This randomized controlled trial study aimed to investigate the effects of a lifestyle intervention on metabolic syndrome (MetS) among middle-aged Koreans. A total of 243 middle-aged Koreans with MetS were randomly assigned to either of 2 types of lifestyle intervention for MetS and followed for 12 months. Health examinations and interventions were implemented at 16 regional branch facilities of a Korean medical institution from 2010, following the NCEP-ATP III criteria and recommendations. Lifestyle intervention (LI) group (n = 137) participated in a 12-week multi-component intervention including individual counseling, group sessions, and self-help materials. Basic usual intervention (BI) group (n = 106) was provided with one-page health information sheet on MetS and MetS management at baseline. Prevalence of MetS and each of MetS components, except for low HDL-cholesterol, in both groups were significantly reduced and maintained after the intervention. Notably, prevalence of hypertension and abdominal obesity continued to improve during the follow-up period. Between-group differences in results were not found. Both interventions were effective when they were accompanied with repeated check-ups and notification of MetS status. It is recommended to design clear guidelines for the notification of MetS after MetS screening and to encourage checking MetS status periodically for effective MetS management (KCT 0000446).
Adult ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Directive Counseling/*methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening/*methods ; Metabolic Syndrome X/*diagnosis/epidemiology/*therapy ; Middle Aged ; Patient Education as Topic/methods ; *Risk Reduction Behavior ; *Self-Help Groups ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVES: Perceived stress scale is a self-report inventory to estimate the degree of individual perceived stress in daily life. The aim of this study was to introduce this scale and test the reliability and validity of the Korean version of PSS. METHODS: The total of 154 female hospital workers were included in this study. The survey questionnaires were conducted for demographic information. All participants were required to complete PSS, Hamilton Anxiety scale and Beck Depression Inventory. Reliability and validity studies were conducted and internal consistency was examined. RESULTS: The mean score of the PSS reported in this sample was 20.69+/-4.56. The overall Cronbach's alpha was 0.819, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.66. PSS had a significant positive correlation with the HAM-A(r=0.49, p<0.01), and the BDI(r=0.55, p<0.01). Factor analysis yielded 2 factors with eigenvalues of 3.924 and 2.608, accounting for 65 percent of variance. Factor 1 represented "stress" and factor 2 represented "control of stress". CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the PSS is appropriate for estimating the perceived stress levels. These results support the use of PSS in large sections of the population in Korea.
Accounting ; Anxiety ; Depression ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Questionnaires ; Reproducibility of Results

BACKGROUND: Recruitment and homing cells into graft materials from host tissue is crucial for bone regeneration. METHODS: Highly porous, multi-level structural, hydroxyapatite bone void filler (HA-BVF) have been investigated to restore critical size bone defects. The aim was to investigate a feasibility of bone regeneration of synthetic HA-BVF compared to commercial xenograft (Bio-Oss). HA-BVF of 0.7 mm in average diameter was prepared via template coating method. Groups of animals (n = 6) were divided into two with normal (Sham) or induced osteoporotic conditions (Ovx). Subsequently, subdivided into three treated with HA-BVF as an experiment or Bio-Oss as a positive control or no treatment as a negative control (defect). The new bone formation was analyzed by micro-CT and histology. RESULTS: At 4 weeks post-surgery, new bone formation was initiated from all groups. At 8 weeks post-surgery, new bone formation in the HA-BVF groups was greater than Bio-Oss groups. Extraordinarily greater bone regeneration within the Ovx-HA group than Sham-Bio-Oss or Ovx-Bio-Oss group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the immediate wicking property of HA-BVF from host tissue activates a natural healing cascade without the addition of exogeneous factors or progenitor cells. HA-BVF may be an effective alternative for repairing bone defects under both normal and osteoporotic bone conditions.
Animals ; Bone Regeneration* ; Capillary Action* ; Durapatite ; Heterografts ; Methods ; Models, Animal* ; Osteogenesis ; Osteoporosis ; Rats* ; Stem Cells ; Transplants*

Background/Aims: We aimed to assess the validity of the Korean translated version of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) in determining the frailty status in geriatric outpatients. Methods: The records of 123 ambulatory outpatients who had undergone CFS and comprehensive geriatric assessments (CGAs) including measurements for the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) frailty scale and the frailty index (CGA-FI) were analyzed. Correlations between CFS, CHS frailty scale, and CGA-FI were assessed. The ability of CFS to classify frailty status was calculated using the CHS frailty scale and CGA-FI as references. Results: The mean CFS score was 3.2 in the study population, with a mean age of 77.49 years (45.5% men). Individuals with higher CFS scores were older, had a greater burden of chronic diseases, and worse daily functions and cognitive performance. CFS scores positively correlated with CGA-FI (B = 0.78, p < 0.001) and CHS frailty scale (B = 0.67, p < 0.001) scores. For CFS, C-statistics to classify frailty by CGA-FI and CHS scale were 0.905 and 0.826, respectively. The cut-off value of CFS ≥ 4 maximized Youden’s J to classify frailty by both the CHS scale and CGAFI. Conclusions The CFS is a valid screening tool to assess the frailty status in outpatients of a geriatric clinic in Korea. As a simple and quick measure, the CFS may facilitate frailty assessments in real-world clinical practice.

Background: and Purpose: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) refers to the self-perception of cognitive decline with normal performance on objective neuropsychological tests. SCD, which is the first help-seeking stage and the last stage before the clinical disease stage, can be considered to be the most appropriate time for prevention and treatment. This study aimed to compare characteristics between the amyloid positive and amyloid negative groups of SCD patients. Methods: A cohort study to identify predictors for the clinical progression to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia from subjective cognitive decline (CoSCo) study is a multicenter, prospective observational study conducted in the Republic of Korea. In total, 120 people aged 60 years or above who presented with a complaint of persistent cognitive decline were selected, and various risk factors were measured among these participants.Continuous variables were analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test, and categorical variables were analyzed using the χ2 test or Fisher’s exact test. Logistic regression models were used to assess the predictors of amyloid positivity. Results: The multivariate logistic regression model indicated that amyloid positivity on PET was related to a lack of hypertension, atrophy of the left temporal lateral and entorhinal cortex, low body mass index, low waist circumference, less body and visceral fat, fast gait speed, and the presence of the apolipoprotein E ε4 allele in amnestic SCD patients. Conclusions The CoSCo study is still in progress, and the authors aim to identify the risk factors that are related to the progression of MCI or dementia in amnestic SCD patients through a two-year follow-up longitudinal study.

Background/Aims: We aimed to assess the validity of the Korean translated version of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) in determining the frailty status in geriatric outpatients. Methods: The records of 123 ambulatory outpatients who had undergone CFS and comprehensive geriatric assessments (CGAs) including measurements for the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) frailty scale and the frailty index (CGA-FI) were analyzed. Correlations between CFS, CHS frailty scale, and CGA-FI were assessed. The ability of CFS to classify frailty status was calculated using the CHS frailty scale and CGA-FI as references. Results: The mean CFS score was 3.2 in the study population, with a mean age of 77.49 years (45.5% men). Individuals with higher CFS scores were older, had a greater burden of chronic diseases, and worse daily functions and cognitive performance. CFS scores positively correlated with CGA-FI (B = 0.78, p < 0.001) and CHS frailty scale (B = 0.67, p < 0.001) scores. For CFS, C-statistics to classify frailty by CGA-FI and CHS scale were 0.905 and 0.826, respectively. The cut-off value of CFS ≥ 4 maximized Youden’s J to classify frailty by both the CHS scale and CGAFI. Conclusions The CFS is a valid screening tool to assess the frailty status in outpatients of a geriatric clinic in Korea. As a simple and quick measure, the CFS may facilitate frailty assessments in real-world clinical practice.

Blastocystis is one of the most commonly detected genera of protozoan parasites in the human intestines as well as the intestines of many other species such as pigs in several geographical regions worldwide. However, no studies have examined Blastocystis in pigs in Korea. In this study, PCR and nucleotide sequencing were performed to evaluate the genetic diversity and zoonotic potential of Blastocystis using pig fecal samples. We obtained 646 stool samples from groups of piglets, weaners, growers, finishers, and sows in Korea. A total of 390 Blastocystis-positive samples were identified, and the infection rate was 60.4%. The infection rates were significantly related to age and region. The 4 subtypes (STs) of Blastocystis confirmed by phylogenetic analysis were ST1, ST2, ST3, and ST5, indicating the high genetic diversity of Blastocystis in Korean pigs. ST5 was highly distributed in Korean pigs among detected STs in this study. Some sequences were closely related to those of Blastocystis isolated from humans. This is the first study of Blastocystis in pigs in Korea. Based on the results, Blastocystis is prevalent in Korean pigs. Although a small number of samples were obtained in some areas, the clinical development of Blastocystis infection in pigs and potential for human transmission should be further examined.
Blastocystis Infections ; Blastocystis ; Genetic Variation ; Humans ; Intestines ; Korea ; Parasites ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence ; Swine

Background: and Purpose: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a progressive decline in cognition and performance of daily activities. Recent studies have attempted to establish the relationship between AD and sleep. It is believed that patients with AD pathology show altered sleep characteristics years before clinical symptoms appear. This study evaluated the differences in sleep characteristics between cognitively asymptomatic patients with and without some amyloid burden. Methods: Sleep characteristics of 76 subjects aged 60 years or older who were diagnosed with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) but not mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD were measured using Fitbit ® Alta HR, a wristwatch-shaped wearable device. Amyloid deposition was evaluated using brain amyloid plaque load (BAPL) and global standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) from fluorine-18 florbetaben positron emission tomography. Each component of measured sleep characteristics was analyzed for statistically significant differences between the amyloid-positive group and the amyloid-negative group. Results: Of the 76 subjects included in this study, 49 (64.5%) were female. The average age of the subjects was 70.72±6.09 years when the study started. 15 subjects were classified as amyloid-positive based on BAPL. The average global SUVR was 1.598±0.263 in the amyloidpositive group and 1.187±0.100 in the amyloid-negative group. Time spent in slow-wave sleep (SWS) was significantly lower in the amyloid-positive group (39.4±13.1 minutes) than in the amyloid-negative group (49.5±13.1 minutes) (p=0.009). Conclusions This study showed that SWS is different between the elderly SCD population with and without amyloid positivity. How SWS affects AD pathology requires further research.

Purpose: Renal tumors account for approximately 7% of all childhood cancers. These include Wilms tumor (WT), clear cell sarcoma of the kidney (CCSK), malignant rhabdoid tumor of the kidney (MRTK), renal cell carcinoma (RCC), congenital mesoblastic nephroma (CMN) and other rare tumors. We investigated the epidemiology of pediatric renal tumors in Korea. Materials and Methods: From January 2001 to December 2015, data of pediatric patients (0–18 years) newly-diagnosed with renal tumors at 26 hospitals were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among 439 patients (male, 240), the most common tumor was WT (n=342, 77.9%), followed by RCC (n=36, 8.2%), CCSK (n=24, 5.5%), MRTK (n=16, 3.6%), CMN (n=12, 2.7%), and others (n=9, 2.1%). Median age at diagnosis was 27.1 months (range 0-225.5) and median follow-up duration was 88.5 months (range 0-211.6). Overall, 32 patients died, of whom 17, 11, 1, and 3 died of relapse, progressive disease, second malignant neoplasm, and treatment-related mortality. Five-year overall survival and event free survival were 97.2% and 84.8% in WT, 90.6% and 82.1% in RCC, 81.1% and 63.6% in CCSK, 60.3% and 56.2% in MRTK, and 100% and 91.7% in CMN, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusion The pediatric renal tumor types in Korea are similar to those previously reported in other countries. WT accounted for a large proportion and survival was excellent. Non-Wilms renal tumors included a variety of tumors and showed inferior outcome, especially MRTK. Further efforts are necessary to optimize the treatment and analyze the genetic characteristics of pediatric renal tumors in Korea.