Background: Although many studies have demonstrated that the first cigarette in the morning increases the prevalence of smoking-related morbidity, limited studies have examined the impact of time to first cigarette (TTFC) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Thus, we assessed this relationship using nationally-representative data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII-1 (2016). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 577 current male smokers aged 30–59 years, after excluding those with a certain disease. Participants were divided into four categories according to TTFC (≤5 min, 6–30 min, 31–60 min, >60 min). HRQoL was measured using self-reported EuroQol-5 (EQ-5D). The relationship between TTFC and EQ-5D index was analyzed using a multivariate-adjusted generalized linear model to assess how HRQoL varies according to TTFC. After adjusting for confounders, a multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to identify which of the five dimensions of the EQ-5D affected the HRQoL according to TTFC. Results: The generalized linear analysis indicated that as TTFC decreased (6–30 min, 31–60 min vs. >60 min), the EQ-5D index score decreased significantly (P=0.037). Shorter TTFC (≤5 min vs. >60 min) was associated with higher pain/discomfort (odds ratio [OR], 3.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–10.48) and anxiety/depression (OR, 7.58; 95% CI, 1.75–32.88). Conclusion Higher nicotine dependence was associated with impaired HRQoL. These results may be used to improve smoking cessation treatment outcomes.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between near work time and depression. Methods: Data of 1,551 workers aged 19–49 years from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were examined. The Patient Health Questionaire-9 scores were used to screen for depression. Participants who scored a total of 10 or above, which is suggestive of the presence of depression, were classified as the depression group; the rest were classified as normal. The correlation between daily near work time and depression was analyzed using multivariate logistic analysis after adjusting for other sociodemographic and health behavior-related variables. Results: Multivariate logistic analysis found that workers with 3 or more hours of near work were more likely to report depression compared to the reference group who had 2 or fewer hours per day of near work (adjusted odds ratio, 2.471; 95% confidence interval, 1.062–5.747). Conclusion Longer near work time was associated with depression among South Korea’s workers. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce near work time to prevent depression.

Background: Although many studies have demonstrated that the first cigarette in the morning increases the prevalence of smoking-related morbidity, limited studies have examined the impact of time to first cigarette (TTFC) on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Thus, we assessed this relationship using nationally-representative data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII-1 (2016). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from 577 current male smokers aged 30–59 years, after excluding those with a certain disease. Participants were divided into four categories according to TTFC (≤5 min, 6–30 min, 31–60 min, >60 min). HRQoL was measured using self-reported EuroQol-5 (EQ-5D). The relationship between TTFC and EQ-5D index was analyzed using a multivariate-adjusted generalized linear model to assess how HRQoL varies according to TTFC. After adjusting for confounders, a multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to identify which of the five dimensions of the EQ-5D affected the HRQoL according to TTFC. Results: The generalized linear analysis indicated that as TTFC decreased (6–30 min, 31–60 min vs. >60 min), the EQ-5D index score decreased significantly (P=0.037). Shorter TTFC (≤5 min vs. >60 min) was associated with higher pain/discomfort (odds ratio [OR], 3.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–10.48) and anxiety/depression (OR, 7.58; 95% CI, 1.75–32.88). Conclusion Higher nicotine dependence was associated with impaired HRQoL. These results may be used to improve smoking cessation treatment outcomes.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between near work time and depression. Methods: Data of 1,551 workers aged 19–49 years from the sixth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were examined. The Patient Health Questionaire-9 scores were used to screen for depression. Participants who scored a total of 10 or above, which is suggestive of the presence of depression, were classified as the depression group; the rest were classified as normal. The correlation between daily near work time and depression was analyzed using multivariate logistic analysis after adjusting for other sociodemographic and health behavior-related variables. Results: Multivariate logistic analysis found that workers with 3 or more hours of near work were more likely to report depression compared to the reference group who had 2 or fewer hours per day of near work (adjusted odds ratio, 2.471; 95% confidence interval, 1.062–5.747). Conclusion Longer near work time was associated with depression among South Korea’s workers. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce near work time to prevent depression.

The infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) is one of three fat pads located about the anterior knee. Injury in this region is relatively common. Damage to the IPFP is caused mostly by an iatrogenic injury from a surgical procedure or repeated small collision trauma. The authors experienced a case of an IPFP injury, that has not been reported in the domestic or international literature. In this case, acute IPFP separation followed by a contusion at the anterior aspect of knee in the kneeling position, confirmed using magnetic resonance imaging. The patient was fully recovered with conservative treatment.

Background: Grip strength is a convenient method to measure muscle strength. Recently, relative handgrip strength (HGS) was recommended as a clinical predictor of metabolic health and disease, such as dyslipidemia, which is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to characterize the association between relative HGS and dyslipidemia. Methods: We included 6,027 adults (2,934 men, 3,093 women) aged 30–69 years who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2014 and 2015. Relative HGS was obtained by dividing the HGS by body mass index. Complex sampling analysis was conducted to compare the general characteristics of participants according to the quartiles of relative HGS. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between quartiles of relative HGS and dyslipidemia. Results: After adjustment for age, prevalence of diabetes mellitus, prevalence of hypertension, alcohol consumption, smoking status, exercise, income, and education level, relative HGS was inversely associated with dyslipidemia in both men and women. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for dyslipidemia in quartiles 1, 2, and 3 relative to quartile 4 were 1.36 (1.00–1.83), 1.29 (0.98–1.70), 1.23 (0.95– 1.60) in men and 1.81 (1.30–2.50), 1.81 (1.32–2.47), 1.39 (1.07–1.81) in women, respectively. Conclusion Relative HGS was inversely associated with dyslipidemia risk in Korean adults. Muscle-strengthening exercise is recommended to enhance health outcomes.

Purpose: Korean studies on the prevalence of a tarsal coalition are quite rare, and there are very few reports on the prevalence of multipletarsal coalitions among adults in the foreign literature. Therefore, this study examined the characteristics and prevalence of tarsal coalitionin the Korean population based on imaging tests. Materials and Methods: The prevalence of tarsal coalition and its anatomical location and histological classification were reviewedretrospectively among 4,711 patients (4,454 males and 257 females) with an ankle sprain or ankle fracture who underwent foot and anklecomputed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging between March 2009 and February 2019 at the authors’ institution. Results: Over a period of 10 years, 78 patients (1.7%) had a tarsal coalition, among whom 53 patients (67.9%) had an isolated tarsalcoalition and 25 patients (32.1%) had multiple tarsal coalitions. Regarding the anatomical location, a talocalcaneal coalition was the mostcommon type in both isolated (31 patients, 37 cases [62.7%]) and multiple (22 patients, 23 cases [45.1%]) tarsal coalitions. In the isolatedcoalition group, the second-most common type was calcaneonavicular coalition (10 patients, 16.9%), followed by naviculocuneiform (ninepatients, 15.3%) and cuboidonavicular coalitions (three patients, 5.1%). In the multiple coalition group, the second-most common coalitiontype was calcaneonavicular coalition (14 patients, 14 cases [27.5%]), followed by talonavicular coalition (six patients, six cases [11.8%]).From a total of 60 cases of talocalcaneal coalition, 24 cases (40.0%) were in the posterior facet, 18 cases (30.0%) in the middle facet, andfour cases (6.7%) in the anterior facet. Regarding the histological classification, cartilaginous coalition was the most common in both single(32 patients, 35 cases [59.3%]) and multiple (20 patients, 37 cases [72.5%]) coalition groups. Conclusion The present study found that talocalcaneal coalition was the most common type of tarsal coalition. In contrast to previousreports that a talocalcaneal coalition generally occurs in the middle facet, it was usually observed in the posterior facet in the presentstudy. In addition, although multiple tarsal coalitions have been reported to be quite rare, this study confirmed that they are not rare andcan occur in a range of patterns.

PURPOSE: Sodium chloride (NaCl) has been proposed as a driving factor in autoimmune diseases through the induction of pathogenic CD4+ T helper cells that produce interleukin-17 (Th17 cells). This study investigated the effects of NaCl on inflammatory arthritis in mice and humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice were fed a normal or high-salt diet ad libitum, and clinical and histologic features of arthritis were evaluated. The proportion of Th17 cells in the spleens of CIA mice fed a normal or high-salt diet was evaluated by flow cytometry, and the expression of IL-17 in joints and intestines was determined by immunohistochemical staining. We also analyzed the effect of NaCl on Th17 differentiation from peripheral blood monocytes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) and evaluated the contents of sodium and IL-17 in the synovial fluid of RA and OA patients. RESULTS: NaCl increased murine and human Th17 cell differentiation in a dose-dependent manner. Clinical and histological arthritis was more severe in the high-salt-fed CIA mice, compared to control CIA mice. The proportion of Th17 cells among splenocytes was higher in CIA mice fed a high-salt diet. Expression of synovial and intestinal IL-17 was also higher in high-salt-fed CIA mice. Comparison of synovial fluid between RA patients and OA patients revealed that Na+ and IL-17 were more abundant in RA synovial fluid. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that NaCl can aggravate arthritis by affecting Th17 differentiation. Accordingly, limiting salt intake may be helpful for treating inflammatory arthritis, such as RA.
Animals ; Arthritis* ; Arthritis, Experimental ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Diet ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Interleukin-17 ; Intestines ; Joints ; Mice ; Monocytes ; Osteoarthritis ; Sodium Chloride* ; Sodium* ; Spleen ; Synovial Fluid ; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer ; Th17 Cells

Avascular necrosis (AVN) is defined as the cellular death of bone and bone marrow components due to the loss of blood supply, and associated with post-traumatic or non-traumatic events. AVN usually involves the epiphysis of a long bone, such as the femoral and humeral heads, which are susceptible to osteonecrosis. Many studies have been conducted but they were restricted to investigations of femoral head avascular necrosis. The presence of osteonecrosis in the proximal femur may impair biological fixation after total hip arthroplasty. We report a 56-year-old male patient with avascular necrosis located not only at the femoral head, but also in the entire femur, including the medullary cavity, who underwent total hip arthroplasty 2 years earlier along with a review of the relevant literature.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip ; Bone Marrow ; Epiphyses ; Femur ; Head ; Humans ; Humeral Head ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Necrosis ; Osteonecrosis

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease is increasing worldwide. Several studies have suggested that obesity is associated with early renal dysfunction. However, little is known about the relationship between obesity phenotypes and early renal function decline. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the relationship between obesity phenotypes and early renal function decline in adults without hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of clinical and anthropometric data from 1,219 patients who underwent a routine health checkup in 2014. We excluded adults with cardiovascular disease, renal disease, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, or low glomerular filtration rate (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Renal function was determined according to the estimated glomerular filtration rate calculated using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration creatinine-cystatin C equation. RESULTS: Age, sex, body mass index, waist circumference, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and fasting glucose had an association with the estimated glomerular filtration rate. After adjusting for age, sex, smoking status, and alcohol intake, the odds ratios of the metabolically abnormal normal weight and metabolically abnormal obese phenotypes for the presence of low estimated glomerular filtration rates were 1.807 (95% confidence interval, 1.009–3.236) and 1.834 (95% confidence interval, 1.162–2.895), compared with the metabolically healthy normal weight phenotype. However, the metabolically healthy obese phenotype did not show a significant association with early renal function decline. CONCLUSION: In this cross-sectional study, we confirmed the association between the metabolically abnormal normal weight and metabolically abnormal obese phenotypes and early kidney function decline in adults without hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes.
Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cooperative Behavior ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Dyslipidemias ; Epidemiology ; Fasting ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Glucose ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Kidney ; Kidney Function Tests ; Lipoproteins ; Obesity ; Odds Ratio ; Phenotype ; Prevalence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Triglycerides ; Waist Circumference