Tobacco control efforts in Korea began nearly three decades ago with the enactment of the National Health Promotion Act in 1995. Monitoring smoking prevalence is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, as reductions in smoking rates reflect the impact of anti-smoking policies. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the epidemiology of tobacco use in Korea, outline the nation’s advancements in tobacco control, and emphasize emerging challenges in tobacco use. The data sources included statistics and reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, as well as various national statistics and reports on tobacco use and control in Korea.Over the past quarter-century, there was a notable 49.6% reduction in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Korean adults, with a particularly pronounced decline among men (1998: 66.3% vs. 2022: 30.0%; a 54.8% decrease). However, the reduction among women was more modest, with only a 1.5 percentage point decrease (1998: 6.5% vs. 2022: 5.0%; a 23.1% decrease), and an increase in smoking prevalence was observed among women in their 20s and 30s. Overall use of any tobacco product, including cigarettes, heated tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and others, was 6.6 percentage points higher among males and 2.2 percentage points higher among females compared to cigarette smoking alone.In 2019, there were 58,036 deaths attributed to direct smoking in Korea, with an estimated socioeconomic cost of smoking amounting to 12,191.3 billion Korean won. Furthermore, critical issues in tobacco use persist in Korea, including significant disparities in tobacco use related to age, gender, and disability, the growing use of novel tobacco and nicotine products among adolescents and younger adults, and regulatory blind spots. The reduction in smoking rates in Korea reflects the impact of expanded tobacco control policies and public health initiatives. However, for Korea to advance to the next level in tobacco control policies, it is essential to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s MPOWER measures more thoroughly.

Tobacco control efforts in Korea began nearly three decades ago with the enactment of the National Health Promotion Act in 1995. Monitoring smoking prevalence is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, as reductions in smoking rates reflect the impact of anti-smoking policies. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the epidemiology of tobacco use in Korea, outline the nation’s advancements in tobacco control, and emphasize emerging challenges in tobacco use. The data sources included statistics and reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, as well as various national statistics and reports on tobacco use and control in Korea.Over the past quarter-century, there was a notable 49.6% reduction in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Korean adults, with a particularly pronounced decline among men (1998: 66.3% vs. 2022: 30.0%; a 54.8% decrease). However, the reduction among women was more modest, with only a 1.5 percentage point decrease (1998: 6.5% vs. 2022: 5.0%; a 23.1% decrease), and an increase in smoking prevalence was observed among women in their 20s and 30s. Overall use of any tobacco product, including cigarettes, heated tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and others, was 6.6 percentage points higher among males and 2.2 percentage points higher among females compared to cigarette smoking alone.In 2019, there were 58,036 deaths attributed to direct smoking in Korea, with an estimated socioeconomic cost of smoking amounting to 12,191.3 billion Korean won. Furthermore, critical issues in tobacco use persist in Korea, including significant disparities in tobacco use related to age, gender, and disability, the growing use of novel tobacco and nicotine products among adolescents and younger adults, and regulatory blind spots. The reduction in smoking rates in Korea reflects the impact of expanded tobacco control policies and public health initiatives. However, for Korea to advance to the next level in tobacco control policies, it is essential to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s MPOWER measures more thoroughly.

Tobacco control efforts in Korea began nearly three decades ago with the enactment of the National Health Promotion Act in 1995. Monitoring smoking prevalence is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, as reductions in smoking rates reflect the impact of anti-smoking policies. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the epidemiology of tobacco use in Korea, outline the nation’s advancements in tobacco control, and emphasize emerging challenges in tobacco use. The data sources included statistics and reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, as well as various national statistics and reports on tobacco use and control in Korea.Over the past quarter-century, there was a notable 49.6% reduction in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Korean adults, with a particularly pronounced decline among men (1998: 66.3% vs. 2022: 30.0%; a 54.8% decrease). However, the reduction among women was more modest, with only a 1.5 percentage point decrease (1998: 6.5% vs. 2022: 5.0%; a 23.1% decrease), and an increase in smoking prevalence was observed among women in their 20s and 30s. Overall use of any tobacco product, including cigarettes, heated tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and others, was 6.6 percentage points higher among males and 2.2 percentage points higher among females compared to cigarette smoking alone.In 2019, there were 58,036 deaths attributed to direct smoking in Korea, with an estimated socioeconomic cost of smoking amounting to 12,191.3 billion Korean won. Furthermore, critical issues in tobacco use persist in Korea, including significant disparities in tobacco use related to age, gender, and disability, the growing use of novel tobacco and nicotine products among adolescents and younger adults, and regulatory blind spots. The reduction in smoking rates in Korea reflects the impact of expanded tobacco control policies and public health initiatives. However, for Korea to advance to the next level in tobacco control policies, it is essential to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s MPOWER measures more thoroughly.

Tobacco control efforts in Korea began nearly three decades ago with the enactment of the National Health Promotion Act in 1995. Monitoring smoking prevalence is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, as reductions in smoking rates reflect the impact of anti-smoking policies. This review aims to provide an updated overview of the epidemiology of tobacco use in Korea, outline the nation’s advancements in tobacco control, and emphasize emerging challenges in tobacco use. The data sources included statistics and reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, as well as various national statistics and reports on tobacco use and control in Korea.Over the past quarter-century, there was a notable 49.6% reduction in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among Korean adults, with a particularly pronounced decline among men (1998: 66.3% vs. 2022: 30.0%; a 54.8% decrease). However, the reduction among women was more modest, with only a 1.5 percentage point decrease (1998: 6.5% vs. 2022: 5.0%; a 23.1% decrease), and an increase in smoking prevalence was observed among women in their 20s and 30s. Overall use of any tobacco product, including cigarettes, heated tobacco products, electronic nicotine delivery systems, and others, was 6.6 percentage points higher among males and 2.2 percentage points higher among females compared to cigarette smoking alone.In 2019, there were 58,036 deaths attributed to direct smoking in Korea, with an estimated socioeconomic cost of smoking amounting to 12,191.3 billion Korean won. Furthermore, critical issues in tobacco use persist in Korea, including significant disparities in tobacco use related to age, gender, and disability, the growing use of novel tobacco and nicotine products among adolescents and younger adults, and regulatory blind spots. The reduction in smoking rates in Korea reflects the impact of expanded tobacco control policies and public health initiatives. However, for Korea to advance to the next level in tobacco control policies, it is essential to implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control’s MPOWER measures more thoroughly.

Background: Inflammatory biomarkers, such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), serve as valuable prognostic indicators in various cancers. This multicenter, retrospective cohort study assessed the treatment outcomes of lenvatinib in 71 patients with radioactive iodine (RAI)-refractory thyroid cancer, considering the baseline inflammatory biomarkers. Methods: This study retrospectively included patients from five tertiary hospitals in Korea whose complete blood counts were available before lenvatinib treatment. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated based on the median value of inflammatory biomarkers. Results: No significant differences in baseline characteristics were observed among patients grouped according to the inflammatory biomarkers, except for older patients with a higher-than-median NLR (≥2) compared to their counterparts with a lower NLR (P= 0.01). Patients with a higher-than-median NLR had significantly shorter PFS (P=0.02) and OS (P=0.017) than those with a lower NLR. In multivariate analysis, a higher-than-median NLR was significantly associated with poor OS (hazard ratio, 3.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.24 to 7.29; P=0.015). However, neither the LMR nor the PLR was associated with PFS. A higher-than-median LMR (≥3.9) was significantly associated with prolonged OS compared to a lower LMR (P=0.036). In contrast, a higher-than-median PLR (≥142.1) was associated with shorter OS compared to a lower PLR (P=0.039). Conclusion Baseline inflammatory biomarkers can serve as predictive indicators of PFS and OS in patients with RAI-refractory thyroid cancer treated with lenvatinib.

Differentiated thyroid cancer demonstrates a wide range of clinical presentations, from very indolent cases to those with an aggressive prognosis. Therefore, diagnosing and treating each cancer appropriately based on its risk status is important. The Korean Thyroid Association (KTA) has provided and amended the clinical guidelines for thyroid cancer management since 2007. The main changes in this revised 2024 guideline include 1) individualization of surgical extent according to pathological tests and clinical findings, 2) application of active surveillance in low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, 3) indications for minimally invasive surgery, 4) adoption of World Health Organization pathological diagnostic criteria and definition of terminology in Korean, 5) update on literature evidence of recurrence risk for initial risk stratification, 6) addition of the role of molecular testing, 7) addition of definition of initial risk stratification and targeting thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentrations according to ongoing risk stratification (ORS), 8) addition of treatment of perioperative hypoparathyroidism, 9) update on systemic chemotherapy, and 10) addition of treatment for pediatric patients with thyroid cancer.

Background and Objectives: Most laryngeal imaging modalities used continuous light source. However, videostroboscopy adopted the unique stroboscopic flashing light triggered externally and is consistent with fundamental voice frequencies. If laryngeal stroboscopic effect could be obtained in the field of continuous illumination, it woud be more compatible with conventional video. In this study, we established the mathematical algorithm for stroboscopic effect with continuous light and tried to determine the feasibility of laryngeal stroboscopic effect with conventional laryngoscopy using continuous light in the mechanical model.Materials and Method The mechanical model of fan motor system was used to validate to the present study. Rotational images of the fan motor were captured using conventional laryngoscope with continuous light source. Results: On the basis of the mathematical model, the optimal ranges of the frequency for stroboscopic effect were expected as (multiples of sampling rate [S])±(S/5). In the fan motor model, the stroboscopic effects could be confirmed on the basis of the mathematical model using conventional videolaryngoscopy with continuous light source. Conclusion Laryngeal stroboscopic effect with continuous light source might be feasible. The stroboscopic effect with continuous light would be expected to provide greater compatibility to integrate with the other imaging modalities for the vocal folds.

The aim of this study was to develop evidence-based recommendations for determining the surgical extent in patients with locally invasive differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Locally invasive DTC with gross extrathyroidal extension invading surrounding anatomical structures may lead to several functional deficits and poor oncological outcomes. At present, the optimal extent of surgery in locally invasive DTC remains a matter of debate, and there are no adequate guidelines. On October 8, 2021, four experts searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases; the identified papers were reviewed by 39 experts in thyroid and head and neck surgery. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was used to assess the quality of evidence, and to develop and report recommendations. The strength of a recommendation reflects the confidence of a guideline panel that the desirable effects of an intervention outweigh any undesirable effects, across all patients for whom the recommendation is applicable. After completing the draft guidelines, Delphi questionnaires were completed by members of the Korean Society of Head and Neck Surgery. Twenty-seven evidence-based recommendations were made for several factors, including the preoperative workup; surgical extent of thyroidectomy; surgery for cancer invading the strap muscles, recurrent laryngeal nerve, laryngeal framework, trachea, or esophagus; and surgery for patients with central and lateral cervical lymph node involvement. Evidence-based guidelines were devised to help clinicians make safer and more efficient clinical decisions for the optimal surgical treatment of patients with locally invasive DTC.

Background: The purpose of this study was to verify the accuracy and validity of using machine learning (ML) to select risk factors, to discriminate differences in feature selection by ML between men and women, and to develop predictive models for patients with osteoporosis in a big database. Methods: The data on 968 observed features from a total of 3,484 the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants were collected. To find preliminary features that were well-related to osteoporosis, logistic regression, random forest, gradient boosting, adaptive boosting, and support vector machine were used. Results: In osteoporosis feature selection by 5 ML models in this study, the most selected variables as risk factors in men and women were body mass index, monthly alcohol consumption, and dietary surveys. However, differences between men and women in osteoporosis feature selection by ML models were age, smoking, and blood glucose level. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the area under the ROC curve for each ML model was not significantly different for either gender. Conclusions ML performed a feature selection of osteoporosis, considering hidden differences between men and women. The present study considers the preprocessing of input data and the feature selection process as well as the ML technique to be important factors for the accuracy of the osteoporosis prediction model.

Background: Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a preferred modality for screening or diagnosis of osteoporosis and can predict the risk of hip fracture. However, the DXA test is difficult to implement easily in some developing countries, and fractures have been observed before patients underwent DXA. The purpose of this systematic review is to search for studies that predict the risk of hip fracture using artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning, organize the results of each study, and analyze the usefulness of this technology. Methods: The PubMed, OVID Medline, Cochrane Collaboration Library, Web of Science, EMBASE, and AHRQ databases were searched including “hip fractures” AND “artificial intelligence”. Results: A total of 7 studies are included in this study. The total number of subjects included in the 7 studies was 330,099. There were 3 studies that included only women, and 4 studies included both men and women. One study conducted AI training after 1:1 matching between fractured and non-fractured patients. The area under the curve of AI prediction model for hip fracture risk was 0.39 to 0.96. The accuracy of AI prediction model for hip fracture risk was 70.26% to 90%. Conclusions We believe that predicting the risk of hip fracture by the AI model will help select patients with high fracture risk among osteoporosis patients. However, to apply the AI model to the prediction of hip fracture risk in clinical situations, it is necessary to identify the characteristics of the dataset and AI model and use it after performing appropriate validation.