years. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and was adjusted by weight (ASM/Wt). Sarcopenia was defined as 1 standard deviation (SD) below the mean for young healthy adults. RESULTS: According to the definition, our cut-off value of sarcopenia was 30.52% in men and 23.80% in women. For men and women, values of 33.6% and 32.7% were used to define sarcopenia according to ASM/Wt, respectively. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 34.8% in men and 38.2% in women. After adjusting for age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, exercise, education level and income, both men and women with sarcopenia had increased risk of metabolic syndrome (OR 3.71, 95% CI: 1.28-10.69 and OR 5.53, 95% CI: 2.36-13.00, respectively). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, sarcopenia adjusted by weight was closely associated with metabolic syndrome in Korean cancer survivors.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adult ; Alcohol Drinking ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Nutrition Surveys ; Prevalence ; Sarcopenia ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Survivors ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is an age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. Coffee has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown to be inversely related to the mechanism of sarcopenia. While there have been some studies on the effect of coffee on sarcopenia in animals, studies on the topic in humans are rare. Therefore, we investigated this relationship in elderly Korean men. METHODS: The cross-sectional data were derived from the 2008–2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. After applying the exclusion criteria, the study sample consisted of 1,781 men who were at least 60 years of age. Study participants were identified as having sarcopenia if their appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by height squared was less than two standard deviations below the gender-specific mean of this value for young adults. Daily coffee consumption amounts were categorized as <1 cup, 1 cup, 2 cups, and ≥3 cups. RESULTS: Compared to the group of individuals who drank less than one cup of coffee a day, people who consumed at least 3 cups (adjusted odds ratio, 0.43; 95% confidence interval, 0.20 to 0.94) showed significantly decreased sarcopenia; however, the decrease was not significant when the daily coffee consumption was 1 or 2 cups. In multivariate logistic regression models, significant associations were observed between sarcopenia and coffee consumption (P for trend=0.039). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that consuming at least 3 cups of coffee per day was associated with a lower prevalence of sarcopenia in elderly Korean elderly men.
Aged* ; Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Coffee* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Sarcopenia* ; Young Adult

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between physical activity and immanent fall risk factors in the elderly. The subjects were 138 (male: n=51; female: n=87) elderly who have no restriction in daily physical activity. Physical activity was measured over consecutive seven days by accelerometer. Immanent fall risk factors (Berg Balance Scale [BBS], Activities-specific Balance Confidence [ABC], and gait-related fitness) were measured. There are significant correlations between physical activity and BBS (male r=0.46, female r=0.36), gait-related fitness (male r=0.44, female r=0.43). And there are significant correlations between physical activity and ABC in female (r=0.38). Through this study, it is assumed that physical activity has correlation with immanent fall risk factors. Also, physical activity has correlation with gate-related fitness in the elderly.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Motor Activity ; Risk Factors

Neisseria flavescens has been rarely reported as a pathogen in the literature. We experienced a case of N. flavescens bacteremia and lung abscess co-infected with Streptococcus sanguis in patient with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome. A 15-year-old boy was diagnosed with idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome complicated with pulmonary thromboembolism. He was given systemic steroids and thrombolytics. After 8 weeks of therapy, a lung abscess appeared on the plain chest radiograph. We treated him with empirical antibiotics and carried out surgical drainage. Two types of microorganisms were cultured from both blood and pus samples, obtained in the first day of hospitalization. Pus was aspirated from the lung abscess with an aseptic technique. Neisseria species and S. sanguis were identified using traditional methods. To confirm the identity of the Neisseria species, we conducted further testing using 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequencing whereupon N. flavescens was identified. This is the first case report of pulmonary infection caused by N. flavescens. We suggest that N. flavescens may act as a pathogen.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteremia ; Drainage ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypereosinophilic Syndrome ; Lung ; Lung Abscess ; Neisseria ; Pulmonary Embolism ; RNA ; Sepsis ; Steroids ; Streptococcus ; Streptococcus sanguis ; Suppuration ; Thorax

We investigated the association between hand grip strength (HGS) and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). A total number of 9,211 participants from the sixth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2014– 2015) were included. HRQOL was measured by EuroQol-5 dimension (EQ-5D) and EQ-5D index score. Participants were classified as normal HRQOL group or impaired HRQOL group according to the EQ-5D responses and the EQ-5D index scores. HGS was measured using Takei dynamometer. Impaired HRQOL group represented lower mean HGS than that of normal HRQOL group. According to the quintile groups of HGS, group with the lowest HGS showed the lowest mean EQ-5D index score in both sexes. And the more HGS increases, the more EQ-5D index score increases also (p-value for trend <0.001). Men and women with lower grip strength were more likely to report ‘some’ or ‘extreme problem’ in EQ-5D domains (except anxiety/depression and pain/discomfort domain in men), and also more likely to belong to the lowest 20% level group in EQ-5D index score according to logistic analyses. Our findings suggest that HGS is associated HRQOL. Low HGS is associated with impaired status of HRQOL by EQ-5D and EQ-5D index score in Korean men and women. More research is needed to evaluate the specific plausibility between HGS and HRQOL.
Adult* ; Female ; Hand Strength* ; Hand* ; Humans ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Quality of Life*

BACKGROUND: Over activation of the DNA repairing enzyme, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in response to oxidative damage of DNA appears to play a role in cellular death in neurodegenerative diseases. Previous data suggested that PARP immunoreactivity (IR) was increased in the white and gray matter in spinal cord of the sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (sALS), predominantly in cells with astroglial morphology. METHODS: In the present study, we evaluated whether the PARP expression was present widespread in various regions of brain tissue including the motor cortex, parietal cortex and cerebellum. RESULTS: By western blot, PARP-IR in motor cortex from sALS patients, compared to the same region from age-matched normal controls, was also significantly increased (p=0.006). Importantly, PARP-IR was also increased in the parietal cortex, and cerebellum of sALS patients compared to the controls, in regions that are usually clinically unaffected in ALS (p=0.043, p=0.035, respectively). In addition, increased PARP expression in ALS was more prominent compared to Alzheimer's brain. Immunohistochemistry revealed that PARP staining was more significant in the cortical neurons and in the subcortical white matter glial cells from sALS patients compared to normal controls and Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrate that increase in PARP-IR is not limited only to the vulnerable motor cortex. Furthermore, PARP-IR is present in both cortical neuronal and subcortical glial cells. The data suggest that widespread cellular stress on neuronal and glial cells is present in the brain of sporadic ALS patients.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis* ; Blotting, Western ; Brain* ; Cerebellum ; DNA ; DNA Repair ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Motor Cortex ; Motor Neurons ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Neuroglia ; Neurons* ; Rabeprazole ; Spinal Cord

BACKGROUND: There are several studies about the relationship between serum homocysteine levels and bone mineral density (BMD), but the results are varied, and the studies are limited in Korea. In our study, the relationship between serum homocysteine levels and BMD by part according to age and sex is investigated. METHODS: From March 2012 to July 2015, the 3,337 healthy adults who took a medical examination were recruited. Subjects filled in the self-recording type questionnaire and physical examination, blood test, BMD of lumbar spine and femur were measured. After sorting by aging (≤49 year old, 50-59 year old, ≥60 year old) and sex, the results were adjusted with age and body mass index (BMI) and the relationship between serum homocysteine levels and BMD by lumbar spine and femur was analyzed by multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: As results of analysis, with the adjustment with age and BMI, all age groups of men had no significant relationship between log-converted serum homocysteine levels and BMD. In women aged under 50, there were significantly negative relationships at lumbar spine (β=-0.028, P=0.038), femur neck (β=-0.062, P=0.001), and total hip (β=-0.076, P<0.001), but there was no significant relationship in other age groups (50-59 year old and ≥60 year old). CONCLUSIONS: As the serum homocysteine levels increased in women aged under 50, BMD of the lumbar spine and femur decreased, and correlations between homocysteine and BMD were different by sex and age.
Adult* ; Aging ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density* ; Female ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; Hematologic Tests ; Hip ; Homocysteine* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Osteoporosis ; Physical Examination ; Spine

BACKGROUND: We previously proposed the Predictive Index for Osteoporosis as a new index to identify men who require bone mineral density measurement. However, the previous study had limitations such as a single-center design and small sample size. Here, we evaluated the usefulness of the Predictive Index for Osteoporosis using the nationally representative data of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. METHODS: Participants underwent bone mineral density measurements via dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and the Predictive Index for Osteoporosis and Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians were assessed. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to obtain optimal cut-off points for the Predictive Index for Osteoporosis and Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians, and the predictability of osteoporosis for the 2 indices was compared. RESULTS: Both indices were useful clinical tools for identifying osteoporosis risk in Korean men. The optimal cut-off value for the Predictive Index for Osteoporosis was 1.07 (sensitivity, 67.6%; specificity, 72.7%; area under the curve, 0.743). When using a cut-off point of 0.5 for the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians, the sensitivity and specificity were 71.9% and 64.0%, respectively, and the area under the curve was 0.737. CONCLUSION: The Predictive Index for Osteoporosis was as useful as the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians as a screening index to identify candidates for dual energy X-ray absorptiometry among men aged 50–69 years.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bone Density ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Osteoporosis* ; ROC Curve ; Sample Size ; Self-Assessment ; Sensitivity and Specificity

BACKGROUND: We previously proposed the Predictive Index for Osteoporosis as a new index to identify men who require bone mineral density measurement. However, the previous study had limitations such as a single-center design and small sample size. Here, we evaluated the usefulness of the Predictive Index for Osteoporosis using the nationally representative data of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. METHODS: Participants underwent bone mineral density measurements via dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and the Predictive Index for Osteoporosis and Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians were assessed. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to obtain optimal cut-off points for the Predictive Index for Osteoporosis and Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians, and the predictability of osteoporosis for the 2 indices was compared. RESULTS: Both indices were useful clinical tools for identifying osteoporosis risk in Korean men. The optimal cut-off value for the Predictive Index for Osteoporosis was 1.07 (sensitivity, 67.6%; specificity, 72.7%; area under the curve, 0.743). When using a cut-off point of 0.5 for the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians, the sensitivity and specificity were 71.9% and 64.0%, respectively, and the area under the curve was 0.737. CONCLUSION: The Predictive Index for Osteoporosis was as useful as the Osteoporosis Self-Assessment Tool for Asians as a screening index to identify candidates for dual energy X-ray absorptiometry among men aged 50–69 years.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bone Density ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Osteoporosis* ; ROC Curve ; Sample Size ; Self-Assessment ; Sensitivity and Specificity