Background: A chronic disease management program including patient education, recall and remind service, and reduction of out-of-pocket payment was implemented in Korea through a chronic care model. This study aimed to assess the effect of a community-based intervention program for improving medication adherence of patients with diabetes mellitus in rural areas of Korea. Methods: We applied a non-equivalent control group design using Korean National Health Insurance Big Data. Hongcheon County has been continuously adopting this program since 2012 as an intervention region. Hoengseong County did not adopt such program. It was used as a control region. Subjects were a cohort of patients with diabetes mellitus aged more than 65 years but less than 85 years among residents for 11 years from 2010 to 2020. After 1:1 matching, there were 368 subjects in the intervention region and 368 in the control region. Indirect indicators were analyzed using the difference-in-difference regression according to Andersen’s medical use model. Results: The increasing percent point of diabetic patients who continuously received insurance benefits for more than 240 days from 2010 to 2014 and from 2010 to 2020 were 2.6%p and 2.7%p in the intervention region and 3.0%p and 3.9%p in the control region, respectively. The number of dispensations per prescription of diabetic patient in the intervention region increased by approximately 4.61% by month compared to that in the control region. Conclusion The intervention program encouraged older people with diabetes mellitus to receive continuous care for overcoming the rule of halves in the community. More research is needed to determine whether further improvement in the continuity of comprehensive care can prevent the progression of cardiovascular diseases.

Background: In South Korea, there have been few nationwide epidemiologic studies about premalignant actinic keratosis (AK), squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen’s disease), nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), malignant melanoma of the skin (MM), Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), connective and soft tissue cancers, or mycosis fungoides (MF). Objective: Using a nationwide population-based study, we attempted to measure the incidence and the prevalence of the above-mentioned tumors in South Korea. Methods: The database we used included all claims in the Korean National Health Insurance program and the Korean Medical Aid program from 2008 to 2016. The International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10) was used to record diagnoses in this database. This data included AK, Bowen’s disease, NMSC, MM, KS, connective and soft tissue cancers, and MF. Results: The age-standardized incidence and prevalence rate of AK, Bowen’s disease, NMSC, MM, KS, connective and soft tissue cancers, as well as MF increased during the periods we investigated. The incidence and prevalence rate of AK and NMSC have increased two- to three-fold. In the case of Bowen’s disease, MM, KS, connective and soft tissue cancers, or MF, we observed no significant tendency in age-standardized incidence or prevalence. Conclusion We confirmed that the age-standardized incidence and prevalence rates of NMSC and AK tended to increase. These results might contribute to developing preventive and therapeutic strategies for skin cancers and may become a source for further studies.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is defined as the occurrence of spontaneous wheals, angioedema, or both for >6 weeks in the absence of specific causes. It is a common condition associated with substantial disease burden both for affected individuals and societies in many countries, including Korea. CSU frequently persists for several years and requires high-intensity treatment; therefore, patients experience deteriorations in quality of life and medication-associated complications. During the last decade, there have been major advances in the pharmacological treatment of CSU and there is an outstanding need for evidence-based guidelines that reflect clinical practice in Korea. The guidelines reported here represent a joint initiative of the Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the Korean Dermatological Association, and aim to provide evidence-based guidance for the management of CSU in Korean adults and children. In Part 1, disease definition, guideline scope and development methodology as well as evidence-based recommendations on the use of antihistamines and corticosteroids are summarized.

Background/Aims: Genome wide and candidate gene association studies have identified polymorphisms associated with the risk of lung cancer in never-smokers. This study was conducted to evaluate the association between 11 polymorphisms identified in female never smokers and the lung cancer risk in male smokers. Methods: This study included 714 lung cancer patients and 626 healthy controls. The polymorphisms were genotyped using SEQUENOM MassARRAY iPLEX assay or Taq-Man assay. Results: Two polymorphisms were associated with the risk of lung cancer in male smokers, as in female never smokers. Male smokers carrying the rs4975616 variant allele had a significantly decreased risk of lung cancer (in a codominant model: odds ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.61 to 0.96; p = 0.02). The rs9387478 polymorphism also reduced lung cancer risk in male smokers (in a codominant model: odds ratio, 0.85; 95% confidence interval, 0.73 to 0.997; p = 0.046). In a stratified analysis, the association between these polymorphisms and the risk of lung cancer was predominant in lighter smokers and for cases of adenocarcinoma. Conclusions These results suggest that a subset of polymorphisms known to be associated with the risk of lung cancer in female never smokers is also associated with the risk of lung cancer in male smokers.

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is defined as the occurrence of spontaneous wheals, angioedema, or both for >6 weeks in the absence of specific causes. It is a common condition associated with substantial disease burden both for affected individuals and societies in many countries, including Korea. CSU frequently persists for several years and requires high-intensity treatment; therefore, patients experience deteriorations in quality of life and medication-associated complications. During the last decade, there have been major advances in the pharmacological treatment of CSU and there is an outstanding need for evidence-based guidelines that reflect clinical practice in Korea. The guidelines reported here represent a joint initiative of the Korean Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology and the Korean Dermatological Association, and aim to provide evidence-based guidance for the management of CSU in Korean adults and children. In Part 1, disease definition, guideline scope and development methodology as well as evidence-based recommendations on the use of antihistamines and corticosteroids are summarized.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate clinical characteristics and treatment pattern of ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) in Korea and the role of adjuvant chemotherapy in earlystage. Materials and Methods: Medical records of 308 cases of from 21 institutions were reviewed and data including age, performance status, endometriosis, thromboembolism, stage, cancer antigen 125, treatment, recurrence, and death were collected. Results: Regarding stage of OCCC, it was stage I in 194 (63.6%), stage II in 34 (11.1%), stage III in 66 (21.6%), and stage IV in 11 (3.6%) patients. All patients underwent surgery. Optimal surgery (residual disease ≤ 1 cm) was achieved in 89.3%. Majority of patients (80.5%) received postoperative chemotherapy. The most common regimen was taxane-platinum combination (96%). Median relapse-free survival (RFS) was 138.5 months for stage I, 33.4 for stage II, 19.3 for stage III, and 9.7 for stage IV. Median overall survival (OS) were not reached, 112.4, 48.7, and 18.3 months for stage I, II, III, and IV, respectively. Early-stage (stage I), endometriosis, and optimal debulking were identified as favorable prognostic factors for RFS. Early-stage and optimal debulking were also favorable prognostic factors for OS. Majority of patients with early-stage received adjuvant chemotherapy. However, additional survival benefit was not found in terms of recurrence. Conclusion Majority of patients had early-stage and received postoperative chemotherapy regardless of stage. Early-stage and optimal debulking were identified as favorable prognostic factors. In stage IA or IB, adding adjuvant chemotherapy did not show difference in survival. Further study focusing on OCCC is required.

Objectives: Loneliness was associated with not only social status but also general health. Psychological conditions in older people have negative effects on general health and oral health. The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between loneliness and subjective chewing discomfort in the elderly. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP) for the questionnaire, UCLA loneliness scale data of 1,511 older adults living in a rural community. Logistic regression was conducted to identify the relevance of subjective chewing discomfort in the elderly according to the level of loneliness. Results: According to the final model that after adjustment for other risk factors (age, gender, level of education, smoking, drinking, etc.), in the elderly who rarely feel loneliness group compared to the elderly who never feel loneliness was Odds ratio (OR) 1.256 (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.99-1.60) and sometimes+often feel loneliness was OR 2.110 (95% CI: 1.39-3.21). Conclusions Loneliness is associated with subjective chewing discomfort in the elderly. Older people feeling loneliness are likely to have more subjective chewing discomfort.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The etiology of colon diverticulosis is related to a range of genetic, biological, and environmental factors, but the risk factors for asymptomatic diverticulosis of the colon are unclear. This study examined the risk factors for asymptomatic colon diverticulosis.METHODS: This retrospective study included examinees who underwent a colonoscopy for screening at the health check-up center of SAM Hospital between January 2016 and December 2016. The examinees with colon diverticulosis found by colonoscopy were compared with those without diverticulosis. The comparison factors were age, gender, alcohol consumption, smoking status, medical history, lipid profile, body mass index, visceral fat area, waist-hip ratio, and severity of a fatty liver.RESULTS: This study included 937 examinees and the overall prevalence of diverticulosis was 8.1% (76/937). Fatty liver was found in 69.7% (53/76) in cases of colon diverticulosis and 50.3% (433/861) in the control group (p=0.001). The average waist-hip ratio was 0.92±0.051 in colon diverticulosis and 0.90±0.052 in the control group (p=0.052). Multivariate analysis revealed the waist-hip ratio (OR=1.035, 95% CI 1.000–1.070, p=0.043), moderate fatty liver (OR=2.238, 95% CI 1.026–4.882, p=0.043), and severe fatty liver (OR=5.519, 95% CI 1.236–21.803, p=0.025) to be associated with an increased risk of asymptomatic colon diverticulosis.CONCLUSIONS: The waist-hip ratio, moderate fatty liver, and severe fatty liver are risk factors for asymptomatic colon diverticulosis. Central obesity, which can be estimated by the waist-hip ratio, and fatty liver might affect the pathogenesis of asymptomatic colon diverticulosis.
Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Diverticulum ; Fatty Liver ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Mass Screening ; Multivariate Analysis ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Waist-Hip Ratio

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of robotic single-site myomectomy (RSSM). METHODS: Medical records of 355 consecutive women who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic myomectomy were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical characteristics were compared between multi-site and single-site systems. After 1:1 propensity score matching for the total myoma number, largest myoma size, and total tumor weight (105 women in each group), surgical outcomes were also compared between the 2 systems. RESULTS: A total of 105 (29.6%) and 250 (70.4%) women underwent RSSM and robotic multi-site myomectomy (RMSM), respectively. RSSM was more commonly performed in women with lower body mass index (21.6 vs. 22.5 kg/m2, P=0.014), without peritoneal adhesions (7.6% vs. 24.8%, P < 0.001), and less (2.6 vs. 4.6, P < 0.001) and smaller (6.3 vs. 7.7 cm, P < 0.001) myomas compared to RMSM. After propensity score matching, the largest myoma size (P=0.143), total myoma number (P=0.671), and tumor weight (P=0.510) were not significantly different between the 2 groups. Although the docking time was significantly longer in the RSSM group (5.1 vs. 3.8 minutes, P=0.005), total operation time was similar between RSSM and RMSM groups (145.9 vs. 147.3 minutes, P=0.856). Additionally, hemoglobin decrement was lower in the RSSM group than in the RMSM group (1.4 vs. 1.8 g/dL, P=0.009). No surgical complication was observed after RSSM, while 1 ileus and 2 febrile complications occurred in women that underwent RMSM (0% vs. 2.9%, P=0.246). CONCLUSION: Although RMSM is preferred for women with multiple large myomas in real clinical practice, RSSM seems to be a feasible surgical method for less complicated cases, and is associated with minimal surgical morbidity.
Body Mass Index ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Ileus ; Medical Records ; Methods ; Myoma ; Propensity Score ; Retrospective Studies ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; Tumor Burden

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The etiology of colon diverticulosis is related to a range of genetic, biological, and environmental factors, but the risk factors for asymptomatic diverticulosis of the colon are unclear. This study examined the risk factors for asymptomatic colon diverticulosis. METHODS: This retrospective study included examinees who underwent a colonoscopy for screening at the health check-up center of SAM Hospital between January 2016 and December 2016. The examinees with colon diverticulosis found by colonoscopy were compared with those without diverticulosis. The comparison factors were age, gender, alcohol consumption, smoking status, medical history, lipid profile, body mass index, visceral fat area, waist-hip ratio, and severity of a fatty liver. RESULTS: This study included 937 examinees and the overall prevalence of diverticulosis was 8.1% (76/937). Fatty liver was found in 69.7% (53/76) in cases of colon diverticulosis and 50.3% (433/861) in the control group (p=0.001). The average waist-hip ratio was 0.92±0.051 in colon diverticulosis and 0.90±0.052 in the control group (p=0.052). Multivariate analysis revealed the waist-hip ratio (OR=1.035, 95% CI 1.000–1.070, p=0.043), moderate fatty liver (OR=2.238, 95% CI 1.026–4.882, p=0.043), and severe fatty liver (OR=5.519, 95% CI 1.236–21.803, p=0.025) to be associated with an increased risk of asymptomatic colon diverticulosis. CONCLUSIONS: The waist-hip ratio, moderate fatty liver, and severe fatty liver are risk factors for asymptomatic colon diverticulosis. Central obesity, which can be estimated by the waist-hip ratio, and fatty liver might affect the pathogenesis of asymptomatic colon diverticulosis.
Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Colon ; Colonoscopy ; Diverticulum ; Fatty Liver ; Intra-Abdominal Fat ; Mass Screening ; Multivariate Analysis ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Waist-Hip Ratio