Background: Recently, single-person households have increased in Korea and this trend may have potential public health implications and affect various health behaviors. This study investigated the associations between living alone and health behaviors such as smoking and alcohol consumption among Korean adults. Methods: We used data from the 6th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2013 and 2015 and a total of 17,088 adults were included. We performed a multivariable logistic regression analysis and calculated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: Single-person households accounted for about 10% of the total participants. The proportions of currently smoking and heavy alcohol consumption were higher among individuals living alone than those living together among younger women and middle-aged and elderly men and women. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, living alone was associated with increased odds of currently smoking compared to living together among middle-aged men and women (OR, 7.37; 95% CI, 2.33–23.32 in men and OR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.04–5.36 in women) after adjusting for confounding variables. Conclusion From this nationwide, population-based study, we found that living alone is associated with increased odds of currently smoking, especially in middle-aged people. Public health concerns may be warranted for middle-aged single-person households to reduce health risks related to smoking.

Background: Hyaluronic acid (HA) is well known to exert an anti-inflammatory effect during oral wound healing and is commonly applied after tooth extraction. However, no double-blind randomized controlled study comparing two hyaluronate mouthwash products has been conducted so far. The aim of this study was to comparatively analyze the efficacy of Mucobarrier® and Aloclair® in terms of clinical symptoms. Results: A total of 112 patients were randomly assigned to assess the degree of discomfort, pain reduction, redness, burning sensation, and swelling between two groups on the day of surgery and 7 days later in a double blind test, with a total 56 Aloclair patients and 56 Mucobarrier patients. There was no statistically significant difference in the overall discomfort, degree of pain reduction, redness, burning sensation, and swelling between the Mucobarrier and Aloclair groups. Conclusion The local application of hyaluronic acid mouth wash after wisdom tooth extraction is beneficial in reducing overall discomfort and pain reduction, and the clinical utility of Mucobarrier® is no different from Aloclair®.Trial registrationInstitutional Review Board of Yonsei University College of Dentistry, 2-2018-0036. Registered 10 September 2018—prospectively registered, https://eirb.yuhs.ac/

Background: Hyaluronic acid (HA) is well known to exert an anti-inflammatory effect during oral wound healing and is commonly applied after tooth extraction. However, no double-blind randomized controlled study comparing two hyaluronate mouthwash products has been conducted so far. The aim of this study was to comparatively analyze the efficacy of Mucobarrier® and Aloclair® in terms of clinical symptoms. Results: A total of 112 patients were randomly assigned to assess the degree of discomfort, pain reduction, redness, burning sensation, and swelling between two groups on the day of surgery and 7 days later in a double blind test, with a total 56 Aloclair patients and 56 Mucobarrier patients. There was no statistically significant difference in the overall discomfort, degree of pain reduction, redness, burning sensation, and swelling between the Mucobarrier and Aloclair groups. Conclusion The local application of hyaluronic acid mouth wash after wisdom tooth extraction is beneficial in reducing overall discomfort and pain reduction, and the clinical utility of Mucobarrier® is no different from Aloclair®.Trial registrationInstitutional Review Board of Yonsei University College of Dentistry, 2-2018-0036. Registered 10 September 2018—prospectively registered, https://eirb.yuhs.ac/

PURPOSE: Growth hormone secretagogues (GHSs) possess the ability to release growth hormone (GH) in the body. This study aimed to investigate the effects of MK-677, an orally active GHS, on somatic growth in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The serum levels of GH were measured after oral administration of MK-677 to confirm GH stimulatory effects. Body weight, body length, tibia length, epiphyseal plate width, and serum levels of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I were measured after oral administration of 4 mg/kg of MK-677 for 6 weeks to investigate growth-promoting effects. RESULTS: Oral administration of MK-677 at 4 mg/kg increased peak GH concentrations by 1.8-fold, compared to baseline. However, oral administration of MK-677 for 6 weeks did not increase body growth or serum levels of IGF-I. At 6 weeks after treatment, the GH response to MK-677 was abolished. Pituitary GH mRNA and hypothalamic GH-releasing hormone mRNA, and GH secretagogue receptor (GHSR) mRNA expression in the pituitary and hypothalamus did not differ between the control and treatment group. Somatostatin (SST) mRNA expression in the hypothalamus was markedly increased in the treatment group, whereas SST receptor (SSTR)-2 mRNA expression in the pituitary gland was decreased. Protein expression of hypothalamic GHSR, SST, and pituitary SSTR-2 showed patterns similar to those for mRNA expression. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that prolonged administration of MK-677 in rats does not promote growth despite the GH stimulatory effect of MK-677, which may be related to increased expression of SST in the hypothalamus. Further studies are needed to overcome the observed desensitization to GHS.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Growth Hormone* ; Growth Plate ; Hypothalamus ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; Pituitary Gland ; Rats* ; RNA, Messenger ; Somatostatin ; Tibia

This study aimed to analyze infant, maternal, perinatal, and fetal mortality statistics in the Republic of Korea (Korea), 2014. It was based on the open-access data available from the Statistics Korea website (http://kostat.go.kr/portal/eng/index.action). Recent trends in these vital statistics were also examined. The results of this study constitute a descriptive presentation and analysis of the national data. The number of infant deaths was 1,305 out of 435,435 live births in 2014, and the infant mortality rate was 3.0. The number of maternal deaths was 48. The maternal mortality ratio per 100,000 live births was 11.0. The maternal mortality ratio per 100,000 women of child-bearing age (15 to 49 years old) was 0.37. The number of perinatal deaths was 1,365, and the perinatal mortality rate was 3.1. The number of fetal deaths was 5,317. The fetal mortality rate was 12.1. The trends in those vital statistics in recent years were consistent except for a few findings, including a decrease in the maternal mortality ratio of pregnant women 40 years old and older and a change in the proportions of the causes of infant death, with a decrease in mortality due to neonatal respiratory distress and an increase in mortality due to bacterial sepsis. Although these vital statistics were generally consistent, some aspects varied by year. Pregnant women less than 20 years old should be monitored more intensively for their babies' health. Our findings can serve as basic data supporting the establishment of health policies by the Korean government.
Cause of Death ; Female ; Fetal Death ; Fetal Mortality ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Infant Death ; Infant Mortality ; Infant* ; Korea ; Live Birth ; Maternal Death ; Maternal Mortality ; Mortality ; Perinatal Death ; Perinatal Mortality* ; Pregnant Women ; Republic of Korea* ; Sepsis ; Vital Statistics

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe electrocardiographic (ECG) findings in spontaneous pneumothorax patients before and after closed thoracostomy. METHODS: This is a retrospective study which included patients with spontaneous pneumothorax who presented to an emergency department of a tertiary urban hospital from February 2005 to March 2015. The primary outcome was a difference in ECG findings between before and after closed thoracostomy. We specifically investigated the following ECG elements: PR, QRS, QTc, axis, ST segments, and R waves in each lead. The secondary outcomes were change in ST segment in any lead and change in axis after closed thoracostomy. RESULTS: There were two ECG elements which showed statistically significant difference after thoracostomy. With right pneumothorax volume of greater than 80%, QTc and the R waves in aVF and V5 significantly changed after thoracostomy. With left pneumothorax volume between 31% and 80%, the ST segment in V2 and the R wave in V1 significantly changed after thoracostomy. However, majority of ECG elements did not show statistically significant alteration after thoracostomy. CONCLUSION: We found only minor changes in ECG after closed thoracostomy in spontaneous pneumothorax patients.
Electrocardiography* ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Hospitals, Urban ; Humans ; Pneumothorax* ; Retrospective Studies ; Thoracostomy*

We encountered a rare condition of rice body in subacromial and subdeltoid spaces in a patient with unremarkable medical history. Although it is uncommon, there have been continued reports on its formation in certain type of infective and inflammatory arthritis. However, except for a traumatic event, evaluation yielded no known and conceivable cause for his chronic inflammatory bursitis. Relatively typical findings for rice body on magnetic resonance imaging have been described, and in our case the imaging prompted us to schedule early removal, which is generally accepted as the management of choice to prevent further progression of symptoms. The symptoms of the shoulder showed significant improvement, and a close follow-up schedule has been recommended for observation of recurrence and development of any foreseeable underlying cause.
Appointments and Schedules ; Arthritis ; Bursitis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Recurrence ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Joint

Shoulder dislocation is frequently encountered by orthopedists, and closed manipulation is often sufficient to treat the injury in an acute setting. Although most dislocations are diagnosed and managed promptly, there are rare cases that are missed or neglected, leading to a chronically dislocated state of the joint. They are usually irreducible and cause considerable pain and functional disability in most affected patients, prompting the need to find a surgical method to reverse the worsening conditions caused by the dislocated joint. However, there are cases of even greater rarity in which chronic shoulder dislocations are asymptomatic with minimal functional or structural degeneration in the joint. These patients are usually left untreated, and most show good tolerance to their condition without developing disabling symptoms or significant functional loss over time. We report on one such patient who had a chronic shoulder dislocation for more than 2 years without receiving treatment.
Accidental Falls ; Aged ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Radiography ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Recurrence ; *Rotator Cuff Injuries/diagnosis/diagnostic imaging/physiopathology ; *Shoulder/diagnostic imaging/pathology/physiopathology ; *Shoulder Dislocation/diagnosis/diagnostic imaging/physiopathology

This article presents recent trends and statistical indicators related to mortality in the Republic of Korea by analyzing the 2014 cause-of-death statistics. Specifically, we assessed the number of deaths, the crude death rate, the ranking of causes of death, and trends in the death rate from the major causes of death. Causes of death were classified according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th revision, as recommended by the World Health Organization. In order to determine the ranking of causes of death, Statistics Korea used the selection list of 56 causes of death from the 80 causes of death list for tabulation mortality statistics recommended by World Health Organization to better fit the Korean situation. The 10 leading causes of death were, in order, cancer, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, suicide, pneumonia, diabetes mellitus, chronic lower respiratory disease, liver disease, transport accidents, and hypertensive diseases. The top 10 causes of death accounted for 70.5% of all Korean deaths. The ranking of cancer types as causes of death was lung, liver, stomach, colon, and pancreatic cancer. Death rates for heart disease increased from the third in 2013 to the second leading cause in 2014 and the rank of pneumonia moved up from the sixth in 2013 to the fifth in 2014. The mortality rate due to stomach cancer has decreased continuously over time.. This finding may reflect changes in Korean society involving population structure, epidemiological patterns, and lifestyles, including dietary habits.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cause of Death ; Colon ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Food Habits ; Heart Diseases ; International Classification of Diseases ; Korea ; Life Style ; Liver ; Liver Diseases ; Lung ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; Pneumonia ; Republic of Korea* ; Stomach ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Suicide

We encountered a rare condition of rice body in subacromial and subdeltoid spaces in a patient with unremarkable medical history. Although it is uncommon, there have been continued reports on its formation in certain type of infective and inflammatory arthritis. However, except for a traumatic event, evaluation yielded no known and conceivable cause for his chronic inflammatory bursitis. Relatively typical findings for rice body on magnetic resonance imaging have been described, and in our case the imaging prompted us to schedule early removal, which is generally accepted as the management of choice to prevent further progression of symptoms. The symptoms of the shoulder showed significant improvement, and a close follow-up schedule has been recommended for observation of recurrence and development of any foreseeable underlying cause.
Appointments and Schedules ; Arthritis ; Bursitis ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Recurrence ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Joint