Objectives: Statins are essential in the prevention of cardiovascular disease; however, their association with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk is concerning. We examined whether genetic susceptibility to T2DM modifies the association between regular statin use and T2DM risk. Methods: This study included 447 176 individuals from the UK Biobank without baseline diabetes or major cardiovascular disease. Statin use was recorded at baseline, and T2DM incidence was determined using clinical records. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) for T2DM risk were provided by the UK Biobank. Using propensity scores adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, and comorbidities, 14 831 statin users were matched with 37 060 non-users. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the interaction effect of statin use and PRS on T2DM incidence, adjusting for key confounders. Results: In the propensity-matched cohort, 3675 of 51 891 participants developed T2DM over a mean follow-up period of 13.7 years. Within the top 5% of the PRS distribution, per 1000 person-years, the incidence of T2DM was 15.42 for statin users versus 12.18 for non-users. Among the lowest 5%, the incidence was 1.90 for statin users and 1.65 for non-users. Based on the Cox proportional hazards model, regular statin use was associated with a 1.24-fold increased T2DM risk (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.15 to 1.33). Furthermore, PRS exhibited a significant multiplicative interaction with regular statin use (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.19). Conclusions PRS may help identify individuals particularly susceptible to the diabetogenic effects of statins, providing a potential path for personalized cardiovascular disease management.

Background and Objectives: Inconsistencies in nasal nitric oxide (nNO) values, due to anatomical variations and comorbidities, challenge the accurate assessment of upper airway inflammation severity. We hypothesized that changes in nNO levels following treatment for chronic rhinitis would be consistent and provide relative value. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between changes in nNO levels and symptomatic improvements following treatment for chronic rhinitis. Methods: This prospective observational study included 46 participants diagnosed with chronic rhinitis between December 2021 and November 2023. nNO measurements, evaluations of four nasal and two ocular symptoms, and quality of life questionnaires were conducted at baseline and after one month of treatment. Baseline laboratory tests included serum total immunoglobulin E levels, blood eosinophil percentages, and skin prick tests. Results: The Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS), TNSS with ocular symptoms (TNSS eye), and Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) scores significantly decreased following treatment (all p<0.001). nNO levels also decreased significantly after treatment (p=0.036). Moreover, changes in nNO were significantly correlated with changes in TNSS, TNSS eye, and RQLQ scores (p=0.047, r=0.294; p=0.021, r=0.340; and p=0.004, r=0.419, respectively). Conclusion In patients with chronic rhinitis, changes in TNSS, TNSS eye, and RQLQ scores were correlated with changes in nNO levels after treatment. nNO may serve as a potential objective evaluation tool for chronic rhinitis, particularly in patients who have difficulty reporting symptoms.

Background and Objectives: The Fractional Flow Reserve and Intravascular UltrasoundGuided Intervention Strategy for Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Intermediate Stenosis (FLAVOUR) trial demonstrated non-inferiority of fractional flow reserve (FFR)-guided percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided PCI. We sought to investigate the cost-effectiveness of FFR-guided PCI compared to IVUS-guided PCI in Korea. Methods: A 2-part cost-effectiveness model, composed of a short-term decision tree model and a long-term Markov model, was developed for patients who underwent PCI to treat intermediate stenosis (40% to 70% stenosis by visual estimation on coronary angiography).The lifetime healthcare costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated from the healthcare system perspective. Transition probabilities were mainly referred from the FLAVOUR trial, and healthcare costs were mainly obtained through analysis of Korean National Health Insurance claims data. Health utilities were mainly obtained from the Seattle Angina Questionnaire responses of FLAVOUR trial participants mapped to EQ-5D. Results: From the Korean healthcare system perspective, the base-case analysis showed that FFR-guided PCI was 2,451 U.S. dollar lower in lifetime healthcare costs and 0.178 higher in QALYs compared to IVUS-guided PCI. FFR-guided PCI remained more likely to be cost-effective over a wide range of willingness-to-pay thresholds in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis. Conclusions Based on the results from the FLAVOUR trial, FFR-guided PCI is projected to decrease lifetime healthcare costs and increase QALYs compared with IVUS-guided PCI in intermediate coronary lesion, and it is a dominant strategy in Korea.

Background and Objectives: Outcomes of deferring percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) without invasive physiologic assessment for intermediate coronary lesions is uncertain.We sought to compare long-term outcomes between medical treatment and PCI of intermediate lesions without invasive physiologic assessment. Methods: A total of 899 patients with intermediate coronary lesions between 50% and 70% diameter-stenosis were randomized to the conservative group (n=449) or the aggressive group (n=450). For intermediate lesions, PCI was performed in the aggressive group, but was deferred in the conservative group. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiac events (MACE, a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction [MI], or ischemia-driven any revascularization) at 3 years. Results: The number of treated lesions per patient was 0.8±0.9 in the conservative group and 1.7±0.9 in the aggressive group (p=0.001). At 3 years, the conservative group had a significantly higher incidence of MACE than the aggressive group (13.8% vs. 9.3%; hazard ratio [HR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00–2.21; p=0.049), mainly driven by revascularization of target intermediate lesion (6.5% vs. 1.1%; HR, 5.69; 95% CI, 2.20–14.73;p<0.001). Between 1 and 3 years after the index procedure, compared to the aggressive group, the conservative group had significantly higher incidence of cardiac death or MI (3.2% vs.0.7%; HR, 4.34; 95% CI, 1.24–15.22; p=0.022) and ischemia-driven any revascularization. Conclusions For intermediate lesions, medical therapy alone, guided only by angiography, was associated with a higher risk of MACE at 3 years compared with performing PCI, mainly due to increased revascularization.

Background: Despite the critical importance of sleep medicine within neurology, notable gaps in education and clinical practice persist among neurologists. This study aims to explore the extent of involvement and the challenges faced by Korean neurologists in sleep medicine, focusing on awareness of polysomnography training program, the operation of sleep study facilities, and educational exposure. Methods: An online survey collected responses from 233 neurologists, focusing on their demographics, knowledge of and involvement in sleep medicine, operation of sleep study facilities, and participation in residency training. Results: The findings indicated that 84.9% of neurologists were aware of polysomnography training program, primarily through professional societies. Nonetheless, 15.1% reported unfamiliarity with these initiatives, with 72.7% of this subgroup expressing interest in sleep medicine yet lacking access to information. In terms of clinical practice, 74 neurologists operated sleep study facilities, with 63% intending to expand. Key operational challenges included staff management, maintaining patient volumes, and inadequate institutional support. Among respondents from teaching hospitals, only 36 out of 114 reported active resident involvement in sleep study interpretations, predominantly hindered by excessive workloads and insufficient staffing. Conclusions A significant number of neurologists have an interest in sleep medicine; however, substantial challenges impede effective education and clinical practice. These results underscore the need for improved educational resources and institutional support to enhance the growth and effectiveness of sleep medicine practices among neurologists.

Lecanemab and donanemab have received full U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, and subsequently, lecanemab has been approved by the Korean FDA and it has recently entered commercial use in Korea. This has increased interest in anti-amyloid immunotherapy for Alzheimer’s disease. Anti-amyloid immunotherapy has shown potential to modify the progression of the disease by specifically binding to amyloid β, a key pathological product in Alzheimer’s disease, and eliminating accumulated amyloid plaques in the brain. However, this treatment can be accompanied by a side-effect, amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), which requires periodic monitoring by MRI. It is crucial to detect ARIA and accurately assess the severity by radiology. The role of the radiologist is important in this context, requiring proficiency in basic knowledge of ARIA, and in diagnosing/evaluating ARIA. This review aims to comprehensively cover aspects of ARIA, including its definition, pathophysiology, incidence, risk factors, assessment of severity by radiology, differential diagnosis, and management.

Background: and Purpose Treatments for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) such as eculizumab, ravulizumab, satralizumab, and inebilizumab have significantly advanced relapse prevention, but they remain expensive. Rituximab is an off-label yet popular alternative that offers a cost-effective solution, but its real-world efficacy needs better quantification for guiding the application of newer approved NMOSD treatments (ANTs). This study aimed to determine real-world rituximab failure rates to anticipate the demand for ANTs and aid in resource allocation. Methods: We conducted a nationwide retrospective study involving 605 aquaporin-4-antibody-positive NMOSD patients from 22 centers in South Korea that assessed the efficacy and safety of rituximab over a median follow-up of 47 months. Results: The 605 patients treated with rituximab included 525 (87%) who received continuous therapy throughout the follow-up period (median=47 months, interquartile range=15–87 months). During this period, 117 patients (19%) experienced at least 1 relapse. Notably, 68 of these patients (11% of the total cohort) experienced multiple relapses or at least 1 severe relapse.Additionally, 2% of the patients discontinued rituximab due to adverse events, which included severe infusion reactions, neutropenia, and infections. Conclusions This study has confirmed the efficacy of rituximab in treating NMOSD, as evidenced by an 87% continuation rate among patients over a 4-year follow-up period. Nevertheless, the occurrence of at least one relapse in 19% of the cohort, including 11% who experienced multiple or severe relapses, and a 2% discontinuation rate due to adverse events highlight the urgent need for alternative therapeutic options.

Background: and Purpose The National Brain Biobank of Korea (NBBK) is a brain bank consortium supported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Korea National Institute of Health, and was launched in 2015 to support research into neurodegenerative disease dementia (NDD). This study aimed to introduce the NBBK and describes clinicopathological correlations based on analyses of data collected from the NBBK. Methods: Four hospital-based brain banks have been established in South Korea: Samsung Medical Center Brain Bank (SMCBB), Seoul National University Hospital Brain Bank (SNUHBB), Pusan National University Hospital Brain Bank (PNUHBB), and Myongji Hospital Brain Bank (MJHBB). Clinical and pathological data were collected from these brain banks using standardized protocols. The prevalence rates of clinical and pathological diagnoses were analyzed in order to characterize the clinicopathological correlations. Results: Between August 2016 and December 2023, 185 brain specimens were collected and pathologically evaluated (SNUHBB: 117; PNUHBB: 27; SMCBB: 34; MJHBB: 7). The age at consent was 70.8±12.6 years, and the age at autopsy was 71.7±12.4 years. The four-most-common clinical diagnoses were Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia (20.0%), idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (15.1%), unspecified dementia (11.9%), and cognitively unimpaired (CU) (11.4%).Most cases of unspecified dementia had a pathological diagnosis of central nervous system (CNS) vasculopathy (31.8%) or AD (31.8%). Remarkably, only 14.2% of CU cases had normal pathological findings. The three-most-common pathological diagnoses were AD (26.5%), CNS vasculopathy (14.1%), and Lewy body disease (13.5%). Conclusions These clinical and neuropathological findings provide a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying NDD in South Korea.

Purpose: Pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM) is a fatal complication of gastric cancer (GC). This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and immunohistochemical profiles of patients with GC-induced PTTM. Materials and Methods: From 2011 to 2023, 8 patients were clinically diagnosed with PTTM associated with GC antemortem. Clinical features and outcomes were reviewed, and immunohistochemical staining for c-erbB-2, MutL protein homolog 1, and programmed cell death ligand-1 was performed. Results: The median patient age was 56 years (range, 34–66 years). In all the patients, the tumors exhibited either ulceroinfiltrative or diffusely infiltrative gross morphology.The median tumor size was 5.8 cm (range, 2.0 cm–15.0 cm). Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma was the most common histological type (6/8, 75%), followed by signet ring cell carcinoma (1/8, 12.5%) and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (1/8, 12.5%).Chest computed tomography revealed ground-glass opacities (7/8, 87.5%) or tree-in-bud signs (2/8, 25.0%) without definite evidence of pulmonary thromboembolism. Disseminated intravascular coagulation was present in 62.5% (5/8) of the patients diagnosed with PTTM.C-erbB-2 was positive in one patient (1/8, 12.5%). One patient who received palliative chemotherapy after developing PTTM survived for 35 days, whereas the other 7 patients who did not receive chemotherapy after developing PTTM survived for 7 days or less after PTTM diagnosis. Conclusions Most patients with GC-induced PTTM had an undifferentiated-type histology, infiltrative morphology, and extremely poor survival. Palliative chemotherapy may benefit patients with GC-induced PTTM; however, further studies are needed to explore the potential of targeted therapy in these patients.