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.

We performed a study to understand the dietary situation in North Korea and to compare the difference between the North and the South. Two hundred North Korean defectors from the North since 1990 participated in this survey. Information was collected from December, 1997 to February, 1998 by mailing pre-tested questionnaires, which had been confirmed by 10 previous interviewers. The final data from 157 defectors(107 male and 33 female with 17 unidentified gender) were analyzed. We found that (1) North Koreans are lowr in height, weight and BMI than South Koreans, (2) The North Korean diet is very simple and monotonous. It is limite to their local and unprocessed foodsand dishes, which is far from the trend of globalization and readiness. (3) On the other hand, in the North, the government control on foods diminished because food shortage leads to free market activity where housewives manage their own foodservices, and to accelate their eating-out behaviors. (4) Profound differences between the South and the North in dietary life are noticed by the defectors as English words and Korean words. Efforts to understand and learn about each other is necessay before not too late.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea* ; Diet ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Internationality ; Male ; Postal Service ; Ghee ; Surveys and Questionnaires

We performed this study to understand the health status and food intake of North Koreans. Information was collected by individual closed in-depth interviews of 11 escapers from North Korea as well as books, newspapers and North Korean movies. Interviews were done from October, 1996 to May, 1997, covering their heights and weights, their appearance and disease, food system and intake of various main/side foods, concern about health and hygiene. North Korean's height and BMI were lower than those of South Koreans. Difference of BMIs between North and South Koreans was profound in middle aged women than in other age groups. Childrem showed many malnutrition appearances of moon face, large abdomem, arrow-like legs, flaky skin, decolored hair, etc.. Main foods in North Korea were rice-shaped corn, corn flour, wheat flour and wet noodle, and side foods were kimchi and/or soups and steamed soy paste. Food supply system there seemed not to work normally for many years, so foods, especially in cities, has been extremely short in government-operating shops, but some in private market. Many housewives were eager to make and sell simple snack food products, We noticed that North korea schools didn't check students' health even though their medical policy was based on preventive medicine. Their living environmental hygiene was shown to be oyt of control.
Democratic People's Republic of Korea ; Eating* ; Female ; Flour ; Food Supply ; Hair ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Leg ; Malnutrition ; Middle Aged ; Periodicals ; Preventive Medicine ; Skin ; Snacks ; Steam ; Triticum ; United Nations ; Weights and Measures ; Zea mays

Advances in fiberoptic endoscopy have improved diagnostic capabilities and management in piatients with gastrointestinal polyps. The gastrointestinal polyp is a premalignant lesion in varying degrees, according to size, pathology, and location. Endoscopic polypectomy has long been considered as a safe and effective method for removal of polyps. Sixty endoscopic gastrointestinal polypectomies were done in 53 patients who visited Hanyang University Hospital from 1984 to l990, and the clinical characteristics including histopathalogy were evaluated. (continue...)
Endoscopy ; Humans ; Pathology ; Polyps

No abstract available.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Pancreas*

Cystic dilatation of bile duct, so called choledochal cysts are a well documented abnormalities. Although choledochal cyst is a relatively rare disease, the number of reports have been increasing especially in tht Orient. It may be easily overlooked by the conventional diagnostic methods, such as upper gastrointestinal series, intravenous cholangiography and abdominal ultrasonogrsphy. Recent advances on diagnostic methods, such as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography had been helpful in demonstrating choledochal cysts. 29 patients with choledochal cysts who had been admitted in Hanyang Universty Hospital between September l981 and August 1991 were reviewed and the clinical endoseopic and rediographic findings were discussed comparing with that from foreign literatures. (continue...)
Bile Ducts ; Cholangiography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Choledochal Cyst* ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Rare Diseases

Henoch-Schonlein purpura(anaphylactoid purpura) is a necrotizing vasculitis of small vessels in which systemic manifestation include palpable purpura on the lower extremities and buttocks due to leukocytoclastic vasculitis of dermal vessels; arthralgia of large joints, usually the knees and ankles; gastronitestinal involvement with colic and bleeding; and renal ievolvement, usually with a focal necrotizing glomerulonephritis. Gastrointestinal involvement occurs in about two thirds of all pediatric cases and in about,one third of adult cases, Any bowel segment may be involved, but the jejunum and ileum are most frequently affected. With a brief review of the literature, we report a case of H-S purpura involving stomach and duodenum.
Adult ; Ankle ; Arthralgia ; Buttocks ; Colic ; Duodenum ; Glomerulonephritis ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Ileum ; Jejunum ; Joints ; Knee ; Lower Extremity ; Purpura* ; Stomach ; Upper Gastrointestinal Tract* ; Vasculitis

Intestinal tuberculosis is an infectious disease which is still prevalent in the developing countries including Korea. It may occur insidously, have a vague clinical marofestation, and take a chronic course. We have analyzed 101 cases of intestinal tuberculosis. proven by clinical and histopathologic diagnosis for 10yrs since 1977. The results are as follows: 1) Intestinal tbc was prevalent in the age of 20-30 and the male to female ratio was 1:1.7. 2) Among clinical manifestations, abdominal pain, and tenderness, general malaise and abdominal mass were observed in order of frequency. 3) Active pulmonary lesion was associated in 73 cases (73.3%). 4) Ileocecal region was the most frequent site of involvement in barium study and in colonoscopy. 5) The most frequent colonoscopic finding was multiple ulceration and pseudopolyposis and chronic granulomatous inflammation was noted in 58% on hitopathology. 6) Ulcerative type was the most common type 45.4% by intestinal x-ray and colonofiberscopic examination
Abdominal Pain ; Barium ; Colonoscopy ; Communicable Diseases ; Developing Countries ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Korea ; Male ; Tuberculosis* ; Ulcer

Meningeal carcinomatosis is an important neurological complication of systemic cancer, and is increasingly being recognized as a cause of reurologic disability in life. Also there is evidenee that the incidence of this form of metastasis is increasing. We reported a case of 52-year-old female patient, who was diagnosed as early gastric cancer by biopsy under gastrofiberscopy. Other Lab. findings were all normal range except high alkaline phosphatase level. And then performed Billroth II operation. On 7th post-operative day, she was encountered severe headache and insomnia. Abnormal neurologic signs and subjective symptoms were developed and progressed, Repeated lumbar punture was done and CSF was examed. There findings were abnormal, but no specific finding of certain disease. She died of severe neurologic deficit and sudden respiratory arrest. Autopsy was done, and confirmed leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Autopsy ; Biopsy ; Female ; Gastroenterostomy ; Headache ; Humans ; Incidence ; Meningeal Carcinomatosis* ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Reference Values ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Stomach Neoplasms ; Stomach*

Comparison between Americans colonic diseases are much less prevalence in Korea. But, recent days much increased incidence in these disases caused by changes of food habits and development of diagnostic methods. We studied 1456 cases who complained colonic symptoms and colonofiberscopic biopsy was taken from 1981 to 1985 at Han Yang Univ. Hospital, Age, Sex, elinical symptoms, histopathological findings, location and relation between of barium study were analized for 1002 cases wha confirmed by biopsy. (continue...)
Barium ; Biopsy ; Colon ; Colonic Diseases ; Food Habits ; Incidence ; Korea ; Prevalence