OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to identify the socioeconomic factors, health behavior factors and dietary patterns that have an influence on the fasting blood glucose in adults. METHODS: This study used data collected from the 2007, 2008, 2009 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The final sample included 4163 subjects who were 30-59 years old and who had completed the necessary health examinations, the health behaviors survey and nutrition survey. RESULTS: Eleven dietary patterns emerged from the factor analysis with different factor loading. After controlling for potential confounders, multiple regression analysis of the dietary patterns showed that 'fruits', 'alcohols', and 'starchy foods' affected the fasting blood. Lower consumption of 'fruits' and higher consumption of 'alcohols' and 'starch foods' were significantly associated only with an increased risk of high blood glucose. CONCLUSIONS: In the light of the results of this study, it appears pretty likely that the risk of developing high blood glucose can be reduced by changing a person's dietary patterns.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Glucose/*analysis ; Body Mass Index ; *Diet ; *Fasting ; Female ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutrition Surveys ; Republic of Korea ; Sex Factors

BACKGROUND: C-reactive protein is a substance that elevates when there is an abnormal metabolic reaction or inflammatory condition. Some researchers in Korea reported different results about the association between smoking and CRP. In this study, the relationship between CRP and various smoking characteristics among Korean men was investigated. METHODS: A data was analyzed in healthy men, who had visited a health promotion center in a university hospital from September, 2003, to December, 2003. CRP was quantitatively analyzed by high sensitivity-CRP. Elevated CRP (> or =2.2 mg/L) level in relation to various smoking characteristics were studied and multiple logistic regression analysis for elevated CRP (> or =2.2 mg/L) level was conducted. RESULTS: The number of current smokers was 893, past smokers 550, and non-smokers 413. The association between smoking status, daily smoking amount, duration of smoking (P=0.031, P=0.003, P=0.034) and elevated CRP level was shown by chi-square test. After multiple logistic regression analysis for risk factors, elevated CRP level was shwon to be associated with daily smoking amount in the current smokers, body fat percentage, WBC count and HDL-cholesterol. The odds ratios for elevated CRP level by smoking amount were 2.32 (95% confidence interval 1.11~4.85) in those who smoked 10~19 cigarettes per day, 3.54 (95% confidence interval 1.64~7.63) in those who smoked more than 20 cigarettes per day compared to those who smoked less than 10 cigarettes per day. CONCLUSION: Among current smokers, elevated CRP level was associated with daily smoking amount in the current smokers, This is the first study to report the relationship between CRP and smoking behaviors among Korean men.
Adipose Tissue ; C-Reactive Protein* ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Risk Factors ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Tobacco Products

PURPOSE: This study was designed to aid the diagnosis and to predict the outcorne by understanding the clinical course of nutcracker syndrome in childhood. METHODS: The clinical, laboratory, radiological and cystoscopic data from the medical records of eleven children who were diagnosed as nutcracker syndrome by gross hematuria and pressure gradient criteria (>3mrnHg) were studied retrospectively and analyzed. RESULTS: Sex ratio of the cases was 7:4, and the median age of onset was 12.8 (3-14.3) years. Six cases showed persistent and 5 cases manifested interrnittent, exercise induced hematuria. Left flank pain (64%), abdominal pain (18%), left varicocele (9%) were associated in some of the children, but hematuria was the only symptom in 36Yo. Left renal vein entrapment was documented in 10 cases by ultrasonography. Out of the 5 cases studied by renal Doppler ultrasonography, 4 and 5 cases showed higher (>5) mean left renal vein diameter ratio (Distal/ Aortomesenteric portion) and mean peak velocity ratio respectively. Unilateral bleeding from left ureteral orifice was documented in 7 of the 9 cases at cystoscopy. The mean pressure gradient between proximal left renal vein and inferior vena cava was 4.4+/-1.6 (3-7) mmHg. Hematuria of 25% and 57% of the cases disappeared spontaneously in 3 and 5 years after onset respectively. Proteinuria disappear- ed in 3 of the 5 initial proteinuric cases. CONCLUSION: Nutcracker syndrome must be considered in the differential diagnosis of non-glomerular, especially gross hematuria in childhood, and Doppler ultrasonography can aid diagnosis non-invasively. The renal function remained stable, but 4396 of the cases continued to show hematuria still 5 years after onset.
Abdominal Pain ; Age of Onset ; Child ; Cystoscopy ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Flank Pain ; Hematuria* ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Proteinuria ; Renal Veins ; Retrospective Studies ; Sex Ratio ; Ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; Ureter ; Varicocele ; Vena Cava, Inferior

Granular cell tumor is mostly benign and thought to be of Schwann cell origin. The head and neck, particularly tongue, breast, and upper respiratory tract are frequently involved. Recently, we have experienced a case of granular cell tumor of the right thigh in a 30-year old male, diagnosed by fine needle aspiration cytology which revealed distinct cytologic features. The smear revealed cellular aspirates with clear background. The tumor cells showed uniform small nuclei and abundant eosinophilic, granular cytoplasm with hazy cell border. Mitoses were not found.
Adult ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Breast ; Child* ; Cytoplasm ; Eosinophils ; Granular Cell Tumor ; Head ; Humans ; Lupus Nephritis* ; Male ; Mitosis ; Neck ; Paraganglioma ; Respiratory System ; Statistics as Topic* ; Thigh ; Tongue

A 70-year-old female who was diagnosed as myxoid chondrosarcoma by fine needle aspiration of a pleural mass is described. She presented with left chest discomfort of 4 months' duration and aggravating dyspnea and chest pain for 2 months. Chest X-ray and CT scan revealed a large lobulated low density mass invading chest wall at the left pleural cavity and massive pleural fluid. Fine needle aspiration was done under the impression of mesothelioma or metastatic cancer. The aspirates from the mass were very cellular and composed of isolated or clustered forms of large plump cells. Abundant cytoplasm was bluish opaque and the margin was rounded in the isolated cells, whereas clustered cells show ill-defined cell borders and aggregating tendency. The nuclei were eccentric, round to ovoid, and had fine chromatin pattern and multiple small nucleoli. Cellular pleomorphism or mitotic figure was not definite. These findings were consistent with cytologic features of chondrosarcoma. Final diagnosis was confirmed as myxoid chondrosarcoma by mediastinoscopic biopsy and the tumor showed strong positivity for S-100 protein.
Aged ; Biopsy ; Biopsy, Fine-Needle ; Chest Pain ; Chondrosarcoma ; Chromatin ; Cytoplasm ; Diagnosis ; Dyspnea ; Eosinophils* ; Female ; Humans ; Mesothelioma ; Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory* ; Peritonitis* ; Pleural Cavity ; S100 Proteins ; Thoracic Wall ; Thorax ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Spasticity is common stroke in patients, and its management has been considered as one of the major problems in stroke rehabilitation. The goal of this study was to determine if transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation(TENS) and acupuncture would reduce the muscle spasticity. To estimate the efficacy of electrical stimulation for the treatment of spasticity TENS(100 Hz, asymmetric bipolar pulse current) was applied to the skin over the extensor muscles of spastic limbs for 20 minutes, once a day in six stroke patients. In addition, acupuncture was also applied to the acupoints of extensor muscles of all extremities and face for 20 minutes twice a day to determine the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of spasticity in six stroke patients. As controls subjects, six stroke patients were examined without TENS or acupuncture treatment. In experimental groups, the efficacy of treatment was measured 1, 5, 10, 15 days and 20 days after treatment with either TENS or acupuncture using the spasticity measurement methods (modified Ashworth scale, ankle clonus score, and H/M ratio). Based on the results from the present study, we have concluded that the H/M ratios of affected spastic limbs were significantly higher than those of unaffected limbs (p<0.05). TENS and acupuncture therapies lessened the spasticity of affected limbs of stroke patients when measured with the modified Ashworth scale however not with the H/M ratios nor with the ankle clonus scores.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture* ; Ankle ; Electric Stimulation ; Extremities ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity ; Muscles ; Rehabilitation ; Skin ; Stroke* ; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation*

Lichen planus is a chronic papulosquamous disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes. It is characterized by pruritic violaceous papules that are most commonly seen on the extremities of middle aged adults, but the elderly are rarely affected. Hypertrophic lichen planus usually occurs on the extremities and especially on the shins, and it tends to be the most pruritic variant. An 82-year-old female presented with severe pruritic multiple papules and plaques on the both the upper and lower extremities for 1 year. At first, the lesions began as small, polygonal papules that formed verrucous plaques over several months. Histopathologic examination showed marked hyperkeratosis, irregular acanthosis and wedge-shaped hypergranulosis. The vacuolar alteration and the lymphocytic inflammatory infiltrate were accentuated at the base of the rete ridge. From these findings, we diagnosed these lesions as hypertrophic lichen planus. The lesions were treated with topical steroid and intralesional injection of steroid, and they were slightly improved after 2 months of therapy.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Extremities ; Female ; Humans ; Injections, Intralesional ; Lichen Planus ; Lichens ; Lower Extremity ; Middle Aged ; Mucous Membrane ; Skin

BACKGROUND: The aim of this research was to find out the costs of diabetes, as research in a prospective cohort study looking into the development of diabetic complications followed by treatment intervention by a medical institution. The research compared the changes in medical costs by following-up on the treatment details of diagnosed diabetes for the last 10 years in a university hospital. METHODS: The research used data of outpatient, inpatient, pharmaceutical and total medical costs, from 1996 to 2005, of individual patients who were diagnosed with diabetic patients, to analyze the outpatient and inpatient total medical cost changes over the years. RESULTS: After antidiabetic drug, in the case of outpatient treatment, pharmaceutical costs increased on average by about 25,000 won a month for diabetic patients without complications and by 35,000 won for diabetic patients with microvascular complications. Outpatient medical costs were affected after drug treatment by as much of an increase as created by the pharmaceutical costs. The total medical costs, that is the sum of inpatient and outpatient costs, decreased by 30~40% compared to that before drug treatment. In the case of total medical cost, MI or ESRD cost 2~3 times more in pharmaceutical costs than before the development of complications. The total medical costs of diabetic patients with CVA, MI and ESRD complications increased in the first year after development of the complication, and this was followed by a decrease in the next year, showing a tendency to remain constant with no increase or decrease over subsequent years. This means that the total medical costs of patients with complications remain continuously large throughout the life of the diagnosed patient. CONCLUSION: For diabetic patients, pharmaceutical costs are the most important factor in determining outpatient medical costs.
Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Complications ; Humans ; Inpatients ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Outpatients ; Prospective Studies

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in nutrient intake between normotensive workers and hypertensive workers to obtain basic data for developing a program of effective hypertension care at work. METHODS: The subjects were 338 male workers. We measured physical data by medical examination and collected lifestyle data by questionnaire survey. Dietary intakes were collected using a food frequency questionnaire. We classified the subjects into normal, prehypertension, and hypertension groups, and compared the results of age, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), lifestyles and energy nutrients and lipids intake. RESULTS: There were significant differences in both weight and BMI between the hypertension group and the other two groups (p<0.05). The smoking levels of the prehypertension group and hypertension group were significantly higher than that of the normal group (p<0.05). The three groups also showed significant differences in drinking amount (p<0.05). There were significant differences in carbohydrate and protein intakes and the ratio of carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In this study, there was a significant difference in carbohydrate intake between normotensive and hypertensive workers, and the intake of energy nutrients and fatty acids in the prehypertension group and hypertension groups was unbalanced. Therefore, early diagnosis of workers with hypertension and prehypertension is necessary to improve lifestyles particularly food habit.
Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Drinking ; Early Diagnosis ; Fatty Acids ; Food Habits ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Life Style ; Male* ; Prehypertension ; Questionnaires ; Smoke ; Smoking

Several studies have indicated that the addition of sodium bicarbonate and opioid to soiutions of locl anesthetics shortens the onset time,increases the intensity and prolongs the duration of neural blockade. This study was performed to compare onset times and duration of neural blockade in each groups. Eighty-two parturients scheduled for cesarean section at term under epidural anesthesia were assigned to three groups. Group 1 (n=19) received 1.5% lidocaine hydrochloride (pH 6.32+/-0.01), group 2 (n=26) received 1.5% lidocaine hydrochloride plus fentanyl 50 mcg (pH 6.27+/-0.02) and group 3 (n=37) received l.5% lidocaine hydrochloride plus fentanyl 50 mcg plus 8.4% sodium bicarbonate (sodium bicarbonate l mEq/lidocaine 10 ml)(pH 7.32+/-0.03). All groups were given 22-28 ml of local anesthetic solutions according to their height. Onsei times and duration of sensory blockade were evaluated using pin prick test at two minutes interval after epidural injection at L2, 76, T4 dermatomes. Onset timcs (time between the completion of anesthetic injection and loss of pin prick sensation at each dermatome) of sensory blockade at L2 dermatome were 3.1+/-0.2 minutes in Group 3, which were shorter than 5.0+/-0.3 minutes in Group l and 4.7+/-0.4 minutes in Group 2 (p<0.05). At T6 dermatome, onset times of sensory blockade were 6.9+/-0.6 minutes in Group 3, which were shorter than 15.4+/-1.2 minutes in Group l and 12.9+/-1.0 in Group 2 (p<0.05). At T4 dermatome, onset times of sensory blockade were 10.l+/-0.2 minutes in Group 3, which were shorter than 22.3+/-1.2 minutes in Group 1 and 18.8+/-1.1 in Group 2 (p<0.05). The duration (time between loss of pin prick sensation and complete recovery of pain at each dermatome) of sensory blockade at T4 dermatome in Group 3 were 74.0+/-3.8 min, which were longer than 52.9+/-2.4 minutes in Group 1 and 52.7+/-1.4 minutes in Group 2 (p<0.05). The duration of sensory blockade at L2 dermatome in Group 3 were 119.6+/-4.4 minutes,which were longer than 78.6+/-4.8 minutes in Group 1 and 81.6+/-2.5 minutes in Group 2 (p<0.05). The above results suggested that alkalinization of lidocaine solution is an effective way to shorten the latency and to prolong the duration of epidural block for cesarean section.
Anesthesia, Epidural* ; Anesthetics ; Anesthetics, Local* ; Cesarean Section* ; Female ; Fentanyl ; Injections, Epidural ; Lidocaine ; Pregnancy ; Sensation ; Sodium Bicarbonate