Background and Objectives: High waist circumference (WC) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk (CVR) in adulthood. We investigated this association in adolescents. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data for 10–18-year-olds included in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (2005–2014). The association between WC and CVR factors was evaluated. We analyzed this relationship according to age. Results: We analyzed 8,153 participants (4,319 boys and 3,834 girls) from the KNHANES. High WC was associated with increased incidence of CVR factors: hypertension (odds ratio [OR], 3.5 in boys, 1.9 in girls), high total cholesterol (OR, 3.9 in boys, 1.9 in girls), high triglycerides (OR, 4.9 in boys, 3.2 in girls), high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (OR, 5.0 in boys, 1.8 in girls), low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (OR, 2.6 in boys, 3.0 in girls), and hyperglycemia (OR, 2.8 in girls). In boys, the association between high WC and hypertension, high triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol was noted in early adolescence. High WC was associated with high total cholesterol and high LDL cholesterol in middle adolescence. In girls, high WC was correlated with high total cholesterol, high triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol in early adolescence. High WC was shown to be associated with hyperglycemia in middle adolescence, and with hypertension and high LDL cholesterol in late adolescence. Conclusions High WC in adolescents is associated with increased CVR. The timing of this association differs according to sex and CVR factors.

PURPOSE: To examine the correlation of depression with Internet use and body image perception, and to analyze the risk factors of depression in a total of 920 students in Seoul, Korea. METHODS: Students were recruited by contacting school principals and teachers and were encouraged to fill out a self-report questionnaire designed specifically for this study in July of 2008. RESULTS: Female participants had an increased risk for depression than did male participants (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.790; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.330–2.410, P<0.001). Older students were more susceptible to depression (aOR, 1.246; 95% CI, 1.115–1.392, P<0.001). Longer daily Internet use and more frequent Internet use were analyzed as risk factors for depression. No physical activity was a risk factor for depression (aOR, 0.392; 95% CI, 1.264–4.526, P=0.014). Dissatisfaction with one's body image increased the risk for depression (aOR, 1.373; 95% CI, 1.169–1.613; P<0.001). Obesity and perception of body image showed no significant relationship with increased risk for depression. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of depression was 13.8% in adolescents in Seoul, Korea, in July 2008. Female sex, age, daily Internet use duration, weekly Internet use frequency, physical activity, and dissatisfaction with one's body image independently increased risk of depression.
Adolescent* ; Body Image* ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Internet* ; Korea ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

PURPOSE: To examine the correlation of depression with Internet use and body image perception, and to analyze the risk factors of depression in a total of 920 students in Seoul, Korea. METHODS: Students were recruited by contacting school principals and teachers and were encouraged to fill out a self-report questionnaire designed specifically for this study in July of 2008. RESULTS: Female participants had an increased risk for depression than did male participants (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.790; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.330–2.410, P<0.001). Older students were more susceptible to depression (aOR, 1.246; 95% CI, 1.115–1.392, P<0.001). Longer daily Internet use and more frequent Internet use were analyzed as risk factors for depression. No physical activity was a risk factor for depression (aOR, 0.392; 95% CI, 1.264–4.526, P=0.014). Dissatisfaction with one's body image increased the risk for depression (aOR, 1.373; 95% CI, 1.169–1.613; P<0.001). Obesity and perception of body image showed no significant relationship with increased risk for depression. CONCLUSION: Prevalence of depression was 13.8% in adolescents in Seoul, Korea, in July 2008. Female sex, age, daily Internet use duration, weekly Internet use frequency, physical activity, and dissatisfaction with one's body image independently increased risk of depression.
Adolescent* ; Body Image* ; Depression* ; Female ; Humans ; Internet* ; Korea ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Congenital tuberculosis (TB) is a rare disease that is associated with high mortality. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent, may be transmitted from the infected mother to the fetus by the transplacental route or by aspiration of infected amniotic fluid. Clinical symptoms and signs are not specific. Miliary patterns are the most common findings in the chest X-rays of many infants with congenital TB. In this case, an 18-day-old boy had jaundice on the fifth day of birth, and fever and respiratory distress appeared on the 18th day. Chest X-ray showed diffuse fine bilateral infiltration. Clinically, pneumonia or sepsis was suspected. Respiratory symptoms and chest X-ray findings worsened despite empirical antibiotic therapy. The lungs showed miliary infiltration suggestive of TB. Gastric aspirates were positive for M. tuberculosis. Respiratory distress and fever were gradually improved after anti-TB medication. Congenital TB is difficult to detect because of minimal or no symptoms during pregnancy and nonspecific symptoms in neonates. Hence, clinicians should suspect the possibility of TB infection even if neonates have non-specific symptoms. Early diagnosis and meticulous treatment are required for the survival of neonates with TB.
Amniotic Fluid ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Fetus ; Fever ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice ; Lung ; Male* ; Mortality ; Mothers ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ; Parturition ; Pneumonia ; Pregnancy ; Rare Diseases ; Sepsis ; Thorax ; Tuberculosis ; Tuberculosis, Miliary*

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of guided tissue regeneration therapy for human periodontal intrabony defects using two different collagen membranes: a porous nonchemical cross-linking collagen membrane (NC) and a bilayer collagen membrane (BC). METHODS: Thirty subjects were randomly assigned and divided into the following 3 groups: a test group (NC+BM), in which a NC was used with xenograft bone mineral (BM), a positive control group (BC+BM), in which a BC was used with xenograft BM, and a negative control group (BM), in which only xenograft BM was used. The following clinical measurements were taken at baseline and 3 months after surgery: plaque index, gingival index, probing pocket depth, gingival recession, and clinical attachment level. Radiographic analysis was performed at baseline, 1 week and 3 months after surgery. RESULTS: Membrane exposure was not observed in any cases. Significant probing depth reduction, attachment-level gain and bone fill were observed for both test and control groups compared to baseline at 3 months after surgery (P<0.05). However, there were no statistically significant differences in clinical improvement and radiographic bone fill between treatment protocols (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Within the limitations of this study, the results suggest that both NC and BC were comparable in terms of clinical and radiographic outcomes for the treatment of periodontal intrabony defects in human subjects.
Chronic Periodontitis ; Clinical Protocols ; Collagen* ; Gingival Recession ; Guided Tissue Regeneration* ; Heterografts ; Humans ; Membranes* ; Periodontal Index

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of congenital heart disease from the 1998 student heart disease screening program. METHODS: The heart disease screening program for elementary students was conducted in Kyonggi-do, in 1998. The subjects of the present study comprised the 40,402 students who attended the schools in the catchment area of a collaborative university hospital and who participated in the primary examination. The congenital heart disease (CHD) patients were initially identified through a questionnaire about prior medical history, and further through diagnostic tests & medical examinations in the secondary & the tertiary examinations. Certain assumptions were used in the estimation of the number of CHD cases among non-participants of the secondary & tertiary examinations. The overall prevalence of CHD was estimated by adding the CHD detection rates of the participants and the estimated prevalence of the non-participants. RESULTS: Among the 40,402 primary participants, 1,655 were referred further, of whom 79.1% (1,309) participated in the secondary examination. Of these, 121 were referred to the tertiary examination, with a participation rate at this last stage of 80.2%. The positive predictive value (PPV) of the screening tools was the highest when the results of both EKG and the questionnaire were positive. Because 85.9% of the detected cases had a past history of CHD, PPV was higher when the selection criteria in the questionnaire included past CHD history than when it didnt. The CHD detection rate among the participants was 1.76 cases/1,000 and the presumed number of cases among the non-participants was 31; giving an estimated final CHD prevalence of 2.52 cases/1,000 (95% CI : 2.06-3.06). Among the identified cases of CHD, VSD (52.8%) was the most common, followed by PDA (9.7%), TOF (9.7%) & PS (9.7%). CONCLUSION: Because the characteristics of the non-participants differed from those of the participants, the estimation of prevalence was influenced by the participation rate. Of the detected cases, 85.9% had a past history of diagnosis or operation for CHD. These findings suggested that the prevalence estimated in this study may be an underestimation of the actual condition. Therefore, a birth cohort study is required in order to more accurately estimate the prevalence and the effects of the program.
Cohort Studies ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Electrocardiography ; Gyeonggi-do ; Heart Defects, Congenital* ; Heart Diseases* ; Heart* ; Humans ; Mass Screening* ; Parturition ; Patient Selection ; Prevalence* ; Questionnaires

Background: While the association of congenital heart disease (CHD) and growth retardation (GR) is known, data remain limited. This study investigated the incidence of GR and its neonatal risk factors in patients with CHD using nationwide population-based claims data.Method: The study population was extracted from Korean National Health Insurance Service claims data from January 2002 to December 2020. We included patients diagnosed with CHD under one year of age. GR was defined as an idiopathic growth hormone deficiency or short stature on the claims data. We investigated the neonatal risk factors for GR. Results: The number of patients diagnosed with CHD within the first year of birth was 133,739. Of these, 2,921 newborns were diagnosed with GR. The cumulative incidence of GR was 4.8% at 19 years of age for individuals diagnosed with CHD at infancy. In the multivariable analysis, the significant risk factors for GR were preterm birth, small for gestational age, low birth weight, respiratory distress, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, bacterial sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, feeding problems and cardiac procedure. Conclusion Several neonatal conditions were significant risk factors for GR in CHD patients, and appropriate monitoring and treatment programs are required in CHD neonates with these factors. Considering this study is limited to claims data, further studies are warranted, including genetic and environmental factors affecting GR in CHD patients.

Purpose: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a known risk factor for acquired cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, available evidence on CHD is limited mostly to Western populations. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of vascular events and all-cause mortality in Korean patients with CHD and to further corroborate CHD as a predictor of vascular events and all-cause mortality. Materials and Methods: The claims data of the Korean National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) were retrospectively reviewed. Information regarding diagnostic codes, comorbidities, medical services, income level, and residential area was also collected. Outcomes of interest included stroke, myocardial infarction (MI), all-cause mortality, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Results: We included 232203 patients with CHD and 3024633 individuals without CHD as a control group through age- and sexmatched 1:10 random sampling. The prevalences of hypertension, congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, hyperlipidemia, and atrial fibrillation were significantly higher in the CHD group, which had a more than two-fold higher incidence of vascular events and all-cause mortality, than in the group without CHD. Multivariable models demonstrated that CHD was a significant risk factor for stroke, MI, all-cause mortality, and MACE. Conclusion In conclusion, this nationwide study demonstrates that Korean patients with CHD have a high incidence of comorbidities, vascular events, and mortality. CHD has been established as an important predictor of cardiovascular events. Further studies are warranted to identify high-risk patients with CHD and related factors to prevent vascular events.

Background and Objectives: The therapeutic strategy for inflammation and degenerative calcification is of utmost importance for bioprosthetic heart valve (BHV) implanted patients.The purpose of this study was to compare the anti-inflammatory and anti-calcification effects of Entelon150® (grape seed extract), losartan, and rosuvastatin, in a rabbit model of intravascular BHV leaflet implantation in bovine pericardium. Methods: A total of 28 rabbits were implanted with BHV leaflet in the external jugular veins.The Entelon150® group was administered 7.7 mg/kg Entelon150® twice daily for 6 weeks after surgery. The losartan and rosuvastatin groups received 5.14 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg, respectively, once per day. The control group received 1 ml of saline once daily. And then, calcium concentration was measured in the implanted BHV, and histological and molecular analyses were performed on the surrounding tissues. Results: The calcium content of the implanted tissue in the Entelon150® group (0.013±0.004 mg/g) was lower than that in the control group (0.066±0.039 mg/g) (p=0.008). The losartan (0.024±0.016 mg/g, p=0.032) and rosuvastatin (0.022±0.011 mg/g, p=0.032) groups had lower calcium content than the control group, and higher tendency than the Entelon150® group. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the expressions of bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2), S-100, and angiotensin II type 1 receptor in the Entelon150® group showed lower tendency than those in the control group. The protein expression levels of BMP2 were reduced in the Entelon150® group compared with those in the control group. Conclusions Entelon150® exhibited a significant effect, similar to other drugs, in reducing calcification and inflammation in the intravascular bovine pericardium.

Background and Objectives: The therapeutic strategy for inflammation and degenerative calcification is of utmost importance for bioprosthetic heart valve (BHV) implanted patients.The purpose of this study was to compare the anti-inflammatory and anti-calcification effects of Entelon150® (grape seed extract), losartan, and rosuvastatin, in a rabbit model of intravascular BHV leaflet implantation in bovine pericardium. Methods: A total of 28 rabbits were implanted with BHV leaflet in the external jugular veins.The Entelon150® group was administered 7.7 mg/kg Entelon150® twice daily for 6 weeks after surgery. The losartan and rosuvastatin groups received 5.14 mg/kg and 1 mg/kg, respectively, once per day. The control group received 1 ml of saline once daily. And then, calcium concentration was measured in the implanted BHV, and histological and molecular analyses were performed on the surrounding tissues. Results: The calcium content of the implanted tissue in the Entelon150® group (0.013±0.004 mg/g) was lower than that in the control group (0.066±0.039 mg/g) (p=0.008). The losartan (0.024±0.016 mg/g, p=0.032) and rosuvastatin (0.022±0.011 mg/g, p=0.032) groups had lower calcium content than the control group, and higher tendency than the Entelon150® group. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the expressions of bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2), S-100, and angiotensin II type 1 receptor in the Entelon150® group showed lower tendency than those in the control group. The protein expression levels of BMP2 were reduced in the Entelon150® group compared with those in the control group. Conclusions Entelon150® exhibited a significant effect, similar to other drugs, in reducing calcification and inflammation in the intravascular bovine pericardium.