Obesity is a critical global health issue, with escalating prevalence over the past few decades. This review discusses the importance of dietary approaches in managing obesity, focusing on evidence-based strategies for weight loss and long-term health outcomes. Key interventions include low-calorie diets, very-low-calorie diets, and meal replacement programs, which have demonstrated varying efficacies in achieving weight reduction and improving metabolic health. Macronutrient-focused approaches such as low-carbohydrate, high-protein, and low-fat diets offer flexibility, and long-term results often depend on individual adherence. The quality and source of macronutrients are emphasized for achieving long-term health outcomes. To improve adherence to dietary therapy, time-restricted eating can be considered based on an individual’s lifestyle and health conditions. Emerging evidence supports dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, vegetarian, and Nordic diets to improve cardiometabolic profiles. Personalized dietary interventions are crucial for sustainable lifestyle changes and the optimization of weight management.

Obesity is a critical global health issue, with escalating prevalence over the past few decades. This review discusses the importance of dietary approaches in managing obesity, focusing on evidence-based strategies for weight loss and long-term health outcomes. Key interventions include low-calorie diets, very-low-calorie diets, and meal replacement programs, which have demonstrated varying efficacies in achieving weight reduction and improving metabolic health. Macronutrient-focused approaches such as low-carbohydrate, high-protein, and low-fat diets offer flexibility, and long-term results often depend on individual adherence. The quality and source of macronutrients are emphasized for achieving long-term health outcomes. To improve adherence to dietary therapy, time-restricted eating can be considered based on an individual’s lifestyle and health conditions. Emerging evidence supports dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, vegetarian, and Nordic diets to improve cardiometabolic profiles. Personalized dietary interventions are crucial for sustainable lifestyle changes and the optimization of weight management.

Obesity is a critical global health issue, with escalating prevalence over the past few decades. This review discusses the importance of dietary approaches in managing obesity, focusing on evidence-based strategies for weight loss and long-term health outcomes. Key interventions include low-calorie diets, very-low-calorie diets, and meal replacement programs, which have demonstrated varying efficacies in achieving weight reduction and improving metabolic health. Macronutrient-focused approaches such as low-carbohydrate, high-protein, and low-fat diets offer flexibility, and long-term results often depend on individual adherence. The quality and source of macronutrients are emphasized for achieving long-term health outcomes. To improve adherence to dietary therapy, time-restricted eating can be considered based on an individual’s lifestyle and health conditions. Emerging evidence supports dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, vegetarian, and Nordic diets to improve cardiometabolic profiles. Personalized dietary interventions are crucial for sustainable lifestyle changes and the optimization of weight management.

Obesity is a critical global health issue, with escalating prevalence over the past few decades. This review discusses the importance of dietary approaches in managing obesity, focusing on evidence-based strategies for weight loss and long-term health outcomes. Key interventions include low-calorie diets, very-low-calorie diets, and meal replacement programs, which have demonstrated varying efficacies in achieving weight reduction and improving metabolic health. Macronutrient-focused approaches such as low-carbohydrate, high-protein, and low-fat diets offer flexibility, and long-term results often depend on individual adherence. The quality and source of macronutrients are emphasized for achieving long-term health outcomes. To improve adherence to dietary therapy, time-restricted eating can be considered based on an individual’s lifestyle and health conditions. Emerging evidence supports dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, vegetarian, and Nordic diets to improve cardiometabolic profiles. Personalized dietary interventions are crucial for sustainable lifestyle changes and the optimization of weight management.

BACKGROUND: Both the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases and The Korean Center for Diseases Control recommended MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination to health care workers (HCWs) but this had rarely been applied mainly due to economic reasons. In this paper, we report a measles outbreak initiated by two inpatients and then spread to other nine infants and three HCWs. We also report that this outbreak was successfully contained by active infection control measures. METHODS: Measles cases were determined according to CDC clinical criteria and confirmed by the level of the measles-specific IgM antibody. Suspected patients were isolated in aeration-limited areas. After measles cases in HCWs were detected, people in 26 pediatric wards were screened for measles-specific IgG antibody. MMR (measle, rubella, mumps) vaccination was applied to HCWs who were negative for measles-specific antibodies or HCWs who were exposed but not sure of their vaccination status. RESULTS: From April 21 to June 4 in 2007, measles-infected patients consisted of eleven infants (11 months old in median age) and three HCW women. Antibody screening revealed that only 73% (19 out of 26) in pediatric wards were positive for measles-specific IgG. After a medical doctor was confirmed as measles-infected, health care worker exposed to measles patients were all vaccinated without antibody test. CONCLUSION: The precise level of anti-measles antibody in adults has to be revealed by further studies involving multiple organizations. This result could be helpful for establishing a proper health care policy of MMR vaccination.
Adult ; Antibodies ; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.) ; Communicable Diseases ; Delivery of Health Care ; Disease Outbreaks ; Female ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Infant ; Infection Control ; Inpatients ; Mass Screening ; Measles ; Mumps ; Rubella ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Vaccination

The health benefits of physical activity have been well established. However, more than a quarter of the adult population in the world is insufficiently active (not performing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week, or any equivalent combination of the two), and there has been little improvement since 2001. In South Korea, the prevalence of insufficient physical activity was 54.4% in adults and 94.1% in adolescents in 2020. There was continuous decrease in the prevalence of sufficient aerobic physical activity, from 58.3% in 2014 to 45.6% in 2020. However, daily duration of sedentary behavior increased from 7.5 to 8.6 hours in the same period. Interventions to promote physical activity are necessary in various fields including clinical and policy approaches. As physical activity has decreased during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, safer and more effective strategies to promote physical activity are required.

Background: The concept of successful aging (SA) is becoming more emphasized. Since this status can change over time, it is necessary to evaluate the pattern of change and its effect on subjective well-being. Methods: In this study, the participants aged 65 or older in the Korean longitudinal study of aging (KLoSA) were divided into four groups based on the change in SA (2006-2018), and its relationships with self-rated health and life satisfaction were evaluated. Results: Compared to the non-SA (NSA)→NSA group, the odds ratio for positive self-rated health was 4.30 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.64-11.31) in the SA→SA group, 3.92 (95% CI, 1.94-7.95) in the NSA→SA group, and 1.79 (95% CI, 1.28-2.50) in the SA→NSA group. High life satisfaction was 2.42 (95% CI, 1.19-4.94) in the SA→SA group and 2.50 (95% CI, 1.36-4.59) in the NSA→SA group. Conclusions Maintenance or improvements of a SA state has a significant association with positive self-rated health and high life satisfaction.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors are increasingly used in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and inflammatory bowel diseases including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Rarely, anti-TNF therapy is associated with neurological complications, including both central and peripheral nervous system disorders. To the best of our knowledge, only one case of infliximab-associated multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction block in a patient with spondyloarthropathy has been reported to date in Korea. Here, we report on the case of a 58-year-old Korean woman affected by RA who developed multifocal motor neuropathy after infliximab treatment.
Arthritis, Psoriatic ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Crohn Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases ; Infliximab ; Korea ; Middle Aged ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Spondylarthropathies ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Background: Tobacco use has been the leading cause of disease and death in South Korea. Early detection of tobacco use and evidence-based interventions play pivotal roles in facilitating tobacco cessation. Methods: In accordance with the earlier iterations of the Lifetime Health Maintenance Program (2009) and recent recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF; 2021), two themes were chosen for investigation: the identification of and intervention for tobacco use. The USPSTF recommendations were formulated by conducting an overview of reviews. In this study, literature searches and quality assessments of reviews were conducted. Results: The findings highlighted the efficacy of physician-led identification and advising in promoting tobacco cessation, with robust evidence supporting the implementation of behavioral and pharmacological interventions. These interventions significantly increased the likelihood of successful cessation compared with usual care. Digital interventions, such as internet- or mobile-based interventions, showed additive effects for quitting. Conclusion Identification and targeted interventions are essential for tobacco cessation. By leveraging evidencebased strategies and enhancing access to resources, healthcare providers can empower individuals to achieve successful tobacco cessation and improve overall health outcomes.