Objective: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) refers to self-reported memory loss despite normal cognitive function and is considered a preclinical stage of Alzheimer’s disease. This study aimed to examine the mediating effects of depression and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) on the association between the scoring of Clinical Dementia Rating Scale-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) and Subjective Cognitive Decline Questionnaire (SCD-Q). Methods: A sample of 139 community-dwelling older adults aged 65–79 with normal cognitive function completed the SCD-Q, a comprehensive neuropsychological battery, and functional/psychiatric scales. We conducted 1) a correlation analysis between SCD-Q scores and other variables and 2) a path analysis to examine the mediating effects of depression and IADL on the relationship between CDR-SB and SCD-Q. Results: CDR-SB was found to be indirectly associated with SCD-Q, with depressive symptoms mediating this relationship. However, no direct association was observed between SCD-Q and CDR-SB. Additionally, IADL was not associated with SCD-Q and did not mediate the relationship between CDR-SB and SCD-Q. The model fit was acceptable (minimum discrepancy function by degrees of freedom divided [CMIN/DF]=1.585, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA]=0.065, comparative fit index [CFI]=0.955, Tucker-Lewis index [TLI]=0.939). Conclusion Our results suggest that SCD-Q is influenced by depressive symptoms, but not by IADL. The role of depressive symptoms as a mediator between CDR-SB and SCD-Q indicates that psychological factors may contribute to the perception of SCD. Therefore, interventions targeting depression may mitigate the concerns associated with SCD and reduce feelings of worse performance compared to others of the same age group.

OBJECTIVE: Fall is one of major causes of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. It is known that sleep is associated with quality of life in the elderly. Snoring is one of the factors affecting sleep quality. The aim of the study was to examine whether snoring affect fall in the community elderly. METHODS: This survey was performed as a part of the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, which studied the elderly living in Ganghwa-gun. Fall was defined as any history of fall in the last year through face-to-face interview. We examined the following variables: age, sex, snoring, insomnia, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, bone disease, vision problems, depression, alcohol intake, mini-mental state examination, and body mass index. The data was analyzed by multiple logistic regression to determine the association of fall with the risk factors. RESULTS: In the multivariate analysis of 516 participants, the adjusted odd ratios (95% confidence interval) of simple snoring affecting fall was 1.70 (1.10–2.63). In addition, sex (female), age, and diabetes were significantly predicted the fall. CONCLUSION: Our result suggested that snoring could be a risk factor of fall. A more comprehensive study of the relationship between snoring and fall is needed to improve the quality of life of the community elderly.
Aged* ; Aging ; Body Mass Index ; Bone Diseases ; Depression ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Logistic Models ; Mortality ; Multivariate Analysis ; Quality of Life ; Risk Factors* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders ; Snoring* ; Stroke

OBJECTIVE: Sleep disturbance is common in the elderly, which is result from multi-factorial causes encompassing socio-demographic, behavioral, and clinical factors. We aimed to identify factors associated with insomnia among the elderly in a rural community in South Korea, a country with a rapidly growing aged population. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used the data from the second wave of the Korean Social life, Health and Ageing Project, which is a cohort study of individuals living in a typical rural community in South Korea. Socio-demographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics were obtained through face-to-face interviews. Various factors suspected to be associated with insomnia were compared between elderly participants with and without insomnia, and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify independent risk factors for insomnia. RESULTS: We found that 32.4% of 509 participants (72.8±7.7 years old) had insomnia. Female sex [odds ratio (OR)=2.19], low education level (OR=2.44), current smoking (OR=2.26), number of chronic diseases (OR=2.21 for 2–3 chronic diseases; OR=2.06 for 4 or more chronic diseases), and depression (OR=2.53) were independently associated with insomnia. CONCLUSION: We found that sex, education, chronic disease, and depression independently increase the risk of insomnia of the elderly in a Korean rural community. To overcome the elderly's insomnia, interventions should target modifiable factors such as depression. To promote active aging, longitudinal studies of factors associated with insomnia among the elderly should be performed in different regions and communities.
Aged* ; Aging ; Chronic Disease ; Cohort Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Longitudinal Studies ; Republic of Korea ; Risk Factors ; Rural Population* ; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders* ; Smoke ; Smoking

Capsule endoscopy is being increasingly recognized as a gold standard for diagnosing small bowel disease, but along with the increased usage, capsule retention is being reported more frequently. We report a case of capsule endoscopy retention in a diverticulum of the duodenal proximal third portion, which we treated by esophagogastroduodenoscopy. A 69-year-old male visited hospital with hematochezia. He had hypertension and dyslipidemia for several years, and was taking aspirin to prevent heart disease. CT and colonoscopy revealed a diverticulum in the third portion of the duodenum, rectal polyps, and internal hemorrhoids. Capsule endoscopy was performed but capsule impaction occurred. The capsule was later detected by CT in the diverticulum. Endoscopy was performed a day later and the capsule was removed using a net. A small bowel series was conducted after capsule removal, and no stenosis was found. The patient fully recovered and no recurrence of hematochezia was observed at his one month exam. This is the first case in Korea of capsule retention in a duodenal diverticulum, with successful removal by endoscopy.
Abdomen/diagnostic imaging ; Aged ; Capsule Endoscopy ; Diverticulum/*diagnosis/diagnostic imaging ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Humans ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Fibroblast growth factor signaling is involved in hepatocarcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to determine the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) isotype expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and neighboring nonneoplastic liver tissue, and elucidate its prognostic implications. METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining of FGFR1, -2, -3, and -4 was performed in the HCCs and paired neighboring nonneoplastic liver tissue of 870 HCC patients who underwent hepatic resection. Of these, clinical data for 153 patients who underwent curative resection as a primary therapy were reviewed, and the relationship between FGFR isotype expression and overall survival was evaluated (development set). This association was also validated in 73 independent samples (validation set) by Western blot analysis. RESULTS: FGFR1, -2, -3, and -4 were expressed in 5.3%, 11.1%, 3.8%, and 52.7% of HCCs, respectively. Among the development set of 153 patients, FGFR2 positivity in HCC was associated with a significantly shorter overall survival (5-year survival rate, 35.3% vs. 61.8%; P=0.02). FGFR2 expression in HCC was an independent predictor of a poor postsurgical prognosis (hazard ratio, 2.10; P=0.02) in the development set. However, the corresponding findings were not statistically significant in the validation set. CONCLUSIONS: FGFR2 expression in HCC could be a prognostic indicator of postsurgical survival.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blotting, Western ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism/mortality/*pathology ; Female ; Hepatectomy ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Liver Neoplasms/metabolism/mortality/*pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Protein Isoforms/metabolism ; Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor/*metabolism ; Young Adult

We validated the basic life support termination of resuscitation (BLS TOR) rule retrospectively using Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) data of metropolitan emergency medical service (EMS) in Korea. We also tested it by investigating the scene time interval for supplementing the BLS TOR rule. OHCA database of Seoul (January 2011 to December 2012) was used, which is composed of ambulance data and hospital medical record review. EMS-treated OHCA and 19 yr or older victims were enrolled, after excluding cases occurred in the ambulance and with incomplete information. The primary and secondary outcomes were hospital mortality and poor neurologic outcome. After calculating the sensitivity (SS), specificity (SP), and the positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), tested the rule according to the scene time interval group for sensitivity analysis. Of total 4,835 analyzed patients, 3,361 (69.5%) cases met all 3 criteria of the BLS TOR rule. Of these, 3,224 (95.9%) were dead at discharge (SS,73.5%; SP,69.6%; PPV,95.9%; NPV, 21.3%) and 3,342 (99.4%) showed poor neurologic outcome at discharge (SS, 75.2%; SP, 89.9%; PPV, 99.4%; NPV, 11.5%). The cut-off scene time intervals for 100% SS and PPV were more than 20 min for survival to discharge and more than 14 min for good neurological recovery. The BLS TOR rule showed relatively lower SS and PPV in OHCA data in Seoul, Korea.
Adult ; Advanced Cardiac Life Support/*mortality ; Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation/*mortality ; Critical Care/statistics & numerical data ; Decision Support Techniques ; Electric Countershock/*mortality ; Emergency Medical Services ; Female ; Hospital Mortality ; Humans ; Male ; Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest/*epidemiology/*mortality/therapy ; Refusal to Treat ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate ; Time Factors ; Time-to-Treatment ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVES: Controlling blood pressure is a key step in reducing cardiovascular mortality in older adults. Gender differences in patients' attitudes after disease diagnosis and their management of the disease have been identified. However, it is unclear whether gender differences exist in hypertension management among older adults. We hypothesized that gender differences would exist among factors associated with hypertension diagnosis and control among community-dwelling, older adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from 653 Koreans aged > or =60 years who participated in the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project. Multiple logistic regression was used to compare several variables between undiagnosed and diagnosed hypertension, and between uncontrolled and controlled hypertension. RESULTS: Diabetes was more prevalent in men and women who had uncontrolled hypertension than those with controlled hypertension or undiagnosed hypertension. High body mass index was significantly associated with uncontrolled hypertension only in men. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that in women, awareness of one's blood pressure level (odds ratio [OR], 2.86; p=0.003) and the number of blood pressure checkups over the previous year (OR, 1.06; p=0.011) might influence the likelihood of being diagnosed with hypertension. More highly educated women were more likely to have controlled hypertension than non-educated women (OR, 5.23; p=0.013). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that gender differences exist among factors associated with hypertension diagnosis and control in the study population of community-dwelling, older adults. Education-based health promotion strategies for hypertension control might be more effective in elderly women than in elderly men. Gender-specific approaches may be required to effectively control hypertension among older adults.
Aged ; *Aging ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Awareness ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; *Health Status ; Humans ; Hypertension/diagnosis/epidemiology/*prevention & control ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Sex Factors

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The role of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the modulation of cell growth is well established in colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to elucidate the significance of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) down-regulation on the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. METHODS: The expression of 15-PGDH in HCC cell lines and resected HCC tissues was investigated, and the correlation between 15-PGDH expression and HCC cell-line proliferation and patient survival was explored. RESULTS: The interleukin-1-beta-induced suppression of 15-PGDH did not change the proliferation of PLC and Huh-7 cells in the MTS [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay. The induction of 15-PGDH by transfection in HepG2 cells without baseline 15-PGDH expression was suppressed at day 2 of proliferation compared with empty-vector transfection, but there was no difference at day 3. Among the 153 patients who received curative HCC resection between 2003 and 2004 at our institution, 15-PGDH expression was observed in resected HCC tissues in 56 (36.6%), but the 5-year survival rate did not differ from that of the remaining 97 non-15-PGDH-expressing patients (57.1% vs 59.8%; P=0.93). Among 50 patients who exhibited baseline 15-PGDH expression in adjacent nontumor liver tissues, 28 (56%) exhibited a reduction in 15-PGDH expression score in HCC tissues, and there was a trend toward fewer long-term survivors compared with the remaining 22 with the same or increment in their 15-PGDH expression score in HCC tissues. CONCLUSIONS: The prognostic significance of 15-PGDH down-regulation in HCC was not established in this study. However, maintenance of 15-PGDH expression could be a potential therapeutic target for a subgroup of HCC patients with baseline 15-PGDH expression in adjacent nontumor liver tissue.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*diagnosis/mortality/pathology ; Down-Regulation ; Female ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Hydroxyprostaglandin Dehydrogenases/*metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Liver Neoplasms/*diagnosis/mortality/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Young Adult

We report a case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis invading the mediastinum and the left atrium. A 70-year-old woman was hospitalized for dyspnea. She had been well controlled for her diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The chest X-ray disclosed mediastinal widening, and the computed tomography scan of the chest showed that there was a large mediastinal mass and this lesion extended into the left atrium and right bronchus. The cardiac echocardiography showed that a huge mediastinal cystic mass compressed in the right atrium and a hyperechoic polypoid lesion in the left. The pathology from the bronchoscopic biopsy observed abundant fungal hyphae which was stained with periodic acid-Schiff and Gomori's methenamine silver. Despite the treatment with antifungal agents, she died from cardiac tamponade after three months. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, which involves the mediastinum and the heart, is very rare in immunocompetent patients.
Aged ; Antifungal Agents ; Biopsy ; Bronchi ; Cardiac Tamponade ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Atria* ; Heart Neoplasms ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hyphae ; Immunocompetence ; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis* ; Mediastinal Cyst ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; Mediastinum* ; Methenamine ; Pathology ; Thorax

We report a case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis invading the mediastinum and the left atrium. A 70-year-old woman was hospitalized for dyspnea. She had been well controlled for her diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The chest X-ray disclosed mediastinal widening, and the computed tomography scan of the chest showed that there was a large mediastinal mass and this lesion extended into the left atrium and right bronchus. The cardiac echocardiography showed that a huge mediastinal cystic mass compressed in the right atrium and a hyperechoic polypoid lesion in the left. The pathology from the bronchoscopic biopsy observed abundant fungal hyphae which was stained with periodic acid-Schiff and Gomori's methenamine silver. Despite the treatment with antifungal agents, she died from cardiac tamponade after three months. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, which involves the mediastinum and the heart, is very rare in immunocompetent patients.
Aged ; Antifungal Agents ; Biopsy ; Bronchi ; Cardiac Tamponade ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Dyspnea ; Echocardiography ; Female ; Heart ; Heart Atria* ; Heart Neoplasms ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hyphae ; Immunocompetence ; Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis* ; Mediastinal Cyst ; Mediastinal Neoplasms ; Mediastinum* ; Methenamine ; Pathology ; Thorax