Sarcopenia is defined the loss of muscle mass and strength with aging. Although the etiology and the pathogenesis, the diagnosis of sarcopenia are obscure, the sequel of sarcopenia, i.e. morbidity and mortality, metabolic complications, are a major public health problem. Particularly, aged people in Korea are increasing rapidly more than expected; therefore the interest of sarcopenia is also increasing rapidly. This article provides an overview of the pathogenesis, and diagnosis, epidemiology, clinical results.
Aged ; Aging ; Body Composition ; Humans ; Korea ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscles ; Public Health ; Sarcopenia

Metformin has been used clinically more than 60 years in type 2 diabetes as the first-line drug for treatment. Metformin has been prescribed in more than 80% of Korean patients with diabetes. Despite long-term use and wide prescription of metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes, many questions remain. Recent advances have revealed a new mechanism of action and new benefits of metformin. In this article, we review recent advances regarding metformin treatment.

OBJECTIVES: There are lack of study for the association between osteoporosis and reduced quality of life in Korean. In this study, the association between osteoporosis and reduced quality of life were analyzed. METHODS: We used the data from the fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES), and 891 women were enrolled who were over the age of 50. Bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The quality of life were measured EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D). RESULTS: The quality of life of osteoporosis patients, were reduced in all dimensions of EQ-5D, except EuroQol;anxiety and depression. However, EuroQol; anxiety depression side (P=0.05) and VAS (P=0.039) of EQ-5D had significant difference among osteoporosis, osteopenia, and normal group even after adjusted with age, weight, waist circumference, and blood levels of vitamin D. In addition, bone density and EQ-5D utility values had positive association even after adjusted with age and weight, waist circumference, blood levels of vitamin D (R2=0.137, B=0.148, P=0.011). CONCLUSIONS: The elderly women with osteoporosis were significantly associated with decreased quality of life. Thus, the quality of life should be considered in treating of osteoporosis patients.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Aged ; Anxiety ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Bone Density ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Nutrition Surveys ; Osteoporosis ; Quality of Life ; Vitamin D ; Waist Circumference

Pediatric patients (younger than 19 years) account for approximately 25% of all emergency patients. Pediatric patients have large proportions of toddlers (aged 1–5 years), low severity, illness (rather than injury), and after-hours visits. Considering these features, the authors, affiliated with the policy research team in the Korean Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, suggest the establishment of the pediatric certified emergency center (PCEC) to stratify Korean pediatric emergency medical system according to the Korean Acuity and Triage Scale (KTAS). The PCEC is a facility dedicated to the emergency care for a large population of KTAS 3–4 patients (i.e., mildly ill). In addition, the PCEC may perform early stabilization and transfer to the pediatric emergency centers for pediatric patients having KTAS 1–2 illnesses and injuries. To facilitate the application of emergency centers for the PCEC, the designation criteria should be flexible in terms of manpower, facility, and equipment. Financial support from the government is essential for sustainable PCEC.
After-Hours Care ; Child ; Emergencies* ; Emergency Medical Services* ; Emergency Medicine ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Financial Support ; Humans ; Triage

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to clarify the relationship between fat, muscle, and bone in elderly men and women. METHODS: We analyzed 1373 men and 1803 women who were older than 65 years from the 2008-2010 Korea National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys. Body composition and femur neck bone mineral density (BMD) were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Sarcopenia was defined as an appendicular skeletal muscle index (SMI) below one standard deviation (SD). Obesity was classified by fat mass index (FMI). Osteoporosis was defined as a BMD of 2.5 SD below that of femur neck BMD. RESULTS: SMI and FMI were positively correlated with femur neck BMD. In multiple regression analysis, SMI (β = 0.302 in men, β = 0.154 in women; p < 0.001 each) and FMI (β = 0.079 in men, β = 0.179 in women; p = 0.003 and p < 0.001 respectively) had a positive relationship with femur neck BMD. Men with sarcopenia were 3.89 times more likely to develop osteoporosis. Women with sarcopenia were 1.87 times more likely to develop osteoporosis. Sarcopenia was more clinically significant in the development of osteoporosis in men with a fat deficit and women with excess fat CONCLUSIONS: Muscle mass and fat mass were identified as determinants of femur neck BMD in men and women. Among them, muscle mass of men and fat mass of women are the most important determinants of femur neck osteoporosis.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Aged* ; Body Composition ; Bone Density* ; Female ; Femur Neck* ; Femur* ; Humans ; Korea ; Male ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Obesity* ; Osteoporosis ; Sarcopenia*

OBJECTIVES: Osteoporotic hip fractures are associated with high mortality in the older population. Few population studies have reported the long-term trends of incidence and mortality rate of hip fracture among the older in Korea. This study assessed the incidence and mortality rate within 1 year after hip fracture from 2006 to 2015 in South Korea. METHODS: The National Health Information Database was used to identify adults aged 60 years and older with a diagnosis of hip fracture and died within 1 year from hip fracture. Regression analyses were performed to estimate the change of the incidence of hip fracture and the related mortality rate. RESULTS: The events causing hip fracture increased 1.85 times (1.91 times in women and 1.71 times in men), and the incidence of hip fracture increased 1.23 times (1.30 times in women and 1.11 times in men) from 2006 to 2015. The mortality rate after hip fracture decreased by 10% in women; however, it increased by 13% in men. These trends were more prominent in the older population. CONCLUSIONS: Although the mortality rate after hip fracture in women decreased, other parameters associated with hip fracture have worsened during the last decade. Nationwide programs were urgently needed to reduce the future socioeconomic burdens of hip fractures.
Adult ; Cohort Studies ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Hip Fractures ; Hip ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Male ; Mortality ; Osteoporosis

The authors regret that the standardized incidence rate for age (70–79) in Table 1 published in this paper was incorrect.

Background: We investigated whether metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is associated with an elevated risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality using a large-scale health examination cohort. Methods: A total of 394,835 subjects in the Kangbuk Samsung Health Study cohort were enrolled from 2002 to 2012. Participants were categorized by the presence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and MAFLD as follows: normal subjects; patients with both NAFLD and MAFLD; patients with NAFLD only; and patients with MAFLD only. Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze the risk of mortality. Results: During a median 5.7 years of follow-up, 20.69% was patients with both NAFLD and MAFLD, 1.51% was patients with NAFLD only, and 4.29% was patients with MAFLD only. All-cause and cardiovascular death was higher in patients with MAFLD than those without MAFLD (P<0.001, respectively). In patients with MAFLD only, the hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause and cardiovascular death was 1.35 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13 to 1.60) and 1.90 (95% CI, 1.26 to 2.88) after adjusting for age, which lost its statistical significance by multivariable adjustments. Compared to patients with less than two components of metabolic dysfunction, patients with more than two components of metabolic dysfunction were a higher risk of cardiovascular death (HR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.25 to 3.38) and only women with more than two components of metabolic dysfunction were a higher risk of all-cause death (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.03). Conclusion MAFLD criteria could identify a high-risk group for all-cause and cardiovascular death.

BACKGROUND: Immigration to South Korea from neighboring Asian countries has risen dramatically, primarily due to marriage between Korean men and foreign women. Although Filipino women rank fourth among married immigrant women, little is known about the health condition of this population. This manuscript focuses on the design and methods of Filipino women's diet and health study (FiLWHEL). SUBJECTS/METHODS: FiLWHEL is a cohort of Filipino women married to Korean men, aged 19 years old or over. The data collection comprised three parts: questionnaire, physical examination, and biospecimen collection. Questionnaires focused on demographic factors, diet, other health-related behaviors, acculturation and immigration-related factors, medical history, quality of life, and children's health information. Participants visited the recruitment site and answered the structured questionnaires through a face-to-face interview. We also measured their anthropometric features and collected fasting blood samples, toenails, and DNA samples. Recruitment started in 2014. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS: Collection of data is ongoing, and we plan to prospectively follow our cohort participants. We expect that our study, which is focused on married Filipino women immigrants, can elucidate nutritional/health status and the effects of transitional experiences from several lifestyle factors.
Acculturation ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Child Health ; Cohort Studies ; Data Collection ; Demography ; Diet* ; DNA ; Emigrants and Immigrants ; Emigration and Immigration ; Fasting ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Life Style ; Male ; Marriage ; Methods* ; Nails ; Physical Examination ; Prospective Studies ; Quality of Life

Background: It is not known which type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients would most benefit from dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor treatment. We aimed to investigate the predictors of response to DPP-4 inhibitors considering degree of DPP-4 inhibition. Methods: This study is a post hoc analysis of a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, phase III trial that compared the efficacy and safety of a DPP-4 inhibitor (gemigliptin vs. sitagliptin) in patients with T2DM. Subjects were classified into tertiles of T1 <65.26%, T2=65.26%–76.35%, and T3 ≥76.35% by DPP-4 inhibition. We analyzed the change from baseline in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) according to DPP-4 inhibition with multiple linear regression adjusting for age, ethnicity, body mass index, baseline HbA1c, and DPP-4 activity at baseline. Results: The mean age was greater in the high tertile group compared with the low tertile group (T1: 49.8±8.3 vs. T2: 53.1±10.5 vs. T3: 55.3±9.5, P<0.001) of DPP-4 inhibition. Although HbA1c at baseline was not different among tertiles of DPP-4 inhibition (P=0.398), HbA1c after 24-week treatment was lower in the higher tertile compares to the lower tertile (T1: 7.30%±0.88% vs. T2: 7.12%±0.78% vs. T3: 7.00%±0.78%, P=0.021). In multiple regression analysis, DPP-4 enzyme inhibition rate was not a significant determent for HbA1c reduction due to age. In subgroup analysis by tertile of DPP-4 inhibition, age was the only significant predictor and only in the highest tertile (R2=0.281, B=–0.014, P=0.024). Conclusion This study showed that HbA1c reduction by DPP-4 inhibitor was associated with increasing age, and this association was linked with higher DPP-4 inhibition.