Primary biliary cirrhosis(PBC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease of unknown origin. The small and medium sized intrahepatic bile ducts are destroyed by an inflammatory process, which, it has been suggested, is of the autoimmune type. It is strongly associated with the presence of antimitochondrial antibodies, predominantly IgM and IgG. The liver changes are classified into four stages, of which stage IV represents the development of cirrhosis, which required orthotropic liver transplantation in the longrun. The prevalence rates was reported 128 per millon in Sweden , but the disease is relatively rare in Oriental area. In medical treatment, long-term administration of ursodeoxycholic acid improves both clinical and biochemical signs, slows the progression of the disease and reduces the complication requiring liver transplantation. We report two cases of PBC, one with histologically proven cirrhosis, and the other with bile duct destruction consistent with stage III and hypothyroidism.
Antibodies ; Bile Ducts ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Fibrosis ; Hypothyroidism ; Immunoglobulin G ; Immunoglobulin M ; Liver ; Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary* ; Liver Diseases ; Liver Transplantation ; Prevalence ; Sweden ; Ursodeoxycholic Acid

Any strenuous muscular exercise may trigger rhabdomyolysis. We report an episode of clinically manifested exertional rhabdomyolysis due to stationary cycling, commonly known as spinning. Reports of spinning-related rhabdomyolysis are rare in the English literature, and the current case appears to be the first such case reported in South Korea. A previously healthy 21-year-old Asian woman presented with severe thigh pain and reddish-brown urinary discoloration 24–48 hours after attending a spinning class at a local gymnasium. Paired with key laboratory findings, her symptoms were suggestive of rhabdomyolysis. She required hospital admission to sustain renal function through fluid resuscitation therapy and fluid balance monitoring. Because exertional rhabdomyolysis may occur in any unfit but otherwise healthy individual who indulges in stationary cycling, the potential health risks of this activity must be considered.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Resuscitation ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Thigh ; Water-Electrolyte Balance ; Young Adult

Any strenuous muscular exercise may trigger rhabdomyolysis. We report an episode of clinically manifested exertional rhabdomyolysis due to stationary cycling, commonly known as spinning. Reports of spinning-related rhabdomyolysis are rare in the English literature, and the current case appears to be the first such case reported in South Korea. A previously healthy 21-year-old Asian woman presented with severe thigh pain and reddish-brown urinary discoloration 24–48 hours after attending a spinning class at a local gymnasium. Paired with key laboratory findings, her symptoms were suggestive of rhabdomyolysis. She required hospital admission to sustain renal function through fluid resuscitation therapy and fluid balance monitoring. Because exertional rhabdomyolysis may occur in any unfit but otherwise healthy individual who indulges in stationary cycling, the potential health risks of this activity must be considered.
Acute Kidney Injury ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Resuscitation ; Rhabdomyolysis* ; Thigh ; Water-Electrolyte Balance ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of risk factors of cardiovascular disease. The association between components of the MS and bone mineral density has been researched, but no prior studies have directly evaluated the association with the metabolic syndrome and bone mineral density in Korea. METHODS: We evaluated postmenopausal women who had visited a university hospital from November 2006 to October 2007. Data on their lifestyle, current medical diseases and medications were collected from medical records. Height, body weight, waist circumference and serum lipid profiles were measured. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 21.8% in this study. In adjusted analysis including age and other factors, only waist circumference had a close correlation with bone mineral density of femur and lumbar vertebral body (P < 0.05). The bone mineral density of femur and lumbar vertebral body had no correlation with the presence of metabolic syndrome. When stratified by body mass index, corrected bone mineral density revealed no significant correlation with the presence of metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSION: The bone mineral density of postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome has highly influenced by obesity, especially by abdominal obesity.
Body Height ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Female ; Femur ; Humans ; Life Style ; Medical Records ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Osteoporosis ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND: The metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of risk factors of cardiovascular disease. The association between components of the MS and bone mineral density has been researched, but no prior studies have directly evaluated the association with the metabolic syndrome and bone mineral density in Korea. METHODS: We evaluated postmenopausal women who had visited a university hospital from November 2006 to October 2007. Data on their lifestyle, current medical diseases and medications were collected from medical records. Height, body weight, waist circumference and serum lipid profiles were measured. RESULTS: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 21.8% in this study. In adjusted analysis including age and other factors, only waist circumference had a close correlation with bone mineral density of femur and lumbar vertebral body (P < 0.05). The bone mineral density of femur and lumbar vertebral body had no correlation with the presence of metabolic syndrome. When stratified by body mass index, corrected bone mineral density revealed no significant correlation with the presence of metabolic syndrome. CONCLUSION: The bone mineral density of postmenopausal women with metabolic syndrome has highly influenced by obesity, especially by abdominal obesity.
Body Height ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Density ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Female ; Femur ; Humans ; Life Style ; Medical Records ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Osteoporosis ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Waist Circumference

BACKGROUND: In these days the metabolic syndrome threatens many people of Korea. Several studies have suggested that the dietary habits are associated with the risk of the metabolic syndrome. The purpose of this study was to find out relations between the components of the metabolic syndrome and the dietary habits. METHODS: The subjects of this study included 1,005 non-smoking premenopausal females aged from 20 to 49 years old who visited the health promotion center of a university hospital. Dietary questionnaire was composed of dietary habits and specific food intake frequency during the past 3 months. RESULTS: The subjects who had more than one metabolic components were 361 (36%), and those who had the metabolic syndrome was 35 (3.5%). After multivariate logistic analysis adjusted with age, BMI, smoking status, alcohol intake, and exercise, the abdominal obesity risk was significantly increased in those who had irregular meals (P for trend= 0.049), skip meals (P for trend=0.050), faster meal time (P=0.017), and intake of saturated fat more frequently (P=0.043). The abdominal obesity risk was significantly increased in those who overate or binged eating 7gt; or =3 times/week than <1 time/week {OR (95% CI), 2.49 (1.07~5.80)}, intake fruit <1 time/week than 6~7 times/week {OR (95% CI), 4.46 (1.20~16.54)}. A risk for high blood pressure was significantly increased in those who had breakfast 1~2 times/week than those had it 6~7 times/week {OR (95% CI), 1.91 (1.07~3.42)}. The risk for impaired fasting glucose was significantly increased in those had breakfast <1 time/week than those who had 6~7 times/week {OR (95% CI), 2.27 (1.20~4.28), P for trend=0.018}. CONCLUSION: There was a correlation between dietary habits and metabolic syndrome components. Among the dietary habits, irregular meals, skipping breakfast, skipping meals, fast meal time, overeating or binge eating tendency, low intake of fruits and high intake of saturated fat were associated with the risk of the metabolic syndrome components.
Aged ; Breakfast ; Bulimia ; Eating ; Fasting ; Female ; Food Habits ; Fruit ; Glucose ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Hyperphagia ; Hypertension ; Korea ; Meals ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: More than half of the causes of male osteoporosis is due to secondary osteoporosis. Therefore, it is important to detect and modify its related factors. The aim of this study was to find related lifestyle factors and biochemical markers with low bone mineral density (BMD) in Korean men. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was performed in men aged 40-69 years who visited a hospital for health checkup from January to March 2007. BMD was measured at proximal femur and lumbar spine by dual energy x-ray absorptionmetry. Lifestyle factors were estimated by a self-administered questionnaire and fasting glucose, uric acid, gamma glutamyltransferase, alkaline phosphatase, creatinine, free testosterone, 25-OH vitamin D, urine deoxypyridinoline, osteocalcin were measured. Multivariate logistic regression was used to find the association to the lowest tertile of BMD. RESULTS: A total of 152 subjects were included. After multivariate analysis adjusted with age, BMI, smoking, alcohol and exercise, different factors were correlated with low bone density in each site of femoral neck and lumbar spine. Factors correlated at both sites were BMI and exercise; lower BMI and doing no exercise increased risks of low bone density. Increasing age and alcohol intake > or = 14 drinks/week were associated with lower BMD at femoral neck. The factors associated with lower lumbar spine BMD only were lower level of uric acid and higher level of urine deoxypyridinoline. CONCLUSION: Different factors were associated with low bone density at femoral neck and lumbar spine in men. BMI and exercise were related in both sites; age, alcohol intake, uric acid and deoxypyridinoline were related on either site.
Adult ; Aged ; Alcohol Drinking ; Alkaline Phosphatase ; Amino Acids ; Biomarkers ; Bone Density ; Creatinine ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Fasting ; Femur ; Femur Neck ; gamma-Glutamyltransferase ; Glucose ; Health Behavior ; Humans ; Life Style ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Osteocalcin ; Osteoporosis ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spine ; Testosterone ; Uric Acid ; Vitamin D ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Smoking is a well-known risk factor of cancer, chronic disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Hospital admission is a good time to quit smoking but patients have little opportunity to take part in an intensive smoking cessation intervention. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors of successful smoking cessation among stroke patients who undergo an intensive cessation intervention during the hospitalization period. METHODS: Thirty-nine male smokers who were admitted with stroke were enrolled in the study. They participated in a smoking cessation intervention during hospitalization. Smoking status was followed up by telephone 3 months later. Nicotine dependence, sociodemographic factors, and other clinical characteristics were assessed. RESULTS: After 3 months post-intervention, the number of patients who stopped smoking was 27 (69.2%). In addition, there was no significant difference in nicotine dependence, sociodemographic factors, and clinical characteristics. Only the stages of readiness for smoking cessation were a significant predictor (odds ratio, 18.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-223.22). CONCLUSION: This study shows that a patient's willingness to quit is the most significant predictor of stopping smoking after Inpatient cessation Intervention for stroke Patients.
Chronic Disease ; Counseling ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Inpatients* ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Smoke* ; Smoking Cessation* ; Smoking* ; Stroke* ; Telephone ; Tobacco Use Disorder

BACKGROUND: This study was done to determine whether the Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool (OST) can predict central bone mineral density in Korean men above 50 years, as defined by dual energy X-ray absorptionmetry (DXA). METHODS: We applied the OST index to Korean men aged over 50 in Health Promotion Center of Konkuk University Hospital from September 2005 to September 2008. The calculated OST risk index was based on weight and age, truncated to an integer. RESULTS: The study population was 276 men. The mean age, height and weight of the men were 59.7 +/- 6.69 years, 167.6 +/- 6.14 cm and 67.5 +/- 8.93 kg respectively. By DXA, 4.7% of the men had a T score of -2.5 or less, and 46.4% had a T score of -2 or less at the spine, total hip, or femoral neck. The OST index ranged from -4 to 7. Using a cutoff score of 0, we predicted osteoporosis with a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 62%. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed an area under the curve of 0.77. When the subjects were analyzed by age and smoking status, the predictive value of the OST was maintained. CONCLUSION: The OST is a simple and useful method to predict osteoporosis in Korean men.
Aged ; Bone Density ; Femur Neck ; Health Promotion ; Hip ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Osteoporosis ; ROC Curve ; Self-Assessment ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spine

BACKGROUND: Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes. Since neuropathy leads to ulceration and amputation, efforts to detect early and to elucidate its risk factors are ongoing. The goal of this study was to check the validity of Michigan neuropathy screening instrument (MNSI) as a screening test and its risk factors for diabetic neuropathy. METHODS: A total of 75 subjects with type II diabetes mellitus, who visited a university hospital, were investigated. We measured their duration of diabetes, height, weight, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, serum creatinine, and 24-h urine albumin. MNSI tested and electrophysiological test were performed. RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of MNSI was 63.5%, 78.3%, 86.8%, and 48.6%, respectively. Statistically significant relationships were found between neuropathy and the duration of diabetes and total cholesterol. CONCLUSION: MNSI seemed to be an appropriate screening test for diabetic neuropathy. More attention must be paid to the duration of diabetes and the total cholesterol of type 2 diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy.
Amputation ; Blood Pressure ; Cholesterol ; Creatinine ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Mass Screening* ; Michigan* ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases* ; Risk Factors* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Triglycerides ; Ulcer