Background: and Purpose: The SoUth Korea study to PrEvent cognitive impaiRment and protect BRAIN health through lifestyle intervention (SUPERBRAIN) proved the feasibility of multidomain intervention for elderly people. One-quarter of the Korean population over 65 years of age has mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Digital health interventions may be costeffective and have fewer spatial constraints. We aim to examine the efficacy of a multidomain intervention through both face-to-face interactions and video communication platforms using a tablet personal computer (PC) application in MCI. Methods: Three hundred participants aged 60–85 years, with MCI and at least one modifiable dementia risk factor, will be recruited from 17 centers and randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the multidomain intervention and the waiting-list control groups. Participants will receive the 24-week intervention through the tablet PC SUPERBRAIN application, which encompasses the following five elements: managing metabolic and vascular risk factors, cognitive training,physical exercise, nutritional guidance, and boosting motivation. Participants will attend the interventions at a facility every 1–2 weeks. They will also engage in one or two self-administered cognitive training sessions utilizing the tablet PC application at home each week. They will participate in twice or thrice weekly online exercise sessions at home via the ZOOM platform. The primary outcome will be the change in the total scale index score of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status from baseline to study end. Conclusions This study will inform the effectiveness of a comprehensive multidomain intervention utilizing digital technologies in MCI.

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there was a shortage of medical resources and the need for proper treatment guidelines for brain tumor patients became more pressing. Thus, the Korean Society for Neuro-Oncology (KSNO), a multidisciplinary academic society, has undertaken efforts to develop a guideline that is tailored to the domestic situation and that can be used in similar crisis situations in the future. As part II of the guideline, this consensus survey is to suggest management options in specific clinical scenarios during the crisis period. Methods: The KSNO Guideline Working Group consisted of 22 multidisciplinary experts on neuro-oncology in Korea. In order to confirm a consensus reached by the experts, opinions on 5 specific clinical scenarios about the management of brain tumor patients during the crisis period were devised and asked. To build-up the consensus process, Delphi method was employed. Results: The summary of the final consensus from each scenario are as follows. For patients with newly diagnosed astrocytoma with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant and oligodendroglioma with IDH-mutant/1p19q codeleted, observation was preferred for patients with low-risk, World Health Organization (WHO) grade 2, and Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) ≥60, while adjuvant radiotherapy alone was preferred for patients with high-risk, WHO grade 2, and KPS ≥60. For newly diagnosed patients with glioblastoma, the most preferred adjuvant treatment strategy after surgery was radiotherapy plus temozolomide except for patients aged ≥70 years with KPS of 60 and unmethylated MGMT promoters. In patients with symptomatic brain metastasis, the preferred treatment differed according to the number of brain metastasis and performance status. For patients with newly diagnosed atypical meningioma, adjuvant radiation was deferred in patients with older age, poor performance status, complete resection, or low mitotic count. Conclusion It is imperative that proper medical care for brain tumor patients be sustained and provided, even during the crisis period. The findings of this consensus survey will be a useful reference in determining appropriate treatment options for brain tumor patients in the specific clinical scenarios covered by the survey during the future crisis.

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the need for appropriate treatment guidelines for patients with brain tumors was indispensable due to the lack and limitations of medical resources. Thus, the Korean Society for Neuro-Oncology (KSNO), a multidisciplinary academic society, has undertaken efforts to develop a guideline that is tailored to the domestic situation and that can be used in similar crisis situations in the future. Methods: The KSNO Guideline Working Group was composed of 22 multidisciplinary experts on neuro-oncology in Korea. In order to reach consensus among the experts, the Delphi method was used to build up the final recommendations. Results: All participating experts completed the series of surveys, and the results of final survey were used to draft the current consensus recommendations. Priority levels of surgery and radiotherapy during crises were proposed using appropriate time window-based criteria for management outcome. The highest priority for surgery is assigned to patients who are life-threatening or have a risk of significant impact on a patient’s prognosis unless immediate intervention is given within 24–48 hours. As for the radiotherapy, patients who are at risk of compromising their overall survival or neurological status within 4–6 weeks are assigned to the highest priority. Curative-intent chemotherapy has the highest priority, followed by neoadjuvant/adjuvant and palliative chemotherapy during a crisis period. Telemedicine should be actively considered as a management tool for brain tumor patients during the mass infection crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion It is crucial that adequate medical care for patients with brain tumors is maintained and provided, even during times of crisis. This guideline will serve as a valuable resource, assisting in the delivery of treatment to brain tumor patients in the event of any future crisis.

PURPOSE: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are common cause of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs). The present study aimed to investigate the characteristics of SCARs induced by NSAIDs in the Korean SCAR registry. METHODS: A retrospective survey of NSAID-induced SCARs recorded between 2010 and 2015 at 27 university hospitals in Korea was conducted. Clinical phenotypes of SCARs were classified into Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), SJS-TEN overlap syndrome and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS). Causative NSAIDs were classified into 7 groups according to their chemical properties: acetaminophen, and propionic, acetic, salicylic, fenamic and enolic acids. RESULTS: A total of 170 SCARs, consisting of 85 SJS, 32 TEN, 17 SJS-TEN overlap syndrome and 36 DRESS reactions, were induced by NSAIDs: propionic acids (n=68), acetaminophen (n=38), acetic acids (n=23), salicylic acids (n=16), coxibs (n=8), fenamic acids (n=7), enolic acids (n=5) and unclassified (n=5). Acetic acids (22%) and coxibs (14%) accounted for higher portions of DRESS than other SCARs. The phenotypes of SCARs induced by both propionic and salicylic acids were similar (SJS, TEN and DRESS, in order). Acetaminophen was primarily associated with SJS (27%) and was less involved in TEN (10%). DRESS occurred more readily among subjects experiencing coxib-induced SCARs than other NSAID-induced SCARs (62.5% vs. 19.7%, P = 0.013). The mean time to symptom onset was longer in DRESS than in SJS or TEN (19.1 ± 4.1 vs. 6.8 ±1.5 vs. 12.1 ± 3.8 days). SCARs caused by propionic salicylic acids showed longer latency, whereas acetaminophen- and acetic acid-induced SCARs appeared within shorter intervals. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates that the phenotypes of SCARs may differ according to the chemical classifications of NSAIDs. To establish the mechanisms and incidences of NSAID-induced SCARs, further prospective studies are needed.
Acetaminophen ; Acetates ; Acetic Acid ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Cicatrix ; Classification ; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors ; Diethylpropion ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome ; Hospitals, University ; Incidence ; Korea ; Phenotype ; Propionates ; Prospective Studies ; Retrospective Studies ; Salicylates ; Salicylic Acid ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

PURPOSE: Severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs), including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) to antiepileptic drug (AED), are rare, but result in significant morbidity and mortality. We investigated the major culprit drugs, clinical characteristics, and clinical course and outcomes of AED-induced SCARs using a nationwide registry in Korea. METHODS: A total of 161 patients with AED-induced SCARs from 28 referral hospitals were analyzed. The causative AEDs, clinical characteristics, organ involvements, details of treatment, and outcomes were evaluated. We compared the clinical and laboratory parameters between SJS/TEN and DRESS according to the leading causative drugs. We further determined risk factors for prolonged hospitalization in AED-induced SCARs. RESULTS: Carbamazepine and lamotrigine were the most common culprit drugs causing SCARs. Valproic acid and levetiracetam also emerged as the major causative agents. The disease duration and hospital stay in carbamazepine-induced SJS/TEN were shorter than those in other AEDs (P< 0.05, respectively). In younger patients, lamotrigine caused higher incidences of DRESS than other drugs (P= 0.045). Carbamazepine, the most common culprit drug for SCARs, was associated with a favorable outcome related with prolonged hospitalization in SJS (odds ratio, 0.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.63, P= 0.12), and thrombocytopenia was found to be a risk factor for prolonged hospitalization in DRESS. CONCLUSION: This was the first large-scale epidemiological study of AED-induced SCARs in Korea. Valproic acid and levetiracetam were the significant emerging AEDs causing SCARs in addition to the well-known offending AEDs such as carbamazepine and lamotrigine. Carbamazepine was associated with reduced hospitalization, but thrombocytopenia was a risk factor for prolonged hospitalization. Our results suggest that the clinical characteristics and clinical courses of AED-induced SCARs might vary according to the individual AEDs.
Anticonvulsants ; Carbamazepine ; Cicatrix ; Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Mortality ; Referral and Consultation ; Risk Factors ; Stevens-Johnson Syndrome ; Thrombocytopenia ; Valproic Acid

The Committee of Clinical Practice Guidelines of the Korean Diabetes Association revised and updated the 6th Clinical Practice Guidelines in 2019. Targets of glycemic, blood pressure, and lipid control in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were updated. The obese and overweight population is increasing steadily in Korea, and half of the Koreans with diabetes are obese. Evidence-based recommendations for weight-loss therapy for obesity management as treatment for hyperglycemia in T2DM were provided. In addition, evidence from large clinical studies assessing cardiovascular outcomes following the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists in patients with T2DM were incorporated into the recommendations.
Blood Pressure ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diagnosis ; Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Korea ; Obesity ; Overweight

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The clinical implications of echocardiography findings for long-term outcomes in atrial fibrillation (AF)-related stroke patients are unknown. METHODS: This was a substudy of the Korean ATrial fibrillaTion EvaluatioN regisTry in Ischemic strOke patieNts (K-ATTENTION), which is a multicenter-based cohort comprising prospective stroke registries from 11 tertiary centers. Stroke survivors who underwent two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography during hospitalization were enrolled. Echocardiography markers included the left-ventricle (LV) ejection fraction (LVEF), the left atrium diameter, and the ratio of the peak transmitral filling velocity to the mean mitral annular velocity during early diastole (E/e′ ratio). LVEF was categorized into normal (≥55%), mildly decreased (>40% and <55%), and severely decreased (≤40%). The E/e′ ratio associated with the LV filling pressure was categorized into normal (<8), borderline (≥8 and <15), and elevated (≥15). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed for recurrent stroke, major adverse cardiac events, and all-cause death. RESULTS: This study finally included 1,947 patients. Over a median follow-up of 1.65 years (interquartile range, 0.42–2.87 years), the rates of recurrent stroke, major adverse cardiac events, and all-cause death were 35.1, 10.8, and 69.6 cases per 1,000 person-years, respectively. Multivariable analyses demonstrated that severely decreased LVEF was associated with a higher risks of major adverse cardiac events [hazard ratio (HR), 3.91; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.58–9.69] and all-cause death (HR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.23–3.10). The multivariable fractional polynomial plot indicated that recurrent stroke might be associated with a lower LVEF. CONCLUSIONS: Severe LV systolic dysfunction could be a determinant of long-term outcomes in AF-related stroke.
Atrial Fibrillation ; Cohort Studies ; Diastole ; Echocardiography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Heart Atria ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Registries ; Stroke ; Survivors

BACKGROUND: Diabetic patients are known to have unusually high mean intraocular pressure (IOP); attributable to autonomic dysfunction and genetic factors. A recent study reported that diabetic complications occur in not only diabetes but also prediabetes. We performed this study to analyze the relationship between glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and IOP in non-diabetics using electronic medical records at the health screening center of Soon Chun Hyang University Seoul Hospital.METHODS: We considered 16,643 individuals who visited the health screening center of Soon Chun Hyang University Seoul Hospital between November 2015 and September 2017. In total, 3,029 subjects were included in the study. Exclusion criteria included a history of hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, hepatitis (A-C), cancer, other disease, fasting blood glucose of 126 mg/dL or higher, HbA1c of 6.5% or higher, and individuals whose binocular IOP could not be measured. We categorized subjects into two groups; those with HbA1c less than or equal to 5.6%, and those with HbA1c greater than 5.6% and less than 6.5%. The mean IOP of each group was compared by gender.RESULTS: After adjusting for factors affecting IOP, analysis of variance was performed to analyze the relationship between HbA1c and IOP. There was no statistically significant difference between the HbA1c groups in males. However, there was a significant difference in IOP between females in the the higher and lower HbA1c groups.CONCLUSION: There was a statistically significant relationship between mean IOP and HbA1c in females without diabetes. Further research is needed with prospective and extensive data collection.
Blood Glucose ; Data Collection ; Diabetes Complications ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Electronic Health Records ; Fasting ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Hepatitis ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Intraocular Pressure ; Male ; Mass Screening ; Myocardial Infarction ; Prediabetic State ; Prospective Studies ; Seoul ; Telescopes

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor has been recently reported of diabetic ketoacidosis due to accumulation of ketone bodies in patients with severe dehydration caused from such like diarrhea even though the patient had normal glucose level. This is a case of ketoacidosis in normal glucose level as production of ketone bodies is stimulated in liver with increased secretion of glucagon by stimulation of α cells in pancreas due to increase of lipolysis caused from reducing insulin and by SGLT2 inhibitor among patients who are under concurrent insulin and SGLT2 inhibitor. Thus, insulin dosage reduction requires caution in order to control blood glucose level on combined treatment of SGLT2 inhibitor in a patient who is administering insulin because the patient may be caused ketoacidosis in normal blood glucose level.
Blood Glucose ; Dehydration ; Diabetic Ketoacidosis* ; Diarrhea ; Glucagon ; Glucose* ; Humans ; Insulin* ; Ketone Bodies ; Ketosis ; Lipolysis ; Liver ; Pancreas ; Sodium*

OBJECTIVE: Prescription rate of dabigatran and rivaroxaban, which are the direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC), has increased. We have analyzed the prescription trend and medication use of dabigatran and rivaroxaban in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). METHODS: It was retrospectively studied from September 2012 to April 2014 using the electronic medical records and the progress notes. Patients with NVAF (n=424) were evaluated on the medication use, prescribing preferences, adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and the availability of prescription reimbursement of dabigatran (n=210) and rivaroxaban (n=214). RESULTS: Dabigatran was prescribed higher than rivaroxaban (23.3% versus 7.5%, p<0.001) in the neurology department, but rivaroxaban was prescribed higher compared to dabigatran in the cardiology department (87.4% versus 74.3%, p<0.001). Dabigatran was prescribed more than rivaroxaban in high risk patients with CHADS2 score ≥ 3 (44.3% versus 31.3%, p=0.006). Dabigatran patients seemed to have more ADRs than patients with rivaroxaban (25.2% versus 11.2%, p<0.001), but no serious thrombotic events and bleeding were found. Only 35.6% (n=151) were eligible for prescription reimbursement by the National Health Insurance (NHI). Bridging therapy (86, 31.5%) and direct-current cardioversion (57, 20.2%) were main reasons of ineligibility for reimbursement. CONCLUSION: Prescription preferences were present in choosing either dabigatran or rivaroxaban for patients with NVAF. Inpatient protocols and procedures considering patient-factors in NVAF need to be developed.
Anticoagulants ; Atrial Fibrillation* ; Cardiology ; Dabigatran* ; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions ; Electric Countershock ; Electronic Health Records ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Inpatients ; National Health Programs ; Neurology ; Prescriptions ; Retrospective Studies ; Rivaroxaban* ; Stroke*