Background: The 2020 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 0-hr/1-hr algorithm using high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) for non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) aims at early diagnosis and shorter emergency department (ED) stays. While this algorithm has been well-established in controlled studies, real-world implementation remains challenging. We evaluated the algorithm’s clinical performance and risk stratification capability in patients with chest pain or discomfort. Methods: We measured hs-cTnI in 4,678 patients suspected of NSTE-ACS between August 2022 and July 2023, using an Atellica IM Analyzer (Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany). We categorized patients into rule-in, observe, or rule-out groups according to the algorithm and assessed its diagnostic performance for NSTE-ACS. The final diagnosis of NSTE-ACS was adjudicated by two independent physicians. Additionally, we evaluated 30-day all-cause mortality, hazard risk, and ED length of stay across the three groups. Results: The algorithm categorized 3,408 (72.9%), 573 (12.2%), and 697 (14.9%) patients into the rule-out, observe, and rule-in groups, respectively. Among 90 patients diagnosed as having NSTE-ACS, none were falsely categorized into the rule-out group. Survival analysis revealed significant differences (P < 0.001), with Cox hazard ratios of 2.38 (95% confidence interval: 1.20–4.71) and 6.39 (3.45–11.86) in the observe and rule-in groups, respectively. ED stays shortened in the order of rule-out, observe, and rule-in groups (P < 0.001). Conclusions The 2020 ESC 0-hr/1-hr algorithm demonstrates excellent diagnostic accuracy without false rule-outs and effective risk stratification, and contributes to efficient ED throughput, supporting its clinical utility in real-world emergency settings.

Background: With the aging population and advancements in medical care worldwide, the number of older patients with end-stage kidney disease continues to rise. This study aimed to identify factors associated with osteoporosis and osteopenia in older patients undergoing incident hemodialysis and assess their impact on mortality. Methods: We analyzed a large multicenter retrospective cohort of patients aged ≥70 years undergoing incident hemodialysis to identify factors associated with osteoporosis using logistic regression analysis and to assess the association of death with osteoporosis and osteopenia using Cox multivariable analysis. Results: Among 710 patients, 39.0% and 19.6% had osteoporosis and osteopenia, respectively. Osteoporosis was significantly associated with female sex, a history of fractures, and the absence of phosphate binder use. During a median follow-up of 36.8 months, 348 participants (58.8%) died. Mortality rates were the highest in the osteoporosis group (79.8%), followed by the osteopenia (77.2%) and normal bone mineral density (BMD) groups (35.2%). Cox regression analysis revealed that even after adjusting for covariates, the osteoporosis group was significantly associated with a higher mortality risk than the normal BMD group. Osteoporosis at the start of hemodialysis was significantly associated with higher mortality. Conclusion We should consider the importance of bone health in patients undergoing incident hemodialysis and pay attention to the use of phosphate binders and fracture prevention.

Background: Obesity is a well-known risk factor for chronic kidney disease and its progression. However, the impact of obesity on the renal function of the elderly population is uncertain. We investigated the association between obesity and renal outcomes in the elderly. Methods: We analyzed 130,504 participants from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Senior cohort. Obesity was classified according to body mass index (BMI), sex-specific waist circumference (WC), and the presence of metabolic syndrome. The primary outcome was renal function decline, defined as a decline in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of at least 50% from baseline or new-onset end-stage renal disease. Results: During a follow-up period of 559,531.1 person-years (median, 4.3 years), 2,486 participants (19.0%; incidence rate of 4.44 per 1,000 person-years) showed renal function decline. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model revealed that BMI/WC was not associated with renal function decline. However, the group with metabolic syndrome had a significantly increased risk of renal function decline compared to the group without metabolic syndrome (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13–1.36). Compared with the non-metabolic syndrome group, the adjusted HRs (95% CI) for participants with one through five components were 0.96 (0.84–1.11), 1.10 (0.96–1.27), 1.24 (1.06–1.45), 1.37 (1.12–1.66), and 1.99 (1.42–2.79), respectively (p for trend < 0.001). Conclusion In elderly Korean adults, metabolic syndrome and the number of its components were associated with a higher risk of renal function decline, but BMI or WC was not significant.

Early mortality following hemodialysis initiation hinders survival improvement in older patients. This study aimed to develop a clinical risk model for predicting 6-month mortality after dialysis initiation in older Korean hemodialysis patients. Methods: We analyzed data from incident hemodialysis patients aged >70 years from the Korean Society of Geriatric Nephrology (KSGN) database. A prediction model was developed using multivariate logistic regression analysis and externally validated with independent datasets. Results: Among 1,751 incident hemodialysis patients, the 6-month mortality rate was 15.5%. Using multivariate logistic analysis, we constructed the KSGN score as an independent risk factor for 6-month mortality, and its components and score are as follows: old age at dialysis initiation (≥85 years, score 2); hypertension and renovascular disease as a primary etiology of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) (score 1); malignancy history (yes, score 1); low serum albumin (<3.5 g/dL, score 1); hypertension treatment (yes, score –1); prepared vascular access on maintenance dialysis (arteriovenous fistula/arteriovenous graft, score –3). In the development cohort, the area under the curve (AUC) for the KSGN score was significantly higher than the Alberta Wick’s score (0.707 vs. 0.683, p = 0.001). In the validation cohort, the KSGN score’s performance was comparable to existing models. Conclusion: The KSGN score may be a valuable tool for predicting early mortality after dialysis initiation in older patients with ESKD, aiding in decision-making and management regarding dialysis initiation.

The prevalence of dementia is 2- to 7-fold higher among patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) than among the general population; however, its clinical implications in this population remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine whether comorbid dementia increases mortality among older patients with ESKD undergoing newly initiated hemodialysis. Methods: We analyzed data from the Korean Society of Geriatric Nephrology retrospective cohort, which included 2,736 older ESKD patients (≥70 years old) who started hemodialysis between 2010 and 2017. Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses were used to examine all-cause mortality between the patients with and without dementia in this cohort. Results: Of the 2,406 included patients, 8.3% had dementia at the initiation of dialysis; these patients were older (79.6 ± 6.0 years) than patients without dementia (77.7 ± 5.5 years) and included more women (male:female, 89:111). Pre-ESKD diagnosis of dementia was associated with an increased risk of overall mortality (hazard ratio, 1.503; p < 0.001), and this association remained consistent after multivariate adjustment (hazard ratio, 1.268; p = 0.009). In subgroup analysis, prevalent dementia was associated with mortality following dialysis initiation in female patients, those aged <85 years, those with no history of cerebrovascular accidents or severe behavioral disorders, those not residing in nursing facilities, and those with no or short-term hospitalization. Conclusion: A pre-ESKD diagnosis of dementia is associated with mortality following dialysis initiation in older Korean population. In older patients with ESKD, cognitive assessment at dialysis initiation is necessary.

Objective: The present study aimed to verify the efficacy of calcium ions as a prognostic factor for massive transfusion (MT) in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), including those of variceal and non-variceal origin. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adult patients with acute UGIB hospitalized through the prehospital emergency department between January 2018 and December 2022. The primary outcome was the need for MT. Secondary outcomes comprised hospital mortality, the need for angiographic intervention or surgery, length of hospital stay, and length of intensive care unit stay. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression was performed for possible candidates and included ionized calcium levels for predicting MT. Results: According to the multivariate logistic regression assessment, the primary outcome was independently correlated with hemoglobin (odds ratio [OR]=0.702; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.554-0.889) and ionized calcium levels (OR=0.009; 95% CI, 0.0002-0.469). The optimal cutoff point for ionized calcium levels was determined to be a value of 1.105, with a sensitivity of 0.88 and a specificity of 0.488. Using this value, the lower ionized calcium group needed a nearly six-fold increase in MT compared to the upper group. However, the secondary outcomes did not show any statistical differences. Conclusion The statistical review in the present study indicates that low ionized calcium levels in UGIB patients, regardless of liver cirrhosis as a comorbidity, are a novel independent prognostic factor for MT. Quick measurement of ionized calcium levels using a blood gas analyzer will enable practitioners to rapidly identify UGIB patients who need urgent care in minutes.

Although WHO declared the end of the public health emergency for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2), XBB lineages continue to evolve and emerge globally. In particular, XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16 are raising concerns because of their high immune evasion, leading to apprehensions regarding vaccine efficacy reduction and potential reinfection. We aimed to investigate the COVID-19 outbreak in Korea and predict the likelihood of reinfection by testing neutralizing activity against live viruses from the S clade and 19 Omicron sublineages.We found a significant risk of infection with the currently prevalent XBB lineage for individuals who were either vaccinated early or infected during the initial Omicron outbreak. Vaccinated individuals were better equipped than unvaccinated individuals to produce neutralizing antibodies for other SARS-CoV-2 variants upon infection. Therefore, unvaccinated individuals do not easily develop neutralizing activity against other variants and face the highest risk of reinfection by the XBB lineage. Our study provides important information to facilitate the development of strategies for monitoring populations that would be the most susceptible to new COVID-19 outbreaks.

Objective: The present study aimed to verify the efficacy of calcium ions as a prognostic factor for massive transfusion (MT) in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), including those of variceal and non-variceal origin. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included adult patients with acute UGIB hospitalized through the prehospital emergency department between January 2018 and December 2022. The primary outcome was the need for MT. Secondary outcomes comprised hospital mortality, the need for angiographic intervention or surgery, length of hospital stay, and length of intensive care unit stay. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression was performed for possible candidates and included ionized calcium levels for predicting MT. Results: According to the multivariate logistic regression assessment, the primary outcome was independently correlated with hemoglobin (odds ratio [OR]=0.702; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.554-0.889) and ionized calcium levels (OR=0.009; 95% CI, 0.0002-0.469). The optimal cutoff point for ionized calcium levels was determined to be a value of 1.105, with a sensitivity of 0.88 and a specificity of 0.488. Using this value, the lower ionized calcium group needed a nearly six-fold increase in MT compared to the upper group. However, the secondary outcomes did not show any statistical differences. Conclusion The statistical review in the present study indicates that low ionized calcium levels in UGIB patients, regardless of liver cirrhosis as a comorbidity, are a novel independent prognostic factor for MT. Quick measurement of ionized calcium levels using a blood gas analyzer will enable practitioners to rapidly identify UGIB patients who need urgent care in minutes.

Background: It is well known that a large number of patients with diabetes also have dyslipidemia, which significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination drugs consisting of metformin and atorvastatin, widely used as therapeutic agents for diabetes and dyslipidemia. Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group and phase III multicenter study included adults with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels >7.0% and <10.0%, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) >100 and <250 mg/dL. One hundred eighty-five eligible subjects were randomized to the combination group (metformin+atorvastatin), metformin group (metformin+atorvastatin placebo), and atorvastatin group (atorvastatin+metformin placebo). The primary efficacy endpoints were the percent changes in HbA1c and LDL-C levels from baseline at the end of the treatment. Results: After 16 weeks of treatment compared to baseline, HbA1c showed a significant difference of 0.94% compared to the atorvastatin group in the combination group (0.35% vs. −0.58%, respectively; P<0.0001), whereas the proportion of patients with increased HbA1c was also 62% and 15%, respectively, showing a significant difference (P<0.001). The combination group also showed a significant decrease in LDL-C levels compared to the metformin group (−55.20% vs. −7.69%, P<0.001) without previously unknown adverse drug events. Conclusion The addition of atorvastatin to metformin improved HbA1c and LDL-C levels to a significant extent compared to metformin or atorvastatin alone in diabetes and dyslipidemia patients. This study also suggested metformin’s preventive effect on the glucose-elevating potential of atorvastatin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, insufficiently controlled with exercise and diet. Metformin and atorvastatin combination might be an effective treatment in reducing the CVD risk in patients with both diabetes and dyslipidemia because of its lowering effect on LDL-C and glucose.

Background: To analyze the outcomes of clipping and coiling for ruptured intracranial aneurysms (RIAs) based on data from the National Health Insurance Service in South Korea, with a focus on variations according to region and hospital size. Methods: This study analyzed the one-year mortality rates for patients with RIAs who underwent clipping or coiling in 2018. Coiling was further categorized into non-stent assisted coiling (NSAC) and stent assisted coiling (SAC). Hospitals were classified as tertiary referral general hospitals (TRGHs), general hospitals (GHs), or semi-general hospitals (sGHs) based on size. South Korea’s administrative districts were divided into 15 regions for analysis. Results: In 2018, there were 2,194 (33.1%) clipping procedures (TRGH, 985; GH, 827; sGH, 382) and 4,431 (66.9%) coiling procedures (TRGH, 1,642; GH, 2076; sGH, 713) performed for RIAs treatment. Among hospitals performing more than 20 treatments, the one-year mortality rates following clipping or coiling were 11.2% and 16.0%, respectively, with no significant difference observed. However, there was a significant difference in one-year mortality between NSAC and SAC (14.3% vs. 19.5%, P = 0.034), with clipping also showing significantly lower mortality compared to SAC (P = 0.019). No significant differences in other treatment modalities were observed according to hospital size, but clipping at TRGHs had significantly lower mortality than at GHs (P = 0.042). While no significant correlation was found between the number of treatments and outcomes at GHs, at TRGHs, a higher volume of clipping procedures was significantly associated with lower total mortality (P = 0.023) and mortality after clipping (P = 0.022). Conclusion Using Korea NHIS data, mortality rates for RIAs showed no significant variation by hospital size due to coiling’s prevalence. However, differences in clipping outcomes by hospital size and volume in TRGH highlight the need for national efforts to improve clipping skills and standardization. Additionally, the higher mortality rate with SAC emphasizes the importance of precise indications for its application.