A new hypolipidemic drug, pravastatin, hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor was administered to 33 patients with primary hyperlipidemia, 10mg daily for 8 weeks and sequential changes of lipid profile were analysed as follows. 1) Mean value at baseline period of total cholesterol, triglyceride, high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were 260, 220, 51 and 163mg/dl respectively. 2) Total cholesterol showed 21% decrease at the end of 8 weeks and that of LDL-cholesterol were 30%. 3) Triglyceride decreased 16% at the end of 8 weeks and increment of HDL-cholesterol was 8% at the end of 8 weeks. 4) No serious side reactions were observed except one patient, who showed generalized skin rash which last 3 days and did not prevent further medication. In conclusion, pravastatin is a safe and useful hypolipidemic agent for the patient with primary hyperlipidemia.
Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, LDL ; Coenzyme A ; Exanthema ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias* ; Oxidoreductases ; Pravastatin* ; Triglycerides

No abstract available.
Fanconi Anemia*

Although stroke is a great public health challenge in Korea, there have have been few epidemiologic studies of the risk factors stroke. A case-control study was performed to evaluate the risk factors for hemorrhagic stroke in Wonju, Korea. Ninety-five subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and 102 intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients aged 21-86 years, and 267 controls were recruited among the inpatients of Wonju Christian Hospital during 1994-1995. Information was gathered through interview and examinations. After adjustment for age and sex, family and past history of hypertension, drinking habits, age of menarche, height, weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumference, earlobe crease, prothrombin time, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, and total cholesterol were all found to be significantly associated with both SAH and ICH. The risk factor significantly associated only with ICH was smoking habits. In multiple logistics analyses, the independent risk factors for SAH and ICH were the same. Those included family and past history of hypertension, age of menarche, earlobe crease, prothrombin time, white blood cell count, hemoglobin and total cholesterol. In general, the risk factors for SAH and ICH were similar with each other, except smoking habits. Risk factors found in this study congruent with previous studies were family and past history of hypertension, drinking habits, body mass index, prothrombin time, white blood cell count, and hemoglobin. Those incongruent or rather newly found were age of menarche, a big physique, earlobe crease, and total cholesterol.
Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Cerebral Hemorrhage/etiology* ; Cerebrovascular Disorders/etiology* ; Female ; Human ; Korea ; Male ; Middle Age ; Risk Factors ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage/etiology*

This study was conducted to assess the effects of noise exposure and psychosocial factor on blood pressure in manufacturing workers. The study subjects are 414 workers (243 males, 171 females) employed at the noisy department. The mean age of low exposed group (<85dB) was 34.65+/-9.53 years, and that of high exposed group (> or =85dB) was 36.37+/-11.15 years. The difference in mean age wart not significant. The mean and distribution of working duration, smoking status, drinking status were not significantly different between two groups. The mean systolic blood pressure of the low exposed groups was 120.01+/-12.06 mmHg, and that of high exposed group wart 126.27+/-13.84 mmHg. The mean diastolic blood pressure of the low exposed and the high exposed group were 77.18+/-10.83 mmHg, and 83.46+/-11.22 mmHg respectively. These differences of blood pressure were statistically significant(p<0.05). The workers in noisy department have significantly less work environmental satisfaction, higher job demand, and higher social support. The mean values of psychosocial distress were higher in the workers of the noisy department, but the difference was not statistically significant. This study was to speculate whether the work environmental satisfaction and social supports modify the association between the noise exposure level and the blood pressure. The results showed that work environmental satisfaction could not modify the association between the blood pressure and the noise exposure. Social support at work did not modify the association. Furthermore, we evaluated the high job strain from a combination of high job demand and low job control at work. Compared to the low strain group, the olds ratio of the high job strain group for hypertension in diastolic blood pressure were statistically significant, but not in systolic blood pressure. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to determine whether the independent variables contributed to explaining the blood pressure. After controlling for possible confounders, we found that the noise exposure level was a correlate of the diastolic blood pressure. But no association between the noise exposure level and the systolic blood pressure. No significant result was found for psychosocial factor.
Blood Pressure* ; Drinking ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Noise* ; Psychology* ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Warts

Supravalvular aortic stenosis may be defined as an obstructive congenital deformity of the ascending aorta whitch originates just distal to the level of the origins of the coronary arteries, and whitch includes a wide spectrum of pathologic changes. A 27 years-old-female was admitted because of further evaluation of known some heart disease. Clinical diagnosis of supravalvular aortic stenosis was made by echocardiography and angiography. We presented a case of supravalvular aortic stenosis with a review of literature.
Angiography ; Aorta ; Aortic Stenosis, Supravalvular* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Coronary Vessels ; Diagnosis ; Echocardiography ; Heart Diseases

OBJECTIVES: The Korean version of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is the most widely used tool validated instrument for measuring and the level of disability associated with low back disorders. We wanted to validate use of the Korean version of the ODI in Korean farmers with low back pain. METHODS: The object of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Korean version of the ODI. The Korean version was tested on 53 farmers (62.3+/-10.3 years of age) with low back-related disorders. We investigated the Test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity of the ODI. The Test-retest reliability was assessed in 30 farmers within a time interval of approximately 14 to 18 days. Differences between the Korean version of the ODI and the Short Form 12 (SF-12), which includes 8 domains (general health, physical functioning, role-physical limitation, bodily pain, role-emotional limitation, mental health, vitality, social functioning) were analyzed for construct validity. The correlation of the Korean version of the ODI with the SF-12 was analyzed, as well. RESULTS: The intra-class correlation coefficient of test-retest reliability was 0.854. Reliability estimated by the internal consistency reached a Cronbach's alpha of 0.879. The correlation between 7 domains of the SF-12 except for the mental health domain and the Korean version of the ODI was statistically significant (p<0.05). Four domains (general health, physical functioning, role-physical limitation, bodily pain) that measured physical status all showed high correlations (p<0.01), as did a domain that measured mental status (role-emotional limitation) (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the Korean version of the ODI is a reliable and valid instrument to measure the level of disability in Korean farmers with low back-related disorders. The use of this instrument is recommended for future clinical trials in Korea.
Korea ; Low Back Pain ; Mental Health ; Pilot Projects ; Reproducibility of Results

To assess the result of radiation therapy for fifteen years experience, a total of 81 cases of pathologically proven vocal cord cancer had been analysed according to patient survival retrospectively. All the patients had been treated with radiation therapy using Co-0 teleherapy unit in curative aim. The results are as follows ; 1. According to AJCC staging, five year survival rate was 75.0% in stage I, 73.1% in stage II, 36.0% in stage III, and 20.0% in stage IV. 2. According to T-taging, five year survival rate was 75.0% in T1, 73.1% in T2, 24.3% in T3, and 25.0% in T4. 3. According to nodal status, five year survival rate was 59.4% in negative node group and 14.2% in positive group. 4. According to the histologic grade, the better in differentiation, the more in number of cases and the better in prognosis. 5. In summary, five year actuarial survival rate was 55.5% and ten year survival rate was 49.8% and ten year survivors totalled 12 cases.
Humans ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Survivors ; Vocal Cords*

To assess the result of radiation therapy for fifteen years experience, a total of 125 cases of pathologically proven supraglottic laryngeal cancer had been analyzed according to patient survival retrospectively. All the patients had been treated with radiation therapy in curative aim using Co-0 teletherapy machine. The results are as follows; 1. According to AJCC staging, five year survival rate was 58.3% in stage I, 44.4% in II, 31.8% in III and 28.6% in IV. 2. According to T-taging, five year survival rate was 57.1% in stage T1, 40.5% in T2, 34.0% in T3 and 19.0% in T4. 3. According to N staging, five-ear survival rate was 43.5% in negative node group and 26.8% in positive node group. 4. According to the histologic grade, the better in differentiation, the more in number of cases and the better in prognosis. 5. In summary, five year actuarial survival rate was 37.3% and ten-ear survival rate was 34.2%, and ten-ear survivors totaled 16 cases.
Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms* ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Survivors

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate both the psychosocial and physical effects of muscle strengthening exercise on farmers, and in so doing evaluate their effect on musculoskeletal disorders in farmers. METHODS: 28 subjects participated in our muscle strengthening exercise program. Mean age of subjects was 63+/-13 years. The exercise program was performed 3 times a week during the 8 week studys period. Before and after training various measurements were made: self esteem scale (SES), psychosocial wellbeing index short form (PWI-SF), static and dynamic balance ability, grip strength, arm curl, time up and go (TUG), functional reach, and oswestry disability index. RESULTS: The muscle strengthening exercise program increased the self-esteem, grip strength and static and dynamic balance of subjects, while psychosocial stress and low back pain levels were decreased significantly (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The muscle strengthening exercise improved psychosocial and physical status of test subjects. Thus, exercise may be an effective strategy for enhancing the psychosocial and physical health of farmers.
Agriculture ; Arm ; Hand Strength ; Low Back Pain ; Muscles ; Self Concept

BACKGROUND: In western countries the proportion of deaths in the hospital has somewhat decreased. While that of Korea has continuously increased, it is interesting things that the hospital death rate in Korea is less than that in western countries. Therefore we tried to find the factors associated with the place of death in Korea. METHODS: We obtained the data from the National Statistical Office. They are composed of address, occupation, cause of death, marital status, and level of education. Causes of death were classified by ICD 10. Univariate and Mutivariate analysis were done to find the effect of each variable for the place of death. RESULTS: Total number of the study population was 242,362 (male;136,063, female;106,299). Female died more in the hospital. The younger are more likely to die in the hospital. People having lived in metropolitan, having educated to higher level and professionals died more in the hospital. And the people having had ischemic heart disease and cancer death were more likely to die in the hospital. The single(unmarried, divorced) died more in the hospital. In multivariate analysis, the place of death was significantly different by sex, age, address, occupation, cause of death, and level of education. CONCLUSION: In Korea sex, age, address, occupation, cause of death, and level of education are helpful in predicting the palce of death.
Cause of Death ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Marital Status ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Occupations