BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Platelets play an important role in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndrome. Prostacyclin inhibits platelet aggregation, smooth muscle cell proliferation and vasoconstriction, and it counteracts thromboxane A2 activity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between a single nucleotide polymorphism in the prostacyclin synthase gene and myocardial infarction in Koreans. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We studied total 119 patients (M: F=72: 47, mean ages=57.9). We compared 60 acute coronary syndrome patients who underwent coronary angiography with the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (MI), with 59 normal control group patients who had normal coronary angiograms. With the use of polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, we identified a single nucleotide polymorphism, C1117A, in exon 8. RESULTS: The genotype distribution and allele frequencies were significantly different between the control group and MI group. Frequency of the genotype C1117A was: AA: AC: CC=3.4%: 30.5%: 66.1% in control group, respectively, and AA: AC: CC=1.7%: 10.0%: 88.3% in MI group, respectively. Prostacyclin synthase polymorphism was observed in the MI group and the control group, but the frequency of the CC genotype was high in MI group (odds ratio, 3.88; 95% CI 1.49-10.88, p=0.003). Compared to control group, being male, having diabetes, hypertension or obesity, and the smoking rate were high in MI group. There were not significantly differences between genotypes for clinical characteristics. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the C1117A polymorphism in exon 8 of the prostacyclin synthase gene is associated with MI, and it may be a genetic marker of MI in Koreans.
Acute Coronary Syndrome* ; Coronary Angiography ; Diagnosis ; Epoprostenol* ; Exons ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Markers ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Myocardial Infarction ; Myocytes, Smooth Muscle ; Obesity ; Platelet Aggregation ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Thromboxane A2 ; Vasoconstriction

PURPOSE: The project was to test a structural equation model in which self-efficacy, self-care health behaviors, and modifiable risk factors predict the quality of life (QOL) of individuals with coronary artery disease. METHODS: The data set from the intervention study with 130 patients with coronary artery disease before the intervention was included in the secondary analysis for this study. The following parameters were measured: self-efficacy, self-care health behaviors with the subscales of health responsibility, exercise, consumption of a healthy diet, stress management, and smoking cessation; modifiable risk score; and QOL (assessed using the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey instrument). RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 66.1 years. The following evaluation parameters indicated that the proposed model provided a good fit to the data: comparative fit index at .87, goodness of fit index at .91, adjusted goodness of fit index at .84, standardized root mean square residual at .06, root mean square error of estimation at .09, and confidence interval at 0.06-0.13. Self-efficacy, self-care health behaviors, and modifiable risk factors had significant effects on QOL and explained 64.0% of the variance, with modifiable risk factors mediating between self-care health behaviors and QOL. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that self-efficacy, self-care health behaviors, and modifiable risk factors play an important role in QOL in adults with coronary artery disease. Patients could be more confident in performing self-care health behaviors, leading to a better QOL, by more effectively managing their cardiovascular risk factors. Nursing strategies to improve QOL in this population should include motivating them to perform self-care health behaviors.
Adult ; Aged ; Cardiovascular Diseases/etiology ; Coronary Artery Disease/psychology/*therapy ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; *Health Behavior ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Models, Theoretical ; *Quality of Life ; Risk Factors ; Self Care/*methods/psychology ; Self Efficacy

No abstract available.
Echocardiography* ; Electrocardiography*

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to evaluate the safety and the efficacy of fosinopril(Monopril(R)) in the treatment of mild to moderate essential hypertension. METHOD: Fosinopril(10mg) once a day was administrated as a starting dose in 20 patients with essential hypertension in the morning and a one step upward titration was performed(fosinopril 20mg once a day, after 4 weeks treatment). RESULT: After 2 weeks treatment with dose of 10mg, the systolic blood pressure(SBP) was decreased(183.8+/-28.5 vs, 161.5+/-25.9mmHg, p<0.05) and the diastolic blood pressure(DBP) was also decreased significantly(108.3+/-9.3 vs, 96.6+/-10.3mmHg, p<0.05). The effect of fosinopril were maintained. The SBP an DBP were decreased in 14 out of 20 patients till 8 weeks. There was no significant change in heart rate before and after fosinopril treatment(74.3+/-10 vs, 76.4+/-7.9beats/min). Fosinopril had no significant effects on laboratory findings such as serum creatinin, BUN, AST/ALT, WBC, Platelet and lipid profiles. Mild dry coughing was noticed only in 5 patients and it did not disturb continuing medication. CONCLUSION: Fosinopril is an effective antihypertensive agent, as monotherapy once a day in patients with mild to moderate hypertension.
Blood Platelets ; Cough ; Fosinopril* ; Heart Rate ; Humans ; Hypertension*

No abstract available.
Antifungal Agents* ; Chemotaxis* ; Humans* ; Neutrophils* ; Phagocytosis*

SUMMARY: A 21-year-old healthy Korean man worked on a building construction site every day for almost 2 months and exercised every day for 1 or 2 hours after working hard. He felt dizziness, nausea, and experienced vomiting and body aches immediately after exercise and immediately took cold medicines including acetaminophen, cimetidine, bepotastine, and Codenal? complex for the common cold symptoms for 2 days because he was scheduled to participate in navy training at that time. He complained of severe trapezius pain and aches in his left calf 3 days after joining the Navy training. Testing revealed creatine phosphokinase (CPK) 6260 U/L, myogloblin 176 mcg/L in the urine, liver enzymes increased, and oliguria, suggesting rhabdomyolysis. He recovered with intravenous fluids without any complications.
Acetaminophen ; Cimetidine ; Common Cold ; Creatine Kinase ; Dizziness ; Humans ; Liver ; Nausea ; Oliguria ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Superficial Back Muscles ; Vomiting ; Young Adult

Left-sided heart failure can be complicated in the patient suffering with thyrotoxicosis; however, predominantly right heart failure in thyrotoxic patients is a rare condition. We present here a case of reversible right-heart failure with severe tricuspid regurgitation associated with thyrotoxicosis. A 71-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of a 10-day history of shortness of breath and indigestion. On echocardiography, there was a normal-sized left ventricle with preserved systolic and diastolic function. However, the right atrium and ventricle were dilated, and there was incomplete systolic coaptation of the tricuspid leaflets, resulted in severe tricuspid regurgitation. The maximal velocity of tricuspid regurgitation was 3.7 m/sec and the estimated pressure gradient between the right two chambers was 55 mmHg. After treatment that included diuretics and antithyroid drug (methimazole), the symptoms of right heart failure resolved. Four weeks later, a second echocardiogram was obtained revealing a normalized right atrium and ventricle, trivial tricuspid regurgitation and the resting pulmonary hypertension had disappeared.
Aged ; Diuretics ; Dyspepsia ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart Atria ; Heart Failure* ; Heart Ventricles ; Heart* ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; Thyrotoxicosis* ; Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency*

For the treatment of coarction of aorta, surgical intervention has been known as a standard therapy.During last decade balloon angioplasty for coarctation of the aorta has been reported as a successful and safe procedure in about 300 cases. This angioplasty was done mainly in infants and children, and little cases in adults and adolescents. A 22 year-old adult with coarctation of aorta have recieved balloon angioplasty. He visited to emergency room due to severe headache and the blood presure of arm was 240/130mmHg at emergency room. The blood pressure at ward was 168/92mmHg in upper extremities, 104/82mmHg in lower extrimities. His aortogram showed coarctation of thoracic aorta below left subclavian artery. The pressure gradient beween ascending aorta and right femoral artery was decreased from 60mmHg to 0mmHg after balloon dilatation (2 times, balloon diameter 18mm). There were no significant complications. The follow-up magnetic resonance image in 4 month after balloon angioplasty showed no evidence of restenosis or saccular aneurysm. Initial hypertension turned to normal blood pressure in 4 months after balloon angioplasty. This adult case of successful balloon angioplasty for coarctation of aorta is the first case reported in Korea.
Adolescent ; Adult* ; Aneurysm ; Angioplasty ; Angioplasty, Balloon* ; Aorta ; Aorta, Thoracic ; Aortic Coarctation* ; Arm ; Blood Pressure ; Child ; Dilatation ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Femoral Artery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Infant ; Korea ; Subclavian Artery ; Upper Extremity ; Young Adult

Active and prompt scale-up screening tests are essential to efficiently control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. The goal of this work was to identify shortcomings in the conventional screening system (CSS) implemented in the beginning of the outbreak. To overcome these shortcomings, we then introduced a novel, independently developed system called the Yeungnam University type drive-through (YU-Thru), and distributed it nationwide in Korea. This system is similar to the drive-throughs utilized by fast food restaurants. YU-Thru system has shortened the time taken to test a single person to 2–4 minutes, by completely eliminating the time required to clean and ventilate the specimen collection room. This time requirement was a major drawback of the CSS. YU-Thru system also reduced the risk of subjects and medical staff infecting one another by using a separate and closed examination system. On average, 50 to 60 tests were conducted per day when using the CSS, while now up to 350 tests per day are conducted with the YU-Thru system. We believe that the YU-Thru system has made an important contribution to the rapid detection of COVID-19 in Daegu, South Korea. Here, we will describe the YU-Thru system in detail so that other countries experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks can take advantage of this system.