Background: and Purpose The influence of imaging features of brain frailty on outcomes were investigated in acute ischemic stroke patients with minor symptoms and large-vessel occlusion (LVO). Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of a prospective, multicenter, nationwide registry of consecutive patients with acute (within 24 h) minor (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score=0–5) ischemic stroke with anterior circulation LVO (acute minor LVO). Brain frailty was stratified according to the presence of an advanced white-matter hyperintensity (WMH) (Fazekas grade 2 or 3), silent/old brain infarct, or cerebral microbleeds. The primary outcome was a composite of stroke, myocardial infarction, and all-cause mortality within 1 year. Results: In total, 1,067 patients (age=67.2±13.1 years [mean±SD], 61.3% males) were analyzed. The proportions of patients according to the numbers of brain frailty burdens were as follows: no burden in 49.2%, one burden in 30.0%, two burdens in 17.3%, and three burdens in 3.5%. In the Cox proportional-hazards analysis, the presence of more brain frailty burdens was associated with a higher risk of 1-year primary outcomes, but after adjusting for clinically relevant variables there were no significant associations between burdens of brain frailty and 1-year vascular outcomes. For individual components of brain frailty, an advanced WMH was independently associated with an increased risk of 1-year primary outcomes (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]=1.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.03–1.71) and stroke (aHR=1.32, 95% CI=1.00–1.75). Conclusions The baseline imaging markers of brain frailty were common in acute minor ischemic stroke patients with LVO. An advanced WMH was the only frailty marker associated with an increased risk of vascular events. Further research is needed into the association between brain frailty and prognosis in patients with acute minor LVO.

Background/Aims: Efficacy of proton pump inhibitors is limited in patients with nonerosive reflux disease (NERD). The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the efficacy and safety of esomeprazole with sodium bicarbonate and esomeprazole alone. Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, noninferiority comparative study. A total of 379 patients with NERD were randomly allocated to receive either EsoduoⓇ/sup> (esomeprazole 20 mg with sodium bicarbonate 800 mg) or NexiumⓇ/sup> (esomeprazole 20 mg) once daily for 4 weeks from January 2019 to December 2019. The patients had a history of heartburn for at least 2 days in the week before randomization as well as in the last 3 months and no esophageal mucosal breaks on endoscopy. The primary endpoint was a complete cure of heartburn at week 4. The secondary and exploratory endpoints as well as the safety profiles were compared in the groups at weeks 2 and 4. Results: A total of 355 patients completed the study (180 in the EsoduoⓇ/sup> group and 175 in the NexiumⓇ/sup> group). The proportions of patients without heartburn in the entire 4th week of treatment were not different between the two groups (33.33% in the EsoduoⓇ/sup> group and 35% in the NexiumⓇ/sup> group, p=0.737). There were no significant differences in most of the secondary and exploratory endpoints as well as the safety profiles. Conclusions EsoduoⓇ/sup> is as effective and safe as NexiumⓇ/sup> for managing typical symptoms in patients with NERD (ClinicalTrial.gov identifier: NCT03928470).

Background: Based on the reports of low prevalence and severity of pediatric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, the Korean government has released new SARS-CoV-2 infection response and treatment guidelines for children under the age of 12 years. The government has further directed school reopening under strict preventive measures. However, there is still considerable concern on the impact of school reopening on community transmission of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of these directives and the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections in children as compared to adults using sufficient national sample data. Methods: In the present study, we evaluated the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric patients as compared to adults by analyzing the length of hospital stays (LOS), medical expenses, and hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates. A multivariate linear regression analysis was carried out to examine the effects of COVID-19 patients that the characteristics on the LOS and medical expenses, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify COVID-19 characteristics that affect hospital and ICU admission rates and to prove the low SARS-CoV-2 infection severity in pediatric patients. Results: The hospitalization period for children aged 0–9 was 37% shorter and that of patients aged 10–19 years was 31% shorter than those of older age groups (P < 0.001). The analysis of the medical expenses by age showed that on average, medical expenses for children were approximately 4,900 USD lower for children than for patients over 80 years of age. The linear regression analysis also showed that patients who were 0–9 years old spent 87% and those aged 10–19 118% less on medical expenses than those aged 70 and over, even after the correction of other variables (P < 0.001). The probability of hospitalization was the lowest at 10–19 years old (odds ratio [OR], 0.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.03–0.09), and their ICU admission rate was also the lowest at 0.14 (OR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.08–0.24). On the other hand, the likelihood of hospitalization and ICU admission was the highest in children aged 0–9 years, and among patients under the age of 50 years in general. Conclusion This study demonstrated the low severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in younger patients (0–19 years) by analyzing the LOS, medical expenses, hospital, and intensive care unit admission rates as outcome variables. As the possibility to develop severe infection of coronavirus at the age of 10–19 was the lowest, a mitigation policy is also required for middle and high school students. In addition, children with underlying diseases need to be protected from high-risk infection environments.

Background: Based on the reports of low prevalence and severity of pediatric severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, the Korean government has released new SARS-CoV-2 infection response and treatment guidelines for children under the age of 12 years. The government has further directed school reopening under strict preventive measures. However, there is still considerable concern on the impact of school reopening on community transmission of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of these directives and the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections in children as compared to adults using sufficient national sample data. Methods: In the present study, we evaluated the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric patients as compared to adults by analyzing the length of hospital stays (LOS), medical expenses, and hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates. A multivariate linear regression analysis was carried out to examine the effects of COVID-19 patients that the characteristics on the LOS and medical expenses, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to identify COVID-19 characteristics that affect hospital and ICU admission rates and to prove the low SARS-CoV-2 infection severity in pediatric patients. Results: The hospitalization period for children aged 0–9 was 37% shorter and that of patients aged 10–19 years was 31% shorter than those of older age groups (P < 0.001). The analysis of the medical expenses by age showed that on average, medical expenses for children were approximately 4,900 USD lower for children than for patients over 80 years of age. The linear regression analysis also showed that patients who were 0–9 years old spent 87% and those aged 10–19 118% less on medical expenses than those aged 70 and over, even after the correction of other variables (P < 0.001). The probability of hospitalization was the lowest at 10–19 years old (odds ratio [OR], 0.05; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.03–0.09), and their ICU admission rate was also the lowest at 0.14 (OR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.08–0.24). On the other hand, the likelihood of hospitalization and ICU admission was the highest in children aged 0–9 years, and among patients under the age of 50 years in general. Conclusion This study demonstrated the low severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in younger patients (0–19 years) by analyzing the LOS, medical expenses, hospital, and intensive care unit admission rates as outcome variables. As the possibility to develop severe infection of coronavirus at the age of 10–19 was the lowest, a mitigation policy is also required for middle and high school students. In addition, children with underlying diseases need to be protected from high-risk infection environments.

BACKGROUND: Combination of metformin to reduce the fasting plasma glucose level and an α-glucosidase inhibitor to decrease the postprandial glucose level is expected to generate a complementary effect. We compared the efficacy and safety of a fixed-dose combination of voglibose plus metformin (vogmet) with metformin monotherapy in drug-naïve newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: A total of 187 eligible patients aged 20 to 70 years, with a glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level of 7.0% to 11.0%, were randomized into either vogmet or metformin treatments for 24 weeks. A change in the HbA1c level from baseline was measured at week 24. RESULTS: The reduction in the levels of HbA1c was −1.62%±0.07% in the vogmet group and −1.31%±0.07% in the metformin group (P=0.003), and significantly more vogmet-treated patients achieved the target HbA1c levels of <6.5% (P=0.002) or <7% (P=0.039). Glycemic variability was also significantly improved with vogmet treatment, estimated by M-values (P=0.004). Gastrointestinal adverse events and hypoglycemia (%) were numerically lower in the vogmet-treated group. Moreover, a significant weight loss was observed with vogmet treatment compared with metformin (−1.63 kg vs. −0.86 kg, P=0.039). CONCLUSION: Vogmet is a safe antihyperglycemic agent that controls blood glucose level effectively, yields weight loss, and is superior to metformin in terms of various key glycemic parameters without increasing the risk of hypoglycemia.
Blood Glucose ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Fasting ; Glucose ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Hypoglycemia ; Metformin ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND: Removal of uremic toxins such as indoxyl sulfate by AST-120 is known to improve renal function and delay the initiation of dialysis in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. However, it is unclear whether the addition of AST-120 to conventional treatments is effective in delaying the progression of renal dysfunction in patients with diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: A total of 100 patients with type 2 diabetes and renal dysfunction (serum creatinine levels ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 mg/dL) were recruited from eight centers in Korea and treated with AST-120 (6 g/day) for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was improvement in renal function measured as the gradient of the reciprocal serum creatinine level (1/sCr) over time (i.e., the ratio of 1/sCr time slope for post- to pre-AST-120 therapy). A response was defined as a ratio change of the regression coefficient of 1/sCr ≤ 0.90. RESULTS: Renal function improved in 80.3% of patients (61/76) after 24 weeks of AST-120 treatment. There were no differences between responder and non-responder groups in baseline characteristics except for diastolic blood pressure (73.5 ± 9.5 mmHg in the responder group vs. 79.3 ± 11.1 mmHg in the non-responder group; P = 0.046). Serum lipid peroxidation level decreased significantly in the responder group (from 2.25 ± 0.56 μmol/L to 1.91 ± 0.72 μmol/L; P = 0.002) but not in the non-responder group. CONCLUSION: The addition of AST-120 to conventional treatments may delay the progression of renal dysfunction in diabetic nephropathy. The antioxidant effect of AST-120 might contribute to improvement in renal function.
Antioxidants ; Blood Pressure ; Creatinine ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Indican ; Korea ; Lipid Peroxidation ; Oxidative Stress ; Prospective Studies ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic

BackgroundUntil now, various types of combined therapy with nucleotide analogs and pegylated interferon (Peg-INF) in patients with hepatitis B patients have been tried. However, studies regarding the benefits of de novo combination, late-add on, and sequential treatment are very limited. The objective of the current study was to identify the efficacy of sequential treatment of Peg-INF after short-term antiviral treatment.

MethodsBetween June 2010 and June 2015, hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive patients (n = 162) received Peg-IFN for 48 weeks (mono-treatment group, n = 81) and entecavir (ETV) for 12 weeks with a 48-week course of Peg-IFN starting at week 5 of ETV therapy (sequential treatment group, n = 81). The primary endpoint was HBeAg seroconversion at the end of follow-up period after the 24-week treatment. The primary endpoint was analyzed using Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and regression analysis.

ResultsHBeAg seroconversion rate (18.2% vs. 18.2%, t = 0.03, P = 1.000) and seroclearance rate (19.7% vs. 19.7%, t = 0.03, P = 1.000) were same in both mono-treatment and sequential treatment groups. The rate of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) normalization (45.5% vs. 54.5%, t = 1.12, P = 0.296) and serum hepatitis B virus (HBV)-DNA <2000 U/L (28.8% vs. 28.8%, t = 0.10, P = 1.000) was not different in sequential and mono-treatment groups at 24 weeks of Peg-INF. Viral response rate (HBeAg seroconversion and serum HBV-DNA <2000 U/L) was not different in the two groups (12.1% vs. 16.7%, t = 1.83, P = 0.457). Baseline HBV-DNA level (7 logU/ml vs. 7.5 logU/ml, t = 1.70, P = 0.019) and hepatitis B surface antigen titer (3.6 logU/ml vs. 4.0 logU/ml, t = 2.19, P = 0.020) were lower and predictors of responder in mono-treatment and sequential treatment groups, respectively.

ConclusionsThe current study shows no differences in HBeAg seroconversion rate, ALT normalization, and HBV-DNA levels between mono-therapy and sequential therapy regimens.

Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01220596; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01220596?term=NCT01220596&rank=1.

BACKGROUND: To estimate and compare the trends of all-cause and cause-specific mortality rates for subjects with and without diabetes in South Korea, from 2003 to 2013. METHODS: Using a population-based cohort (2003 to 2013), we evaluated annual mortality rates in adults (≥30 years) with and without diabetes. The number of subjects in this analysis ranged from 585,795 in 2003 to 670,020 in 2013. RESULTS: Age- and sex-adjusted all-cause mortality rates decreased consistently in both groups from 2003 to 2013 (from 14.4 to 9.3/1,000 persons in subjects with diabetes and from 7.9 to 4.4/1,000 persons in those without diabetes). The difference in mortality rates between groups also decreased (6.61 per 1,000 persons in 2003 to 4.98 per 1,000 persons in 2013). The slope associated with the mortality rate exhibited a steeper decrease in subjects with diabetes than those without diabetes (regression coefficients of time: −0.50 and −0.33, respectively; P=0.004). In subjects with diabetes, the mortality rate from cardiovascular disease decreased by 53.5% (from 2.73 to 1.27 per 1,000 persons, P for trend < 0.001). Notably, the decrease in mortality from ischemic stroke (79.2%, from 1.20 to 0.25 per 1,000 persowns) was more profound than that from ischemic heart disease (28.3%, from 0.60 to 0.43 per 1,000 persons). CONCLUSION: All-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates decreased substantially from 2003 to 2013, and the decline in ischemic stroke mortality mainly contributed to the decreased cardiovascular mortality in Korean people with diabetes.
Adult* ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus* ; Humans ; Korea* ; Mortality* ; Myocardial Ischemia ; Stroke

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition is associated with many adverse clinical outcomes. The present study aimed to identify the prevalence of malnutrition in hospitalized patients in Korea, evaluate the association between malnutrition and clinical outcomes, and ascertain the risk factors of malnutrition. METHODS: A multicenter cross-sectional study was performed with 300 patients recruited from among the patients admitted in 25 hospitals on January 6, 2014. Nutritional status was assessed by using the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA). Demographic characteristics and underlying diseases were compared according to nutritional status. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors of malnutrition. Clinical outcomes such as rate of admission in intensive care units, length of hospital stay, and survival rate were evaluated. RESULTS: The prevalence of malnutrition in the hospitalized patients was 22.0%. Old age (≥ 70 years), admission for medical treatment or diagnostic work-up, and underlying pulmonary or oncological disease were associated with malnutrition. Old age and admission for medical treatment or diagnostic work-up were identified to be risk factors of malnutrition in the multivariate analysis. Patients with malnutrition had longer hospital stay (SGA A = 7.63 ± 6.03 days, B = 9.02 ± 9.96 days, and C = 12.18 ± 7.24 days, P = 0.018) and lower 90-day survival rate (SGA A = 97.9%, B = 90.7%, and C = 58.3%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Malnutrition was common in hospitalized patients, and resulted in longer hospitalization and associated lower survival rate. The rate of malnutrition tended to be higher when the patient was older than 70 years old or hospitalized for medical treatment or diagnostic work-up compared to elective surgery.
Cross-Sectional Studies ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units ; Korea ; Length of Stay ; Logistic Models ; Malnutrition ; Multivariate Analysis ; Nutrition Assessment ; Nutritional Status ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Survival Rate