As life expectancy increases, the number of elderly people with chronic diseases has been gradually increasing. As a result, the number of drugs taken has also increased. The purpose of this article is to determine the clinical significance and current status of multi-dose medications and to suggest methods of reducing inappropriate prescriptions through the “American Geriatrics Society updated Beers Criteria for potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults 2012.”

Background: Previous studies reported that waist circumference can be a more important risk factor of chronic diseases than body mass index.Abdominal obesity is known to be associated with physical activity and lifestyle. Recent studies have found a high prevalence of abdominal obesity and low physical activity levels in Korean women. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of physical activity and lifestyle on abdominal obesity in Korean middle-aged women. Methods: We collected data from the 7th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys in 2016 and 2017, and 2,274 women aged 45–65 years were evaluated. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between abdominal obesity and many factors after adjusting for confounding variables with significant correlations. Results: The results showed that the mean waist circumference was 80.20±9.05 cm and the prevalence of abdominal obesity was 28.8% in the population. The low physical activity group had the largest population (48.5%). Abdominal obesity was associated with moderate and high physical activity levels (odds ratio [OR], 0.791; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.651–0.962; P=0.019), sedentary time (≥5 h; OR, 1.495; 95% CI, 1.173–1.906;P=0.001), and weekend sleep duration (<7 h/d; OR, 1.406; 95% CI, 1.127; P=0.003). Conclusion In the Korean middle-aged women, a statistically significant correlation was found between physical activity and abdominal obesity.

Depression is a commonly encountered condition in the primary care that indicates low mood, loss of energy, sadness, loss of pleasure, sleep disorders or poor appetite, fatigue, and poor concentration. Of all the patients visiting the primary care, screening tests should be considered for the high-risk group and diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). The purpose of treatment should be to assess and prevent the risk of suicides and administer medications, psychotherapy, and counseling to alleviate depression and restore daily life. Antidepressants are selected based on the comorbidities, side effects, and preferences of patients. These should be administered for a sufficient duration, followed by gradual reduction of the dosage and subsequent discontinuation of the drug. Counseling or psychotherapy may be considered for the treatment of depression. Primary care physicians should be skilled for screening, diagnosis, treatment, and counseling. Efficient treatment of depression in the primary care requires collaboration with the caregivers, psychiatrists, and nurse practitioners for assistance in its management.

Background: Inflammation plays a major role in atherothrombosis, and measuring inflammatory markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) may provide a novel method for identifying individuals at high risk of plaque rupture. Atherogenesis results from the oxidation of lipids in low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Vitamin E facilitates the reduction in LDL-oxidation, and increases the antioxidant defense system. Therefore, our study aimed to examine the relationship between vitamin E and hs-CRP levels in Korean adults. Methods: We used data from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016–2018). The study population included healthy adults aged >20 years. We investigated age, blood pressure, glucose levels, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index, serum vitamin E, and serum hs-CRP levels. We analyzed the relationship between serum vitamin E and serum hs-CRP levels using multiple regression tests. Results: On statistical analysis, vitamin E levels showed a positive correlation with hs-CRP levels in the female group and the total of the unadjusted model. However, the R 2 value is low. After adjustment for factors that may affect hs-CRP, no significant correlation was observed between serum vitamin E and serum hs-CRP levels. Conclusion No significant correlation was observed between serum vitamin E and serum hs-CRP levels. Further research is needed on this topic.

Background: Recent studies have indicated that hyperuricemia is associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to examine the association between sitting time and hyperuricemia in Korean adults. Methods: This study included 16,535 adults aged ≥19 years who participated in the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Hyperuricemia was defined as a serum uric acid level of ≥7.0 mg/dL in men and ≥6.0 mg/dL in women. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of hyperuricemia according to sitting time were calculated using a multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results: The mean serum uric acid levels were significantly higher in participants with sitting times of ≥5 hours/day than those with sitting times of <5 hours/day in total participants, males, and females. The proportion of hyperuricemia was also significantly higher in participants with sitting times of ≥5 hours/day than those with sitting times of <5 hours/day in the total participants and males. Before and after adjusting for confounding variables, sitting times of ≥5 hours/day were associated with increased odds of hyperuricemia as compared with sitting times of <5 hours/day in total participants. Conclusion Our findings suggest that longer sitting time is associated with risk of hyperuricemia, and sitting time is an independent factor for hyperuricemia in Korean adults.

Background: A positive association between air pollution and insulin resistance has been shown in previous studies as a precursor state of type 2 diabetes, especially in older adults. This study was conducted to investigate the association between insulin resistance and environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure as ubiquitous outdoor and indoor air pollution components. Methods: From the second Korean National Environmental Health Survey, 5,717 adults aged ≥19 years were included in this study. To identify the association between environmental PAH exposure (urinary 1-hydroxypyrene, 1-OHP) and insulin resistance, defined by the ratio of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, we performed multiple stepwise regression analysis, adjusting for age, sex, education, physical activity, exposure to smoking and air pollution, body mass index, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. Results: Urinary 1-OHP concentration was significantly associated with the ratio of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusion Environmental exposure to PAHs is associated with increased insulin resistance in adults.

Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of a weight loss method in individuals who successfully lost weight and determine the mental health problems that might have occurred while losing weight. Methods: Data were obtained from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2016. First, an independent sample t-test was used with continuous data to identify the relationship between successful weight loss and the general characteristics of all participants, and the chi-square test was applied to categorical data. Second, a logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the relevance of eight successful weight loss methods based on the variables that can affect weight change such as age and sex. Similarly, a multivariate logistic regression analysis aimed to determine the correlation between mental health problems and successful weight loss. Results: The results showed that adhering to an appropriate dietary regime and taking oriental medicines significantly influenced weight reduction.Other methods such as skipping a meal, taking prescribed medicines or health supplements, and following a mono-diet have no noticeable effect on weight loss. Moreover, the analysis of factors affecting mental health that could influence the environment and lifestyle of the dieter has indicated that there is no positive association between these factors and actual weight loss. Conclusion A controlled diet is recommended as an effective treatment for weight loss rather than skipping a meal or fasting and taking oriental medicine. The factors associated with weight loss may not cause mental health problems.

Background: Functional decline in the elderly is a major problem contributing toward a low quality of life and increasing economic and social costs.Several risk factors such as weight loss are associated with functional decline. This study aimed to investigate how weight changes in aged people affect functional decline. Methods: Using the 5th–6th panel data sets from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA), we selected the consecutive respondents who showed no decline in activities of daily living (ADL) in the 5th panel data. We defined functional decline as the presence of one or more deficits in the ADL items. Data were analyzed by the t-test, Chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression analysis. In addition, we also examined the relationship between weight changes and instrumental activities of daily living (I-ADL). Results: A total of 4,256 respondents (mean age, 75.35 years) were included in the study, of whom were 1,738 (42.87%) male and 2,316 (57.13%) female. A total of 202 (4.75%) respondents showed a decline in ADL. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that weight gain was irrelevant to functional decline (all P-values >0.05). However, in cases of weight loss, there were significantly increased risks of ADL and I-ADL impairment (all P-values <0.001). Conclusion The results indicate that weight loss in the elderly is related to an increased risk of functional decline. Thus, when we see elderly patients who complain of weight loss, we should determine its cause and administer an appropriate treatment before it leads to actual functional impairment.

Background: Research has reported that atopic dermatitis degrades the quality of life of adults in their 20s and 30s. This study, therefore, explored factors associated with improvement of atopic dermatitis in adults in their 20s and 30s. Methods: Three hundred and forty-eight adults who had been diagnosed with atopic dermatitis (recovery group, 146; atopic group, 202) in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016–2018) were selected for this study. Complex sample descriptive, crosstab, and logistic analyses were used to identify significant factors associated with improvement of atopic dermatitis in adults in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, mental health, and physical activity. Results: Among several sociodemographic characteristics, the significant factors were age, sex, and marital status. When these factors were included as covariates in logistic regression models, adults were more likely to be in the recovery group if they thought positively about their health condition, if their stress recognition was low, and if they had enough sleep time during the week. Furthermore, adults were more likely to be in the recovery group if they were engaged in high- and moderate-intensity activities at work and leisure. Conclusion This study showed that positive mental health, sufficient sleep time, and high- and middle-intensity activities are important factors associated with improvement of atopic dermatitis in adults in their 20s and 30s. We expect that these findings will help improve the quality of life in young working adults who suffer from atopic dermatitis.