Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease associated with systemic inflammation and increased prevalenceof various comorbid conditions. This study investigates the prevalence of non-respiratory comorbidities among adult asthma pa-tients in South Korea, aiming to elucidate potential correlations and impacts of asthma on overall health, thereby affecting patients’quality of life and healthcare systems. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized the National Health Insurance Service data(HIRA-NPS-2020) and included adults diagnosed with asthma. Non-respiratory diseases were identified using the Korean Standard Disease Classification (KCD-8) codes, with exclusions applied for other respiratory conditions. The prevalence of comorbiditieswas analyzed and compared between asthma and non-asthma patients, adjusting for confounders such as age, gender, and insurance status through inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW). Results: The analysis revealed that asthma patients exhibit signifi-cantly higher rates of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal conditions, and mental health issues compared tothe control group. Notably, conditions such as heart failure, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and anxiety were more prevalent, withodds ratios (OR) ranging from 1.18 to 3.90. These results demonstrate a substantial burden of comorbidities associated with asthma, indicating a broad impact on health beyond the respiratory system. Conclusion The findings highlight the systemic nature of asthma and the interconnectedness of inflammatory processes across different organ systems. This comprehensive analysis confirmsprevious research linking asthma with an increased risk of various non-respiratory diseases, providing insights into the multifaceted impact of asthma on patient health.

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease associated with systemic inflammation and increased prevalenceof various comorbid conditions. This study investigates the prevalence of non-respiratory comorbidities among adult asthma pa-tients in South Korea, aiming to elucidate potential correlations and impacts of asthma on overall health, thereby affecting patients’quality of life and healthcare systems. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized the National Health Insurance Service data(HIRA-NPS-2020) and included adults diagnosed with asthma. Non-respiratory diseases were identified using the Korean Standard Disease Classification (KCD-8) codes, with exclusions applied for other respiratory conditions. The prevalence of comorbiditieswas analyzed and compared between asthma and non-asthma patients, adjusting for confounders such as age, gender, and insurance status through inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW). Results: The analysis revealed that asthma patients exhibit signifi-cantly higher rates of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal conditions, and mental health issues compared tothe control group. Notably, conditions such as heart failure, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and anxiety were more prevalent, withodds ratios (OR) ranging from 1.18 to 3.90. These results demonstrate a substantial burden of comorbidities associated with asthma, indicating a broad impact on health beyond the respiratory system. Conclusion The findings highlight the systemic nature of asthma and the interconnectedness of inflammatory processes across different organ systems. This comprehensive analysis confirmsprevious research linking asthma with an increased risk of various non-respiratory diseases, providing insights into the multifaceted impact of asthma on patient health.

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease associated with systemic inflammation and increased prevalenceof various comorbid conditions. This study investigates the prevalence of non-respiratory comorbidities among adult asthma pa-tients in South Korea, aiming to elucidate potential correlations and impacts of asthma on overall health, thereby affecting patients’quality of life and healthcare systems. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized the National Health Insurance Service data(HIRA-NPS-2020) and included adults diagnosed with asthma. Non-respiratory diseases were identified using the Korean Standard Disease Classification (KCD-8) codes, with exclusions applied for other respiratory conditions. The prevalence of comorbiditieswas analyzed and compared between asthma and non-asthma patients, adjusting for confounders such as age, gender, and insurance status through inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW). Results: The analysis revealed that asthma patients exhibit signifi-cantly higher rates of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal conditions, and mental health issues compared tothe control group. Notably, conditions such as heart failure, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and anxiety were more prevalent, withodds ratios (OR) ranging from 1.18 to 3.90. These results demonstrate a substantial burden of comorbidities associated with asthma, indicating a broad impact on health beyond the respiratory system. Conclusion The findings highlight the systemic nature of asthma and the interconnectedness of inflammatory processes across different organ systems. This comprehensive analysis confirmsprevious research linking asthma with an increased risk of various non-respiratory diseases, providing insights into the multifaceted impact of asthma on patient health.

Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease associated with systemic inflammation and increased prevalenceof various comorbid conditions. This study investigates the prevalence of non-respiratory comorbidities among adult asthma pa-tients in South Korea, aiming to elucidate potential correlations and impacts of asthma on overall health, thereby affecting patients’quality of life and healthcare systems. Methods: This retrospective cohort study utilized the National Health Insurance Service data(HIRA-NPS-2020) and included adults diagnosed with asthma. Non-respiratory diseases were identified using the Korean Standard Disease Classification (KCD-8) codes, with exclusions applied for other respiratory conditions. The prevalence of comorbiditieswas analyzed and compared between asthma and non-asthma patients, adjusting for confounders such as age, gender, and insurance status through inverse probability treatment weighting (IPTW). Results: The analysis revealed that asthma patients exhibit signifi-cantly higher rates of cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, gastrointestinal conditions, and mental health issues compared tothe control group. Notably, conditions such as heart failure, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and anxiety were more prevalent, withodds ratios (OR) ranging from 1.18 to 3.90. These results demonstrate a substantial burden of comorbidities associated with asthma, indicating a broad impact on health beyond the respiratory system. Conclusion The findings highlight the systemic nature of asthma and the interconnectedness of inflammatory processes across different organ systems. This comprehensive analysis confirmsprevious research linking asthma with an increased risk of various non-respiratory diseases, providing insights into the multifaceted impact of asthma on patient health.

Background: The safe use of medication in children is important, as it can have significant implications for their health and wellbeing. Parents or caregivers play a crucial role in the medication administration process. Therefore, this study would evaluate the needs and current status (knowledge, attitude, and practice) of caregivers for children on the safe use of medication. Methods: We conducted questionnaires on 150 caregivers with children under nine years old and asked about their knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the safe use of medication and their needs. Each question was conducted on a 5-point scale. Results: Of the 150 respondents, 128 were women, 75 were in their 30s, and 63 were in their 40s. Among them, 29 parents answered that they had been educated about the safe use of medicines, and 26 (84%) were satisfied with the education. Knowledge, attitude, and practice assessments on drug safety use (mean±SD) were found to be 3.83±0.44, 3.67±0.38, and 3.53±0.45, respectively. There were significant differences between the educated group and the uneducated group in knowledge and practice, not attitude. Conclusion To provide appropriate education to caregivers of pediatric patients is necessary to ensure the safe and effective use of medication in children. Moreover, appropriate education can improve caregivers' understanding of medication use and lead to proper administration. Therefore, it is imperative to develop educational materials and strategies for medications that incorporate both specialized knowledge and practical applications for pediatric patients.

Objective: There is a growing interest in the safe use of medications in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find ways to improve education about safe medication use by investigating the status of medication use of pregnant and breastfeeding women, and by evaluating their knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward safe medication use. Methods: In this study, a self-report questionnaire was conducted on pregnant or breastfeeding women in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. The questionnaire consisted of the following four sections; 1) sociodemographic characteristics of participants, 2) experience of medication use, 3) experience of being educated on safe medication use, and 4) knowledge, attitudes, and practices about medication use during pregnancy/breastfeeding. Results: A total of 203 participants were included in the analysis. Of these, 38.4% reported to take prescription medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Regarding education on safe medication use, nearly 90% of the participants answered that they were not educated or were unsure whether they had it. In the knowledge-attitude-practice evaluation on safe medication use, the knowledge level was the highest (mean, 4.45), followed by the attitude level (mean, 3.58) and the practice level (mean, 3.33). The preferred education method of the participants was online education using a computer or mobile phone application, etc. Conclusions This study suggests that there is a need for systematic and effective education that can link knowledge of safe medication use with attitudes and practices in pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Background: Migraine is one of the leading causes of poor quality of life and disability, and migraine incidences in pediatrics are increasing. Proper medication is important for the preventive and acute treatment of migraine. This study aimed to identify the current status of prescribed medication in pediatric patients with migraine. Methods: We used data from a sample of pediatric patients from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA-PPS-2018) and analyzed the status of prescription drugs and frequency of visits to medical institutions with migraine diagnoses in pediatric patients. Results: A total of 12,228 pediatric patients diagnosed with migraine during 2018 were analyzed. Among these patients, 7,170 (58.64%) were girls and 9,510 (77.77%) were adolescents. Additionally, 9,157 patients (74.89%) received acute treatment, and 592 patients (4.84%) received combination therapy with analgesics and triptans. Acetaminophen for acute treatment and flunarizine for preventive treatment were the most commonly prescribed. In most children and adolescents, acute treatment drugs were prescribed for less than 14 days. Conclusion Analgesics, such as acetaminophen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, were prescribed frequently for acute treatment in pediatric patients with migraine. The drug prescription duration was within the recommended range, indicating a low risk of overdose. For preventive treatment, clinically studied medication for pediatric patients with migraine was used.

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) disease is known as one of the major causes of death from disease worldwide. Statin therapy plays a pivotal role in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) lowering the LDL-cholesterol level effectively. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of the intensity of statin therapy in adult patients of Korea and the risk of ASCVD of the patient group. Methods: We used data from sample of patients from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA-NPS-2018). We analyzed the patterns of prescribing statins including types of statin, statin intensity, and number of patients with ASCVD or risk of ASCVD. Results: 155,512 patients were included in the analysis, and 27,950 patients (18.0%) was over 75 years. Highintensity statin usage was increased in ASCVD patients compared with the low-intensity statin use. The OR (odds ratio) of highintensity statin were increased in myocardial infarction patients compared with low-intensity statin use showing the highest OR; 12.40 (95% CI; 9.48-16.22). At patient groups of angina, ischemic heart disease and carotid disease, high-intensity statin prescription rate was increased compared with low-intensity statin. However, there was no statistical significance between both statin prescription rates in patients of peripheral arterial disease, abdominal aneurysm, diabetic mellitus and atherosclerosis. Conclusion The statin prescription rate showed intensity increasing tendency according to the risk of ASCVD. More aggressive statin therapy might be beneficial for the ASCVD patients based on the recent guidelines of dyslipidemia.

Background: Cardiovascular (CV) disease is known as one of the major causes of death from disease worldwide. Statin therapy plays a pivotal role in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) lowering the LDL-cholesterol level effectively. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of the intensity of statin therapy in adult patients of Korea and the risk of ASCVD of the patient group. Methods: We used data from sample of patients from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA-NPS-2018). We analyzed the patterns of prescribing statins including types of statin, statin intensity, and number of patients with ASCVD or risk of ASCVD. Results: 155,512 patients were included in the analysis, and 27,950 patients (18.0%) was over 75 years. Highintensity statin usage was increased in ASCVD patients compared with the low-intensity statin use. The OR (odds ratio) of highintensity statin were increased in myocardial infarction patients compared with low-intensity statin use showing the highest OR; 12.40 (95% CI; 9.48-16.22). At patient groups of angina, ischemic heart disease and carotid disease, high-intensity statin prescription rate was increased compared with low-intensity statin. However, there was no statistical significance between both statin prescription rates in patients of peripheral arterial disease, abdominal aneurysm, diabetic mellitus and atherosclerosis. Conclusion The statin prescription rate showed intensity increasing tendency according to the risk of ASCVD. More aggressive statin therapy might be beneficial for the ASCVD patients based on the recent guidelines of dyslipidemia.

Background: Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the quality of life and imposes a high socioeconomic burden. Studies have reported that statins, a HMG CoA reductase inhibitor, have a positive or negative effect on osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation between statins and osteoporosis risk. Methods: We used the total patient sample data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service (HIRA-NPS-2018). We analyzed the prevalence of osteoporosis in adult patients of Korea who were diagnosed with dyslipidemia and were prescribed statins at the same time. The odds ratio (OR) according to the intensity and type of statin was used to confirming the prevalence. Results: Among the 1,138,899 patients included in the study, 143,895 patients used statins and 27,524 patients (19.13%) were diagnosed with osteoporosis in the statin group. The OR value of statin group was 0.96 (95% CI 0.94-0.98), confirming that the prevalence of osteoporosis decreased, and a significant decrease was seen in all statin intensity. Some of the moderate-intensity statins rather increased the prevalence of osteoporosis, but atorvastatin and rosuvastatin obtained positive results at both medium- and high-intensity doses, and lovastatin, a low-intensity statin, showed the greatest reduction in the prevalence of osteoporosis. Conclusion We found that the prevalence of osteoporosis was reduced in the statin group, and there was a constant correlation regardless of gender or age. However, a large, prospective, double-blind and randomized study is needed for a long period of time to demonstrate the effectiveness of statins.